Chapter 6: Bread, Blade, and Destiny

5

I no expect say, for this kind time—

Hauwa Lanre, wey never talk to me for days, suddenly open mouth. I no sure if she dey clear or just dey mumble: "If you save me, you go die. Why?"

Her voice dry, broken, no care for this world again. Na voice wey suffer too much, wey no get strength to cry again.

Her heart don scatter since she see her people die. Her hope, her pride, her joy—all don burn for fire wey no fit quench.

She no go ever think say, after dem destroy her fighting spirit, turn her to worthless woman, person go still risk life save her. Na so the world dey—once you fall, everybody go forget say you fit stand before.

So she ask—why? Her voice low, like wind wey dey beg for rain.

Moon dey for sky. Border, my home, dey far as we dey go. The bush dey quiet, only night sound dey whistle for my ear.

Wind dey blow pass my ear, carry my voice reach her: "You don save thousands from war before. Person like you no suppose die."

Na so e be. My voice soft, but my mind dey strong. If she hear the truth inside, maybe e go spark her spirit.

She no suppose die for wicked people, just to get small pity. Her life worth pass their laughter, her pain no be for dem to use wash mouth.

She suppose live—live well. As I talk am, I dey promise myself join.

6

As we dey run from border, we dey hide, dodge soldiers. For bush path, we dey crouch behind thick shrubs, dey use river sound mask our movement. Sometimes, we go sleep for ground, dew go soak our body, but my mind dey sharp.

As we dey go south, everywhere still rough. Hunger dey show for Hauwa Lanre face, but she dey bear am like true warrior.

Oba dey do love for him favourite woman, dey build mansion for her, make people suffer. For road, you go hear people dey curse king, but na only whisper dem fit do.

Finally, after three months, we reach one church wey we fit hide. The church gate dey old, cross for top bend small, but na safe haven for people wey wahala dey chase.

Hauwa Lanre wound serious. But because she get strong body, after three months and all my money finish for her treatment, she almost well. But after the long journey, fever catch her as we settle for church.

"I go beg the sisters for fever medicine. Just rest small."

...

After all this time together, from when she no get hope at all, my encouragement help her small, but she still no dey talk to anybody. She dey sit for edge of bed, dey look window, dey listen to birds wey dey sing every morning.

But I no force her to happy sharp sharp. Joy no dey rush come person wey lose everything, e dey crawl like lizard for dry season.

Even for normal person, after all this, if you no find way die, na strong mind you get. Some people dey praise that kind stubbornness, but for me, na miracle.

As I see her like that, I turn to go. But before I waka reach far, she hold my wrist. Her hand cold, but her grip strong, as if she dey beg make I no waka leave her alone for dark.

I turn see say she don open eye. She no look me, just talk: "Come back quick."

I smile. "No worry." For my mind, I dey thank God for small progress.

The sisters dey stay for east side. Their side always dey smell of soup, hymn book, and candle wax.

I ask one sister for road, find where head sister dey, waka go. I greet well, bend small like person wey dey beg for scholarship.

Before I fit knock, I hear bowl break next door, followed by sharp voice: "All of una, get out!"

"All of una"?

As I hear that, my heart begin beat. Royal person dey here? For village church? My leg almost weak.

If na so, we don enter wahala. If king people dey close, our small peace fit scatter any moment.

7

Fear catch me. I no get power—if dem catch me, na die sure pass. I remember all the story wey dem dey tell for village square about how king hand long reach bush.

As I wan turn go, the sister inside come out. Her cloth rough, face full stress lines.

Surprisingly, apart from fear, she no get respect for the royal person. As she turn, her face twist with disgust. She spit, "Still dey form madam, I spit."

She see me, quick hide her face. "Benefactor, you need something?" Her voice come down, as if she dey fear make trouble no land for her head.

I steady myself, act like I just dey look inside, ask: "I come find Sister Ngozi for fever medicine, but e be like say I come bad time... The madam inside dey vex. Wetin happen?"

As she see say na medicine I find, Sister Ngozi relax, but she no wan talk much. "Follow me." She turn waka sharp sharp, her slippers dey slap ground.

Since she no wan talk, I no push, just dey reason who the person fit be. My mind dey turn like grinding stone, but no name come out.

After I think tire, nothing come out, I give up. I follow her reach prayer room, collect herbs, cook am, return my room. The smell of leaf dey strong, e choke for nose.

For the small, dark prayer room—

Hauwa Lanre don sleep, her face red, body dey hot, clearly no dey comfortable. Her breath dey fast, sweat dey her forehead, but she still dey fight sleep like soldier dey guard post.

I wake her. She check me up and down, see say I dey okay, she calm, drink the medicine, sleep back. Her hand hold the cup small before she release, like say e dey pain her to let go.

I sit by her bed small, think, then stand go. I dey reason whether this place go really safe for long.

I need know—

Who dey inside? Who fit cause all this tension for sisters? If na big madam, we fit enter trouble wey pass our own.

