Chapter 9: Family Crisis and Fate

Musa waka quietly.

E close door gently, e no like make noise. I dey watch am, dey feel small peace for heart.

But e still wake me before e go.

E come near bed, touch my hand small. "Madam, I dey go now." E talk low, but sure. I dey feel say e get good heart.

“From today, you go dey come here this time everyday. I no dey run charity.”

I dey warn am, but my voice soft. I just want make e dey close, make e no dey use excuse waka.

Lately, the card wey I give Musa, money just dey waka anyhow.

Every morning, alert dey land. E dey buy food, dey pay bills. I dey watch, but I no talk.

No be small money.

Money dey fly, but I dey reason say e get family matter wey e dey solve.

I no ask am where e dey go, but I want make e dey do wetin I dey pay am for.

I dey act boss, but my own heart dey soft. I just wan get control, make story no twist.

Rain dey beat zinc for roof as papa dey call meeting. The whole compound dey cold, wahala dey hang for air.

My papa company sef don dey get wahala.

Omo, na headlines full everywhere. "Morenike & Sons under attack!" Staff dey panic, my papa dey stress.

Na when news spread say me and Segun Adekunle no really dey engaged, company shares just fall.

Investors dey pull out, market dey shake. Na so story fit change overnight for Naija.

Competitors rush, dey grab all business.

If you see as dem dey move, you go think say dem dey do relay race. Every man for himself.

Even other partners turn against us, wan collect their share.

Dem dey plot, dey call meeting behind back. Even my uncle dey behave funny.

My papa dey run up and down, but e still no force me marry rich person.

I dey respect am for that one. E fit easy for e side to push me, but e still dey gree make I do my wish.

I tell am, we be background people. If e too much, just accept make competitor buy us.

I dey talk with cold heart, but my papa dey look me like say I be stranger.

But my papa no gree. E say na him life work.

E dey hold hope, dey pray. Every night, I dey hear am dey call on God for parlour.

I understand. From anywhere you look am, my papa dey try.

Old man dey fight, no wan let go. E dey remind me of story of men wey build with sweat.

But we be side characters.

For this story, no matter how we try, e be like say fate no dey our side.

Main character group don push us commot from table.

E pain, but I gree say e be story rule. We no fit break am.

We no fit fix am.

Sometimes, I dey reason say make I just japa, but my mind dey tie me to family.

My papa sell some house, raise money for company.

If you see the house wey go, you go know say wahala don land. Mama dey cry, papa dey reason new plan.

As I go sell my car, I jam Segun Adekunle papa.

E stand for car park, dey look me with eye wey dey calculate. I dey fear, but I still hold my ground.

E just dey wait for me.

E cross leg, dey whistle small. As I reach, e stop.

“Still no wan marry, Miss Morenike?”

E talk am with voice wey dey sweet, but threat dey inside. I dey watch, dey plan reply.

I look am, abeg. With all the people wey dey attack our company, e fit be say na him dey behind am.

I dey try reason plan, but my own brain no fit match all this big man wahala.

But I no fit understand why, even now, e still dey insist on marriage.

Why e dey force story? I dey reason say maybe na contract with god of this world e get.

I ask, “Wetin you go gain if I marry Segun Adekunle?”

I dey look am for eye, dey search truth.

E smile, talk, “No be the story you suppose follow, Miss Morenike?”

E answer no get edge, but e own smile sharp. I dey vex, but I hold am.

I wan talk, but e clap hand together, like person wey dey settle matter for street, and scene just dey flash for my mind.

Na so all the wahala dey rush my brain. My papa, my house, my own pain—na full movie.

Na my papa matter full there.

I dey see images, e dey pain me. My papa dey struggle, I dey helpless.

Company crash. My papa dey owe everywhere.

People dey call, landlord dey knock, lawyer dey shout. E pain.

But e keep me out of wahala.

E protect me, even when e own body dey shake. Na real papa be that.

Last scene stop for my papa dey stand for rooftop.

I dey shout, dey beg, but e no dey hear. Rooftop breeze dey blow, e face calm.

The man raise eyebrow, no show emotion. “You sabi butterfly effect? For the original ending, this character no suppose die, but because you no follow story, main character never grow finish. So, extra wahala come. Morenike, na you cause this character death.”

I dey shake. My own heart dey bleed. I dey wish say na dream.

I open mouth, no fit talk.

Na only air dey come out. I dey feel say voice don die.

“I sabi wetin you wan ask. Na me be the system. You fit see me as the god for this world.”

Omo, na so reality slap me. I just dey stand, dey feel cold.

…