Chapter 2: Okafor Compound Cold Pass Freezer

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The year wey me and my mama enter Okafor family, after she remarry, I go from being the pikin wey everybody dey pamper to being like stranger for compound.

That compound big, but e cold like inside freezer—no jollof rice aroma, no laughter, only the distant sound of NEPA generator. I remember how before, for our small two-room flat for Surulere, na me be queen of the house. Anything I want, mama dey run give me. But for Okafor side, na different story. I dey tiptoe, dey mind step, because everybody for there get their own wahala. Even the house cat no gree play with me. Sometimes I go sit down for veranda dey look sky, dey wonder how my life take change overnight.

I vex for my mama because she leave the love wey she get for me. I vex for my stepfather because him dey cold and e no send me, and I vex pass for my stepbrother, Somto, wey no dey even shake body no matter how I try please am.

The vex just dey gather for inside me like Lagos traffic. My mama, wey before dey rub my head make I sleep, now dey busy with new husband matter. My stepfather dey do like say I no dey exist, e face always strong like person wey chop bitterleaf. But na Somto vex me pass. I go buy am gala, he no go collect. "Take am now," I go beg. He just bone face, look window. I go try gist with am, na wall I dey talk to. The thing dey pain me reach inside.

I just dey hate everybody for that family.

Hatred sweet me like revenge. Sometimes I go lock myself for room, dey plan small small wahala. But deep inside, I dey pray make something change, make somebody notice my pain. Na so Naija girls dey form strong face, but inside, water dey run.

So, I find way force marriage, marry Somto.

I sit for veranda that night, breeze dey slap my face. My heart dey ask, ‘You sure?’ But my stubbornness no dey hear word. That move shock everybody. Some say I craze, some say na juju. But I know wetin I dey do. If nobody go love me, at least make I get my own position for that house. For Naija, position dey important. I use all my stubbornness force the marriage. Dem do small family meeting, talk talk, last last, na my way stand. I marry Somto, with or without e consent.

But truth be say, I still love am.

The love stubborn, e dey hide under the wahala. No matter how I form agbero, if I see Somto, my chest go dey do one kind. Na true say hate and love dey waka together. Na me understand the thing pass.