Chapter 3: Old Love, New Pain

As I gulp one bowl of thick, black agbo,

Morayo slap herself two times. "I too do!"

That agbo bitter pass bitterleaf soup. E be like say the thing dey burn my tongue, but Naija person no go gree show weakness.

The bitter taste just make my tongue dey numb. My face don pale, but I force smile: "Come follow me commot palace. The Oba story start ten years ago."

For Naija, story dey bond people. If you wan make friend, give dem gist. I dey see Morayo eye dey shine small, her body relax.

For the backyard of the prince’s house, one mango tree wey bend stand. Since Tunde become king, the place don dey empty. House people no dey serious again, dry leaf full everywhere for ground.

The compound quiet, only the sound of goat dey far small. The way mango dey bend, e be like elder wey dey reason life for village square.

I stand under the tree, look up.

The smell of dry leaf dey remind me of my childhood. The breeze dey cool my skin, small peace enter my mind.

"You fit no believe, but when I small, I dey climb tree well well. For dry season, the leaf dey like umbrella—I dey hide inside dey chop food."

For Naija, pikin wey no sabi climb tree, never grow. I dey proud of my childhood.

"Tunde and me na the same kind. Him dey help me thief puff-puff for kitchen, we go climb tree, chop together."

If dem catch us that time, my mama go flog us well. But the memory sweet pass punishment.

"The flour from the puff-puff go dey fall for teacher head. Teacher think say na dandruff, next day drink agbo."

That kain wahala, only stubborn pikin fit try am. We dey play pass book.

Morayo just burst laugh. "I no believe say Oba and Olori na proper stubborn children that time."

Her laugh loud, like person wey just win awoof for church raffle. Na so e dey sweet when you hear say big people get small pikin wahala too.

I laugh too. "Him stubborn pass me—always dey talk say him no sabi book, say him go just dey jolly as prince."

Old gist dey sweet like old palm wine. Our youth na another country entirely.

Who for think am?

If dem tell us say we go reach where we dey, we for laugh dem tire. Destiny dey play her own card.

The old Oba no get plenty children, so throne go grandchildren side. Maybe she see am before, but the Queen Mother, wey be princess consort that time, train Tunde with strong hand.

For palace, if you no get strong backbone, you go lose way. The Queen Mother no dey play—her word na law.

Tunde dey kneel for ground for two hours steady. I no wan make am shame, so I carry small stool, sit near am, keep am company.

Loyalty dey build from small. I no fit leave am suffer alone.

Him face dey serious, almost craze: "Ngozi, I go turn book machine from today. I no go dey pick food again, make my papa and mama regret."

When Naija pikin swear, dem dey mean am. E no easy, but pride dey involved.

I hail am. "You try!"

I dey ginger am, so e go get spirit to do better.

Him really stop to dey pick food. But nobody send am.

Na so e be for Naija, sometimes you change, people no notice. But na inside your own chest you dey get peace.

I sneak pepper oil give am, him hold my hand, eyes red:

"Ngozi, na only you care for me for this world. I don decide, make we run go far, live like two wild lovebirds."

Love dey sweet, but I no get time for suffering. Na enjoyment I dey chase.

I brush off him hand, serious: "I no fit suffer. If you wan go, go alone."

I dey talk true, Naija woman no dey follow man enter wahala for play. My papa na chief, abeg.

Him vex small. "You too like enjoyment."

I just open hand. "My papa na chief, my mama na princess. I born with enjoyment—wetin concern me?"

No be pride, na fact. For this land, everybody sabi where dem belong.

That day Tunde think tire, no fit talk again.

The silence heavy, but sometimes na so e suppose be. Each person dey find road.

After that, him change, start to dey read book well.

E shock everybody, but if love dey push person, nothing hard.

Princess consort ask why him change.

Ink still full him face, him answer: "Ngozi na big woman. I gats work double, make her the highest woman for world. If not, why she go marry me?"

Na so person dey use love dey climb mountain for Naija. If woman high, man gats high pass.