Chapter 2: Nanny Wahala and Fox Loyalty

When I find Chuka—

He curl up for the small bed inside the nanny’s room, dey hug Lin Shola.

The bed small, e no even reach for two people.

Chuka fox tail just weak for ground.

The room dey smell like shea butter and that small blue powder she dey use. Fan dey whine for ceiling, curtain dey flutter small, and you fit hear distant sound of Suya man bell for street. I hear faint hum of old gospel song, Shola dey sing am softly as she rub Chuka back. Chuka just bury face for her wrapper.

I open the door gently.

Door make small squeak—old hinge, I remind myself to buy oil. I tiptoe, hope say dem no go notice. But fox ear sharp, nothing dey pass am.

Chuka fox ears shake. As he notice say na me, he slowly comot from Lin Shola hand.

E be like person wey small pikin wake from nap. Him eyes red small, but him no talk anything yet. The way he dey take time, e dey show say e no too happy to see me.

“Why you come here?”

Na so the question land before I even fit talk, I shock small.

No be me suppose dey ask that kind question?

My chest tight. For my mind, I dey think: see as small boy dey ask me question for my own house, and me I still dey gather mouth.

The pet wey I buy with big money no dey my room, e no even dey him own room, na for here e dey—dey hug nanny?

I remember as I dey do Asoebi for Chuka first arrival—get new pillow, fix light, even buy better rubber mat for bathroom. Yet na so I dey see am curl for nanny bed.

E no too bad if him dey allow me touch am once in a while.

But Chuka dey cold like harmattan, sometimes I dey feel say na my papa I dey raise.

He no even dey let me touch am.

For back, na so he dey follow small nanny, dey sleep like say dem born am for her hand.

I dey wonder if dem get secret code, because even during siesta, e go just dey curl for her lap like newborn kitten. Sometimes Shola go rub him ear, him go purr. For me, if I try, na hiss and cold look.

The more I try, the more e be like say I dey waste my time.

Na so dem dey talk for my compound: 'No matter how you try raise another person pikin, if e no like you, e no go like you.' My heart dey heavy.

So all my hard work na for the nanny to enjoy my dream life?

The more I think am, the more e dey vex me.

I squeeze hand, my chest dey drum. The vex just dey boil like ogbono soup wey dem no stir well.

I wan carry Chuka come outside make we talk.

I balance for door, try summon soft voice. "Chuka, abeg, make we talk for parlor."

Chuka just siddon for that small bed, him no gree move.

He cross leg, tail wrap around, look me like stranger.

“Abeg, no try force me.”

“My tail na only for Shola-anti to touch, nobody else.”

The way he talk am, e dey pain me. As if say my own money no reach, as if say my hand dey dirty. I feel like person wey dem push for market.

The nanny room no too get things. I look the small bed and wardrobe.

Na old wardrobe wey get big scratch for front. Shola hang small rosary for door handle, her blue uniform dey neat for one corner. I dey wonder if maybe na all this simple life dey make Chuka feel at home.

My mind just dey remember the room wey I arrange for Chuka—big windows, balcony wey dey face palm grove, big king-size bed, walk-in closet, full room of beastman toys…

Sometimes I go stand for the room dey admire am—see as sun dey enter, see as new bedsheet dey shine. I even call decorator come put mural of wild fox for wall. E still no move am.

For one moment, I reason say maybe to just dey give am fine things no too mean anything.

Na so Yoruba people dey talk, 'Aseju ni n se ara eni.' Maybe all this gra gra na waste. Maybe wetin person really need no be big bed or AC.

But na for Chuka comfort I dey do all this. Na why I dey hustle like this.

I remember those long nights of running spreadsheet, the time my car spoil for third mainland. All for Chuka sake.

I frown, try pull Chuka up.

Na soft pull I try o, but e snatch hand back like say I get leprosy.

He slap my hand comot.

E pain me reach bone, but I no show am. My hand dey shake, but I just hold am tight for back, no let tears show.

“Abeg, you never do?”

Him eyes dey shine, tail dey shake. I wan reply, but I just breathe in, count one to five for my mind.

I wan vex, but Lin Shola talk:

“Madam Pei, everybody get right to choose—even beastmen.”

“Chuka like me, no be you.”

“You no fit force Chuka.”

Brave Lin Shola come stand for front of Chuka like say she be him shield.

