Chapter 4: Greed, Plots, and Betrayal

Before you know, Chairman Garuba chop the whole Drunken Pig Head finish by himself.

People dey shock—na only big man fit chop like that and still smile.

The way e take chop am, you no go believe say na big man.

E no use fork, just dey use hand break bone, lick finger. Even security dey look am, dey laugh.

"Sweet die—this food na heaven!"

Everybody dey laugh, some dey shout, "Na Baba Liu dey cook food for angels!"

Chairman Garuba lick him finger, happy like the pig head wey dey smile for pot.

You go think say na child, the way e dey lick hand, dey knock table.

"Baba Liu, I don chop plenty food for my life," e talk, "but your Drunken Pig Head na the one wey dey my mind."

Na so e dey talk like person wey win jackpot. Na food dey humble big men.

My mama rush talk, "If you like am, abeg dey come chop."

E dey use soft voice, dey bow small. For Yoruba land, customer na king.

Chairman Garuba nod, collect tissue from secretary, clean hand. "Baba Liu, you no wan open Drunken Immortal Place everywhere for Nigeria?"

Na business offer. People for hall dey listen. Some dey nod head, dey calculate money.

My papa pour zobo. "I don old, abeg. This small place dey okay for me."

E dey talk true, but e also dey guard secret. My papa no trust city people like that.

Chairman Garuba sip zobo, e eye sharp. "Your food fit conquer everywhere."

E dey talk with sense, dey throw bait. I dey watch my papa face.

"Make we partner. I swear, before six months, your money go reach level you never dream."

People dey look my papa, dey expect answer. My mama just dey eye my papa, dey wish say e go gree.

E pause. "Or just tell me price—I buy the recipe. No worry, I no dey price."

E dey wave cheque, dey ready to drop cash. Everybody mouth open.

I understand—Chairman Garuba no just wan chop Drunken Pig Head, e wan the secret.

Na business. For Nigeria, na so people dey run things—if e sweet, buy am sharp sharp.

My papa pour more zobo. "Chairman Garuba, no be say recipe dey. I dey cook with sense."

Na so e dey dodge question. Even if you press am, e no go talk.

Chairman Garuba no gree, raise one finger. "Ten million. Plus yearly share."

The hall quiet. Na only spoon dey hit plate. My mama eye just dey shine. Uncle Morayo dey smile like thief.

My papa shake head, still dey gentle. "Chairman Garuba, no be say recipe dey, true true."

E dey repeat am, e no wan sell family pride.

Ten million—for us wey dey mountain, na big money.

If na before, e go kneel down for joy. But now, e dey protect secret like juju.

Even as my papa dey bone, I see say my mama and her brother eye don shine.

You fit see greed for their face. Dem dey reason how dem go take chop the money without my papa.

Last last, Chairman Garuba waka commot with disappointment.

E no force matter. E just collect car key, signal driver, dey nod head.

As we dey see am off, Uncle Morayo use style, as my papa go toilet, rush meet Chairman Garuba for car, bend talk something for window.

I see am dey kneel small, dey whisper like person wey dey beg. E dey hide mouth make nobody hear.

Chairman Garuba give am business card.

E hand am like person wey dey share gold. Uncle Morayo just dey smile, dey wipe sweat.

Uncle Morayo hide am for pocket like say na gold.

E no wan make my papa see am. E dey plan something.

"Chairman Garuba, safe journey!"

E wave hand, dey smile like say e don win lottery.

As car dey go, my mama whisper, "You sure say you fit do am?"

E dey check road, dey make sure nobody dey listen. Na family secret.

Uncle Morayo grin, "Sister, relax. I don learn almost everything from your husband. Drunken Pig Head no hard."

E dey do like say e fit cook better pass my papa. I dey watch, dey shake head.

"Tomorrow I go cook sample for Chairman Garuba. E go like am."

E dey confident. E no dey fear challenge. E believe say money dey come.

E hiss, "Your husband don dull finish. Money dey ground, e no wan pick. Mumu."

E dey insult my papa, dey forget say na him feed am. For my mind, I dey vex.

My mama snap, "No be only dull, even other thing no dey work."

Her voice low, but e carry venom. I dey wonder why she dey talk like that for her husband.

Uncle Morayo: "Ehn? Your husband no dey work for bed?"

E talk like person wey wan gossip. Na wahala e dey find.

My mama: "Shh! Lower your voice!"

She dey fear make customer no hear. For our area, news dey fly fast.

