Chapter 3: Blood and Revenge

As the housemaids for gate dey change shift, I just run commot sharp sharp.

Na that early morning, everywhere still dey cool, as I hear gate creak. I tiptoe, hold my wrapper tight, run pass cassava bush. My leg dey shake, but fear dey push me.

I sabi the fastest, quietest road for the compound, and where the complaint drum dey.

From small, I dey watch my papa waka for back corner, so I sabi the road wey nobody dey use. The complaint drum dey hang for gate—na only special people fit knock am, but if I fit reach am, maybe I fit cry for help.

The maid wey dey chase me shout, but I no look back, just run go meet the mango tree by the wall wey I fit climb.

As I dash, the ground dey slip under my foot, but I hold on. The mango tree na my escape route—old, but the branches strong. I dey reach am, sweat dey my face, my chest dey drum.

Just small remain.

Na just two more step, my hand dey touch tree bark, I dey pray say make leg no fail me. The air thick with tension, even birds wey dey tree branch don quiet.

I don reach the tree trunk, wan climb, na so I freeze.

All my body just still, my heart jump for throat. I no fit move leg, na like spirit hold me.

Not far, two small servants dey come, fear full their face, each one dey carry old wooden plank.

I see their leg dey shake, their eyes wide. For this kind palace compound, small pikin no suppose dey waka with that kind face except wahala dey.

Wetin dey on top the plank dem cover am with white cloth, but the blood wey soak the cloth dey show.

Blood no dey lie—red stain spread for cloth, drip for ground. The way the plank dey heavy for their hand, I sabi say wetin dey under no be ordinary.

For one cloth, the blood red pass, and the thing wey dey under no get the right size.

The cloth be like say e dey hide something wey pain pass all the pain wey I don see. My heart dey beat faster.

Before I fit near, the maid wey catch up grab my hair, slap me two times.

My ear dey ring, my head dey hot. As her hand land my face, my spirit shake. I wan shout, but my throat lock.

"Stubborn pikin, na me you dey dodge?"

She dey vex, her face swell. I dey try talk, but spit dey my mouth. If no be say she dey drag my hair, I for bite her.

As I turn, the maid see wetin the servants dey carry, she shout:

"Wetin be that?!"

Her voice sharp, people for compound begin gather. Even goats for backyard stop to chew, dey look.

As she talk, harmattan breeze blow, lift the white cloth.

For that moment, everywhere cold, breeze carry cloth, blood smell fill air. For village, dem talk say when harmattan lift cloth from dead body, spirit dey waka.

As I see wetin dey under, everywhere just dark for my eye.

I see the thing, my leg just weak, I nearly fall. Blood dey my eye, but I force myself stand. E no gree clear.

"Ah! Wetin be this?!"

Even the old gardener for compound shout, drop rake, cross himself. People dey shout, some dey run, others just freeze.

The maid shout scatter, but I rush bite her hand well well.

I no even reason am—I just open mouth bite, as if na animal I be. Blood touch my teeth, the woman scream. She no believe say small girl fit bite like that.

Why you dey shout?

For my mind, I dey vex. She dey shout, but she no know say my pain pass her own.

Na my papa and mama be that.

As I look again, I know say no lie. Na dem dey under cloth. My body cold, my mind blank. Tears no gree come, only anger dey boil.

Before my uncle and him people reach, I don bite the maid hand commot flesh.

As dem dey rush come, my mouth still get blood. I no fear anybody again. I dey ready to fight the whole world.

"Oga, na one stranger adult bring them come, leave message for you."

One small boy wey dey serve food na im talk am, voice dey shake. People gather, dey try hear.

Uncle face just hard since, as e hear this one, e frown more:

"Wetin e talk?"

Uncle eye red, him voice cold like early morning river water. Everybody dey fear to answer.

Servant dey stammer:

"He say make Oga take care of himself."

