Chapter 3: Masked Hearts and Burning Courage

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I transmigrate come this place, but no luck—no be chief pikin I be, nor bastard. Just ordinary commoner for small border village, never waka comot before. If you hear my accent, you go sabi say na grassroot I for grow.

Sun and harmattan for border make me grow tall, skin don strong. After my papa and mama die, to survive, I tie my chest, dress like man, dey work as army nurse for camp. My voice dey always low, my steps careful, because one wrong move fit expose me. Every day, I dey pray make nobody notice say my chest no flat reach.

Truth be say, person like Hauwa Lanre matter no concern me at all. For village, if you no sabi person, you waka your way. Trouble no dey find stranger unless stranger go find trouble.

For this time, person wey be ordinary like me, if you survive, na luck you get. My daily prayer na just to chop small, sleep safe, wake up see another day. Even fly get more right than me.

But I no fit remove my eye from that woman, blood and dirt full her body. Something inside me dey hook like fish bone for throat—na so the thing dey disturb me.

After I treat the officer wound, him see say my eye still dey for Hauwa Lanre body, wey no wear cloth finish. Him face come show one kind bad smile. He slap my shoulder, eye dey shine with dirty mind, talk say, "You look like correct boy—never touch woman before, abi? This one na for us to teach lesson, but... she don mad already, so take am."

The rest begin laugh anyhow. The sound no get joy, e be like vulture dey gather for dead body.

I shock, no talk quick. My hand tremble small, but I use free hand take hold the medicine box tighter.

Dem think say na joy dey make me slow, so dem dey laugh, "Guys, make the boy try am!"

The officer hiss, look Hauwa Lanre with disgust. Just that time, somebody call them from commander tent, so all of them waka comot. God save me, for that moment, because I no know how I go fit escape.

Na only me and Hauwa Lanre remain for tent. Everywhere quiet. The only sound na my own heartbeat.

I come back to myself, look her battered body, think small, no rush go near. Instead, I waka go bring clean water, close curtain, carry am reach where she dey for mattress, dey cry and laugh. As she notice person, her eye just empty, no dey move.

She no send again, just raise neck like say anything fit happen to her, she no care. She look like person wey don forget say tomorrow dey exist.

Until I gently clean blood and dirt for her body, rub medicine for her wound. Na that time she slowly drop her head, her eye twist to look me.

She don mad. The way her eye dey roll, you go think say nobody dey home for her mind again.

She no remember me at all, her eye dey look me like stranger. I fit see say even the shape of my face no dey her memory again.

But I no mind, I just bandage her wound calmly, talk for soft voice: "No fear. I still remember you."

I remember when Fulani horsemen come, dey chop men head, dey carry women like goat, na she be the lioness wey fly come save children from under horse leg. The day still dey clear for my mind—her voice, her courage, the way her blade flash for morning sun.