Chapter 1: The Woman and the Snakes

Our village dey suffer well-well. To chop meat for here na big thing—even once in a whole year dey hard.

E reach like this, even small pikin go dey look for opportunity to see where dem dey share bone, not to talk of meat. For dry season, aroma of roasting fish from far place fit cause wahala, people go dey follow nose like say na spirit dey lead dem. Hunger don turn our eyes red before.

My elder brother come dey crave meat so tey, e sneak go masquerade shrine, catch two big, fat snakes.

Everybody sabi say masquerade shrine na sacred place. Nobody dey even near am except during festival or when elders send you. E get as e be—if dem catch you, na serious wahala. But my brother, Dauda, no send. Hunger don tie him belle, him eye don red like person wey dey see vision.

E skin and clean dem finish, chop dem sharp-sharp, oil just dey shine for him mouth as e dey eat.

The way him dey break bone and suck marrow, person go think say na ogbono soup dey flow for him blood. He even lick finger, look sky, talk say, "This one sweet die!" Even mosquito no get hope for that night, e clear everywhere.

Next day, one fine woman wey never see before waka come our house.

Her beauty no be here—skin dey shine like new yam, hair long, wrapper clean pass wetin we dey see for market. Her eye get that sadness wey fit make stone pity you. Even breeze slow down as she waka enter compound, like say the world pause for her wahala.

Tears full her face as she talk say she dey find her two pikin, say she no see dem.

Her voice crack like old drum. She bend small, hold hands together, dey look everybody for eye. "Abeg, I dey find my pikin. My spirit no rest. I no go fit sleep till I see dem." Even the lizards stop to dey nod head for wall.

As my mama see as the woman fine, she come use sense trick am enter house, give her two big bowl of soup wey she put medicine inside, then carry am go my brother bed. She clap hand for chest, say, "You go chop, my sister. Na only God dey see heart."

My mama sly well-well. She smile dey talk sweet, dey praise her like say she be long-lost sister. Soup aroma fill the air—bitterleaf with too much pepper, e clear nose sharp-sharp. Nobody suspect say ogbonge medicine dey inside. As she carry am go Dauda room, she nod head, close door small, whisper prayer wey nobody gree hear.