Chapter 3: Gifts and Gists

That New Yam Festival, Prince of Umuola family send two correct gold-plated bangles as gift. Papa tell mama make she train eldest sister even harder. For gist, e talk say, "Yesterday, Prince Umuola collect Ofo staff from the Governor hand."

That kind gift no be ordinary. For our place, once big chief like Prince Umuola send bangle, e mean talk. Papa gist am with mama for midnight, voice low, but I still hear am as breeze dey blow their window. "That Ofo staff—if you know, you know. Prince dey come up, e wan tie Okoye family join body."

I no understand wetin all this mean; I just dey look as papa and mama dey smile, no sabi say the bangles get meaning. I only remember say Prince Umuola na the only prince wey follow Governor go southern tour.

That time, I just dey happy say person remember us. I no know say bangle na like engagement ring for some kind family. Na later, when I dey hear gossip for kitchen, e clear me small. For our people, ordinary handshake fit get agreement inside.

As I commot for parlour, I see Second Sister, Halima, dey lean for corridor. She dey wave her hand fan, and as she see me, her eye just flash small, her face change.

Sun dey beat for corridor, Halima face dey shine with small sweat, but her posture still get style. She no dey ever miss gossip. As I see her, she raise eyebrow, smile wey no reach her eye. "See this one, finally appear. You dey enjoy, abi?" Her hand fan dey waka left and right, like she dey chase away fly wey no dey.

"Fourth Sister, finally you come out. My leg don tire for waiting," she talk, hold my hand gentle. "Nanny just tell me say the lion pattern for that bangle na the same like our ancestral shrine vessel. Our eldest sister dey enjoy, no be small."

Her grip soft, but her gist sharp. Halima no dey ever waste gist, but if you listen well, you go hear extra meaning. As she talk about lion pattern, e be like say she dey remind me say no be every gift na blessing. For Okoye family, lion mean power, but also danger. As she drop her word, breeze blow am reach my bone.

As I dey look confused, Second Sister just cover her mouth with her fan, her voice low. "Abeg, wetin concern me? Sun dey make my head turn. Fourth Sister, you dey shine like new paint—no let dem use you do example. You go follow me go pluck scent leaf? Later, I go tell kitchen make dem do scent leaf puff-puff for you."

She dey always like that—her words dey hide meaning, sharp but she sabi when to stop. Nobody fit really know wetin dey her mind.

She sabi how to twist gist, turn am to play, but na only her dey know the next line. As we dey waka go garden, she fit switch from gist to prayer, then back to joke—sharp like pepper, gentle like breeze. If person dey careless, na she go carry your secret go market.