Chapter 6: Building a Home

Next morning, Chinonso don boil water, put for basin. As supplies dey, life dey sweet small. Today big work—build road so cart go fit climb mountain.

With rice, everybody get energy. New iron tool dey help. In one week, cart dey reach cave. For safety, Okafor Chinedu suggest three road—two fake, one real, trap join.

As we build, I arrange bamboo. Baba Sani hand dey magic—bamboo for him hand fit turn to anything. Bamboo house, bamboo cup, spoon, sieve, bed—everything dey.

For spare time, I tell Baba Sani make fish trap. Lake dey call me.

Next day, I call Musa, Chinonso, Okafor Chinedu. We ride go lake—after two hours, big lake show. Water blue, wave dey roll, hills green, paradise for eye.

I see clear water, body sweet me. I ask: "Una sabi swim?"

"No, we no sabi." Chinonso and Okafor Chinedu dey fear.

I no hear word. I strip, dive inside. Sun dey shine, water warm. I swim, show myself. Dem relax as dem see say I dey okay.

As I float, one fish bite me. Ah, fish dey hungry! I rush out, set fish trap, put Set C, throw am. In seconds, fish dey rush, trap dey dance.

I pull am, see fish full ground. We carry go cave. One person sabi smoke fish. Two I keep, the rest na kilishi.

That night, I roast fish outside. Chinonso and Musa dey watch. I sprinkle salt—first roasted fish since I land here. If to say pepper sauce and groundnut dey, e for sweet die.

As I dey chop, Chinonso nudge Musa: "No be you talk say oga no dey like meat?"

Musa confuse: "Maybe e don change—who no like meat?"

Another month pass, we catch three wild pig for trap, turn to kilishi. Fish plenty, kilishi dey. Boxed meal now na dry ration—dry meat, dry rice.

I pick four men wey sabi road, give cutlass, token, send dem Okirikpo go carry family. I worry about food for road.

One reassure me: "Oga, we be poor people. Before, one hard bun fit last three days. With kilishi, fish, rice, even wild veg, we dey okay."

I wish dem success, talk plenty.

Men dey gossip. "I hear say spirit na woman. Oga, you go marry Chinonso?" "No be so. Na sister e dey take am." "Abeg, leave story. See as e dey smile. E never marry before, e dey gentle." "Gentle dey kill woman pass money." "You dey talk as if you never see better woman." Laughter scatter bush. Real Naija banter.