If na royal person... If she see Hauwa Lanre, she go know who she be. Then na both of us go die. I dey calculate escape route for my mind already.

I need plan ahead. I dey pray say God go open road.

8

The next evening—

After I give Hauwa Lanre medicine, make sure she sleep, I waka go the prayer room wey I visit before. My heart dey heavy, but my steps dey light, as if I dey thief for night.

For road, my mind dey think different things. The moon bright, stars dey shine like person spread guinea corn for sky.

At last, I reason say the person fit be palace woman wey come pray. But I no expect say na her. The fear wey grip me fit freeze water for pot.

I reach as some sisters dey whisper for corner:

"Still Princess Guardian, but with leg like that, come this kind bush church—dem don throway her finish."

"Shhh, lower your voice. That princess get wahala. If she hear you, trouble go start again. She too stubborn."

"Abeg, make I fear? You no see as she fall from wheelchair just now, dey crawl for ground like joke."

"...But we still go give her food?"

Everywhere come quiet.

I break the silence: "I go give am."

Dem turn look me. I bow, hide my excitement, talk calm: "Me and my sister dey stay here—make una no stress. Let me help."

Dem look each other. One drag face, see say the tray holder no gree move, snatch the tray, give me, force smile: "Since you insist, carry go."

I collect am sharp sharp, act like I no see their fear. My hand steady for tray, but my mind dey jump.

Dem no know—

I don dey wait to see this Princess Guardian since. My heart dey drum for chest, but I no let am show.

9

After sisters waka, I calm myself, step forward, knock door. The air for corridor dey cold, as if story dey wait make I enter.

Cold voice answer: "Who dey there?" Her tone sharp, no space for play.

Door no lock. Knowing say her leg no fit move, I open door enter: "Sorry, Princess. I just be visitor, the sisters say make I bring your food."

As I enter, I shock for the woman wey I see for old wooden wheelchair wey dey squeak for every move. The room dey dark, but her presence dey big like king dey sit for judgment.

Princess Guardian Zainab Husseini na person wey no get favour before. People sabi her name for market, for story, even for gutter side. Her story long pass ankara wrapper.

Her mama fine, but offend queen, land for back house, lose king love. She and her brother grow for back house, servants dey look down on them. Some days, food no reach their side, but she no ever beg.

But suffering no break Zainab Husseini. Instead, she get strong mind, dey endure, dey plan till she help her brother become king, come get Princess Guardian title. Her eyes sharp like blade, her back straight even for wheelchair.

By right, she suppose dey enjoy. But, sharp all her life, na one time she do mumu—refuse to enjoy, kneel for loyal elder, break her knees, become cripple, lose king favour. Palace gossip dey say na pride kill her joy.

For palace and outside, everybody talk say she deserve am. If you hear market women talk, you go think say her wahala sweet them for belle.

Yes, both for book and all my years here, na wetin I hear. Every new girl wey enter palace, dem go use her story warn am.

Dem talk say Princess Guardian too sharp, no good. Her mind too strong, her tongue too sharp—na so dem take talk am for palace corridor.

At first, people think say she help scatter Lanre family, but nobody expect say she go kneel break her knee for loyal people, still end up like this.

Person wey plan everything, die for sincerity. For village, na her kind dem dey say, 'No matter how far madness waka, e go still jam market day.'

Only one candle dey burn for room, light dey low. The flame dey dance for breeze, shadow dey run for wall.

Zainab Husseini sit for wheelchair, shadow cover her, face no clear. The air for the room heavy, like say rain wan fall.

I drop the food for table, talk soft: "Princess, why you no light more candle?" My voice low, dey try find her mind for that darkness.

I carry candle go near her, wan light the one before her, but before I know, she grab my wrist, pull me close—cold knife press my neck. Her hand quick, grip steady, blade sharp for my throat.

Candle fall for ground. Her voice come sharp, dey mock: "Na king send you, abi? You no fit wait? My dear brother no get patience at all."

My heart jump. My body freeze, sweat dey my back, but I no fit shout. I dey count my breath, dey pray say na only threat, no be real wahala.

10

As I close to her, I see her face well. She fine, face sharp, but get strong look. Her cheekbones dey high, her brow no dey bend—warrior face for true.

But this no be time to dey reason beauty. My mind dey pray say my mouth go save me now.

I raise my hand, quick talk: "Princess, abeg, no vex. I no get power, no hold weapon, I no fit harm you." My voice calm, but my spirit dey call all my ancestors join.

As I talk finish, everywhere just quiet. Only the candle for floor dey make small light, the shadow of knife dey dance for my neck.

As I think she go free me, she just hiss, "Go carry that bread, chop am." Her tone cold, but I fit hear small fear behind am.

I freeze, then understand—

She think say I poison the bread.

My hand dey shake, but I gree. For this life, sometimes na bread, sometimes na blade—na only courage fit save person.