Chapter 2: Shame, Slap, and Family Secrets

"You no get eyes? Wetin you dey do for kitchen door? Come serve customer jor!"

As I dey stand for back of door, I dey try shift my leg well because e dey pain me since morning. I dey wait make the pain cool before I waka enter, but my mama don catch me. She waka come near me, eye red like pepper.

My leg dey pain me, so I slow small for kitchen door. My mama waka come, give me hot slap.

The sound loud sotey everybody for kitchen pause. E be like thunder. As I dey stagger, I see Amaka, our neighbour, look away, pretend say she dey wash plate.

The slap loud, my eye nearly blind, I almost fall.

Even my ear begin ring, na so the pain carry go my neck. Tears dey gather but I hold am strong. I pause, swallow, and for my mind I dey beg God give me strength make I no fall for ground. My chest dey tight, but I force myself stand.

As she see am, she vex more, twist my ear well. "See your brother, see yourself. You no dey leave food, but you no sabi do anything."

She twist ear sotey I nearly shout. If no be say customer dey, she for add more insult. E dey pain me say my own mama dey talk like this for public.

"I no understand, two of una come from my belle—how come you be useless, crippled pig?"

Other staff just dey look me with pity, but nobody fit talk for me. For our family, my mama word na law. Na so e dey be for our side.

Crippled pig.

As my own mama talk am, my eye just dey hot.

I just dey wish ground go open make I hide. Even the new girl wey dey wash glass dey dodge my eye. Na so shame dey catch me.

Me and my brother na twins, but our face no resemble at all.

Na so people dey talk for village: "How twins go different like yam and coconut?" My brother get yellow skin, fine jaw, me I dark with scattered teeth.

My brother fine, e get skin like ripe pawpaw, smile dey shine pass new church bell. Pass woman sef, everybody dey admire am.

Anywhere e enter, people dey greet am, dey say, "See fine boy, no be small!" All the girls dey find am, dey call am for WhatsApp. E dey dance, dey play football, win trophy for school.

Me? I ugly sotey mirror dey fear me, come still get bad leg—just as my mama dey talk, crippled pig wey only sabi chop, nothing else.

My leg no straight, I dey limp when I waka. Even small children dey point me for road, dey laugh, "See pig boy!" Sometimes I just dey hide for storeroom.

"Mama, abeg... I no go do am again."

My voice just dey shake, but I still talk. I dey hope say if I beg, e go pity me small.

I no even send the pain for my face. I just blink, try hold tears.

I dey count ceiling, dey try remember hymn wey grandma teach me for church—anything to hold myself.

"Comot for my front! If you make me lose money, I go skin you alive!"

Her voice sharp like razor. Na so I quick jump aside. Sometimes e go throw spoon at me if I no sharp.

She kick me for yansh. The sharp point of her high heel just numb my leg.

Pain climb my spine, I just grit teeth. If no be say customer dey, e fit flog me join.

I just hold myself, no talk—my mama hate my voice, say I dey sound like pig wey dey chop, dey grunt, dey make noise.

Sometimes when I dey practice speech for mirror, I go remember her words, just lock mouth. E no easy.

So for house, I dey keep quiet, try make myself like air.

If dem forget me, I go fit rest. I go just dey sweep, dey clear plate, dey pray make trouble pass me.

I carry the wooden tray, dey limp follow my mama.

Even the tray dey heavy, but I no fit talk. If I drop am, na another wahala be that.

My mama fine pass anybody for our area, her body dey make men turn head. When she dey waka, her waist dey shake like snake.

I dey always hear conductor dey call her, "Fine aunty, abeg smile for me." If she waka pass, even tailor dey forget to sew, dey look.

"Chairman Garuba, abeg no vex say we keep you wait."

Her voice change as she dey greet customer. Na there you go know say she sabi package. Even her laugh get melody.

Her red pencil skirt just dey hug her body—fine woman.

Na only Sunday she dey wear wrapper. For work, na skirt and blouse, hair dey always shine.

For main hall, one middle-aged man wey wear suit, hair shine like oil, just dey sit for the biggest elders' table.

E cross leg, dey check phone, bodyguard just dey look everybody up and down.

For him right, one big man with low cut—na bodyguard or driver sure.

