Chapter 5: Last Tears, New Dawn

Next day, Madam Okafor surprise me, she come see me. Her gele stand tall, perfume strong like Sunday service, gold bangles dey jangle as she enter. She first ask about Titi, then go straight to point.

She knock soft, then enter parlour. She look my eyes, no time for fake smile.

"You don hear wetin Ifedike talk for media, abi?"

I nod.

No need to lie—everybody don see am. Even housemaids dey gossip.

Madam Okafor smile, she dey satisfied. "I no believe say Ifedike mean am this time. To be honest, nothing dey hide for this world. All these years, rumours dey come out, but Ifedike no dey answer, he never clear am."

She cross leg, fix her wrapper well. Her gold bangles jingle as she talk. She dey proud, but her words sharp like razor.

She raise brow. "Who for think say, as soon as he hear say Sade don divorce, na then he clear the marriage with you."

Her tone get small shade, like person wey dey watch drama.

She sigh. "But I no expect say he no go even recognize Titi. That boy stubborn—he don like Sade since him dey young, till she marry. When he gree be with you, I think say he don move on."

She shake head, as if pity me small. For her mind, Sade na gold—me, I be bronze.

I sit down quiet, but my ear dey ring.

Na so my mind dey fly. I dey hear her, but my spirit dey far. For Naija family, na this kind silent battle dey happen—love wey dem no fit talk, pain wey woman go hide.

She talk true. Before, Ifedike Okafor never clear any rumour. Na the first time he talk for public.

I dey think, why now? Maybe na only God know wetin dey his mind.

This Sade wey she mention—I sabi her. Na Madam Okafor favourite daughter-in-law. But that time, she don engage, soon marry. When Ifedike Okafor see her, nothing ever happen. I no ever think say he like her since. So, at first, he gree marry me because the woman wey he love don marry another.

Na so life be—sometimes, we be second choice for person wey we love with all our heart.

"Morayo."

She call my name with small pity, her eyes soft for once.

Madam Okafor smile, pat my hand. "You dey smart. You no get status or title—maybe e no pain you. But wetin of Titi? You wan make she live her life for shadow, like you?"

I look her hand on mine, her wedding ring big, shining. But for my own finger, only simple gold band dey. I no answer, just keep quiet.

Madam Okafor comot. Everywhere quiet. Dead palm branches dey cast shadow for veranda. Dried flower petals dey blow for wind, just dey disappear.

The wind carry small sand enter my eye. As I wipe am, I realise say my tears no go stop this pain.

I open my phone, read that message again and again: "As long as you agree, from now on, Titi go be my only child."

I read am like prayer, but answer no dey come. Na only silence dey reply me.

As tears dey drop, I reply Kunle—my old UNILAG friend from Ibadan, wey sabi Lagos road well: "Abeg, come carry me. I no wan stay for Okafor family again."

I no wait for Papa Okafor to come back. I start pack my things and Titi own, ready to leave Okafor family.

I use Ghana-Must-Go bag, arrange our things sharp sharp. The bag heavy, zip dey struggle, old wrapper dey smell like camphor and palm oil. No time for plenty wahala.

The housemaids dey confused, secretly dey call Ifedike. As he reach, the driver of the moving van dey help me carry last box.

I hear their whispers for corridor—"Madam really dey go? Who go cook ogbono soup for oga now?" I no answer anybody.

Kunle flight go land in three hours. He go carry me and Titi comot finally.

I dey check time, my heart dey beat like drum for Ogun festival. I pray make nothing delay am.

I lose my papa early, I know how e be. Small girl wey no get papa dey always suffer, dem dey bully am.

For school, na only my mama dey come open day. Sometimes, I dey cry, but I learn say woman fit strong on her own. I go teach Titi same thing.

I watch as Ifedike Okafor come down from car, face strong under dark blue night sky. The way he look me, e no get any warmth at all.

His suit fresh, but his face no show emotion. He dey try hide any sign of weakness. He just dey look me like stranger for Oshodi bus stop.

Titi dey fear, she hold my neck tight. I calm her with kiss, then let housemaid carry her go play.

I whisper for her ear, "You be lion, my baby. No fear anybody." She nod, then waka go with maid, but she look back twice.