Na so she bone face, hand spread small, as if say she go fight me for street because of beastman. Her head tie dey shift for her head as she dey move. She adjust am sharp, eyes no blink, like market woman ready for last price.

Well spoken.

But na my money dem dey use for all this.

Even to hire professional beastman nanny like Lin Shola, na my money run am.

I squeeze face, dey remember the time dem collect my last card for ATM just to pay agency. Even my mama call say, 'Zainab, abeg, save small now.'

Last last, the beastman no let me touch am, and the nanny dey accuse me say I no respect beastmen.

My chest dey beat drum like Egungun festival. See as I dey lose for my own house.

E be like say the nanny no do her work well.

If she no fit train am well, I go change her sharp sharp.

I pull my phone, transfer Lin Shola her salary for the month.

My thumb dey shake as I type PIN. I send her three hundred thousand sharp, bank alert ring for her phone.

“Pack your load. Make you dey go. No come back.”

The words heavy for my mouth, but I no fit soft. This wahala don pass boundary.

As I finish, Chuka vex, hold Lin Shola hand tight, eye me scatter:

His eyes dey red, teeth dey grit, like small animal wey dem wan collect food from.

“I only want Shola-anti.”

He press Shola hand, tail stand. Small growl for throat. E resemble child wey dey defend mama.

Lin Shola voice come loud as she get ginger.

The three hundred thousand naira wey I send am, na so she take eye me like say she wan fight:

“Madam Pei, I take care of Chuka well.”

“Chuka like me too.”

“Which right you get to sack me?”

Her chest dey move, voice loud. Even the cleaner for corridor don pause, dey peep enter room. For her face, pride and pain dey mix.

I just laugh vex.

I laugh, but the laugh no reach belle. I dey vex, but I gats show face. For my mind, na so thunder dey strike.

For one second, I wan collect back that three hundred thousand, go report Lin Shola for agency.

My hand hover for phone, I dey reason say maybe dem go blacklist her.

I raise eyebrow:

“Because na me pay. I fit hire anybody wey I like.”

I look Chuka.

True, Chuka dey fine, but for me, e cold like ice block.

Na only when he look Lin Shola you go see say him get soft heart.

I dey wonder whether na some jazz Lin Shola use—because the way Chuka dey behave, e be like person wey dey under spell. But deep down, I sabi say na choice.

E be like say I dey sew wedding gown for another person.

I think of all the plans I get, all the hope. Now, na another person dey enjoy am. The vex come heavy for my chest.

Na so my vex increase.

I just hold door handle, dey press am, dey try calm body. But inside, my head dey boil like beans wey dem forget for fire.

I tell Lin Shola make she quick pack go.

She just stand, dey form madam:

“I no dey go anywhere. I go stay here dey take care of Chuka.”

After she talk finish, Lin Shola even turn look Chuka with love for eye.

Na the kind look wey mama dey give pikin wey dey cry for market. Small smile, hand on his head. For that moment, I know say I don lose.

I just dey look, mouth open, talk without control:

“This na my house.”

“You be beastman nanny wey I just sack. I get right to tell you to commot.”

“And Chuka, leave her. I go find you another nanny.”

My voice high small. Even myself surprise say I dey shake.

Chuka shake head, vex well well:

“No! Na only Shola-anti I want!”

He stamp foot for bed, tail wag, almost fall down. The vex show for him whole body.

Chuka try drag me, no send anybody.

He dey tug my wrapper, tears for eye. "Abeg, abeg!"

As wahala dey start, Lin Shola dey pet am, dey rub him ear.

She kneel, dey whisper for him ear. Him ear dey twitch, small sob escape mouth.

“Anti no go leave you.”

She pat his back, wipe his cheek, give am handkerchief.

Chuka come calm down, then look me talk:

“Pei Zainab, me and Shola-anti no go ever separate.”

“You no fit sack Shola-anti.”

The way he mention my full name, e carry power. Na so he dey look me, eye red, voice strong. As if say na final warning.

Dem dey chop my food, live for my house, use my things, now dey command me.

I just stand, dey look. For my mind, I dey reason, 'So na like this person dey lose control of him own life?'

Next time, I go find strict nanny wey sabi handle beastmen.

I dey vow, as I dey leave room. No more softy nannies. Next one go dey carry koboko.