Chapter 5: For Okafor House, Respect Na Battle

As we reach house, Mr. Okafor—wey suppose dey business trip—dey sit for parlour dey watch Africa Magic.

I smell fried plantain, the house quiet. Mr. Okafor cross leg, dey tap remote, no even greet me. His face strong.

I remember: na because him ex-wife call am, na im make am rush back.

That woman get power for this house pass me. Anything she talk, na command for Mr. Okafor. I dey wonder if na jazz she use.

Before now, I call am plenty times, beg make he show for Amara graduation. He go always say work dey busy.

But if him ex-wife just complain say he no dey care for him pikin, he go leave everything come back.

If na first love, nothing dey reach am.

True true, man wey don love before, na that woman heart e dey. I dey try, but I no fit compete.

Amara see her papa, she run go hug am.

Her face light up, her voice high. "Papa!" She shout, dey jump for his body. Na only him fit make her smile like that.

Mr. Okafor touch her hair, talk softly:

His voice melt, "Sorry, Amara. Papa busy for work, I no fit come your graduation. Na my fault."

He rub her back, dey act like hero. Na so e dey always do.

"To make up, anything you want, papa go buy am for you."

He dey form Father Christmas. My mind just dey watch, dey tick tally.

Amara look me one kind, then hold her papa:

Her eyes flash, she dey show say I no mean anything. I just carry eye away, dey act like say I no dey see them.

"I want latest phone, and I still wan dey go art lesson."

She rub hand for her papa chest, dey act like small pikin. She sabi get wetin she want.

Mr. Okafor look me, dey wait my answer.

He dey use eye ask permission. I just bone face.

I no talk like before, I just say, "You be Amara papa. Na your decision."

Na so I remove my hand. If dem like, make dem use money do party for her head. I no go stress again.

All these years, I only allow Amara use phone watch and study tablet. I no give her phone because she dey get addicted. Once she hold phone, she no dey eat, she go dey press till late, eyes go red.

Sometimes I go hide charger, she go find am. I dey try protect her, but she dey see am as wahala.

As for art lesson, na just one out of many. I pay for six years—over a hundred thousand naira per year. But her drawing still no get head.

Even her teacher talk say she no dey try. Na only to draw love emoji and cartoon dey sweet her.

Because her school work too much, I pull her from art, put her for private lesson wey cost more. Her result improve, but she say I dey control her, say she be puppet.

She complain for house, dey gist her papa say I too wicked. I just dey laugh. If I leave her, na the same people go talk say I no try.

Now, I no dey stress again. Anything she want, make her papa pay, as e no concern me.

If he like, make e buy her phone, buy her car. Me, I don tire for their matter.

Amara see as Mr. Okafor dey think, she vex.

She hiss, cross arm, dey eye me like say I be thief. For my mind, I dey thank God say I no go let her wahala kill me again.

"Papa, you gats always look her face before you do anything? No be her money. Wetin concern her?"

She throw words like stone. I just smile, dey watch.

I just laugh, "E no concern me at all. If your papa get money, make he pay. I no go talk."

I dey hide my pain with laugh. If I talk, na wahala. If I keep quiet, dem go still talk. Na so life be.

Funny girl.

She think say na Mr. Okafor dey pay her school fees? Every year, all her lesson and class dey cost pass one million naira. Mr. Okafor fit pay am?

He no even know say PTA levy na N50k for one term. Na me dey hustle all.

If no be my money and effort, run up and down for her lesson, you think she go fit be number one for city?

If na only Mr. Okafor, na so so government school and okrika go dey her body. I dey look him, dey shake head for mind.

My cold face vex Mr. Okafor.

He adjust his shirt, face squeeze. He no like make I dey talk back, but today my mind dey strong.

He come talk with bad mouth:

He raise voice, "You dey form madam because you dey use my money. If I no pay, na you? Even if na you, na my salary you dey use."

I just dey look am. For this house, na only my own wahala dey count. But God dey see.

Mr. Okafor dey give me seventy thousand naira every month, but that one no fit cover daily food. How the money go reach Amara lesson?

Even beans for market don cost. Seventy thousand na small money? School fees, book, lesson, feeding, everything dey my head.

As I dey look Mr. Okafor face, my mind just dey fall down.

I dey remember all the times I beg him make e increase money, but he go say I dey waste. I tire for him matter.

I no even get energy to explain. E no make sense:

If I talk, dem go say I dey nag. If I keep quiet, dem go call me wicked. I just dey for middle.

"No wahala. From now, pay all your pikin money direct. No give me your seventy thousand again."

I drop the bomb, voice strong. If e like, make e do, if e no like, I no send.

Amara happy as I say I no want her papa salary.

She jump, clap hand, "Yes! Papa, e good like that. From now, na only you I go dey call."

"Papa, give grandma your salary from now. That way I no go dey beg her for pocket money again."

She dey form victim, dey look for pity. My mind dey strong, I no fit fall for am.

Mr. Okafor come dey vex more:

He shout, "Ngozi, na so you dey treat Amara? She dey beg you for pocket money? You dey use my salary help your own family?"

I dey laugh inside. My people for village never chop one kobo from this house. If dem see me, na me dey dash dem. Na so man go talk, no know wetin dey happen.

As I look this man, I just realise say I no even know am again.

After all these years, I still be stranger for him eye. My heart just cold.

All the clothes and shoes Amara dey wear na big brand. Each private lesson pass ten thousand naira. If he care, he for know say seventy thousand no fit even buy drink for today party.

Na true. One carton of malt na almost half of his salary. I dey do everything, yet dem dey use mouth finish me.

Disappointment no even reach wetin I dey feel.

My chest tight, tears dey my eye. But I no go let dem see am. I fit strong face.

"No wahala, Mr. Okafor. From today, you and your pikin—no involve me for una matter again. I no go put mouth for anything wey concern una. And if una try me, no blame me if I craze."

I talk am with power, eye red. Everybody freeze. Even housemaid drop broom, dey look me like she see masquerade.

With one heavy sound, I knock my glass for table. Glass scatter everywhere, like small spirits dey fly.

The sound scatter everybody. Pieces full floor. The house quiet, na only my heart dey drum like bata drum for my chest.

Amara and Mr. Okafor shock.

Their mouth open, eye big. For once, dem know say I no dey joke.

For eight years wey I marry, na today be the first time wey I para like this.

I carry bag, walk enter my room, slam door. Tears dey fall, but I talk for mind, "This life no be for mumu. God, help me."

But I know say tomorrow wahala never even start. For this house, peace dey hide like rat.