Chapter 4: Palace Confrontation

As I reach Crown Prince house, Musa Garuba dey write palace record with black ink, feather pen dey scratch paper like cricket for night. Scent of palm oil soup dey float for air. Him face look younger, no stress line, like person wey just win lottery. Palace girls dey peep from window, dey giggle.

As he see me, he return to him usual cold self.

Smile waka commot, eye cold like river water. E be like say dem switch am from happy to military mode in two seconds.

“E don finish?”

Voice low, but authority full ground. Room quiet, even rat no fit run that time.

I report everything, add join:

I kneel small, explain the matter from street to Left Minister compound. I no leave out the part wey doctor talk say the boy leg fit spoil forever.

“Left Minister pikin leg don break. Doctor talk say e fit get problem forever. Left Minister no go let this matter die, Your Highness.”

I talk am soft, my hand dey press wound. My mouth dry, but I no let fear show. Musa just nod.

He just raise eyebrow, no talk about Left Minister again. Instead, him eye look my shoulder wound, face soft small.

For small second, I see pity for his eye. But him pride no go let am show. E be like say him dey fight inside mind.

“Ayo, that time matter hard. No be say I mean am.”

His voice gentle, but e carry weight. E dey try say sorry but pride dey block am.

No be say you mean am?

I dey look am, blood still dey flow for my mind. Na so person dey kill another by mistake? E get as e be.

I look the wound, pain just dey numb me. If this one no mean am, na which one be real—make you kill me?

I wan laugh, but pain dey bite me. My mind dey wonder if Musa really care or na just palace wahala dey make am talk like that.

I just laugh. “Your Highness, no need explain.”

My laugh dry, but I try hide pain. I just dey wait make meeting finish, so I fit go treat myself.

He pause, dey look me. “You dey vex for me?”

His voice low, as if he dey fear answer. I dey wonder if Musa ever really understand wetin I dey feel.

I no fit hold, look up at am.

I lock eye with am, dey hope say him go see pain for my face.

That time, evening dey come, the red spot under him eye just deep, make him face cold pass before.

Sun dey set, red ray shine for his face. Him eye look tired, like person wey no sleep well. The room get small chill.

I just remember that time for Jos mountain, as his eye red, dey hold my sleeve.

The day harmattan nearly carry us, Musa grab my sleeve for inside bush. Na him whisper, 'Ayo, no die.' My heart melt that day.

“Ayo, abeg, no die. If we survive, anything you want, I go give you.”

He hold my hand tight, sweat mix with cold. That promise still dey ring for my ear.

Musa Garuba mood dey change anyhow.

E be like person wey no sure of himself again. Today e dey hot, tomorrow e dey soft.

I just sigh inside, step back, talk gently, “I no dare.”

I no want fight, no want wahala. I just wan carry my body, go rest.

Room just quiet. He pick brush again.

The only sound na brush dey touch paper. My own eye dey close small, I dey try balance.

My eye dey see star as I stand, so I just talk.

My body dey hot, sweat dey pour. I whisper, 'Your Highness, abeg, anything again? I wan go lie down.'

“Your Highness, any other order? If no, I wan go rest. This wound dey pain me reach faint.”

He even laugh.

Na the first time I see am smile that day. E short, but na real laugh. The kind laugh wey fit turn man to pikin for small time.

“Ayo, you no be person wey dey fear pain. That time for north, you chop beating for me, no talk. Now you dey form trick?”

He dey try tease me, as if say my pain na joke. For my mind, I dey vex but mouth no fit talk.

“Okay, I sabi say you just dey jealous today…”

Him smile get small pride. He dey try provoke me, make I talk. Old gist wey we dey share when things still soft between us.

Jealous? Na thunder go fire you. My eye just black, I faint.

Before I faint finish, for my mind I dey curse Musa. "Jealous ke? Na you thunder suppose visit!" My body just fall reach table, no strength again.

Before I pass out, I use style fall reach him table, scatter all him drawing and ink.

Na small revenge be that. I know say Musa go vex, but make e feel small as I dey feel so.

Make I see how you wan take draw again.

If e pain you, make you try my own pain. E sweet me small as I dey faint.