Chapter 11: Pepper Soup and New Beginnings

[My pikin, business no get anything to do with all those things. No do am for papa…]

Papa voice dey shake, but e dey try hold strong. E dey beg, but e no wan cry.

I force myself calm down.

I breathe deep, my chest dey heavy. I dey search for courage.

[Papa, I like Segun Adekunle. I love am.]

I talk am word by word, dey try convince am. For my mind, I dey try save family.

Word by word, I talk am well.

I dey slow, but I dey sure. I wan make papa gree, even if e no believe me.

As I finish, Musa waka enter.

E enter room, tray for hand, face still dey cool. I dey watch am, dey find comfort for e presence.

E still carry one bowl of small small pepper soup.

E dey careful make e no spill. E smell dey sweet, na correct pepper soup—e put scent leaf, goat meat, small kpomo. Na Naija way. Scent leaf dey burst my nose, pepper dey bite small—na comfort food for Naija wahala.

“I hurt you last night, so I make pepper soup. You go chop?”

E voice low, but kind. I dey feel say e dey try make up for all the pain.

E talk am loud enough make papa hear for phone.

E own mouth dey loud now, as if e wan announce say e dey try. For my mind, I dey laugh small.

For the other side, after long silence, papa finally talk: [My pikin, maybe you suppose break up with that one outside first?]

Papa dey reason say pepper soup boy no reach main character level. E own way na to find better escape for me. I just dey look Musa, dey smile, dey imagine next episode for my own side character life.