As Titi waka, Ifedike Okafor come meet me, brow tight, eyes show small anger.

His walk steady, but jaw set. You go know say pride dey his bone.

"Morayo, I don pamper you too much all these years?"

His voice low, as if he dey warn. For his mind, na me dey ungrateful.

I just smile small, thank am. "Thank you for all you do for us since."

I no wan quarrel. I just want peace as I dey go. For Naija, when woman dey leave, e better make she no curse anybody.

Na true talk. Apart from love, he no treat me and my daughter bad.

He dey provide, housemaids dey respect me. But wetin be life without love? Money no fit hug person for night.

"Think am well. If you leave Okafor family, you and Titi go be nothing."

His voice hard, but his eyes dey beg small. I see am, but I look ground.

"If we stay for Okafor family, wetin we be?"

I ask am direct. If he get answer, make he talk am now.

"Wetin else you dey vex for? Apart from title, wetin I never give you?"

He dey count provision—car, house, clothes—but the thing wey my heart need, he no get.

Yes, I get am for four years. For these four years, he no get another woman. We even get this fine daughter. For house, I be 'madam' to the housemaids. But for outside, I be plaything for those rich madam eyes. My daughter na bastard wey no fit show for public. I no even fit use her full name—no fit call her Okafor Titilayo, both surname and name.

Anytime PTA meeting reach, I dey use only 'Titilayo Morayo' for school list. My body dey pain me, but I hide am. Na God know wetin dey my chest.

"I no want anything again. I just wan leave Okafor family with my daughter. Na too much?"

I no raise voice. I just dey talk my mind. For the first time, I no dey beg.

"Morayo, some things I go only talk once."

His face hard, like Olumo rock. He no dey joke.

Maybe na my stubbornness make am vex well. His voice now cold pass before.

His lips tight, as if he dey hold anger inside.

"Now, carry your things and your daughter own go back. I go pretend say nothing happen."

He dey give me last chance to surrender. I know say if I gree, everything go return to normal—fake peace, but my spirit go die small small.

"If I say no nko?"

I look am straight for eye. This time, I no dey blink.

He look me steady. "If you cross Okafor family gate, you no go ever come back."

His voice heavy, the words final like burial song. Even the housemaids freeze for corridor.

Just then, his phone ring. He look am, brow relax small. He waka go one side pick call.

I see say the call change his face. For business, he dey smile. For me, na only stone.

I fit hear his voice soft: "No fear, I dey come. Okay, send me address. Twenty minutes—I go reach."

His Igbo accent strong for phone—business voice, different from home voice.

Ifedike Okafor finish, enter car. Before he go, he look back, tell housemaids:

"Move their things back. Before I come back tonight, everywhere must dey as e be."

He no wait for answer. His word na law for this compound.

He look me again. "Tonight, go sleep for master bedroom. No enter guest room again."

I no answer. I just carry my bag, sit for step. I dey ready for anything.

I no talk, so he think say I go gree.

Maybe na hope still dey his heart. But me, my own hope don dry finish.

He no stay—he enter car, drive comot.

The car engine roar for gate, then silence return. Na so e dey be—man dey come, man dey go.

Housemaids smile for me. "Madam, go your room. We go handle the bags."

One of dem, Amaka, wipe her eye. She dey pity me. She whisper, "Madam, na you teach me how to read newspaper. I no go forget."

After 'I no go forget', I reply softly, "Amaka, God go bless you. E go better."

Dem wan remove my box from car, but I stop them. "No need. We go soon leave."

I speak with finality, voice low but strong.

"Madam?"

Amaka voice dey shake. She dey fear for me.

"When Mr. Okafor come back, abeg tell am—"

I pause, swallow tears, then continue.

I look down, hide last tears.

For the first time, I no care who dey watch. I let the tears fall.

"As he talk, from today, me and Titi no go ever cross Okafor family gate again."

As I finish, I carry my bag, look up. For the first time in years, I feel light—like bird wey just escape from cage. Sun don begin rise for east; I know say hope dey somewhere for front. No turning back again.

Morning breeze dey blow small, sun dey climb—new day don start for me and my pikin.