OFEEGE

 

Ofeege (Fake)

Tunde was the kind of man who knew how to package himself well. With neatly ironed shirts, designer perfumes, and a confident stride, he had convinced Tolani, a beautiful and hardworking banker, that he was an oil company executive. He always spoke about business trips to Port Harcourt and meetings with top executives, though he never seemed to have concrete details.

Tolani had her doubts. Sometimes, his English was too rough for a corporate man. Other times, he avoided discussing work in detail, always changing the subject with sweet words. But love can be blind, and she ignored the little inconsistencies.

One evening, as she returned from work, her car broke down near a busy Lagos garage. Frustrated, she decided to take a bus home. As she approached the yellow danfo, she heard a voice that froze her steps.

“Oshodi! Oshodi! Wọlé pelu change o!”

Her heart pounded as she turned toward the sound. There, in a faded polo and dusty jeans, was Tunde—her oil company fiancé—hanging from the side of the bus, clapping his hands and calling for passengers.

Their eyes met. His face crumbled into shame, but he quickly looked away as if he didn’t know her.

Tolani didn’t cry. She didn’t make a scene. She simply turned and walked away, deleting his number as she went.

Fake life had ended things before it even started.