Chapter 2: Return to Umuola

For the start of rainy season, sixteenth year of the Eze's reign. For Umuola, rainy season dey always bring new story, but this one loud pass all. Dem restore the deposed prince, Obinna, back to him position.

That time for Abuja, the sky just dey dark one kind, like say ancestors dey para. Even the trees for palace compound no gree dance for breeze. Everybody dey fear.

The whole palace shake.

You go hear slippers dey run for marble, guards dey rush upandan. Even the old housemaid, Mama Ijeoma, nearly fall for staircase. "Omo, wahala dey," she talk, hands dey shake.

That time, the ninth prince wey frame Obinna don kill himself out of guilt, but the wahala spread everywhere, people dey fear.

The market women for Wuse dey whisper, "Dem say prince kill am. No be only guilt kill prince nine. You know say royal matter dey always get as e be." Fear grip everybody.

In less than one month, invitation for the Prince’s Palace pile reach like mountain, half for Obinna, half for me.

My table nearly break. Even neighbour pikin dey help arrange invitation cards. Some carry small goat as gift, others bring kola.

"Aunty Ifunanya, na you the prince like pass. Who for this city no wan talk good about you?"

Even small children dey hail me for road. For my mind, I dey fear wahala wey dey follow praise.

But me, I just dey reject all of them.

If dem ask, I go smile, wave hand like say na nothing. But for mind, my head full, I dey reason tomorrow.

"All of una dey miss road. In three days, I go comot."

Na so I talk am for open. Some people think say I dey form. But who wan chop palace politics?

After I explain tire, body weak, I fall sick join.

Na real malaria hook me. Even my voice dey shake, my leg soft like yam porridge.

Three days later, when Obinna come, I dey drink agbo medicine.

Mama Comfort, my neighbour, dey blow breeze for my face. The herbalist say na ogbono leaf and bitter leaf mix dey inside.

The golden spoon with design knock the bowl small.

Even the sound wey the spoon make, e resemble church bell for my ear. My body dey hot.

The medicine bitter, e no gree go down. My tongue dey twist, like say pepper dey bite am.

Na so I dey struggle, tongue dey twist. If not for the matter wey dey ground, I for pour the agbo for gutter.

Obinna give me honey kolanut chop, him hand gentle but him voice cold like harmattan breeze.

As e give me the kolanut, e no even smile. My mind dey wonder if na the same Obinna wey I know. Abuja boys fit change o.

"Keke dey wait for door. Finish, make we dey go."

The way e talk am, e be like driver dey rush us. No time for slow talk, no time for pity.

"Okay."

My voice dry, as if sand dey my throat. I just dey look am, eyes red from fever.

I answer am, my voice rough from fever, like person wey cry for days.

Even my laugh no get strength, na only small smile remain for my lips.

Obinna fingers pause small.

The small moment, e look me like say e dey remember old things. But e quickly pack the feeling like person wey no wan show soft side.

He turn face, eyes calm, carry the darkness for sky inside.

As I dey look him eyes, e dey like deep water wey no get end. The thing cold me for body.

"Ifunanya, your level low. You suppose know say you no fit be my wife."

That statement pain me for bone. For Nigeria, people dey respect level—status, family, money. But I no believe say na the Obinna wey I suffer with go reason like that.

"No go too far. Just stay for the outskirts. If I get time, maybe I go see you."

As e repeat am, my heart just dey squeeze. I dey feel as if my spirit dey leave my body. For my mind, I dey ask, 'After all this, na so e wan end?'

I nod, bend, cough well. When I look up, na only the hem of him agbada I fit see, far like say I no go ever reach am.

That lion embroidery dey shine for light, but e no mean anything for me again. Distance dey between us like River Niger.

Before, dem strip am of this lion-embroidered agbada for public, cover am with mud, so wretched he dey drag food with dog.

I remember the day dem disgrace am. My heart break, but I no let tears show. Even dog for palace dey run from am that time.

Na only me no shame for am, I carry am waka pass long street.

Some market women dey look us, dey gossip. But I waka head high. Na that day I know say loyalty no dey common.

That day, harmattan dust full everywhere. I slim, weak, dey shake with every step.

My slippers dey clap for ground, dust dey rise. Abuja cold no get mercy for poor person.

Obinna nearly die: "Aunty, I dey die. I no deserve this your help."

The way e talk am, e face be like pikin wey dem flog. I no get mind for am to suffer alone.

How e go say he no deserve am?

I dey wonder, 'If I no help am, who go help?' For my family, person no dey turn back for friend. Na wetin my mama teach me.

Before my mama die, she hold me tight say: the prince na white heron for sky, spirit wey dem send come earth, wey save plenty people for Umuola when trouble start.

She dey always talk am: 'Ifunanya, na spirit dey waka for that boy body. Protect am, e go pay.' As I dey remember am, na so my chest dey rise.

Na so I carry this spirit go hide under old bridge, sun and rain beat us, I dey sell ugu leaf for street with donkey cart to take care of am.

The donkey sef sabi me. People dey laugh say I be mad girl, but my mind no dey for them. As long as Obinna dey safe, e better.

Six years waka just like that.

Six years no be beans. Rain, sun, hunger, insult—all join. Na so we survive.

Till after dem restore am, for the celebration, he propose to General Danjuma younger sister for public.

As dem dey pop wine, my heart dey cut. Na so big men dey use person play. My eye wan drop water, but I bone face.

Dem talk say Aisha Danjuma no dey gree for nonsense, she no like me, the vegetable seller.

Aisha mouth sharp like razor. Dem say she no dey hide her mind—she go talk your matter for front of everybody, no send.

Obinna need the Danjuma family soldiers to hold him throne, so he just chase me away.

My heart scatter that day. For Nigeria, power pass love many times. Family wey get soldiers, na them dey rule.

The day I dey go, I jam Aisha as she dey waka enter.

Her perfume choke everywhere. She no even look my face twice.

She cover her nose as she pass me: "The stray dog don finally run."

Her words enter my bone. She hiss, “Na only dog dey chop leftover.” The insult loud, even palace guard bend head.

Behind her, sunset dey shine. Aisha hold Obinna arm, dey laugh like bell.

Their laughter dey echo for corridor. The thing pain me, but I just waka.

"Brother Obinna, after we marry, I fit burn all the things Ifunanya leave behind? I no like them, dem dirty."

She talk am like say my spirit no even matter for the palace. For where I stand, I dey shake small.

Obinna voice soft: "Mm."

The 'mm' weak me. No defence, no argument. As if I be dust for him eye.

The keke dey shake. The driver look my pale, sick face, talk gentle.

The driver, small boy from Nasarawa, talk like say e dey pity me. E slow down, e no rush.

"Aunty, where you wan go now? Convent for outskirts? Or make we find land build house for here?"

The chest of gold wey Obinna dash me dey my lap.

Na so e dey shine, but my mind dark. Money no dey buy happiness, na true.

I look the wildflowers wey dey bloom for palace wall as breeze dey blow, I shake head.

The flower wey grow for palace, e no get smell for person wey dem chase.

"None of them."

"Carry me go river port."

I no wan stay for where people go dey look me like old story. River go carry my pain.

The boat wey dey go Umuola soon go move.

I hold the gold tight, my chest dey heavy. Home na home, even if bush don take over.