Chapter 2: The Beauty Arrive, Trouble Begin

When the Oba come back palace, na with one fine woman him bring.

The whole palace just scatter that morning. Dem no dey ever carry new woman reach palace without wahala. Na gossip wey go last reach midnight. Even the guards for gate dey pretend say dem no hear, but their ear long.

I wait for palace gate for one hour early morning, sleep still dey my eye, when one palace maid tap my hand, almost cry: "Your Majesty the Olori, wahala don happen!"

My ear prick, sharp like those market women wey dey hustle for Ketu.

Palace wahala no dey ever finish, but this one carry new weight.

My eye clear immediately. "Shey na say dem no dey do roasted chicken for palace kitchen again?"

Even as sleep dey my eye, my belle still dey find food. You know say Naija food dey ginger person well.

The palace maid stomp foot, vex: "Oba dey carry one fine woman follow body!"

I still dey drowsy. "Ehn."

The gist dey slow enter my head like that early morning ogiri smell wey dey sneak from kitchen.

Na so my brain wan return to sleep, but e no gree.

Three seconds later, I sharply raise my head.

Na that kain sudden wake up, like say NEPA just bring light after blackout.

Palace maid don dey cry. "Your Majesty, abeg no vex—"

I grab her hand, my own body dey shake from excitement: "Where? Where the beauty dey?"

Sometimes, wahala dey sweet person for body, especially if e get to do with palace runs. My eye dey shine like say dem just dash me new gold wrapper.

Palace maid: "..."

She no believe her ear. Na so I dey, na wahala I dey find.

Na that time, one voice wey I sabi well well ring for front: "Olori, after one month wey I never see you, you go dey miss me die."

Tunde dey turn him folding fan, him puppy eyes just dey shine anyhow.

Tunde sabi arrange himself, even the way he dey turn fan get swag. For this Lagos, if you no sabi form style, people go just pass you by.

I no even answer am, I waka go meet the beauty wey dey behind am, hold her hand. "You go don tire for road. Abeg, make we go inside go rest."

As I talk am, I notice the way the beauty dey look me with surprise. I fit see say she no expect welcome. Palace people dey fear new things, but me, I wan see the person well.

Tunde: "..."

The beauty fine no be small—her face sharp, waist slim. No be like me wey, after all the good food, my face round, small belle dey self.

Her skin dey glow like say she dey drink original zobo every day. I admire her without shame—Naija women dey always rate fine girl, no matter the situation.

I push all the fruit and snacks give the beauty.

She just dey look am, fear no let her chop.

She dey act like person wey dey fear poison, but for palace, if dem serve you food, na sign of respect. I dey look her, dey pity her small.

So I break one bean cake into two, give her one half, I keep one half for myself.

Bean cake—akara—na food wey join people together for this country. If you chop akara with person, na like swear say una go protect each other.

As she see me dey chop with joy, the beauty ask me, confused: "The Oba carry another woman come palace—you no vex?"

Her voice get small tremble. E be like say she expect wahala, maybe she think say I go throw am for gutter.

I chew the cake, reason am. "I no vex."

I try arrange my face so she go see say I mean am. Sometimes, peace dey disarm person pass fight.

She nod, say she don understand. "Oh, so you no love the Oba. Na career woman you be."

Her logic na foreign one, e no dey fit Naija style, but I just dey observe her dey find road for her own world.

Na only the first part I fit grab, so I rest my chin for hand, smile. "No be so. In fact, I love am well well."

For this land, we dey talk our love with chest. You love, you love. No dey hide.

She bone face sharp sharp. "Chai, so na those mumu wives you be wey go still dey love husband even if e cheat one hundred times. I no dey respect women like una."

Her eyes dey hard, but her voice soft small. For Naija, women dey judge women, but na so e be since the days of our ancestors.

I no too understand wetin she dey talk, I just dey watch her mouth dey move fast.

I dey let her pour her mind finish, make she fit calm down.

"Make I yarn you true, I be person wey come from another world. My mission na to win the Oba, become Olori within one year. If I fit do am, I go get hundred million bonus, then I go just dey flex."

The matter dey funny me. E be like I dey watch African Magic where spirit dey use phone.

I dey look her dey happy.

She just shrug, complain: "People for this palace just dey waka like mumu, dem no dey hear my code at all. Even mumu fit do this task."

I raise my hand. "I small small understand. Wetin you mean be say you wan be Olori."

For this palace, na only strong heart dey reach top. I dey size her spirit.

The beauty raise brow. "True, I go drag am with you till the end."

She no dey hide her plan—Naija woman wey ready for battle no dey use wrapper cover leg.

I smile. "No need drag. I fit help you. No need reach one year—half year sef dey enough, I go help you win Oba heart, make am crown you Olori."

I talk am like play, but my eye dey steady. If I get hand for my own destiny, why I go dey drag?

Now na her turn to shock.

You fit see am for her face—Naija people dey show emotion for face, e no dey hard.

"Why you wan help me?"

I hug my hot water bottle, my eyes just dey soft:

"Because doctor talk say I no get plenty time again. Dem say na at most half year remain for me."

The words heavy for my mouth, but for this country, we dey talk true when pain choke us. Everybody dey fear death, but e no dey hide am.

Na so we dey push each other—love dey, but for palace, na power dey test love.