He Didn’t Hit Me
He didn’t hit me...
You see, he just wanted us to go singing.
He came to pick me up like he usually
does.
He watched the news with my father
while i got dressed.
My father would have liked to have sat
outside to play ayo... but you know now, Lagos is not safe.
He did not hit me o!
We were meant to go out.
I mean, there are not that many things
to do in this Lagos sef.
I was dressing up while he waited for
me.
My mother even offered him food
o.
But he declined.
I didn’t know he was hungry.
But he did not hit me!
He didn’t hit me.
He was just singing badly.
He is not Darey now, why was he singing
Frank Sinatra?
Maybe it was because he was hungry.
But they didn’t have to laugh at him
now
And I didn’t laugh.
A lot.
And he did not hit me
He didn’t hit me o
Not really.
Not at all.
He was just trying to stop me
I was trying to run away..
That is why he grabbed my keys.
That was how this finger got bent
Honestly ehn, he didn’t hit me
You know this is Lagos
It is dangerous at night
And i was trying to leave
He just wanted to stop me
Thats why he held on tight
He just wanted me to stop walking
To stop talking
To stop running
I was just talking
And talking
And talking
Me and my big mouth!
My father always told me my mouth would
get me in trouble
My mother would say, ‘enu e yi’
He wanted me to stop talking
He didn’t know i couldn’t breathe
He didn’t hit me o
He just wanted to love me
Till death do us part