Uncle Morayo: "Okay, okay. I hear."

E just dey laugh. Na so e dey do when e wan steal person woman.

My mama sigh, "Since I born pikin, e never touch me well. If no be say e sabi cook, I for don drive am since."

Her voice soft, but e pain me. I dey pity my papa. For marriage, wahala no dey ever finish.

Uncle Morayo: "Sister, just bear am small. Once I collect that ten million, we go dey enjoy. I go even find you fine, strong university boy."

E dey run mouth, dey promise better life. E no know say village get spirit wey dey watch all these things.

My mama just laugh.

Her laugh low, but e no sweet. I dey hide behind mango tree, dey bite finger.

Big mango tree dey for restaurant front. I hide for back, hear everything.

I dey sweat, even as evening breeze dey blow. My heart dey beat, I dey fear say if Uncle Morayo see me, wahala go burst.

But I no fit talk. I no even try.

I dey remember say for our family, pikin wey carry secret fit die for nothing. I just keep quiet.

I don see Uncle Morayo vex—e fit kill person.

One time, e break bottle for person head for market. E no dey play with anger.

5

Uncle Morayo get one girlfriend for next village. When dem wan marry, her family say make e bring extra hundred thousand. Morayo vex, break two empty beer bottle for her papa and mama head, no talk.

I dey that day, I see blood everywhere. Market women dey scatter, dey shout, "Olorun o!" as blood dey flow. Even the girl dey cry, dey beg am.

"Una wan money? Make una use am pay hospital bill."

Na so e throw the money for ground, carry shoe, dey stomp the note. Even elders dey fear am.

Him babe try hold am—e still break bottle for her head join.

People dey scatter, some dey climb fence. If police no come quick, e for burn the house.

I dey there that day, for Drunken Immortal Place.

Na from there e waka go. My papa dey warn am before say, "Morayo, temper dey kill man." E no hear.

Uncle Morayo beat all of them, scatter everywhere, dem run.

E even carry yam from store, dash old woman for road. People dey talk say e get craze.

If no be my papa and mama hold am, dem for enter grave.

Na only strong men fit stop am. Even Baba Ojo no fit hold am for long.

The way e look that day, I never forget.

E eye red, body dey shake. E resemble person wey dey see vision. I dey fear say spirit don enter am.

Next day, Uncle Morayo carry bloody pig head put for black nylon, enter big car wey park for road.

Na Chairman Garuba car.

Driver dey play radio, security dey check side mirror. Dem dey wait sharp sharp.

And that pig head na from our pigsty.

Na the big pink sow wey waka come our pen by herself. I remember the eye wey the pig look me that night—like say e sabi wetin go happen.

Early morning, Morayo go back hill with sharp butcher knife.

E carry sack, wear old shirt, tie face with red scarf. E no wan make pig recognize am.

E no even look my side, I no fit stop am.

E waka fast, no greet me. I dey hide for thatched hut, dey peep hole for wall.

I hide for thatched hut, peep through wall, see am enter pen.

My hand dey shake, I dey pray make e no see me. I dey pity the pig, but I no fit shout.

E no sabi butchering reach my papa.

E dey drag knife, dey cut anyhow. Pig dey cry, but e no stop. Na violence I see that day.

The sow wey e catch suffer—e stab am more than twelve times before e die.

Blood full everywhere, the pig eye dey open. Even other sows dey fear, dey run corner.

Then e cut the head with force, waka go.

E wrap am for black nylon, put am for big Ghana Must Go. E no clean blood, just dey whistle.

Everyday, my papa dey check pigsty. Before I fit handle the sow body, e don see am.

My papa dey count pigs every morning. As e see one miss, e face change. Na so e vex, come kitchen, flog me with broom handle.

E beat me, kick me.

E curse me say I be bastard. E threaten say next time, e go tie me for gate.

"Na... na uncle Morayo," I cry, curl for ground.

My body dey shake, blood dey my mouth. I dey talk slow, dey beg God.

My papa pause, spit, curse, "Na wolf pikin be this."

E look me, then waka commot. E dey vex sotey e no fit talk again.

E waka commot, vex.

For that day, nobody talk to me. My leg dey pain, but na my heart pain pass. Na so e dey be for my family.

That afternoon, our bukka no open—very rare.

Even neighbours dey wonder, dey ask if person die. My papa just sit alone for hall, hand for head, as if e dey count all the spirits wey dey haunt our house. That day, silence loud pass generator.