Chapter 1: Prey Don Turn Hunter

When I used to work as a local guide, my cousin Seyi always dey laugh at me, say I dey useless: He go say, "Women na the sweetest thing for this life. No woman, no life—na so elders dey talk. Without women, person no get reason to dey alive." That night, the stars above Palm Rock just dey shine anyhow. Seyi finally get him wish—he sneak enter tent with four women.

Back then, I dey tell Seyi, "You go see, e no dey easy as you dey talk am." But he go just slap my back, laugh that big belly laugh, and say, "Na you dey fear woman, not me." Sometimes, the way he dey talk about women, you go think say na groundnut for roadside market, easy to buy and chop. That night, Palm Rock sky be like say God just open curtain, everywhere twinkle, even palm tree leaves dey shimmer for moonlight. For Seyi, as e enter that tent, na like all him prayer don answer. You for see am chest high, grinning like thief wey carry belle of the land, four women for one night. Sometimes I wonder if na only this kind thing dey sweet man for this life.

After we see off the tourists, my cousin vex sotey he kick one bamboo chair, the thing fly across the yard. "This time, the prey too sharp. Three days, two nights—no single chance to make any move." She come fully prepared: satellite phone, stun gun, even utility knife. She sabi—fit pitch tent, make fire, do wilderness first aid by herself. Worst part be say she no dey slack at all. She no gree share food, dey avoid anywhere wey get cliff or river, no dey talk to us, and for night she even sleep with infrared alarm set. Five of us—three tourists, me and my cousin—but only one prey. From start reach finish, she no give us any space to try nonsense. My cousin just dey use knife stab ground anyhow. Since we start this local guide work, we never shame like this before. Turns out, no be all women be mumu wey you fit trick or force. We just dey look as she waka comot, happy as she like. As she dey go, the two male tourists just dey eye us, their face full of anger and disrespect. She give us that look wey Yoruba mamas dey use shame stubborn pikin—eye sharp, lips pressed.

The shame too much, e dey bitter like ogbono soup wey person cook without maggi. My cousin no even look my face, him just dey grumble under him breath. Even small pikin wey dey sell chin-chin for junction no go let person use am shine like this. I dey remember how those tourists dey whisper, dey use side eye check us, like say we be common area boys. Even the palm trees for the compound bend small, as if dem too dey laugh us.

"We fit move in the afternoon, abeg come now." My cousin drop the call.

As he end call, I hear the way him voice just change. Before, him dey form hard man, now e get that urgency wey person get when pepper enter eye. The phone be like hot yam for him hand. I dey wonder who dey rush us so.

"Who be that?" I ask am.

"Director Musa people. Dem wan move today."

As he talk, him eye dey red like person wey chop ata raw. Even breeze wey dey blow no fit cool am. I dey watch am, dey try read wetin dey his mind, but na only vex I dey see.

Normally, you no suppose jump from one group to another like that. You suppose rest small, buy new supplies, plan the route, understand who dey inside the group. But today, we just reach village before noon. My cousin mind don scatter because of that woman, e be like say he dey rush go find another prey. I no get choice, I just dey reason which supplies still remain. But no matter how I try, na only that woman face I dey see for my mind. Wetyn be her name again? I remember—her name na Ifunanya. The only prey, her name na Ifunanya. E be like say she dey use style laugh us, say all our effort still reach nothing. I just dey grind my teeth—if I see another chance, I go surely...

All my life, I never meet woman wey fit dey my dream even when I no dey sleep. I no know if na pride or shame dey pain me pass. Ifunanya waka go her way, her back straight like army officer, as if nothing fit touch her. I dey reason: how one woman fit make two grown men dey feel like apprentice?

"Local guide brother."

As I turn, na Ifunanya I see for the gate of our compound.

My heart miss one beat. For this life, some people dey waka enter room, everywhere go cold. As she stand for gate, sun just dey shine behind her, as if she bring her own light. She no look like person wey fear anything. Even the goats wey dey roam compound pause look her, as if dem sabi say na correct woman waka enter.