Chapter 5: Riot Rumours and Lost Children

After Okafor Nnamdi go, everywhere calm. Before I know, one month don waka like thief. Bath problem still dey. No soap, so the dirt dey blend with skin, turn camouflage.

Musa, loyal like house dog, dey follow me up and down. At night, some men dey stroll outside tent. I ask, dem say na fresh air. Since dem dey chop better, body dey come back, muscle dey show small.

Five days ago, Okafor Chinedu go house, never return. I search area—bamboo full mountain, but no iron, nothing dey easy. I know say without knife, life go hard.

Finally, Okafor Chinedu return, face sad, eyes red.

I ask: "Wetin happen? House okay?"

He answer, voice low: "Chief kill my papa, my mama die from sorrow, my only sister miss."

"How e take happen?"

He grit teeth: "My papa try stop chief from building burial ground, talk too harsh, chief vex, kill am."

I just quiet. Old system wicked—person fit die for common talk.

He continue: "This year drought, refugees full ground. Government no get food. Days ago, riot happen for main project. Oga, abeg, prepare."

Peasant uprising? My heart beat. Naija history teacher always talk say riot bring blood.

Our own site far. Maybe wahala no reach us, but I no trust am. I plan.

Okafor Chinedu bring lion head brass: "My papa say make I give you this lion tally—you go know wetin to do."

I raise the lion head brass—old Okafor’s sign. For here, na only true leader fit carry am.

"Lion tally?"

"To command vigilante. My papa dey control three hundred horsemen."

As I collect am, my head dey spin. If I use them, maybe safety go dey. But if people see plenty horsemen, dem go call me rebel. I go dey careful—Naija no dey rush to trouble.

I send one sharp boy to check main project. If wahala dey, make dem run come mountain. System dey, food dey. I give am six Set A, say safety first.

My mind no rest till night. The boy return, face white like chalk.

"Wetin happen?"

"Fight for main site—dead body full ground, blood everywhere."

"You see who fight?"

"No, everywhere quiet, nobody dey."

My chest dey beat. Workers rebel scatter everything. Once riot start, wahala dey go round. Okafor Nnamdi talk say world go scatter—now I understand.

Where riot dey, government go send soldier, everywhere go spoil. I plan to gather food sharp.

I call Okafor Chinedu, pick ten strong men, waka go main site.

On road, I ask: "Armoury dey?"

He nod: "Yes, I go show you."

With boxed meal, everybody get strength. What took two days before now na one day waka.

For site, na graveyard. Blood everywhere, dead bodies—some headless, some belly open. Smell wicked, I wan vomit. Musa rush water give me.

I sigh: "Storm dey blow, wahala everywhere. If country dey good, people dey suffer. If country spoil, people still dey suffer."

Okafor Chinedu echo: "If country good, people suffer; if country spoil, people still suffer. Oga, you no be ordinary."

No time for speech. I lead go armoury. Musa whisper: "Oga, these dead people, we go collect their cloth?"

I shake head: "Leave the dead rest."

For store, nothing. Armoury, empty. We manage find five cutlass, three spear. Everything iron, we pack. Stable for back get four horse—joy! Four cart join. Na so we pack, ready.

As I dey check, Baba Sani bring small girl, maybe fifteen, face white, no shoe, dey shake.

"Wetin be your name?"

She no answer, just dey stare. Fear tie her tongue. Naija pikin when wahala too much, na so dem dey.

"Where your papa and mama?"

Quiet. I no force am. She no fit survive here alone. I plan to carry am, help find her people later.

We sharply load cart, move. Bedding, shoe, cloth, salt, even flour, stone mill, knife, axe for firewood—like game dey find gear. Girl finally wear shoe, whisper: "Saw dey behind that door."

Musa open, true—brand new. I smile: "Nice one, small madam, you get sharp eye."

She blush, head down.

We waka. Afternoon, we stop for shade, begin chop.

I share boxed meal, Musa distribute. I give girl one Set A, one Set C. She just dey look, no gree take.

"You no hungry?"

She bite lip, no talk. "Abeg chop, na the same thing we dey chop. No poison." I push meal for her hand.

She hold am like gold, no know wetin to do. I open my own, begin chop. As she see us, she open her own.

Her Set A: chicken drumstick, ugu, cucumber, dried fish. Set C: boiled egg, bitter leaf, fried yam, fried plantain, malt, and rice.

She use two stick as spoon, carry rice mouth.

For her mind, na dream. This na real rice, not fantasy.

She begin cry, big tears dey drop inside food.

"Why you dey cry?" I ask, voice low.

She sob: "If my papa and mama fit chop this kind food, dem for no die of hunger."

My heart twist. I drop my food, squat by her: "Then chop well, chop plenty, live on."

She wipe tears, look me, hope dey shine for her eye. No more words, she dey chop. After, she carry chicken drumstick give me: "Take, chop."

I dodge: "Chop am, I no dey chop oily food. Open the malt, girls dey like am."

Musa laugh: "Our oga no like meat, na hard bun and malt e dey chop."

She look me, confused. For my world, meat common, but I like my health.

After food, I call everybody. With wahala ahead, I reason say family must join. I share my plan—to gather families so war no scatter us. Some men cry. To return Okirikpo to fetch family na two months journey. Food no dey last, so I need plan.

Back at cave, we leave cart at base—no fit climb mountain. For money, build road first. Less pikin, more tree—na true talk.

First, no more government labour, we go do production. Second, prepare food, dry ration, go bring family from Okirikpo. Everybody happy, wan run now now.

"Today don finish, make una rest." I enter tent, dey reason next step. As I turn, I see the girl follow me, dey play with sleeve.

"Where Musa?"

"E see me enter, waka go front." Her voice low like night mosquito.

Before I talk, she kneel: "Oga, if you no mind, I fit be your house help."

"House help?" I burst laugh. Na so old system don spoil pikin mind.

"Oga, you dey shame for me? I still be virgin."

I pat her shoulder: "You be pikin, no worry, life never start."

I joke: "How old you be?"

"Fifteen."

"Name?"

"Chinonso."

"Chinonso, fifteen. Chop well, exercise, enjoy your life. Forget this house help talk."

She drop head, sad. I think—she be only girl. "Okay, you go stay with me and Musa for tent, dey clean."

Her face bright, smile dey eye.

Outside, men dey gossip.

"I think say spirit no dey like woman, but e like woman too."

"E good na. At least e be human."

"I get cousin, nineteen, fine die. I go bring am."

"See your face, you wan bring your own? My own sister sixteen, fine pass."

"Your face like toad, which fine sister?"