Chapter 6: Makurdi Destiny Pepper Soup

Musa face white pass hospital bedsheet.

His lips dey pale, sweat dey for forehead. The drip dey hang above, beeping machine dey make noise. Musa dey shake, hand dey twist corner bedsheet.

He grab doctor hand. "Doctor, abeg, help me! I no fit lose my leg, I still get..."

His voice low, almost whisper. Doctor eyes dey pity am. Room cold, rain still dey beat window.

"I never reach twenty-four, my leg even no pain like that, abeg help me, anything you want I go give you."

Musa mouth dey quiver, eye dey red. For this life, rich or poor, nobody wan lose leg.

Doctor just look Halima with side eye, sigh.

Doctor hiss, face turn away. He shake head, carry file. Halima dey stand for door, hand cover mouth, eyes big like saucer.

"The time to treat am don pass. I go try my best."

He voice soft, but final. The nurse beside am just dey nod head.

Doctor loose Musa hand, leave am with empty eyes, fear full am.

As doctor waka comot, Musa collapse back for bed, eye empty. Halima dey hold wall, dey pray under breath. I dey by door, arms folded, just dey observe.

[Ah, why this one different from the story? Book no talk say main guy go lose leg.]

[I come to see main guy and main babe enjoy, why story change?]

The comments this time dey sharp, full of disappointment. Like audience for shrine wey priest forget the incantation.

Halima just stagger, tears full her eye.

She no fit hold am again. Her back bend, mouth dey shake. She dey sob small, but try cover am.

"How this thing take happen? Before, before, dem no talk say dem go cut leg..."

Her voice low, confusion full am. She dey reason how her film script don scatter.

"Doctor, you sure say you no make mistake? The leg dey okay, no be just fracture? If we treat am e go better."

Her words dey beg, but hope no dey. Nurse dey look her with pity.

"No fear, no matter wetin, I go stay with you."

She squeeze Musa hand, tears for face. For Naija, woman fit follow man enter wahala—Halima don ready.

I just laugh. Halima no even see the way Musa dey look am with hate.

I shake head, cross arm. For my mind, I dey say, "Oya now, your film don spoil—make we see how you go take inherit rich man family."

Musa surgery na that same day.

They push am inside theatre, Halima dey cry, nurses dey arrange table. For hospital, everything dey rush. Scent of methylated spirit fill air.

As dem wheel am out, only the upper body dey raised under the bedsheet—the lower part empty.

The bed look long, lower part flat. Halima eyes wide, she cover mouth. The emptiness for under sheet loud like thunder.

Halima eye turn, she faint for spot.

Her body collapse, head hit chair. Nurses rush carry her. I shake my head, stand for corridor, watch as people gather.

[Ahhh, main babe faint from shock. Normally, with no supporting babe to spoil things, why their life worse pass before?]

[God o... main guy lose both legs. This one na real wahala.]

[No be only two, even the third one don go. He no fit get pikin again—how he wan take inherit Danladi family?]

I stand for corridor, sigh. Sometimes, e be like say destiny no dey look face for Nigeria. For this Makurdi, life get as e be—if destiny wan show pepper, nobody dey escape. Wetin go happen next?