Chapter 3: Love and Duty

After this big victory, my papa dey happy well well.

His laughter loud, teeth white. He call palace cooks make dem prepare jollof and pepper soup for palace that night. Elders dey greet am, young men dey hail.

He praise Musa Bello for him sharp brain and quick action.

He say, "Na person like Musa, the land need! Man wey get sense and no dey fear danger."

From today, Garba Kingdom no go ever fear Zaria wahala again.

The drummers knock harder, palace praise singers dey hail, calling Musa Bello name join my papa own—like say them be two halves of the same calabash.

"Musa, you bring my princess come back. I go make you Chief Minister."

His voice carry authority, and people for court begin dey whisper and nod. For the crowd, you go hear small clap, small gossip.

The young man kneel down, thank am for the big favour.

Musa Bello touch ground with forehead, the real Hausa greeting. When he rise, his eyes red, but him face steady. He thank the king, voice low but full of pride.

Since olden days, even moon goddess Amina dey like young people.

Elders dey recall old stories, how Amina of Zazzau choose sharp men, how the land need young blood. Women dey clap, say, "This Musa go bring good things come."

Ambition, talent, everybody dey praise am.

Even small pikin for palace dey run dey shout Musa name—song full everywhere, praise no dey finish.

To become Chief Minister at twenty, Musa Bello name full everybody mouth.

The griots dey add am for their song—every market woman don know the gist: "Na that young Musa, king make am minister!"

All the young girls for capital dey dream about am.

I hear say some dey buy new wrapper, some dey tell their mama say na only Musa Bello dem wan marry. Boys dey jealous, girls dey shine eye for street.

But nobody for street or corner sabi the real thing wey dey between Chief Minister Musa and the princess.

The real story na secret wey palace wall dey keep tight. Even palace maids only dey guess, but nobody really know.

My mama na Garba Kingdom empress; me, na correct princess.

My mama dey teach me how to greet elders, how to balance for public, how to tie wrapper so e no fall. My accent get the real royal sound, my smile dey win people heart.

I like to change to fine dress, sneak comot palace go find Musa Bello.

Sometimes I go wear ordinary buba and iro, hide my earring, just so I fit waka go find am for street. Palace guards go just dey pretend say dem no see me. My maid, Zainab, dey cover for me, wey she dey sharp.

That time, him still be Minister of Justice.

E never reach the high post, but him office dey busy pass market. Everyday, people dey line up to beg am judge matter, some dey come with gifts, others dey fear am like thunder.

I dey follow am waka as him dey do investigation.

I go dey tiptoe behind am for market, dey listen as him dey ask question, dey solve case like say na game. Sometime, I go help am write statement for small slate.

That day, sun shine, sky clear.

Birds dey fly anyhow, market dey bubble. Everybody dey happy say rain never fall spoil day.

Again, I block am for Ministry of Justice, dey beg make him carry me follow.

I wear my best Ankara, bead for neck, tie gele low so people no go too notice. As I block door, Musa Bello just shake head, like say, "This girl again?"

He look me, him eyes just dey show say I don tire am.

E try act serious, but e no fit hide smile wey dey corner of him mouth. Even his secretary dey pretend say e dey busy, but e dey watch us well.

I vex, put hand for waist, raise my voice: "No dey look me like that! I tell you say my papa don already gree make I comot palace!"

My voice loud pass normal—palace accent with small pepper. I tap foot for ground, show say I no dey joke. Some junior officials begin dey look window, dey wait for drama.

Musa Bello raise eyebrow. "Ehn? True? Make I enter palace now go ask His Majesty."

His eyebrow high reach hairline, like person wey catch thief. The threat real, but I know say na play.

I rush block am:

"No, no, abeg—Papa dey busy with government work, no go!"

I grab him arm, beg with soft voice. If palace hear this one, I go enter wahala.

Guards wey near us just dey hold laugh.

One even cover mouth with hand, eyes dey dance. Na real movie dem dey watch.

Suddenly, one person rush come report:

"Sir, the Chief son dey oppress people. Evidence full ground, but without king order, our people no fit enter."

Young messenger dey pant, sweat full him face, but him talk clear. Everybody begin dey tense—palace case na serious matter.

Musa Bello reason small. "This matter serious. Carry some men, give them order for mouth first. I go palace go meet His Majesty."

He scratch chin, voice cool. People for office begin dey scatter, ready to move.

I shock. So na like that e easy?

I open mouth, forget to close am. E shock me say Musa Bello fit change plan just like that.

Musa Bello move immediately, drag me enter keke as him dey go.

E no even wait make I arrange wrapper well. The keke dey bounce for road, people dey look us, some dey wave.

I vex, I beat am small.

I slap him arm playfully, vex dey show for my face. Musa Bello just dey laugh, dey dodge my hand. "You go wound person o!" him talk.

Only God know how I struggle take comot palace.

