Chapter 6: A New Dawn

Tunde hiss. "Abeg, stop that talk." He snap, hiss loud. "Amara, you dey craze? All this your gra-gra, e no go help you."

"You don already give me your body. Who else you wan marry if no be me?" His voice full pride, but deep inside, I see say fear dey. E dey shake.

He talk with pride, but I see small fear for his eyes. Na so man dey fear disgrace. If I talk wetin e do, e go shame pass. I just dey look am, my spirit dey pity am small.

I no answer am, I kneel down for Mama picture. Instead make I fight back, I go kneel for altar, face Mama. I dey pray, "Mama, give me strength." I no wan give Tunde more power over me.

He kick my cushion, try pull my clothes, dey shout. E vex, kick my prayer cushion, try drag my wrapper. "You dey mad? Wetin dey worry you?" Him shout dey echo for house. I no answer.

But when he see tears dey fall from my face, he stop. Tears dey roll down my cheek. Tunde freeze, his hand drop. Na the first time he dey see me cry true tears.

Since Mama die, Papa no marry again, just keep some women for house. Since Mama waka go meet God, Papa no marry another real wife. He just dey keep concubines, no send anybody. The house full, but my spirit dey lonely.

The madam wey train me, na people from chief’s house send come, na Papa beg for am. Na big woman, Madam Bola, come train me for woman matter. Na chief people send her, Papa pay am well. She strict, but she teach me respect.

She strict well, always tell me say woman no suppose cry or complain. She dey always talk, "Amarachi, strong woman no dey cry for man. If you want respect, hide your pain, face front." Her words dey ring for my ear.

So, I never cry for Tunde front before. No matter wetin Tunde do before, I go just hold myself. Na today I break, my wall don fall.

Before, me and Tunde dey arrange meet. We be childhood fiancé, so nobody dey talk if we waka go see palm trees or hear music. Before all this, na play-play. We go sneak go river, pick mango, hear masquerade drum for festival. Neighbours go just laugh, "See love birds."

People even dey praise us as perfect couple. For compound, everybody dey talk, "Na Amarachi and Tunde go set standard for marriage." Some women dey use us take teach their daughters.

But many times, not long after we meet, Chiamaka go pass, dey cry. E get as e be. After Tunde see me, Chiamaka go pass, her eye red, nose dey run. I dey wonder wetin happen. Sometimes, na me go comfort her. I no know say na me and her dey share Tunde love.

Tunde eyes go follow her. Tunde go just dey look her, his own eyes dey beg, like pikin wey want biscuit. Even when he hold me, I dey notice his mind dey somewhere else.

After that—Na there story break. My own na shadow, Chiamaka na light. My life change, my heart dey heal, slowly. But I dey promise myself—never again. This pain, I no go ever carry am enter new house for Ibadan. The chapter close for Tunde, but my own journey just dey start.

Even the ogbono soup for pot don cold, harmattan breeze dey slap window, but my body still dey sweat. Ibadan dey wait me. Maybe for that side, my own sun go shine again. This Lagos wahala, I dey leave am for behind.