Chapter 5: When Accusation Land

Papa carry me go hospital for morning, then go work. He no talk much, just dey squeeze my hand as we waka. Na real man, no dey show emotion anyhow.

Mama no dey work; she dey house, so she stay for hospital with me. She dey buy me malt, dey pray for my head, dey gist me small small stories about when I small.

For afternoon, Mama wan buy food for me from hospital canteen. She don dey arrange money for wrapper, dey look menu.

Na that time Ifeoma mama call her. Her ringtone na gospel song, but today, e loud pass as usual.

"Hello, wetin happen?"

Ifeoma mama voice loud and angry for phone. Her voice fit break glass, na so she dey shout. Everybody for compound sabi say her mouth sharp, wahala no dey tire am.

She loud sotey, even though Mama no put her for speaker, I still hear everything. Nurses dey look us, one dey shake head.

"Wetin do your pikin? Why e no follow Ifeoma go school today?"

"E talk say e go dey protect my pikin, but now see as my pikin take wound like this!" The accusation heavy, like say na Mama cause the wahala.

Mama shock for the insult. Her face change, she look phone like say she fit enter inside beat the woman.

"Wait, wetin?"

"Ifeoma mama, wetin you dey talk? My pikin get heavy fever, e no go school today. Wetin do your daughter?" Her voice sharp, she dey vex.

"Carry your pikin come hospital now!" Ifeoma mama no dey hear word, she just dey command.

Ifeoma mama just cut the call sharply. No manners at all.

Even my calm mama vex, she mutter, "This woman dey craze? Her pikin get wahala, wetin concern us?" She hiss, face squeeze.

As I hear am, I know say Musa don succeed do bad thing to Ifeoma this time. My chest heavy, I just dey look ground.

As my drip finish, Mama and me go see Ifeoma. My leg dey shake, I no fit look people for face.

Ifeoma dey gynecology, her mama and police dey with her. Everywhere smell of Dettol, nurse dey waka pass.

Doctor come out with result: "This student get small tear for down there, e mean say she just do intercourse now." His face serious, e dey professional.

Police ask her, "Student, dem force you? If you talk, we go fit arrest the person." The man dey write for file, face no dey smile.

Ifeoma mama dey cry, dey slap her lap: "Which animal touch my pikin like this? Talk, Mama go fight for you!" She dey roll for ground, her wrapper don shift.

Ifeoma stand there, cloth rough, fear no let her talk. Her eye red, she dey look floor.

"Na... na Nnamdi." Her voice low, e almost break. She no fit look my side.

Ifeoma, because she no wan expose her boyfriend, come carry my name put for trouble as her mama dey ask her. For this country, sometimes na innocent person go chop the blame. My ear dey ring, body cold—how person go take lie like this? For this Naija, na who you help fit bury you. My blood cold, my life hang for thread.