Chapter 2: Blood, Dust, and Betrayal

Small pieces of block roll from the slab as Tunde dey try.

The sound harsh, e dey echo for the compound. I flinch with every scrape, dey imagine say na my mama breath dey choke.

I no fit imagine the pain my mama dey pass, crushed under heavy stone.

I picture her face, twist with pain, her hand dey scratch for air. My heart dey squeeze, I shut my eyes, force back the sob wey wan come out.

I almost craze, push Tunde hard.

Anger run for my body, hot and wild. I shove am with all my strength, my breath dey rough.

Debris everywhere for the ruins.

I stumble, almost fall for broken tile. My hand scrape for sharp stone, but I no feel am. The world na just me, Tunde and the slab.

He stagger, only fit balance because Ifeoma hold am.

She catch his arm, her eyes wide with fear. I see doubt flash for her eye, but she no talk.

His eyes cold instantly, vein dey show for forehead.

Anger dey radiate from am, cold, no mercy. He clench fist, jaw set.

"Sade, no push me—"

Voice low, dangerous. I brace myself, no look away.

Before he finish, I slam my head for stone.

Pain sharp, blind me. I gasp, fall back, blood dey rush from my face.

Blood gush out, instantly stain half my face red. The taste of iron fill my mouth, and the pain dey scatter my brain.

Warm, sticky blood drip into my eyes, mix with sweat and tears. My eye blur, but I force myself stand.

I scream, voice hoarse, "You no believe my mama dey under there? Then I go use my own life bet!"

My words loud for the compound, desperate, wild. I wan make am see, make he understand my pain.

I point the other end, blood and tears dey flow. "Go listen! My mama dey knock the slab for help. Why—why you no wan believe me?"

Voice break, raw with pain. I dey look am, dey beg am move—do anything.

From blood loss, my eyes go black, I fall from tiredness.

World dey spin, I collapse, my body give up. Last thing I hear na Tunde sharp breath.

Tunde walk come, pull me up with complicated look.

Him hand gentle small, but eye still dey guard. He help me stand, hold me as I dey try catch breath.

A moment later—

He pause, look Ifeoma, then me. The tension thick, almost suffocate person.

Ifeoma pout, sigh soft. "If na so, Brother Tunde, go check am."

Her voice low, almost give up. I see guilt flash for her face.

She bite lip, turn face. "Tuantuan strong. E fit wait small."

Her words hang for air, fragile. She hug herself, dey shiver even as sun dey shine.

Tunde open mouth, rub her head with pity. "You still get good heart."

He smile at her, voice soft, like say he dey pet small pikin. The way he treat her and me different like night and day.

Finally, he shoot me cold look, reluctantly go check the other side.

He frown, but do as she talk, kneel by slab, press ear for cold concrete. I watch, hope and fear dey fight for my chest.

He bend, press ear for slab.

Brow dey knit, lips tight. He no talk for long, just dey listen. My heart dey pound.

I let deep breath out, dey force myself remain conscious.

I wipe blood from my eyes, dey beg my body make e no faint. I dig my nail for palm, use pain hold myself for ground.

I walk go, ready to help Tunde lift the slab save my mama.

I dey move slow, every muscle dey pain, but determination dey push me. I look am, dey beg silently.

I pray quietly, "Mama, abeg hold on."

My lips dey move small, my heart dey call heaven. I beg God, ancestors, anybody wey dey hear, to hold her for me small.

But as I reach his side—

Before I fit even touch am, something hit me from back. World burst with pain.

I suddenly get push hard, slam for concrete slab.

My body fold, breath comot. The slab cold, dey bite my skin.

My face and arm cut by exposed iron rod.

Pain sharp, hot blood dey run my arm. I gasp, vision dey shake.

Then man roar for back, "Listen for yourself, you hear anything?"

Voice loud, dey thunder for my ear. I press ear for slab, dey beg hear something—anything.

[The guy get power o. Just imagine as e go carry the small sister for bed later.]

[The side chick mama don faint. E be like say e don finish for am.]

[So pitiful, but who send them to be extra for this story? Everything must give way for the main couple happiness.]