Na so dem dey do for city people. Security full everywhere. Even dem dey watch my hand, dey make sure say I no put extra for table.

For him left, one madam wey wear white suit, fine and serious, maybe na secretary.

The woman just dey press iPad, no dey talk, but e dey clear say she dey run things. Her perfume na foreign—fit wake dead body.

"Abeg taste this one first. Drunken Pig Head go ready soon."

My mama hiss, "You dey hear me so? Serve am well, no pour for ground." I sabi the code, I drop tray for table, begin arrange plates gently.

My hand dey shake, but I no wan spill anything. I arrange the plate like my papa teach me—rice first, then small vegetable, then the red sauce.

"Wetin be this?" the man ask, look the bowl wey get red liquid and white rice inside.

I stand well, try answer with clear voice. I dey pray make my stammer no show today.

"Na palm wine wey my papa brew," I talk, my voice thick. I look the secretary small.

She just bend her head, maybe my ugly face dey worry her.

Her lipstick red like shombo, but she no even send my face. I just dey wish say I fit hide.

My mama pick glass bowl from tray, serve the man herself.

She use two hand drop am like say na offering. Even as she dey smile, e clear say she dey watch everybody reaction.

"Chairman Garuba, this na Baba Liu latest work. You be the first to taste am." My mama smile.

Her teeth white like chalk, she dey shine eye, dey use sweet voice. E fit melt stone.

Baba Liu na my papa. Chairman Garuba na oga for one big company for city, na im book the whole Drunken Immortal Place today.

People for kitchen dey whisper, dey talk say if this man like the food, our family go hammer. Even the security dey look food like say dem fit snatch am.

"Ehn?" Chairman Garuba gentle, him voice soft, e look like good man.

E dey nod head small, like person wey dey hear music. Na so some big men dey behave—quiet, but sharp.

"Today go sweet for me."

He carry bowl, take small sip.

E close eye, hold bowl with two hands, like say e dey pray. Everybody dey wait to see if e go cough.

My mama dey observe am well.

Her hand dey shake small, but she still dey smile. If e like the drink, she fit dance.

As Chairman Garuba sip, e face change, then e just drink everything finish for one go.

People for hall begin look each other. Na so you go know say the drink sweet die.

"E make sense."

He drop bowl, e eyes just dey shine.

People for back dey clap for my papa. Some dey snap finger, dey hail.

"Give me another one."

E talk like person wey dey thirsty for sweet thing. E clear say e don fall for our palm wine.

My mama smile open more, rush serve am.

Her eye dey shine, e dey happy say business dey flow. If money dey, e dey smile well.

I stand for back, dey look the secretary.

Her nails fine, e get French tip. I dey wonder if e get time cook for house at all.

She too fine.

Her skin clear, perfume dey follow am. Na so city girls dey, I dey think.

All these city girls na so dem dey?

I dey compare dem to Amaka for our area, e be like say city just dey wash people clean.

If to say I get small of my brother face—even quarter—maybe people for no dey look me like fly, dey hate me.

Sometimes, for night, I go dream say my face don change—say I fit waka inside U.I campus, people dey hail me, girls dey toast me. But na dream.

Maybe I for fit go university, see world.

I dey imagine myself for lecture hall, dey argue with lecturer, dey win quiz. Na only for dream.

Before WAEC exam, my mama tell me say with my face, if I go outside, na only disgrace I go bring. She force me stop exam, make I dey help for bukka, but my brother waka go school.

I remember that day—she tear my exam slip, throw am for fire. My brother just dey look, no fit talk. For my mind, na only God fit judge am.

Even though my book sabi pass him own…

For maths, I dey always teach am, but na him still waka go school. E pain me.

"E make sense, really make sense. Baba Liu, you don open my eye."

As e dey talk, my mama dey laugh—money dey come.

Chairman Garuba drink all the palm wine, face don red, wine for mouth corner just dey shine like blood—e resemble vampire wey just chop.

Everybody just dey laugh, e clear say the man don happy well. If to say na olden days, e for dash us goat.

"When the Drunken Pig Head go ready? I dey wait am with body."

The man rub belle, dey knock table, dey smile like say na pikin dey call am. Even security dey look our kitchen clock.

