Chapter 3: Freedom or Trouble

"No way!"

My daughter’s scream and the bullet comments ring out together, echo for my ear like generator noise when NEPA don go.

"Daddy, abeg just give me the money today. What if I change my mind in a few days?" Her voice dey desperate, crack like radio wey never tune well.

Bullet comments dey para like market women wey customer price tomato too low:

[Wetin be this? For her last life, the girl papa force her to study. Why he dey act like this now?]

[Abi he just stingy? Na true papa be this? How he go treat him own pikin like this?]

I just laugh small, the way elders dey laugh when pikin dey misbehave for compound.

"Ehn, if I give you money now and you change your mind in a few days, no be waste? Why not go out these few days, relax, think am well."

My daughter stare at me, mouth open, eyes wide, like say I just talk miracle.

These days, since she dey insist to follow that yellow-haired boy go south, I lock her inside, even change padlock for back door. Our relationship spoil finish, na quarrel and bad mouth full house.

Everyday at home, once she see me, she dey curse me with the worst words. Sometimes, she go shake head like say she dey plan for my burial.

The daughter I suffer raise, every word from her dey pain my chest. Sometimes, e reach make man cry.

She even talk say if I die, she go scatter my ashes inside public toilet. Na God save me say my wife no hear am.

Before, I just take am as childish talk. Pikin dey craze sometimes, e go grow pass am. But now, I no sure. Her eyes no dey ever shake when she talk that kind thing.

Since she fit do anything for love, both past and present, maybe I better off without such daughter. Sometimes, you just gats accept say your own don pass your power.

Once she confirm she fit go out, Morayo eyes just shine. She rush enter room, steps light like butterfly.

[Chai, the girl packed all her pocket money and Christmas money. She must be going to help her boyfriend.]

[Another day of crying for sweet love.]

I watch her shadow disappear for street end, then pick up my car keys and leave too. No need to stay and watch house wey no dey give you peace. Na so I lock door, leave my shadow behind, and drive into Lagos night—anywhere peace fit hide.