📖 Chapter Nine:
[The Spy boyfriend]
The group stood in Baba Osie's blood-soaked living room. The walls still echoed with gunfire. Ejiro stared at the body, fists clenched, eyes burning.
Ejiro (in pidgin):
"Na so? Man don die just like that? E never even finish talk! Na this life be this?"
Dimeji knelt beside the body. No pulse. No hope.
Amaka:
"Someone knew we were coming."
Maybe someone from the hospital. Another spy.
Nkemdilim:
"But how? We moved quiet."
Ejiro blinked. Her face twisted. She looked down, then up, then cursed under her breath.
Ejiro (slowly):
"I been tell my boyfriend. Watin happen for hospital.I even gist am say we wan find the man go him house sef.
Silence.
Dimeji:
"You told him, what?"
Ejiro (defensive):
"Na casual gist! I never know say the guy dey work for this luc people, i no even know say him sabi una sef! I think say nah normal yaho boy him be. Nah just normal small talk! Him be Dey ask me how I Dey, me I come Dey feel am. I come tell am everything. I tell am say I Dey with my people'—na wetin I talk!"
Nkemdilim:
",so that's the leak.he's the spy."
Ejiro (furious):
"Leak keh? This one don pass leak and spy matter. Na heartbreak with bullets! Na love wey dey carry gun!"
She grabbed a bottle of palm wine from Baba Osie's shelf and took a long swig, gulping quickly.
Ejiro (drunk.exhaling heavily):
"Men na virus. Love na malware. If I see that handsome devil again, I go format am like flash drive!"
The group chuckled, but the tension lingered.
(The Spy's Trail)
Dimeji pulled out his tablet, fingers flying.
Dimeji:
"Let's find this boyfriend. If he's working for Luc, he's not just a spy—he's a handler."
Amaka:
"Ejiro, what's his name?"
Ejiro (groaning):
"Chima But e dey use fake names. Sometimes e go say 'CJ', sometimes 'Shuuuuadow'. Him way no too correct.Na real Yahoo boy vibes."
Nkemdilim:
"Shadow. That name came up in Luc's network once."
Dimeji:
"Then we're close. Real close."
🍷 Ejiro's Drunken Wisdom
Later that night, they sat around a fire outside Baba Osie's compound. Dimeji had left. To check up on kite, back at the hospital. Ejiro was tipsy, but her words cut deep.
Ejiro (to Nkemdilim):
"You sabi say heartbreak dey worse pass poison? At least poison dey kill you quick. Heartbreak go dey chew your soul like gala.
If person tell me say this guy go do me this kind thing, I no go believe am.
Nkemdilim (laughing):
"You're ridiculous."
Ejiro:
"Ridiculous dey sweet. Na serious people dey die early."
Amaka:
"Ejiro, you're drunk."
Ejiro:
"And wise! Na drunk woman dey talk truth. I go write book o! The book name go be "never date a yahoo boy".