Chapter 2: Pain No Be Today

As my sickness start again, I just bite my wrapper, dey try hold the cry wey wan comot, sweat full my forehead.

That wrapper, e don soak my tears tire. I dey grip am sotey my knuckles white. For village, if dem see me now, dem go say, "A Yao, be strong, you hear?"

The man wey dey always rush come once I dey in pain, this time him no show.

Every tick of clock na like insult. Silence dey heavy like curse. Before, e no dey take two breath, he go rush enter, voice soft. But now, breeze just dey blow, my hope dey faint.

Ngozi eyes don red as she dey wipe my face, dey mumble, "Oga never forget the day your sickness dey come before—wetin come happen today?"

Ngozi, my loyal own, she don follow me suffer well-well. Her hand dey shake, but she still dey wipe my sweat, dey fan me with old City People magazine wey don tear for corner. E clear say she dey vex but fear dey hold am.

I never feel this kind pain for three years now.

Na the kind pain wey dey crawl for bone, wey dey pinch soul. My mouth dey dry, I dey try swallow air like person wey dey drown. Even if dem bring agbo from Mama Chinedu shop, e no go touch this kain pain.

One houseboy wey dey shake rush enter, hold one letter. Ngozi snatch am quick, read am loud: "The Queen don chop poison. Your husband don get urgent call, dem don carry am commot for seclusion. My wife abeg, take care..."

The letter paper still dey smell of palm oil and sweat, like person rush write am for kitchen. Even as Ngozi read am, her voice dey tremble, her finger dey point the name like say na mistake. For my chest, I dey count all the times wey urgent matter don come, but this one pain pass.

The ink still dey fresh, e mean say na just now dem write am. Ngozi vex, grit her teeth, "When oga commot?"

She dey look the houseboy like say e be goat. Her eye red, voice get small thunder.

"This morning." The houseboy no fit lie; everybody sabi say today na my sickness day.

Even the houseboy dey pity me. E dey fidget, head bow, leg dey tap ground.

"Commot from here," I talk with the small strength wey remain. Ngozi close the door, but another wave of pain hit me, tears just dey drop from my eye.

Pain dey slice my body like razor. Even if dem bring agbo from Mama Chinedu shop, e no go touch this kain pain. My teeth dey mark my wrapper, but the sob still escape.

Once I hear "the Queen," I know say I don lose.

That name—'Queen'—na like thunder. From the moment I hear am, I know say my own chance don pack go.

"Madam, make I go call doctor." Ngozi wan run as she see my condition, but she pause.

Her eye dey beg me, her hand dey hover for my leg, but e be like she dey fear my answer.

Dr. Ifedike na real doctor—na only him sabi how to hold my sickness. For this Divine Doctor’s Compound, who else dey?

Everybody for town dey respect am. If e no dey, who go fit try?

I know say na the second male lead him be, and say him heart dey for the female lead before. But I no believe say him go treat me like this.

Sometimes, I dey tell myself say maybe na just my mind dey play me. But this kain forgetfulness na serious thing. My trust dey shake.

My chest just dey heavy, every breath dey pain me.

If to say dem fit open my chest, dem go see as pain dey coil like python inside. My heart dey jump, breath dey short like person wey run from masquerade.

I land inside this book since early—when I still dey my mama belle. At first, I think say na time travel just happen.

The shock then, e fit make person mad. All the faces, the settings, e be like those tales wey grandma dey tell for moonlight.

Na until I jam Dr. Ifedike, I know say na novel world I dey.

He dey shine like star for new sky, but na book people dem be. I begin dey fear how my own role go end.

Because of my sickness, my papa find plenty miracle doctors, but nobody fit cure me.

For our side, if pikin dey sick, na prayer house, herbalist, prophet, but nothing work. Only hope remain like candle for harmattan.

Na when we hear where Dr. Ifedike dey hide, we go meet am.

We waka cross river, climb hill, just to beg am. People for town dey talk say na him hand dey heal.

Papa want make I marry am. I wan refuse, but as I see my papa red eye, I just agree.

For my papa mind, na last bus-stop. If e fit save me, e fit do anything. Na so I just gree, no wahala.

From beginning, I dey remind myself say the second male lead love the main babe. No matter as him fine reach, I no go let myself fall for am.

I dey yarn myself every night, dey lock my mind. Love na wahala, I no wan catch.

But body no be firewood. Three years inside marriage, how person wan do?

Na true, no be say I stubborn pass my feelings, but human heart dey soft sometimes. If you dey hear soft voice, dey feel warm hand, e go hard to turn stone.

Every night, he dey give me acupuncture, dey push the sickness comot. Any time I fall sick, he dey beside me.

Acupuncture needle dey press my skin gentle, he go dey hum old song. Sometimes na "Ogene dey beat for market square" tune, I go dey smile for pillow.

Everybody talk say I no go reach sixteen, but na only Dr. Ifedike talk say, "As long as I dey, you go reach hundred."

That promise, e dey my heart like password. Na only am get that kind bold mouth for all the doctors wey waka our house.

Now, I dey eighteen, I don pass that curse.

Anytime I see my birthday, I dey count am as small miracle. Neighbours dey call me 'wondrous child.'

If I remember the book story, e don finish already. Second male lead don retire for small town, the main people dey on top the world.

For my head, I dey imagine say our own story na different, say e go fit turn sweet at last.

I think say him don leave all that behind, fall for me for real.

My heart dey sing one small song, dey hope say na true him dey talk.

The way him dey show love, I no fit dodge am. My heart wey I lock before, e just dey open small small.

E dey show for my laugh, the way I dey arrange him slippers, the way I dey keep food for him, just dey hope.

But just as I gree for my feelings, na that time fate play me wayo.

As if say village witch dey monitor me, na the day I open heart, thunder strike.

This sickness wey dey now suppose be the last one. Dr. Ifedike talk say once I survive am, I go well.

E say na final exam. If I pass, joy go dey for house. Everybody dey pray.

If dem no comot the sickness finish, wahala go dey.

My papa, my friends, all dey fear say if I no survive, pain go swallow everybody.

He dey worry about me day and night, just yesterday he whisper for my ear, "A Yao, once you recover, make we finally do husband and wife things."

Na that talk make me laugh that night, even though my body dey hot. E sweet me for belle, I no fit lie.

I blush, touch him lips small.

Na first time I gree touch am like that, my body dey vibrate like person wey win lottery.

But today, on top my sickness day, he waka go help the female lead, no even look back.

That thing pain me. Na like say him just use broom sweep my feelings throway for gutter.

But palace get plenty doctors na, why e be say na only him fit help?

This one pass my power. Even if na juju, e no suppose reach like this. My chest dey tight.