Chapter 4: Crossing Without Favour

I just grab my pendant back. As she dey look me, I bend talk to Doudou for ear. Doudou sabi swim, and with training, e even better pass before. I just wan use boat make e no too tire, but now, no way. E dey faster than me, so I send am swim cross, go mountain first.

I pat Doudou head, whisper for ear, "Go ahead, my guy. Na you be the hero." Doudou wag tail, jump enter river like fish. The people for bank dey clap small, some dey snap phone, dey shout, "Na correct dog be this o! See as e swim pass!" E dey sweet my mind say at least Doudou dey represent.

As for me, I fit only pass the other mountain. I don come here before; cable dey run between two peaks. If I climb quick, I fit use zipline cross.

My hand dey shake as I dey plan. The rain dey slap my face, but my mind dey made up. If Naija train you, you go sabi say road no dey smooth, but you gats still waka am. My papa voice dey my ear: "Shola, no ever give up."

But as if rain dey plan against me, small drizzle begin fall. I look sky, my face just hard. The woman dey feel herself, "Last chance—if you no wan use my boat, I dey go."

She dey tap paddle for ground like say she be king for river. I just bone, dey focus my energy on the rescue. Na God hand I put everything.

I just hiss, order Doudou enter water. As she see say business dey go, she even try use paddle hit Doudou head. I grab her hand, talk, "Doudou na national search and rescue dog, get government work. If you injure am, na community people go handle your matter."

My voice loud pass rain, people dey look. One old man shout, "Mama Ifeoma, you wan kill government dog? You no fear police?" She drop paddle quick, eye red, but she no talk again.

She vex, push me comot. "If you no wan use boat, commot! Which save person? Poor man wey no wan drop money."

Her mouth sharp, but I just dey look am. No time for her wahala.

I no talk again, just watch as Doudou dey swim fast go the other side. As her paddle no reach am, I happy, run go my car. Time na life—I pray say I go still make am.

My shoe dey squelch as I dey run, cold dey catch my back, but hope still dey. I dey remember say for Naija, sometimes na by force you gats push your luck, even when people no gree help.

But for mountain foot, drizzle turn to heavy rain. I no even wear raincoat, just wipe my face, begin climb. By the time I reach top, my body soak finish. My stomach dey rumble like person wey never chop ogi since morning, but rescue work no dey wait for hunger.

I dey shiver, but I dey whisper for mind, "Papa, guide my leg." The red earth dey slippery, my hand dey grab grass and rock, but I still dey push.

Captain send message: "Doudou don find the pikin, but e no dey understand our command, we no sabi the pikin condition. You still need rush come."

My heart dey lift small. At least, Doudou dey do him best. For my mind, I dey thank all the people wey train am. For this rescue job, sometimes animal dey get more sense pass human being.

I see the cable for front, reply, "I go reach in ten minutes."

I dey drag breath, my chest dey rise, but I dey push. Rain dey beat my back, I dey focus on the goal—save the pikin, no matter the wahala.

I breathe deep, dey waka towards cable—suddenly, voice shout behind me.

The shout loud, scatter bush birds. My body dey alert, I dey turn quick, dey pray say no be thief or mad person.

"You wan use cable free? Na dream be that!"

The voice sharp, I turn see who dey. Na Mama Ifeoma! My mind shock. She don waka pass all the muddy bush to block my way again. The wrapper wey she tie dey drip water, her face no even show pity. She hold one small red bag, e be like say she carry all her tools of wahala.

I turn, wan stop am, but she don already cut all the cable equipment sharp sharp. That time, thick fog begin show. I shock say person fit spoil cable on purpose.

She dey cut the cable like say she dey chop vegetable. The plier dey snap metal, the cable dey swing for wind. I dey wonder, na which kind heart this woman get? Thunder go fire person, e go still dey say e no know.

I rush go front, see who dey cut cable with pliers—na that same village woman again.

People wey dey nearby begin dey gather, dey shout. For bush, the news dey spread quick: "Mama Ifeoma don cut cable!" Some dey shout, "Thunder fire cable!" Others dey try hold am. But for me, na the mission remain. I dey sweat, dey reason say for this country, sometimes na your own people dey block your miracle. But as Naija person, you gats get heart wey dey strong like iroko tree. I grip my pendant, my mind made up—today, na either I save this pikin, or rain go wash my shame comot for this mountain.