Chapter 3: Keke Rides and Destiny’s Burden

Keke dey shake my body anyhow, my bum dey pain me like say I sit down for church bench during long sermon. This keke self na old model—e get that loud engine sound wey dey vibrate your brain. I dey squeeze between two guards, dey feel like boiled yam for hot pot.

The old uncle just dey front, face strong, worry full im mind.

Uncle Kola no dey smile. The wrinkle for im face deep, you go know say this na man wey don carry plenty load for head.

I use the chance arrange my thoughts.

Na so dem dey talk for home: when trouble burst, use small time reason your next move. I dey gather all the fragments for my mind, dey try remember wetin I sabi from book and real life.

If I no mistake, I don transmigrate.

Transmigrate enter the legendary Okpoko Kingdom era.

Na so film dey start, but this one dey feel too real. The keke wey dey carry me, the sweat for my back, even the dust for my nose—all join, tell me say na reality.

The person for my front na the real Chancellor—Uncle Kola!

My body dey ginger, I dey pinch myself for thigh. If na dream, abeg make dem no wake me. If na reality—chai, I don enter correct wahala. But at least, na inside story I land, no be for gutter.

As die-hard Okpoko Kingdom fan and Palm Grove Chronicles reader, I wan kneel, beg for autograph, shout, "Chancellor, I dey loyal!"

But I hold myself. For my mind, I dey recite all the Palm Grove Chronicles lines—if this na test, make I pass am.

But mood no dey. Just now, plenty memories—some mine, some no be mine—rush enter my head.

Memories dey clash for my skull—old life for Lagos, new life for palace. Some na memories of Seyi, some na my own. Everything dey twist together like ogbono soup.

Think am well, dem dey call me... Crown Prince.

Chai!

The title heavy for my shoulder. My heart dey drum.

Na Seyi I be!

Na real Seyi!

Of all people, na the famous "first to surrender," "no get sense," "forget Okpoko" Seyi I go become!

See me see wahala! If dem dey share hero role, dem go give me last. Now, na me gats do am. I dey reason how to waka pass disgrace.

"Wetin be this!"

My voice loud, na like person wey just chop pepper.

"Where Your Highness learn this kind gutter talk?"

Uncle Kola para for me.

The way e frown, you go fear. But I bone face for like three seconds, but reason am, maybe e no too bad?

No matter how useless this guy be, na still Crown Prince of Okpoko Kingdom, abi?

My mind dey do arithmetic—no more beg for change for danfo or dey hustle for Mama Put joint. Na real royalty.

No more dey suffer for boys' quarters, dey fear say my babe go run follow oga.

I dey remember my Lagos days—no be so life hard me reach? Here na goldmine if I package well.

Na soft life be this, abi?

I dey imagine the type of pepper soup dem go serve me for palace. Royalty sweet o.

War? Which of Baba Adigun’s Five Lion Generals no be legend?

No need to fear fight. All those generals fit chop war for breakfast. If wahala burst, dem go handle am. Me, I go just dey corner, dey count my blessings.

To rule the country? Leave am for Uncle Kola, Lawal, Fatai—no concern me.

If dem dey share trouble, make dem carry am. I no dey for that level. I go just dey shine teeth, dey smile for palace photo.

And as e be for all time-travelers, I get the script.

Script dey my head, na so I go use am run things. Like all those people for village wey sabi tomorrow—abeg, I dey among the wise.

If I use am well, show face for correct time, I fit change history?

Hope dey my mind. I dey reason how to fix all those mistakes wey spoil Okpoko story.

Uncle Kola na Chancellor, Seyi na Crown Prince, so e mean say na after Okpoko Kingdom don start.

Timeline dey clear. I dey drop pins for my mind map, dey plot strategy like Chelsea coach.

Make I think. First, I go find that my "put bounty for own head" second brother warn am about Amon cross river with white cloth (na Ganiyu wahala).

For this Okpoko, family matter na big deal. If brother fit betray brother, na wahala sure pass. I gats warn am—no time.

Second, tell that hot-tempered, palmwine lover Zaki (Zaki Femi) make e treat im boys well, make dem no kill am for sleep.

I sabi say Zaki dey quick vex. I go find am, talk sense into im head. Palmwine no be solution for palace wahala.

Third, tell Baba Adigun, no ever camp for bush during fight.

For Naija, bush na place for juju. Anybody wey get sense no go sleep for there if enemy fit find you. I go carry am warn Baba Adigun.

Fourth... I go use sense watch how e be.

For palace, na eye wey sharp dey survive. I go keep my mouth shut, dey observe.

If all these work, to "restore Okpoko, go back old palace" no far again.

Hope dey high. I dey see Okpoko flag for my mind, e dey wave for wind, everybody dey hail me.

As I dey imagine the better tomorrow, I just dey smile anyhow.

I dey shine teeth, dey hum small song under my breath. Life don sweet pass honey now.

Na then I hear Uncle Kola sigh, come talk: "For this kind time, Your Highness still dey laugh."

The voice carry disappointment—like when NEPA take light just as you wan watch ball. I pause, chest dey catch.

E don scold me! Na two times now!

If no be say you be Uncle Kola, I for curse your whole family.

But respect still dey—palace rules no be beans. I just bone face, dey endure.

As I see the worry for im face, I just dey pity am, dey reason how this old uncle go work die for Okpoko Kingdom, go kpai for Odo-Ugwu autumn breeze.

I remember say even elders dey tire. The weight of Okpoko dey rest for small people shoulders. My chest dey tight.

Nobody know wetin dey worry am, always dey carry serious face. No wonder sickness go catch am if e continue like this.

Palace people sabi gossip; dem go say, "see as work dey finish Uncle Kola." E pain me for body.

Wait, something dey off.

Chancellor and Crown Prince of whole kingdom dey rush for road night—wetin big like this dey happen?

For Naija, if two big men dey run like this, na serious matter. My mind dey race—war or bad news?

Abeg, wetin be the year? Which time we dey?

I dey try reason calendar. For Okpoko, dem dey use festival and moon count years. I dey wish say phone dey my hand, I for check timeline.

E fit be say Ganiyu and Zaki don die? No, I never even meet them!

Hope still dey small. If dem never die, maybe I fit still do something.

"Chancellor, wetin happen wey serious like this?" I ask, dey worry.

Voice small, I dey look am with side eye. For Naija, pikin no dey talk anyhow for elder presence. But wahala dey, abeg.

"Ah." Uncle Kola sigh heavy, talk slow:

E sigh heavy—like elder wey lose cow for market. The words slow, pain full inside.

"His Majesty lose finish for Odo-Ugwu. Wetin I fear don finally happen."

The pain for Uncle Kola voice cut me like fresh razor. E be like funeral announcement, the whole keke cold.

"Uncle Boye pursue His Majesty reach Okpoko Hills. Report talk say His Majesty dey sick, call us come sharp sharp..."

The news land like bomb. The road wey we dey pass suddenly long. The keke engine even cough small, like e feel the pain too.

Ehn? Odo-Ugwu? Okpoko Hills?

My mind dey fly, dey calculate time. E mean say we don reach the dark part of story.

E don finish!

I dey see my hope dey fade. My hand dey shake small, but I dey force myself steady.

E mean say my papa—Baba Adigun wey I never even see—don waste everything, and Uncle Boye burn 700,000 soldiers plus 700 mile camp.

If to say na film, na here music go change. For my mind, I dey hear that sad talking drum.

The first three steps no go work again. Time to replan.

Strategy gats change. I dey quickly adjust, dey think how to make sure Okpoko no die for my hand.