Chapter 5: The Last Battle

"Morayo and Manager Audu, una just fit each other well well."

One uncle dey talk loud, voice dey shake table. Others dey follow, dey do chorus. My heart dey cut.

"Some people wey think say dem be something, now dem go know their level."

Dem dey shade me, but I no go break. For Naija, man dey endure shame for face.

"True talk, you no even reach to carry their shoe. Abeg, go your level."

Everybody dey pick side. No friend for suffering.

Musa dey proud.

He chest dey up, eyes dey shine. E dey flex for people.

"We call you come make you face reality. See divorce paper. Sign am."

He drop file for my front, pen on top. Na cold-blood play.

I carry pen, look Morayo.

My hand heavy, but I gats stand my ground.

"I fit sign, but return my coral bead bracelet. Na my family heirloom, we dey give am to daughter-in-law."

Na Okafor tradition—coral bead dey pass from madam to madam. The thing get spirit value. If you lose am, e mean say you lose your right for family.

Na for next Okafor family madam.

If Morayo no return am, my mama fit swear for ground.

My mama talk tire—this one from my grandma, no ever lose am.

E no be ordinary bead. My mama remind me every new year.

Morayo eye just shake, she bow head.

She no fit look me. E dey pain am small, but e dey hide.

"I lose the coral bracelet."

Her voice low, like person wey get cough. I sabi Morayo, I fit read lie for her face.

I rush ask, "Where you lose am?"

My voice sharp, my eye dey search her body. People pause, dey listen.

Next thing, I notice say Morayo dey lie. I follow her eye, see the coral bracelet for brocade box on top table.

Her eye dodge, but I catch am. For table, brocade box dey shine. Bead dey inside. Dem wan present am as gift, maybe for Audu new wife.

Dem wan give am as gift to Audu.

The thing pain me. Okafor blood no dey joke with heirloom. E be like say dem dey wash my family name.

She no fit talk say she dash my family thing.

If elders hear, dem fit swear for her—na strong abomination.

I just rush sign the paper, go carry the coral bracelet.

As I sign, I reason say e better make I collect my heritage sharp. Money no reach tradition for our side.

But dem hold my wrist quick.

Before my hand reach box, Musa and two boys don grip me.

"You be thief, you wan steal for public!"

One of dem dey shout, voice loud, dey call attention. Dem dey try shame me.

"Poverty don dey worry am!"

E pain me say all these small boys dey talk anyhow.

"He don sign divorce, he no get anything with our family again! Hold am, call police!"

Dem dey find way disgrace me, maybe lock me up for one night to break my spirit.

Everywhere scatter, all I dey see na the coral bracelet.

Noise dey fly, camera phone dey point my side, but my eye just dey bead. My spirit dey shake, but my hand steady.

Since I small, my parents dey busy, na business dey their mind, dey build Okafor Group.

I remember as dem dey travel every time, na only my grandma dey keep me company for Osogbo, teach me Yoruba proverbs, and how to respect tradition.

Na my grandma from Osogbo water town raise me—she be my everything.

For Osogbo, she be titled woman, everybody dey greet am for street. I remember how she dey tell me stories for moonlight.

When she die, na only this coral bracelet she leave.

She hold my hand for hospital, press the bracelet inside my palm, say make I keep am pass gold.

Even as she weak, she still smile: "Tunde, you must find true happiness, marry woman wey love you true."

Her last word dey ring for my head. I dey find happiness, but see as I end.

Now, I don lose my grandma and the woman wey I think say love me.

I dey alone for this world, no woman, no root. My chest dey heavy.

I no fit lose this coral bracelet join.

I swear for my mind say I go collect am tonight, by fire by force.

Plenty hands dey drag me, some dey even step my hand make I no reach the bracelet.

Dem dey push me down, dey step my finger. But my body dey push back. For Naija, man no dey gree lose finish.

But I no send, I still dey struggle.

My eye red, I dey use all my body dey push front. I dey hear voice for my head—my grandma own.

Next thing, one hand pick the coral bracelet.

E sharp—like film trick. My eye follow the hand go up.

Na Audu face I see, dey smile.

E dey smile like hyena. He carry the bead, dey swing am for air.

"This your coral bracelet no get value. Poor man just dey carry rubbish for head, think say e mean something."

E dey mock tradition. My heart dey shake. For Yoruba, this kain insult dey pass ordinary fight. If you lose your root, even tree go shame.

Insult me if you like, but no insult my grandma memory.

Na so I stand straight, my voice dey crack. Spirit dey enter my body.

My body dey shake from anger.

Hand dey tremble, eye dey red. People don gather, dey watch drama.

"I don sign divorce, me and Morayo no get anything again. I leave her for you."

I talk am, make everybody hear. I dey shake, but my voice steady.

"But abeg, leave my coral bracelet for me!"

I dey beg, for my family, for my spirit. Na my last connection to home.

Audu just laugh.

E laugh loud, people dey follow. Shame dey my head, but I no fit cry for public.

"Leave her for me? Wetin you get wey I no fit collect? You think say you fit stop me?"

E dey use mouth show say na him dey run things. E dey form landlord for another man property.

"As for this coral bracelet, I no see any value. I go pay you for am."

He open wallet, dey count small notes. E dey show say money fit buy anything for this world.

He just raise hand, smash the coral bracelet for ground.

My chest tight. The sound of bead break na like thunder for my ear. My eye no fit believe am.

Na sharp crack, the bracelet break scatter.

The bead scatter for floor, some roll under chair. My spirit dey bleed.

I just stand, body cold.

Na that kain cold wey dey come after rain soak person reach bone.

Laughter full everywhere.

Dem dey clap, dey shout. Some dey record video. Social media go full tomorrow.

"See as he be, like stray dog."

Some dey mock my shoe, some dey abuse my cloth. Nobody send my pain.

"Dey talk say he dey leave woman, but na Manager Audu get am since."

Dem dey roast me live, na only God fit save me.

"Break him bracelet no mean anything—he be thief, dem suppose lock am."

For their mind, na only money matter. Tradition no mean anything for dem.

"True, na thief, better arrest am quick."

One dey call police number, another dey shout for bouncer.

As dem dey laugh, Audu bring out wallet, carry small bundle of cash.

E dey make show, dey spray am like say na party for agege.

He begin throw the money for my face, one after the other.

Notes dey slap my face, but my spirit dey fight tears—pride no go let me bend. My eye dey hot.

"E don do like that?"

E dey show say e no rate me at all.

"Forget that coral, this money fit buy your life."

E dey run mouth, dey throw notes like say na beggar dey front am. I just lock up, my pride dey fight my tears.

Audu just dey throw money dey happy.

People dey scramble pick notes. E dey pain me pass anything say my family memory dey ground, but na money dey reign.

Suddenly, we hear fast footsteps from outside.

E sound like thunder, like say big man dey come. The room quiet small, people dey look door.

The private room door burst open, one big man enter—na Palm Grove boss.

E wear native, agbada sweep floor. The way e open door, even bouncer bow.

Audu face change. "Mr. Olumide, wetin bring you here?"

Audu hand start shake, voice low. Power don change hand. All the noise for room stop—everybody dey watch drama live.

Mr. Olumide look everywhere, voice dey shake.

E eye dey red, voice deep. As e talk, the room freeze. Tonight, e be like say spirit of my grandma dey fight for me—this battle never finish.