Chapter 2: The Wish

For Udoka Compound that day, everywhere quiet sotay if pin drop for ground, everybody go hear am.

Na the kind silence wey press your skin, make even small pikin hush quarrel and goat stop their bleating. The air smell of old wood and secrets. Somewhere, wind dey rustle palm leaf, but even that one dey careful.

Sandalwood incense dey burn for censer, smoke dey curl up, cover Mama Nkechi sharp eyes as she dey look me well.

That incense na her favourite—she dey always talk say e dey chase bad spirit comot and bring blessing. The scent dey mix with fresh palm oil and old calabash. Mama Nkechi no dey play with her ritual, she go always purify air before serious matter.

She size me from head to toe, like say she wan see wetin dey my heart.

Her gaze tight like garri sack. She no dey blink, mouth pressed like person wey swallow pepper. If she fit see my secret for my skin, she for don fish am out sharp sharp.

"You always like the crown prince. Why you no wan choose am?"

Her voice sharp, but na concern dey hide inside. The way she dey look me, you go think say she wan use her eye drag the answer from my soul.

I kneel well for ground, wrapper tight round my waist, voice almost disappear as I talk:

"Na because I like am, I no fit marry am."

My knees dey pain me, but I keep my head low. I dey watch small ants dey waka for the floor, dey try distract my mind from the shakings inside me.

"I no wan harm myself or just dey wait dey suffer for person wey no go ever come back. I beg you, Mama Nkechi, abeg grant me this wish."

The words heavy for my chest like stone. Even as I dey talk, I dey feel my hope dey hang for thread, dey wait make she cut am or tie am firm.

I still kneel there till my knees numb.

Sweat dey my forehead, but I gree say I no go stand up until she talk. My leg don almost dey cramp, but I just dey wait, dey count my breath.

She close her eyes, fingers tapping her knee. For small time, only the incense talk. My heart dey beat drum for my chest as I wait.

Finally, Mama Nkechi sigh, her voice small:

"Okay then. Tomorrow, when I go council meeting, I go tell His Majesty and ask for marriage blessing for you."

Her words soft, but na heavy thing she gree for. Mama Nkechi no dey ever gree quick unless her mind don fight finish. I see small pity for her face as she talk, like person wey dey give pikin bitter leaf to chew for own good.

I bow well, my forehead touch ground again.

Dust enter my nose, but I no care. I just dey thank God for my heart. E be like say the air for room loose small, I fit breathe better.

This life, I no go marry Tunde Jinchen again.

If to say I get chance to start afresh, na Prince Anayo my spirit dey follow. For this life wey God don give me again, I go use sense.