The WhatsApp voices dey mock my pain. I clench fist, refuse let their word break me.

Panic dey my heart.

I no fit breathe, chest tight. Hand dey shake, blood dey stain slab.

My head pain, I no dey hear anything.

Ringing fill my ear, block every other sound. I close eyes, dey pray for clear head.

No, really—there was no sound.

My heart drop. My mama knock don stop. I press harder, dey beg hear even small whisper.

For other side, Ifeoma suddenly cry to Tunde, "Brother Tunde, Tuantuan voice dey weak. E dey die? Wetin I go do?"

Her voice high, panic, true fear. She hold Tunde, tears dey flow.

Tunde immediately wan go meet am.

He move to pet her, eye full of concern. For small second, I see the boy I once love—the one wey dey help people in pain.

"No!" I grab him hand.

My grip weak, but I no gree let go. I look am, my eye dey beg.

"My mama don faint. We no fit wait again. Help me save her!"

My words low, strength dey go. But I no let go, no give up.

Because of fear and panic, my voice dey shake well.

Every word dey tremble, full of desperation. I feel world dey go, but I hold hope.

Tunde pause, then suddenly laugh with anger.

Him laugh harsh, cold. He shake head, disbelief for face.

"Sade, you go talk anything just to drag Ifeoma. If your mama really dey under, she for don shout for help since."

The words cut deep. I wan scream, shake am make he see reason, but na only cry dey come.

He reach, press my head hard for slab.

Grip rough, no mercy. I wince, bite lip, hold the cry.

As he bend, breath hot for my ear: "Why your mama no shout? Abi the old woman don lose voice?"

Words cruel, meant to wound. I bite sob, no let am see me break.

He stand, check phone, look me with disgust.

He scroll messages, ignore my pain. When he finally look up, eye cold, empty.

"I don waste ten minutes with you. If Tuantuan no survive because of you, just forget about marrying me."

The words heavy like curse. I watch am waka go, heart dey break.

With that, he waka go Ifeoma, wipe her tears. "No worry, Tuantuan go dey alright."

Voice gentle, touch soft. I feel invisible, like say I be problem.

Ifeoma nod quick, dey look am like hero, eye dey shine.

She hold am, tears disappear. For one moment, I see the future wey dem want—world wey I no dey inside.

"Brother Tunde, no blame her. Na my fault for making her vex and Tuantuan suffer."

Voice small, dey apologize. I wonder if she believe herself.

I stare blankly at the blood and tears on the slab.

World dey blur, colour dey run like rain for dusty window. I feel empty, hollow with grief.

My mama gentle face show for my mind.

She dey smile, eye full of warmth and love. I remember her laughter, her prayers, her faith wey no dey shake.

She hold my hand, love dey flow. "Our Sade don grow. You fit choose who to marry. As long as you happy, na enough."

Her voice dey echo for my mind, dey calm me. I hold am tight, dey find comfort.

No, without Mama, I no happy at all.

The truth sit for my chest like stone—no gree move. I realise that moment, say nothing else matter.

I regret everything.

Every decision, every time I put another person happiness before my own. I wish I fit start again.

I regret being blind, only now see their true face.

I see Tunde and Ifeoma for who dem be—selfish, entitled, no care about my pain.

I want hug my mama so much.

I dey miss her touch, her strength. I whisper her name, dey hope e go reach her wherever she dey.

"Mama, abeg hold on, abeg. I go save you. No leave me."

The words soft like prayer. I press forehead for slab, dey hope my love go reach her.

I be like lost soul, dey blink hard make tears no block my eye.

World dey spin, my vision dey shake. I dig my nail for concrete, no let go.

I dig with both hands, even as blood dey flow.

Blood and dust mix, stain my hand. My hand dey shake, fingers raw, but I no stop.

When Tunde call villagers to help,

Their voices dey loud, sharp, curious. I no send, my eye only for the slab.

Dem see me kneel, dey dig with my bare hand.

Whisper dey go round. Some dey look shock, some pity. Nobody move to help.

Most of my fingernail don lift from nail bed, na only small dead skin dey hold, all bloody and battered.

My hand na mess—red, raw, dey shake. But I no care. I go give everything save my mama.