Chapter 3: Racing the Devil

I jump comot from bed, grab my car key, rush outside.

I no even wear shoe proper. I forget to lock gate, just dey run. Na my neighbour dog even dey bark as I rush pass. For that moment, na only one thing dey my mind—reach there before e too late.

As I dey drive, I dey call my sister, but she no pick.

Every ring wey no connect, my blood dey boil more. I dey press horn for every junction, even traffic light, I no send. Na so Lagos night dey, everywhere quiet but my mind dey scatter. Even danfo drivers no dey road, only okada dey zoom pass with torch for head.

Worry dey burn me for chest. I just call police sharp-sharp, tell them everything as e be.

Even as my voice dey shake, I yarn them truth; I no hide any detail. I beg them, I use God name join, make dem no delay.

Dem hear the matter heavy, promise me say dem go reach there fast-fast.

One officer even talk, "Madam, we dey on am, na God hand we dey." That small assurance sweet me for chest, like when Mama Nkechi dash you extra meat for soup.

Na that time small relief enter my body.

I breathe small, but my hands still dey shake. For Naija, to get police for this kain matter quick quick, na miracle. I dey pray say today go different.

That old man na woman wrapper since. When he still dey young, na so so waka waka he dey do. One time, he even catch disease from outside, carry am come house, infect him wife.

People for our street sabi am well—dem dey call am "woman wrapper" behind back, say e no fit pass one week without wahala. If you go beer parlour for Saturday, you go hear him gist, how e dey move from one woman to another. The kain pride for him body no be here. I remember that story, how him wife suffer for hospital that year.

After, na to blame the woman, say na she give am the sickness, say she dey follow men.

Old man mouth dey slippery like okro—story go twist anyhow, you no go fit hold truth. Even when evidence clear reach sky, e go still deny, turn table upside down.

The woman shock. She talk, "Na only you I ever get. How I go get this kind thing?"

Her voice that time be like person wey dem beat well for market. Na only tears she fit use explain, but nobody gree hear.

She dey with her friends or she dey house dey take care of children—e clear reach everybody.

All the women for our yard dey pity her, say na this kain man she marry. E pain us but for that time, who go talk? Everybody dey fear shame.

But the old man change mouth: "Maybe na because you dirty, you no dey clean."

That talk pain everybody that year. Na so some elders dey do—dey twist everything blame reach woman head. Even women wey clean pass soap, dem go still find reason talk rubbish.

That time, people dey shy to talk this kind thing. The woman believe am, no fit ask anybody, begin serve am even more.

Culture dey suppress woman voice, e dey teach dem make dem swallow pain. Na so she just dey do like say nothing happen, dey cook soup, dey clean house more than before. E weak me.

He even dey boast about am.

Na shameless pride, the one wey person dey carry like trophy. E go dey laugh anyhow, no respect for him wife pain.

One year, for Christmas, I hear am dey brag for old men, dey proud like say he win lottery:

I peep for back yard that day, hear as dem dey knock cup, dey hail am. My mind just dey boil, but nobody fit talk am straight.

"She sick too, so she no fit waka go find man. Na then I fit rest."

E talk am as if na achievement, as if him wife na goat wey dem dey count for village square. All the old men laugh, but their eyes dey show say dem dey shame for am.

We always hear say the old man no get better name, but we no know say na so e bad reach. Nobody fit believe.

E shock reach bone. For this kain matter, if you no dey inside family, you go think say na ordinary wahala. But darkness deep pass river Niger for night.

From beginning, my papa and mama no gree make my sister marry enter that family. But she be small girl, love catch am, say na their son she wan marry. The old man dey swear say he don change, and even if he no good, the son no do anything.

Na true, young girl with soft mind, na so love dey blind person. We warn am tire, but she no hear. Family meeting sef no work. The old man beg, talk plenty promise; we think say maybe better fit still come from their side.

Na so my parents finally gree, but dem no ever balance for mind.

Even wedding day, my mama dey look ground, her smile no reach eye. My papa just dey shake head, dey pray inside mind.