Chapter 4: Bougainvillea Secrets

By the time dry season dey finish, bougainvillea don full everywhere. Eldest Sister jam our Morayo family cousin for under the flower trellis. Even though him no get big background, him fine well, but after him fail WAEC plenty times, dem just keep am dey look after garden for our house.

That Morayo cousin, Auwalu, get eye wey dey shine for sun, and hand strong from work. All the maids dey talk say if to say him get family money, e for don become lawyer or doctor. But na garden and books be him portion for now. As the flowers dey burst red, na so dem own love dey hide under leaf.

Nobody know why, Eldest Sister collect one handkerchief from am, wey dem embroider "Together for Life" on top. She keep am for body day and night. Since that time, she dey use me as excuse say she dey carry me go fly kite, but na the garden she dey go meet am. Once kite don fly, she go say she tire, send me go pick flower, then go rest for back veranda.

I just dey follow dem, no sabi the main koko. But handkerchief wey get that kind sweet talk, my mind dey suspect. For our house, anything wey you hide, na only time before somebody catch am. Sometimes, I dey wish say I fit just lock my own secret for gourd and throw inside river.

That day, garden quiet well. As I dey wind kite string, na so I see one blue agbada for back big stone. Na papa. Him face dark like thunder. I no even know when him come. No guest, no servant follow am—just Baba Sani and two small boys stand for back, head down like wood.

E shock me. My papa no dey show face for backyard except matter serious. Baba Sani, him loyal driver, dey stand like stone. The two small boys, na messengers, their leg dey shake. For garden wey dey always get songbird, everywhere just freeze, even breeze hold breath. Even the lizards for fence freeze, as if dem dey fear too.

The kite spool fall for my hand. Papa eye waka pass me like knife. I quickly bend my head, but I see for corner eye as raffia curtain for small veranda shake for breeze, show small shadow of Eldest Sister and the scholar, their hand join together.

That kind eye no be ordinary. If you see the way e look me, you go know say even small mistake fit become story for family meeting. As curtain shake, my own heart begin beat. Nobody talk, but wahala don land.

Bougainvillea flower fall for ground, some land for papa black shoe, only for am to match am inside mud. As dem drag Scholar Auwalu come out, him face don white finish.

Silence heavy, like rain dey gather for sky. The red flower stain papa shoe, him match am as if to say, "Disgrace must die here." When dem drag Auwalu come out, e no fit look anybody eye. My own leg dey shake, I dey pity am, but I know say talk for there na wahala.

Eldest Sister no gree fall hand, she stand well, first time she challenge papa. "Your daughter no wan be bird wey dem lock for golden cage. I rather suffer with the person wey I love…"

Her voice no shake, her eye dey sharp like cutlass—she stand gidigba. Na the first time I see her stand her ground, even with all of us dey watch. E shock everybody—even Baba Sani drop mouth open small.

"Na foolish talk be that," Papa just smile, no even vex. "You think say anywhere for this world dey free from power and connection? If today you lose the name of Chairman daughter, tomorrow you go understand: love wey no get power to protect am, na meat for chopping board."

Papa talk like person wey don see plenty. Him smile no reach him eye. For our people, once person say "meat for chopping board," e mean say your story fit end anyhow. Nobody wan be meat for anybody table.

Eldest Sister wan talk again, papa raise hand, stop am. "If all the wise people words no fit cool your head, make the world teach you."

As papa hand go up, everywhere just cold. Nobody move, only the sound of distant mosque bell dey enter my ear. E no shout, but the respect for house big. Mama no talk, only squeeze her handkerchief. Eldest Sister hold her mouth, tears for eye. That night, wahala don land true true.