Chapter 7: The Beating

Oga vex: “So you dey feel say you dey special? Because you fine? You wey no get shishi, you dey form?”

E spit for ground, face squeeze. Other boys dey hail am, "Sani, show am you no dey play!"

Okay, I go show you.

E talk am like threat. Everybody quiet for small moment.

If I no teach you lesson, you no go know who be boss.

For Sani group, na respect be everything. If you no bow, dem go break you.

Make una beat am!

Boys rush like hyena see meat. Some dey laugh, some dey shout, "Teach am!"

So, the next morning after Sani Dafe birthday, as everybody dey go work, Sani Dafe carry six of him boys, block Okoli Yomi for mill gate.

For early morning like that, only sound na generator and birds. As Okoli dey waka, boys just block road. Other workers dey look away, nobody want wahala.

Okoli Yomi see say wahala dey, e try run enter mill, but dem catch am, drag am go one corner for outside fence, begin beat am.

One of the boys look around first, see if any elder dey pass, e hesitate, but as Sani shout, "Oya!" e rush join, fist land for Yomi body. That moment, fear mix with peer pressure—nobody wan be the weak link.

If you see as dem hold am, e try struggle, but na seven strong men. Even the security man for mill just look away.

No be say e fine?

Sani dey shout, "Spoil that him fine face! Make e no dey do like say na king pikin!"

Dem focus on him face.

If you see blood, e go fear you. Face swell up, red oil and sand dey everywhere.

Seven people hand and leg just dey land for Okoli Yomi face and head, only touch body when dem no fit reach head.

Boys dey shout, "More! More!" Like say na wrestling match. Everybody want prove say e strong pass.

At first, Okoli Yomi still dey try protect himself, hold him head, use back take chop beating, but the boys too many. Dem turn am, hold am down, hammer face and head.

E dey beg, but mouth no fit open well. Eye dey cry, but no sound dey come out.

All of dem na young men for their twenties, no sabi their own power. The main thing be say, everybody feel say, na group, so make I beat pass.

You know our boys, na who go show say e strong pass—competition for wickedness.

So Okoli Yomi just dey like sandbag, dem kick am, roll am for ground...

At the end, e no even fit stand again. Clothes tear, blood everywhere. One old woman see am, shout, "Una wan kill person!" but nobody listen.

When dem carry am go health centre, nobody fit recognize him face, eyes almost comot.

Nurse even cry, say, "Wetin una do this boy?" but no answer.