"E go soon ready! I go check kitchen. Morayo, abeg help look after the guests."

My mama call Uncle Morayo with eye, dey give am signal. Na so she waka enter kitchen, quick quick.

As she dey go, my mama use eye warn me.

If I miss any plate or stain customer, na big wahala be that. Na so she dey always monitor me.

Just now, she dey smile.

Na so life be—customer dey, smile dey. Customer waka, wahala fit start again.

"Wetin be your name?" Chairman Garuba ask. E no even dey look my face anyhow. E just dey look me with serious eye wey make me dey fear.

E voice deep but gentle. I dey wonder wetin e dey think.

"I... I be Liu Liang."

I talk slow, but I raise head small. E no fit bite me.

Chairman Garuba nod. "Baba Liu pikin?"

E still dey gentle. No insult, nothing.

I grunt.

I just nod, no talk too much. E better like that.

"Only son?"

"N-no, I get brother. E dey university," I talk.

My voice low, but e clear. I dey proud of my brother, even though e no dey help me.

Chairman Garuba nod again, smile, give me business card.

E slide card to my hand like say e dey do magic. Na first time person dey give me card for hand.

"If you need anything, abeg reach me."

E use soft voice, e dey look my eye. I dey wonder wetin e see for me.

I collect am with two hands, look am: Chairman of Garuba Biotech Group—Abdullahi Garuba. The card cold for my palm, perfume still dey smell like big man cloth.

I fit smell perfume for the card. I hide am for pocket, dey pray make e bring luck.

Soon, my papa come out from kitchen, chef uniform clean as always.

Im cap white, apron neat, knife for side. Na so e dey like big chef for TV.

"Chairman Garuba, your presence na big honour for our small place."

E dey smile, dey shake hand with respect. For our side, handshake mean plenty.

My papa shake am, dey yarn small talk. Then Uncle Morayo rush in, carry big copper pot wey get lion and eagle design.

The pot shine like sun, e be like say dem borrow am from palace. People dey look the pot, dey whisper.

Uncle Morayo na my mama junior brother. Before, e no get work, but since my papa open Drunken Immortal Place, e come dey learn cook from am.

E be like apprentice, but e stubborn. Sometimes e dey drag recipe with my papa.

"Dish—up!" Uncle Morayo shout, open the pot gently.

As e open am, steam just blow everywhere—e hot like sauna. Everybody pause, dey inhale.

The smell of meat just full everywhere, Chairman Garuba and him people eye no gree leave the pot.

One small girl wey dey sweep just stop, dey sniff air, forget say she suppose work.

The whole hall just dey sweet with wine and meat aroma—like say na fresh breeze or spirit dey waka.

Some people dey close eye, dey thank God for good food. Na so aroma fit humble person.

Na real temptation.

Even people wey dey fast dey eye food, dey pray make dem no break vow.

As the steam clear, pig head wey dey brown like caramel dey float for the soup. Chairman Garuba see the soft pig head, smile, "Baba Liu, you get talent o. This pig sef die dey smile."

The head set, ear dey point, eye dey bright—na so correct e be. People dey snap picture quick quick, dey post for Facebook.

I no understand first, so I bend look well.

I dey wonder if na magic or na the palm wine wey dey inside soup. I just dey look, dey think how pig fit smile.

Now I see am—the pig mouth really bend like smile, as if e dey happy.

Even me shock. I dey ask myself if pig spirit dey enter food. Small chills catch me.

"Every living thing get spirit. E know say Chairman Garuba dey come, so e volunteer make dem use am do this dish for you."

My papa dey run mouth, dey make everybody laugh. Na so dem dey hype food for our side.

"Na honour for am to reach your table."

My mama and Uncle Morayo join mouth.

Dem dey hail am, dey hype the dish. Even customers dey clap. Na celebration.

Chairman Garuba dey happy, e tell him secretary transfer money to my mama sharp sharp.

E no dey waste time. E get money, e get joy. Na so business suppose dey.

Everywhere just dey sweet.

Na so every face bright. Even the local government chairman wey pass by come greet us.

Even the pig for pot—e resemble say e dey happy.

If to say e fit talk, e for say, "Oga chop me well."