Chapter 3: Broken Beads, Broken Bonds

The monitor dey tick loud for the quiet room.

After small time, my papa nod. “Once you sign the agreement, you must keep am secret, japa before their wedding.”

“No wahala.” I agree. “Una fit dey go.” My voice flat, I no even care again.

I cover my head with wrapper, no bother look their face again. I adjust my wrapper well, like say I dey shield myself from all their disappointment.

Since dem enter, dem no even ask if I dey pain.

My eyes dey hot, I hold my hands tight, nails almost enter my palm. My leg dey shake under the hospital bed sheet, I dey try hold myself.

Since e be like this, make I no need them again.

Inside that suffocating room, I hold my tears. I swallow spit, count ceiling, refuse make anybody see me cry. For Naija, if you show weakness, dem go take you play.

I hear person dey come.

Next thing, person lift my wrapper gently.

Fresh air rush in, I just jam Olawale eye. For that moment, e eye red like say e never sleep, I fit see worry for im face.

E look tired, eye don black, obviously e watch over Halima all night. E no even change cloth, still dey wear that same native. I see small sweat for im forehead.

When e see the bandage for my head, I see one kind emotion flash for im face. E jaw tight, e voice low when e talk.

“You don chop?”

“I bring that your favourite moi-moi. Try am.” E raise nylon small, e dey shake like person wey get fever. I almost wan thank am, but I bone.

I bone face, voice cold: “No stress yourself.”

Olawale frown small, no expect say I go bone for am like that, e come dey vex small. “Why you dey vex again?”

E try touch my wound. “You still dey do anyhow, even with injury. E dey pain you?”

I shift my head away.

“She dey okay now.” E hand hang for air, then e drop am, knuckles white. E stand like person wey no know wetin to do next.

“I dey here now…”

I cut am short. “I suppose thank you? Thank you, Oga Olawale, say you fit find small time give me one bowl of moi-moi?”

E eye dull, chest dey move as e dey vex. E press mouth, try talk but words no come out.

“Morayo, you must talk to me like this?”

“So how you want make I talk?” I look am straight. “Make I wish una happy ending—na that one you want?” I raise voice small, try hold my tears back.

“Morayo!” Olawale vex, slam the bowl for table, the sound loud.

We just dey look each other, air freeze. Na only the beeping of machine dey sound for the room.

After long time, e close eye, try calm down. “I watch the CCTV. You kick her. Morayo, abeg, go apologise to her, ehn?”

I look am, just laugh. “Olawale, you for kuku just finish me.” My laugh bitter, e echo for the small room.

Na him suppose know wetin I don suffer pass anybody.

But na now e dey tell me make I apologise to her.

Na wa. I bite my lip, remember all the years of pain.

Halima disappear, e no concern me at all.

Na my mama send her go play, come dey distracted by phone, na so dem carry her. My mama just dey gist for veranda that day, wey Halima waka comot, na so matter take happen.

When I reach SS2, my parents somehow find her back.

I hear say her life no too good, so dem double the love for her. Dem dey do like say make dem use love cover all her old wounds.

I even pain pass, wish say I fit give her everything.

I teach her how to dress, makeup, carry her go learn manners, help am blend with the rich kids. I buy am new sandals, show am how to do nails, even take her go silverbird galleria, make she see film. All my pocket money dey finish for her head.

I think say we go be real sisters.

But I miss road.

At first na small small things—she go twist her leg near me anytime parents dey around.

She go dey show bruise for wrist anytime Olawale dey with me. E go dey look me, face like say I be witch.

Until one day, I catch am use blade tear her own school uniform, then rush go meet my mama dey cry, “Sister no mean am…”

I vex go argue, but she dey shake as she lift her sleeve and trouser, show serious wounds.

“Sister, you no want make I come house? I go behave, abeg no beat me again.”

Na so dem conclude say I dey bully her, lock me for dark room one day one night. I shout tire, but nobody answer. Mosquito bite me till my body swell. Even after, nobody gree listen to my own side of story.

After that, all pretense finish.

From that day, I dey always carry recorder, no dey alone with her. I even dey put small phone for pocket, dey record anytime she dey near me.

But even so, after every wahala, my parents go still carry her, dey pet am, tell me, “Halima don suffer, you suppose dey let her.”

E funny sha.

No be me cause her suffering, but na me go give up everything for her.

Olawale sabi all her tricks, e dey always support me.

But now, e don change too.

I turn, pour all the moi-moi for im body. “Oya, commot!”

That day, we quarrel scatter.

Olawale wan talk more, but my parents call am go Halima ward. E just sigh, wipe moi-moi from im shirt, waka comot.

I pull my drip, waka leave hospital alone.

I hide for one private clinic for town edge. Na that kind place wey nobody know me. I use hijab cover face, just dey silent.

Fever dey worry me, my head no clear. Sometimes cold, sometimes hot. Nurse dey look me like say I dey run from police.

For dream, I dey hear person dey whisper for my ear, but if I open eye, na only nurse dey change drip.

One week later, I go back the bungalow wey grandma give me.

As I open gate, my blood freeze.

Olawale stand with Halima, she hold flowers wey grandma plant, dey wear the coral bead bracelet wey grandma give me. My body dey shake, sweat catch me for hand. Halima dey smile, she no even look guilty.

When grandma dey die, she put the bracelet for my hand, dey wipe my tears.

She say make I forgive her, say she dey go meet grandpa.

She say the bracelet go dey protect me for her place.

My body dey shake with anger, I rush go hit Halima with my bag.

“Who tell you say you fit enter here!”

Olawale block her.

My bag zipper cut him for head, blood dey come out.

I no send, I don lose control: “Remove the bracelet and commot from my house!” My voice shake the flowers, even neighbours look through fence.

Olawale hug me tight, dey try calm me. “Morayo, you just recover, abeg calm down.”

Calm down how?

I slap am, dey cry dey shout, “Na my house, na my name dey there! Olawale, who give you right to bring her here?”

“Who give you right to let her take my things!”

I break free, carry blade from my bag, rush Halima.

She stagger back, fall for ground by herself.

Only the sound of ‘clink’ remain.

Bracelet scatter.

Flowers scatter everywhere.

That moment, e be like say something for my chest break too.

My leg fail me, I almost fall, Olawale hold me, I push am away.

“Morayo…” E voice no get shape again. E face swell, blood still dey drip for side.

Halima dey ground dey cry, “Sister, I no mean am…” Her cry sound like baby goat, my body still dey shake.

Noise everywhere.

My head dey ring.

“Commot!” I kneel down, dey pick the broken bead, no even notice as e dey cut my hand. “All of una, commot!” I dey sob, tears dey fall for my face, all the pain just burst out.

Olawale rush hold my finger, put am for im mouth to stop blood. “No cry, abeg. I go find person repair am, e go complete again.”

E no fit complete again.

Grandma no go protect me again.

Tears cover my eyes.

I pull my hand, look Olawale coldly, the main person wey cause everything. “She don collect everything from me. You happy now?”

“Wetin?” E eye red small.

My brain clear, I dial 112 with shaky hand. “I wan report crime. Person break enter my house, thief my things.”