Chapter 1: Ashes and Whispers

When I small that year, I get one relative wey I dey call my grandaunt. For her village, e get one young man wey honest well, gentle like water, but him mouth no straight—him words dey slow. Dem bully am, beat am die for hand of the village strongman.

As I dey remember those nights, the smell of kerosene lantern dey mix with fresh-cut grass, crickets dey sing outside, and sometimes harmattan breeze go waka enter parlour, raise curtain small, make old women hug wrapper tighter. The old women go sigh, shake head, and say, "Ehn, my pikin, this world no fair." The gist sweet for their mouth, but if you look well, you go see pain dey hide for their eyes—like say dem dey use laughter take cover wound with wrapper.

That time, the young man papa don die since, e get one elder sister wey don marry, dey hustle construction work with her husband for Abuja. Na only him and him mama dey manage for house.

Their compound be like many for our side—old zinc roof wey sun don hammer, cassava farm dey stretch for back, goats dey waka anyhow for yard. Sometimes, if rain fall, you go hear as water dey leak for parlour, the sound dey tap-tap like drum for bucket. Okoli family just dey manage anyhow, wahala dey show for their cloth and the way dem dey waka for village.

Na clear example of how life dey hard for people wey dey bottom for society, people wey no get power or connection.

For Naija, if you no get leg, na you go chop last. Dem go treat you like air, your matter no dey enter their mind unless wahala don bust.

The village far, police hand no dey reach there, and the bullies get people wey dey cover them. The young man just dey on his own, nobody to back am up.

The road to that village rough no be small. Rain fit cut the road, you go see keke stuck for mud, okada dey turn back, people dey push. Police station dey three villages away, and even there, the DPO dey fear local big men.

So, the villagers and bullies reason say, if dem just drop small money, the matter go die down.

For village, na so e dey: "Dash them small thing, make dem calm." No be justice, na peace dem dey find, so wahala no go spoil market or festival.

But that sister wey look gentle, with only her own strength, she stand up face seven enemies, take revenge, and almost finish all of them.

People later dey talk say she get lion heart. Even elders begin respect her—woman wey fit stand for family after this kind thing, no be small pikin for mind.