Chapter 4: Pepper Soup No Fit Cure Everything

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Na only my mama sabi how I dey bully Somto. But she no fit change my stubborn mind, so the only thing she fit do na to dey cook pepper soup everyday make we dey healthy.

Sometimes for kitchen, my mama go eye me, mouth small, like person wey wan talk but no get words. She sabi say na me dey bully Somto, but as e be, mama just believe say hot pepper soup fit cure body and soul. "If belle full, wahala go reduce. No be pepper soup dey cure quarrel, but e dey help." She go add scent leaf join, make the aroma fill house, as if that one fit heal everything. Na old mama wisdom be that.

My stepfather, as e see say we dey close, think say I dey take care of Somto well, so for once, e look me for face.

For him mind, I don turn new leaf. Him eye soft small that day, the kind way you go notice say na respect dey start small small. For that Okafor house, if oga look you for face, na big achievement. Even the housemaids dey notice, dey greet me pass before. Sometimes respect dey start from misunderstanding.

He ask me, 'You wan come work for the company?'

The way he talk am, I for think say na test. The company na big one—import, export, all those big men matter. I dey surprise, because before, nobody go reason me for such position. The question hang for air, make my heart beat like talking drum.

I shock small.

I no expect am at all. My mind fly go different places—office wahala, oga people, early morning waka. I dey imagine myself dey wear suit, dey enter boardroom, dey dodge traffic, dey price boli for junction. The shock still dey do me like cold water.