Chapter 5: Bitter Release

The woman dey naked for bed, iron chain dey her neck, bruise full her body.

Her skin dey swell, blood dry for corner mouth. The iron chain na the type dem dey use tie cow for festival—no mercy. For ground, water and blood mix, smell dey choke room. The whole room dey smell of old blood, sweat, and bitterleaf soup wey sour for corner.

As she see me, her eye open wide, she dey struggle for bed.

Her mouth dey shake, but no voice come out. She try sit up, body dey tremble. Her hair scatter, face full sorrow.

“You talk say you go help me find my pikin. You see dem?”

Her voice small, like breeze. Hope still dey for her eye, even as pain wan finish her.

I use all my mind waka go her side, open the chain, lean near, whisper for her ear:

My hand dey shake so tay key nearly fall. I close eye, dey pray make thunder no strike me as I loose chain. Sweat dey drip. I bend low, use key wey I thief from mama wrapper, loose the chain. I whisper for her ear, my own voice dey quiver, "No vex, Aunty. E get something wey you need hear."

“You say our house get your pikin smell. You no notice say my brother body dey smell even pass?”

I try talk am soft, but my voice dey break. My eye dey beg her to understand before wahala go pass level.

At first, she confuse. Then as she understand, tears just dey drop, anger full her face.

Her lips tremble, then her eye change—tears roll, but inside, fire dey burn. She turn head, bite lips, no talk for small time.

Fear catch me, I move back, dey stammer:

My mind dey cut. "No vex, Aunty. I no follow dem do anything. I swear—if to say I fit change am, I for do."

“No be me o. Na my brother kill your pikin—my mama follow help am. I no get mouth for this house. Even if I wan help, I no fit. But at least, I don free you. Anything wey you wan do, I no go stop you. Abeg, leave me. I just wan survive.”

Tears dey my eye, voice dey break. I bend low, beg her. "I be small pikin for this house. Wetin I fit do? I just wan live, no vex."

After I talk, I no wait her answer—I run comot like say spirit dey chase me.

As I dey run, sweat dey my back, mind dey hot. I pray say she go forgive me, or at least, make her no use me do back.