My people, make I gist una tori wey sweet my belle for one corner. E happen for our compound for Ajegunle where everybody sabi everybody business pass their own. Na so I siddon for veranda one Saturday morning dey chop bread and akara, dey reason life, when my neighbour, Mama Nkechi, waka come my side with her usual wahala face.

“Ehen, Mama Chinedu! Dem don come again o!” she shout like say na fire dey burn.

I nearly pour my tea for body. “Who come again?” I ask, steady my bread for hand.

“Na those yeye suitors wey dey parade for my Nkechi domot! You no go believe wetin I see yesterday night,” she begin yarn, her hand dey fly like Okada for go-slow.

I adjust my wrapper. My ear stand. For this life, one thing sure,Na Mama Nkechi gist sabi sweet pass Nollywood film.

She continue: “As I dey my room, na him I hear ‘kpo kpo kpo’ for gate. I peep, see one small boy wey tie tie like masquerade. He say na from church, say God send am come carry Nkechi. I laugh sotay my belle pain me!”

I burst laugh. “E reach to laugh. Na so suitor dey resemble Jehovah Witness now?”

She nod. “My sister, he come dey speak big grammar. ‘Madam, I am here to facilitate a holy union.’ I say, ‘Oya, facilitate am go back!’”

Nkechi, her daughter, just waka pass with her phone for hand, dey form like say she no dey hear. But small smile dey her mouth. Mama Nkechi shake head. “See dis pikin wey I born? She too dey select. If suitor no get Benz, no be her class. Na so so rice and plantain she dey chop, no sabi cook yam porridge!”

I chook mouth: “Mama Nkechi, abeg leave am. No be so we sef dey do for our time? Na you go marry for am?”

She hiss, but laughter dey her eyes. “Abeg, make I dey go. I wan check whether my soup don warm. But if you see another suitor, tell am make e come with correct egusi, I dey run promo!”

Na so we burst laugh. For this our compound, wahala no dey finish, but laughter sef no dey finish. Na so life sweet reach for Ajegunle. As Mama Nkechi waka go, I pour another tea, thank Baba God for neighbours wey dey make life jollof every day.