Chapter 4: Mother-in-law Fire for Station

As I dey comot from interrogation room, my mother-in-law rush me like mad woman, scratch my face.

She just dey scream, wig shift for head. For front of police, no shame. Her voice loud pass generator. Her wrapper almost fall as she rush me.

“You wicked man, you kill my daughter! You kill my daughter! You go pay!”

She dey shake, her eye red, na real pain dey push her. I fit see say she never sleep for days too.

My wife die suddenly, I never rest for days, my body slow.

I no get strength to fight, my body weak. The slap enter like fire, I just dey beg God for patience.

So as she rush me, I no fit dodge, my face and neck just dey bleed.

My face dey hot, blood dey drip small for my jaw. E be like pepper enter my eye. My shirt don stain. Police dey shout, "Madam, madam!" as dem try hold her.

Lucky say na police station. Police rush come separate us.

Even the station cleaner pause, dey watch as drama unfold.

If to say na outside, who know wetin for happen. I just dey thank God say uniform people dey.

For glass, I see myself, bent, tired, with bitter smile:

My reflection for glass show tired man, face swell, eye don red. Na only God know how long this pain go last.

“If you really believe say I do Ngozi bad, bring evidence.”

I dey try talk calm, but my mouth dey shake. I dey pray make God fight my battle.

“Evidence? The evidence be say my daughter don die, you dey alive! You wan chop all her money because she die? Na dream!”

Her hand dey shake as she dey talk. She dey point finger at me like say she go use am tear my eye.

Her voice sharp, she try rush me again. I sigh, no know wetin to talk.

Na only God fit judge this one. My heart dey heavy. Wetin I fit talk? Person wey pain dey blind.

“Arrest am! Na him kill my daughter, I want make he die!” she shout for police.

She dey cry, spit dey fly from her mouth. Her eye red, her voice dey crack. Everybody for station dey look.

“No evidence say he kill Ngozi. We no fit arrest am.” The young female officer wey dey write my statement vex.

She stand up, voice firm, she no dey take nonsense. She dey protect me small, but I sabi say her own fit end anytime.

“Wetin you mean?” She shout again. “I dey warn you, if una cover am, una go hear am!”

The noise don draw other officers. The one for front desk don stand, ready for any wahala.

All the police face change. Dem don see stubborn people, but not like this for station.

The atmosphere thick like ogbono soup. Everybody dey tense, some dey shift, dey prepare for the worst.

“If you no get proof, you dey disturb police work. We fit detain you.”

Young policeman talk.

His face serious. He no dey smile. For Naija, police no dey take disturbance for granted.

“Hmph, detain me? You sabi who I be—”

Her words make my heart cut, but she suddenly quiet, then hiss:

I fit hear pain for her voice. The thing pain her well. Even her hand dey shake as she drop her bag.

“Evidence? I get plenty!”

She just dey para, her body dey shake like person wey dey catch cold. She dey swear say she go show me pepper.

Before she go, she look me wicked, talk:

“Just dey wait. Anything you swallow, I go make you vomit am!”

Her eyes cut through me like razor. Na only God fit settle this matter.

As she drive comot with her big car, that dark policeman ask me from back:

The car na one of those SUV wey dey make noise. She speed off, tyre scream for police compound.

“Wetin you swallow wey she want make you vomit?”

I shock, smile bitterly:

I just shake head. Na money matter, e dey always cause fight for Naija. But my own mind clear.

“Na the house sale money, I plan return am after I finish my wife matter, but I no expect..."

I dey explain, voice low. If to say she calm, I for give her everything.

“So, dem dey fear say you no go return house money, na why dem accuse you?”

The young female officer talk my mind finish.

She dey read my mind. Na only money dey cause wahala now.

I sigh, no talk again, just nod.

I just dey look ground, my chest dey heavy. Wahala no dey ever finish.

When I look up, that dark policeman eye dey full of doubt.

His face don change, he dey suspect say maybe na money push me. But I no send am.