Chapter 2: New Script, Old Wahala

I stand for parlour, back of my head still dey pain me like person wey dem throw from up, my ear full with Halima loud cry.

I no fit forget the feeling. That pain dey remind me say life no be play. As I dey stand, my wrapper almost fall, but I gree myself say I no go let this pikin use me shine again.

"Mummy, abeg! WAEC dey every year, but Femi concert na once! Yesterday for fan meet, he cry say na we dey give am ginger—how I go miss am?"

Her mouth sharp like new razor. She no dey even reason say people dey pray for WAEC success. For her mind, na only Femi concert get level.

My daughter throw her exam slip for ground, eye dey shine like fire.

She stomp leg, slip land for tile, her face squeeze like pesin wey chop raw pepper. If stranger waka pass, dem go fear say we dey do family ritual.

"He even cry for fan meet yesterday. The company don use am finish until depression come back. He dey practice dance overnight until e spoil him knee."

She dey quote artist matter as if na holy scripture. I just dey look am, dey wonder if na the same pikin wey I carry for belle.

"If no be me, he for no fit survive! Mummy, you know how him dey suffer?"

She talk am, tears full her eye. She hold her chest, dey act drama. If dem give her Africa Magic role, she go collect award.

I look her face wey dey shine with excitement, memory of my last life—her pushing me from up, her face twist with anger—flash for my mind.

That memory dey haunt me like ogbanje. I grip my wrapper tight, swear for my mind say I no go ever gree make her wahala swallow me again.

My body still dey shake small, but my heart don turn stone.

I dey tremble, but for inside, I dey form iron woman. The kain resilience wey suffering dey give pesin, na only single mother for Naija go sabi.

I raise my head, put big smile for my face. "No wahala, you fit go."

My voice calm, but my mind dey hot. I dey wait for the shock to catch her.

She no expect me to gree like that. She squint, dey look me somehow. "You... you really dey allow me go? You no go stop me?"

She pause, look me up and down, like say she dey check if na juju I use. Her hand still dey tremble, but small confusion dey show for her face.

"Why I go stop you?" I open hand, my voice soft. "How WAEC go better pass your person? You go be eighteen next month. You fit make your own decision. I wish you and your artist success together."

I add small salt for my talk. I dey act like say I no care, but for my mind, na test I dey run for her. Make she know say adulthood no be beans.

One small pride show for her face, she stretch hand quick. "Boarding money, transport, concert ticket—all na 300k. Abeg give me, I wan catch last bus."

Her mouth dey run like Mama Ibeji market radio—no off switch. 300k as if na sachet water money. I just dey look am, dey remember all the nights I chop garri because of her school fees.

I sit down gently, carry my tea cup, sip small. "No money. You sabi as my salary be. I dey save to learn flower arrangement."

The tea hot, but e no hot reach her wahala. I take am slow, let her understand say life get plan. Flower arranging sef na code—make she feel say I dey live for myself small.

Her eyes open wide. "You dey craze? Flower arranging? Wetin middle-aged woman like you wan use flower arranging do?"

Her mouth dey run like Mama Ibeji market radio—no off switch. She no get filter, as if na her place to judge wetin I fit do.

"Middle-aged woman no fit get hobby?" I bend my head. "No be you dey always talk say person suppose live for themselves? I dey learn from you—make I choose my own road."

I dey mock am small, but e sweet me. The way she dey reason am, you go know say pikin get sense when matter reach their own benefit.

She dey shake with vex, point finger at me dey shout, "How you go dey selfish like this! If you use all the money, how I go take rewrite exam?"

Her wahala just dey turn roundabout. She dey reason plan B before plan A even land. Na so life be when dem never chop pepper for road.

I hiss. So she still dey plan to rewrite exam?

For my mind, I dey reason: So this pikin already dey plot how she go take repeat, but dey form say na concert dey important.

For her mind, na only artist matter. Every other thing must shift for am.

Na true talk. For her eye, artist na king. She fit push family, school, even God commot for side.

Last life, she believe say as her mama, I suppose sacrifice everything for her.

She dey treat me like say I be ATM wey no dey ever run dry. Na so entitlement dey start for Naija house.

She tell people more than once say I no get life, say I dey live like empty shell, na my fault her papa leave me.

All her friends believe am. For their mind, I be wicked stepmother. She dey use me take get pity points.

She know say na her papa first cheat, but her lies make everybody believe say I be bitter woman wey dey control her daughter because my life empty.

Na this kain story dey make women dey suffer for family meeting. For Naija, dem go quickly blame woman. E no go ever touch man body.

Meanwhile, she dey chase artist, dey enjoy her life.

She go dey waka up and down for concert, dey live her own dream, while she dey paint me bad for people eye.

I relax for sofa. "No be you talk say you no go write exam? Wetin concern you with rewrite? Go pursue your dream. I no go disturb you again. I don do my part as mama."

I cross my leg, dey enjoy the drama. For once, I no send her wahala.

Her face funny—shock, anger, disbelief—everything dey show.

The drama for her face fit win Oscar. Her eyebrow dey do zigzag, her mouth open like pesin wey chop raw pepper.

I just shrug. "You fit ask your papa too."

I add that line for effect. Make she remember say father sef get role for this matter.

She freeze.

Her face stiff, her hand stop for air, as if NEPA just take light. She dey process am.

Her papa don move on with new wife and son. Even the small child support dey always late since he remarry.

She sabi say her papa matter na story. The man just dey use style dodge responsibility since dem born new pikin.

"You dey do am on purpose!" she grind her teeth. "You wan force me write exam!"

She dey accuse me, as if say na crime to get sense. If na small pikin, I for slap her.

I laugh. This time, real laughter burst from my mouth.

The kain laugh wey dey come from inside belle. My chest light. First time I feel free for years.

"No, I really support you. Go chase your artist." I stand, tap her shoulder. "No leave regret for yourself."

I pat her back, just like old mama for village. If she like, make she see me as witch. I no send.

My daughter face first pale, then red. At last, she slam door and run commot.

She slam her door so tey, even neighbour dog bark. I just sip my tea—this life no fit tire me again.