Chapter 3: The Truth Begins to Unravel

"Junior brother, come here."

I call am, voice strong. Some people look surprise. He waka slow, but head high, chest out.

My cousin waka come with bold face. "Sister, even if you enter prison, I go visit you."

E talk am like hero. I look am, smile small, my heart dey twist. I rub him head, squeeze am play. E dodge small, look people to see who dey watch.

I smile, rub him head. "No fear, sister no dey go prison. Na the person wey thief my car go enter prison."

I talk am, my voice firm, eyes dey lock him own. He swallow spit, shift leg, but still dey form bold.

He try form bold, but e no pure for him face. Sweat dey gather for him forehead, eye dey dodge my own.

You fit see say fear dey hide for the edge of him smile. E dey try hold tears, but e no fit look my eye direct.

"Sister, person really thief your car? E no possible. Plenty people see say na you jam her."

He voice dey shake small, but e still dey talk. Some elders dey murmur, "Children no dey lie for this kind matter."

"Morayo, you wan put this thing for my son head?" My small aunt rush come from hill foot.

She dey come fast, wrapper dey flap, eyes red. Her voice loud, crowd shift for her road.

"Auntie, you don come back? You no go chief house go grave-clean?"

I talk am, voice steady. She no smile, face hard. Some women wey follow her dey whisper for back.

My aunt bone face, "For road, I see you jam her. You still dey deny?"

Her voice rise, hand dey shake. Her scarf dey slip, she no even notice. Some people dey nod, some dey look ground.

"You see me jam her? The accident happen nine o'clock. Now na noon—you just dey talk now?"

I ask am, my voice sharp. The sun dey shine for her face, sweat dey run for her neck. She look away, then look me again.

"You still dey joke? No use drag family down."

Her words heavy. Her hand dey her waist, ring dey shine. She dey breathe fast, voice dey break small.

Musa Kudi push me small, "Morayo, stop all this delay. I need arrange burial. Wetin you wan do?"

As e talk, crowd dey murmur, everybody dey wait answer. The wind dey blow strong, dust dey rise.

"Brother Musa, I know who jam Mama Kudi. Na him carry my car key from my room, thief my car, jam person, run, come act like nothing happen, wan put am for my head."

I talk am, voice low but steady. Some people open mouth, others dey whisper, "E get as e be!"

"Who?"

Musa face hard, eyes dey shine. The crowd dey lean closer, everybody dey expect answer.

I tap my cousin shoulder.

He jump back, hide behind him mama. "Sister, why you dey beat me?"

Him voice sharp, fear for face. E dey peep from behind mama wrapper, like goat wey dey hide from stick.

I say, "Junior brother, you sabi wetin be dashcam?"

My voice dey calm, but e dey cut through noise. Some elders dey look confused, others dey whisper, "Na city wahala be this." One woman cross her chest, another mutter, "Technology don spoil pikin."

My cousin face muscle begin shake, him face dey change anyhow.

E dey sweat, hand dey shake. E dey look ground, dey shift leg. Some people dey notice, dey talk low.

"If you no sabi, make I tell you. E dey record everything—road and inside car. And you fit watch am live, anywhere."

I talk am, bring out phone. The crowd stretch neck, everybody wan see screen. Some dey ask, "Na magic?"

I bring out my phone.

My hand steady now, face bold. I wipe screen with wrapper, unlock am. Even the old men dey lean in to watch.

"Brother Musa, make we see who really thief my car."

I talk am, eyes steady for Musa. He nod, face serious. Crowd dey murmur, suspense dey hang for air like thunder before rain.

Musa Kudi focus on my phone screen.

Him face no change, but you fit see hope for eyes. The other family members dey peer over him shoulder.

My cousin face don twist—just like him mama—fear and panic.

Their body language don change. My aunt dey grip her son, her hand dey tremble. Some people dey whisper, "E be like say something wan burst."

"Connecting to your dashcam..."

I press the app, heartbeat dey loud for my ear. For a moment, everybody dey silent, all eye for my phone.

Small time, red box show for screen.

The suspense heavy. Some people dey hold breath. My uncle dey pray low under him breath.

"No car storage card detected. Please click retry."

My hand freeze. My heart fall. The crowd dey look me, some dey hiss, some dey smile sly. My cousin and him mama relax small, but the tension still dey for air. I hold my phone tight, no wan gree give up yet. The matter never finish for my mind, as I dey look all their faces, one by one, for clue. But I swear, I no go let this wahala end me. Somebody for this hill go talk true, and e go shock everybody.