Na so the servant voice shake, e nearly cry. Dem dey look uncle face, dey wait wetin e go do.

Uncle hiss.

The kind long hiss wey go fit melt palm oil. E vex, spit for ground.

"Good. Very good. So dem wan cut hand now? If dem ever expose this, nobody go escape."

Uncle dey talk with anger, e dey threaten air. Some elders wey dey corner just nod, dey whisper.

E just waka commot, no even look my side. But my aunt look me long, then she follow go.

As uncle turn back, him agbada sweep dust, e no send me. But my aunt look me, her eye long, like person wey dey weigh spirit.

The old mama wey dey with her sabi, she just drag me go.

The old mama na one of those women wey mouth no dey dry. She hold my hand tight, drag me like say I be goat for market. My leg dey pain, but I no talk.

Blood full my body, I still no believe wetin I see.

As I look myself, blood dey my wrapper, my face. I dey smell of death. E no be me again—na something else I dey become.

E no possible. How e go fast like this?

I dey reason, my head dey spin. Just yesterday, my mama dey plait my hair. Today, na blood, na tears.

Even if person dey push things for back, e no suppose quick reach like this—lai lai...

This kain quick wahala no be Naija style. For this side, bad thing dey take time gather. But this one just land like thunder.

"You hate me?"

My aunt voice cut my thinking.

She stand for my front, face hard like groundnut stone. Her voice low, but e cut like knife. Everybody quiet, dey watch.

She sit down, face strong, dey wait for my answer.

As she plant herself for stool, cross leg, I dey see say she no dey joke. Her eye dey search my own.

She sabi say at thirteen, I no be small pikin for house matter. I fit remember things. If I carry this thing for mind, e fit bring wahala later.

Dem dey talk say pikin wey sabi look, fit remember wetin old people do. Aunt dey fear say, if I hold this for mind, e fit scatter her own future.

But as she dey look me like say e no concern am, she no expect any answer. Or even if I talk, she go still find way clear me.

She dey act like say nothing dey. If I talk, she go twist am turn another thing. My head dey calculate.

So I just smile.

I bring out that small, fake smile wey I learn from old madam. My teeth dey show, my eye dey shine. I dey act my own part.

"How I go hate?"

I use soft voice, I dey bend head, like say I be angel. For this Naija, fake smile dey save person life sometimes.

"Oga and Madam kindness—Ifunanya go remember forever."

As I talk am, my voice sweet, but for my heart, thunder dey strike. Dem go think say I dey plan, but na only pain dey my blood.

I bow head like good pikin. Aunt fit think say I dey plan something.

As I bow, I dey pray say ancestors dey see me. Aunt dey reason me, her face hard. People for house dey whisper.

But me, I no get any plan.

My mind blank. I no fit even think far. Na just pain full my chest.

As dem no dey look, I sharply pull my hairpin, stab am for Aunt eye:

The thing happen quick—like say I no dey control my hand. Blood pour, shout scatter everywhere.

"To pay back your kindness, anything wey Oga and Madam do my papa and mama, I go return am double."

I spit the word, voice steady. For this life, na only revenge dey my mind. Dem dey hold me down, but my spirit don fly.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah—!"

Aunt dey roll for ground, dey hold face. Her shout loud, people begin gather. Dem dey try pull my hand, but I dey struggle.

Aunt hold her eye, dey shout. Dem press me for ground, use leg hold my head.

People dey use foot press my head, my cheek dey scratch sand. I dey smell dust, but pain no dey reach me.

But pain no even catch me.

As dem beat me, my mind dey somewhere else. My body dey numb. The only thing wey I dey feel na hate, strong like ogogoro.

"If una no finish me, I no go ever leave una."

I dey shout am, voice rough, spit dey fly. I dey swear for ground, dey curse all of dem. Make thunder strike, make ground swallow.

Dem fit break my bone, but my spirit go waka reach una dream. Na my own promise be that.