I remember all the trick wey me and my maid use—how we bribe kitchen staff, distract guards, hide for back of garden. My heart dey beat that time.

But truly, Oga Musa sabi lie well.

His tongue sweet, e go tell story until you no fit argue again. The small smile wey dey always hide for his mouth make am hard to vex for am.

When he see as I dey look am playfully, Musa Bello blush.

His ear red, eye dey shine. He hide mouth small, pretend say e dey busy.

He clear throat, talk serious: "Na for government work I do am. Na you do fake order."

He try arrange face, but laugh dey dance for eye corner. I shake my head—this Musa!

I roll my eyes—like say I go believe that.

He sabi twist story pass market woman. Even as I dey roll my eye, my heart dey dance small.

The man wey stand before me dey upright, always dey do the right thing.

Even when trouble wan scatter, Musa Bello dey firm. Everybody for palace trust am—he no dey bend rule for anybody, except maybe for me.

Na only small mischief him dey show when e dey handle government matter.

That small mischief na like pepper for stew—e dey give the work flavour, but no dey too much. The elders like am because of that.

"Musa Bello, wetin you want pass for this life?"

I ask am with all my heart, voice low. I dey wait, dey hope say maybe this time, him go talk true.

"To reach the highest position, know right from wrong, keep law, serve the people."

He talk am like oath. His eye dey look future, his voice no shake. You fit see am say him mean am.

I hold my breath.

The world fit quiet for one moment—my hand cold, chest dey jump. I dey pray say he go ask about love.

"How about the princess?"

I shy small.

My voice drop—soft like Egusi soup wey dem don add water. I shift leg, look ground.

"Me, I just want dey with Papa and Mama always, and... and dey investigate matter with you. Why, you no want?"

I smile small, my face dey red. I dey hope make he catch the message, make he no use style dodge.

Family na the closest people.

For north, family na backbone. Even if the world collapse, as long as papa and mama dey, everything fit balance.

Musa Bello na the love wey dey my heart.

I dey watch am, my chest dey beat. If I lose Musa, na like say I lose myself.

He smile. "Na luck I get. I ready to dey with princess, year by year, enjoy the breeze together."

His smile warm, his voice gentle. That day breeze really dey blow, palm fronds dey dance, sun dey paint everything gold.

Later, war start again between Garba Kingdom and Zaria.

The palace cold, everybody dey whisper. My papa no dey sleep well, mama dey cry for night. Everybody dey fear say this time, fight go finish us.

The emir talk say if Garba Kingdom send princess come marry, make the two clans join, Zaria go withdraw army, surrender to Garba Kingdom, and dey pay 100,000 silver every year.

The demand loud—palace council shake. Even the oldest elder say e never see this kind before.

Even Queen Halima, wey always fight my mama, vex for palace say Zaria dey craze—how those people go dey demand for the main princess?

She storm council room, scatter stool, shout say, "How woman go be peace price? If dem want war, make dem ready!"

Garba Kingdom soldiers no strong, so dem use princess protect country.

The generals dey plan, but their eye dey dull. All their hope na the princess—some dey blame, others dey pity.

This marriage alliance na "mumu plan," but for council, the argument for war and peace no gree end.

Some say, "Let us fight!" Others say, "Let us beg!" Council no gree, tension full everywhere. Kola nut dey break, but no solution dey come.

Because Papa dey shake.

His hand no dey steady when he dey drink water. Sometimes he go look my face long, like say he dey count years he go miss me.

He just need one person wey go give am excuse.

One night, he call Musa Bello for private talk. He beg am for help, for advice—his face tired, his voice low.

This na the love Papa get for me.

Some people go say king no get heart, but my papa na man wey love him children well well. Na only country dey bigger than pikin for his eyes.

Princess no reach land value.

For king, peace and people dey come first, even if e mean make him daughter sacrifice.

Musa Bello, dey fear make king no too suffer, write letter by himself: "Princess marry Zaria better pass one million soldiers."

Him letter carry weight, every elder wey read am just dey nod. Some dey wipe eye. Even palace scribe dey shake head as he read am aloud.

Even though I love am.

Even though I be him fiancée.

My heart dey bleed, but my face still dey strong. For Musa, I dey pretend say e no pain me. For palace, I dey walk tall, no let anybody see my tears.

Musa Bello, him other name na Nasir.

People for city know am as Nasir Musa Bello, the peacemaker. Young, humble, but stubborn for justice.

Always humble, always do the right thing.

Even for market, poor people dey greet am, dey bless am. He no ever turn face for person wey need help.

For the people, love no matter.

For king, love be like dust for wind—important but not enough to change war. Na country dey come first, always.

Na just moon for water, flower for mirror—fine, but you no fit touch am.

I remember old Hausa proverb—love wey no reach hand, na dream. But I still dey look moon, hope say one day, e go enter my hand.