I had just retired to bed after the day's strenuous work when the regular half-pacing footsteps crossed my window. Next was the inaudible knock on Charles's door, then the crank open of the door and the giggling voices. I turned to the clock, it was 10:30 pm on a dot, the usual time. It was no other person but favour, a high school young and naive adolescent, probably between fifteen and sixteen years of age. Her mother owns a buka (restaurant) as it is called in the neighbourhood, in front of their house. Mama favour's buka was the most popular in the area due to the cheap price and generous quantity of her food. She was tag madam quantity by her patronizers. Favour assists her mother after school hours and closes her day in Charles' room, bringing with her, two or three food flasks of rice, soups and eba with assorted meat and fish. The food was always more than enough to take Charles from the night to the following night when another will arrive. Being my next-door neighbour with an adjoining wall, I'd hear every single sound that comes from Charles's room. The yard is a typical Nigerian face-me-i-face-you design. For the past three months Charles moved in, Favour has been a regular night visitor. But would never be seen anywhere around in the daytime. Charles was a member of the National youth corp, serving in Abor girls college, where favour schools. To why a full-grown man would customise such a naive teen to a sex toy is one thing I couldn't fathom. I had on two occasions censured Charles over such despicable action but he had always claimed that it was favour who had been head over the heels for him, whereas he took her as a younger sibling. He also denied indulging in any sexual activity of any kind with her. Rather, they spend those time indoors, helping her with her homework, or teaching her a new topic. I was surprised to hear that because I wasn't sure if my hearing organ still functions well. could it be that I had developed some huff in my ear? Or had I been hallucinating all the while? The giggles, heavy breaths, soft moans, the spanking sounds, the hits on the joining wall, the peating and cuddling words. Were they originating in my head? I had kept a close tab on them for the past three months. In the thirty days of a month, if there were days favour didn't show up, it won't exceed four. And it was days Charles were not in. What sort of hallucination could have lasted over seventy days. Seeing that talks with Charles won't help, I waited up on favour one particular night. Knowing the exact time she'd leave Charles's room, I stayed up, patiently waiting for 11:50 to tick. Then I moved behind the bathroom that served as her sneak-in route and waited. Living just two yards away from ours, she made less effort coming as she only need to walk through a yard, creating her walk the path from her house, through the compound to ours. Stunned to see me, she sputtered out incoherent greetings to me, "aunty O-nyi-i, gudueven" "ev'n, Nne, why do you come to copper Charles's room every night. Hope you know that it doesn't speak good of you as a girl? I will report to your mother the next time I see you here again." I coerced her. "See aunty, I only come for copper Charles's to teach me, nothing more, I swear to God. Even, my mother is aware of the teaching" she insisted. I was left in perplexity as she hurriedly paced off. How can a mother believe that a girl with well-grown boobs and round hips stays in the same room with a grown man by that unholy hour and yet, nothing happens? Can a goat be asked to safeguard a yam? Above all, Charles was a chronic addict to anything beneath the skirt. He is a pro on ladies affairs. From his fellow corp members to school girls, even the random town girls. So, Favour's claim of her mother being aware meant two things; she may be aware of her coming, but not the time, place. Or she's completely ignorant of the whole matter. In that case, saying that so I don't go to her at all. Either way, I surmised to hear from the horse's mouth. And so, the next day on my way from work, I stopped by at mama favour's buka. She was standing in front of her big coolers, attending to a customer. favour was not in sight. I thought of the best way to start the talk so I won't be misjudged, but couldn't think of a better way. "abeg put rice and dodo with one meat for take away for me" "na 350 oo" "put am. Ehm, what of your pikin favour, I no see am" "she go buy something" "no vex oo, this night class wey favour dey do with kopa, you no think say e no good for a girl?" "na food you come buy abi na aproko you come do? You and kopa dey friend? I no say you never marry and your age don big. That kopa na small pikin for your hand oo. leave am before e mama go curse you oo. Abeg pay me make I fit attend other customers." By the time she was through jabbing me, my limbs were numb and unable to carry me. I managed to dip in hands in my purse, brought out a note I didn't know the denomination and gave and walked out in shame. I had walked some distance when I heard her voice, "you no wan collect your change?" Forfeiting the balance was a better choice than going back in embarrassment. From that day, I vowed to mind my business. Even if the clouds were coming down, I'd resign to my little room. Three weeks after the incident, there was a constant knock on Charles's door very early in the morning. For more than 30mins there was no response, yet the visitor kept knocking. To avail myself of the disturbance to the sweet Saturday morning sleep, I decided to check who was knocking. To my uttermost surprise, it was mama favour and favour. I turned to go back to my room when she called me, "my pikin abeg no vex, your neighbour no dey?" "you mean kopa?" "yes, kopa" "oh, he packed out last night. I thought favour was aware that she came earlier than other days and left very early too." "ewoo, kopa give my pikin belle come run. inogo better foram. God go punish am, punish e mama." She continued spewing curses on Charles while I sneaked back to my room. Should I laugh at mama favour? That would be childish of me. I just hope she understands why it is said that, Ejighi ihe eji akpa nti akpa na-anya.