Chapter 2: My Papa Sacrifice, Their Own Gain

"If my papa still dey alive, I no go dey worry about school fees. I..."

My voice dey crack. If papa dey, e no go let these people run me street like this. Na him struggle I dey try continue, but everywhere block.

I no even know when Halima enter house. She just stand, dey use hand clean tears for face.

She wear wrapper tie chest, face wash with tears. She fine no be small, even if she no too sabi talk. The way she dey cry, e fit melt even cold heart.

Even though she be village girl, she fine well, the way she dey cry self make person pity am.

Sometimes for our side, beauty dey cause wahala. People go dey see am as blessing, but for some girls e dey attract jealousy and trouble.

[How this one take concern the heroine? The male lead dey craze? If you dey save person, na who dey near you go save first!]

The bullet comment dey make sense. Wetin I do wrong? If you dey drown, na who dey your front you go help. Na so my papa do. Why Uncle Musa dey carry am for head?

I dey shake as I ask Uncle Musa, "So you dey blame my papa say he risk him life save you?"

The words heavy for my mouth, but I gats talk am. E shock even me.

Uncle Musa face strong. "I for fit swim come out by myself. No be because you like me your papa save me? Now you don marry me as you want, you still dey complain?"

See as e dey twist story. E be like say na I force myself marry am. People dey use mouth wound person heart for Naija, e no dey finish.

Nonsense.

Na so I talk am for my mind. Nonsense upon nonsense. For Nigeria, person fit use mouth pour salt for person wound, e go act like nothing dey happen.

Real nonsense.

The disrespect choke. My papa wey everybody hail for his sacrifice, na so e don turn to problem for me. E pain me, my body dey vibrate.

My papa wey die for person, na so Uncle Musa turn am to selfish thing.

I try hold tears, but e dey my throat. I no go let dem see me cry. For our side, dem go say if you cry, dem go ride you like okada.

I vex so tey, words no gree come out.

E just dey my chest. E dey heavy, but I no wan talk rubbish. I hold am tight.

Halima hold Uncle Musa sleeve. "Brother Musa, no vex for Sister Morayo. Na because she no get university admission, e dey pain am."

Halima voice soft, e get pity for her face. Even as she dey cry, she still dey try defend me. But e still be like say she dey add salt to injury.

As if say I no dey there, Uncle Musa carry handkerchief, wipe Halima tears.

He dey touch her cheek like person wey dey care for wife. For Naija, that kind thing no dey hide, everybody dey see am.

"No worry. I go find money for your school fees and upkeep. Calm down."

E dey do like say he be Halima papa, not minding say im wife dey there dey look. Some men dey use opportunity do anyhow.

Halima smile, her eyes bend. "Brother Musa, I cook bitterleaf rice. Come chop. When we reach Abuja, we no go see village food again."

Her smile sweet, but my belle no sweet. Bitterleaf rice aroma fill parlour. I dey wonder if na me suppose dey serve my own husband, na another person dey do am now.

She come look me one kind. "Sister Morayo, you no go vex, abi?"

Her eye get one kind shine. She dey talk soft, but e get meaning. As if she dey tell me make I shift go one side.

Uncle Musa hiss. "No mind her. She owe you too much."

Just like that, the two of them waka go, body almost dey touch, dey look like couple.

Dem waka slow, laugh small. If person from village see dem, dem go think say na real husband and wife.

Halima family na the poorest for village. Her papa sick before he die. I dey always carry Uncle Musa wey grow with me go help them. But one day, Uncle Musa begin dey go alone.

I dey reason am. Those days when I dey carry him go, he go dey do like person wey get pity. Now e clear say pity don turn to something else. Na so people dey use help cross boundary.

Mama Musa wey just dey look, talk to me soft soft: "Musa just dey vex. Na small sister he see Halima as. Abeg, try pet am later. Woman suppose dey follow man mind to win heart."

Her voice soft, she dey try form peacemaker. But for my mind, I know say e dey cover her own tracks. For this country, na so dem dey teach woman to dey suffer and smile.

After my papa die, Mama Musa cry for village, talk say she go treat me like her own pikin. She know say I like Uncle Musa, arrange marriage sharp sharp.

Now e clear say Mama Musa na good for mouth, bad for heart. She know her pikin plan, still push me enter fire.

She sabi act for public, but for inside, na her pikin interest she dey protect. E pain me. I gats find my own path.

I find excuse go town, buy train ticket go Abuja for next day.

I dress quick, tie scarf, waka reach park. Buy ticket. My heart dey beat. For this Nigeria, if you no help yourself, nobody go help you. I thank God say I get small savings from all the akara I dey fry for market.

I no wan see any of them again.

Bullet comments just dey blow.

[The heroine wan go Abuja for university? So how the male lead go do 'chase wife for cemetery' storyline?]

[If she go Abuja, na there she go catch the male and side chick dey do husband and wife. E go even sweet pass!]

I just laugh. Uncle Musa think say na him go go Abuja?

For this life, nobody fit use me do mumu again. I don open eye. As I dey look my ticket, I dey imagine better life for city.

Lie lie.

I go make sure say e no go ever see me again unless na me want am.