Chapter 3: Village Judgment

A villager click tongue talk, “You dey try o, dey dig like this to save dog? The woman wey you wan marry get good heart.”

Voice rough, small respect inside. He shake head, call others, “Abeg, make una come help this girl!”

As he talk, he call people come help.

More villagers gather, face mix curiosity and concern. Some dey pray under breath, others just dey look, dey wait.

Tunde face dark, he stop them with hand.

He step front, eye cold, voice sharp. “Abeg, make una wait. Ifeoma dog dey trapped on the right. Na that side important pass.”

"No mind that one. Ifeoma dog dey trapped on the right."

Him word final, no room for argument. Villagers pause, dey look me and him, no sure who to believe.

I hear the noise, turn see crowd.

Their eye wide, mouth open. I see Mama Kemi hold wrapper, Baba Fatai hold spade.

Under their surprise gaze, I kneel, bow, dey hold back sobs.

I press my forehead for ground, voice dey shake as I beg. “Abeg, help me. Na my mama dey under. I dey swear, I no go fit live if anything happen to am.”

“Abeg, help me save my mama. My mama dey under. He no believe and insist say na the other side wey dog dey we suppose lift.”

Tears dey run my face, my hand dey shake. I look up, dey beg, make anybody believe me.

“Wetin dey happen?”

Villagers dey murmur, voice overlap. Some dey look Tunde, others me, confusion for their face.

Tunde take deep breath, pinch brow, cut my plea sharp.

He step front, voice loud. “Abeg, no mind am. Na only dog we dey try save. She just dey vex, dey cause wahala.”

"Dog life no be life? Even if you wan vex for Ifeoma, look situation. Na now you wan start trouble?"

He glare me, dey dare me answer. Crowd dey shift, dey uneasy.

He turn, signal make people quiet, raise voice like champion.

He puff chest, word loud. “Everybody know say me and Ifeoma close. This woman Sade just dey petty, she no wan see Ifeoma do well, and she dey find excuse to kill her dog.”

"Ifeoma get depression. This dog na her hope. I no fit just dey look."

Word dey calculated, e wan turn crowd. I watch face dey change, suspicion and anger dey grow.

With that, emotions stir.

Villagers dey agree, some dey shake head at me. I feel their judgment like stone for my back.

After all, Tunde na their area, so him word get weight.

He be their person, I be outsider. Even those wey know me dey fear stand for my side.

Ifeoma stagger enter Tunde arm, dey cry.

She fall for am, dey sob loud. Her cry sharp, pain full am.

"Na my fault for disturbing sister. I fit move away... Tuantuan na the last hope my parents left me. Without am, I no fit go on."

Her voice small, break. Villagers dey murmur, their anger dey move from her to me.

Villagers sabi say Ifeoma parents don die.

Dem remember the burial, how she cry, how Tunde stand by her. Pity begin soften their heart.

After she talk, dem believe her finish.

Her word enough. Crowd dey close rank, eyes hard for me.

"What a pity." Mama Kemi, shovel for hand, spit for my side.

She glare, voice sharp. “You no get heart. Dog na life too. Shame catch me for you.”

“Outsiders no get pity. Dog life na life too. Just small talk and you wan kill am. If your mama know, she for vex die.”

Her words sting, but I no turn face. I straighten, let fire burn for my chest.

Ifeoma whimper at the right time, Tunde comfort am.

He hold am close, dey whisper comfort. Crowd dey look, pity for her dey grow.

Facing accusing looks,

I feel weight of their judgment. My hand dey shake, breath dey come short, rough.

I dey shake all over.

My whole body dey tremble, sweat dey run my back. I clench my fist, dey try stand well.

My vision dark, hand and leg cold.

World dey spin, colour dey fade. I dey fight remain awake, dey hold hope.

"You people no believe me too."

Voice small, defeat. I look ground, no fit look them.

I swallow, try make I no vomit.

Bile dey rise, stomach dey twist. I breathe, force am down.

[Sigh, even if na story, the side chick really suffer.]

[Saint for comment above?]

[She suppose accept her fate. Her mama don reach sixty—even if she survive, she no go last.]

WhatsApp comments dey cold, dey cut. I bite lip, no let them win.

But I refuse to accept that.

I straighten, resolve dey harden. I no go let them decide my fate—or my mama own.

I dey carry my mama hope.

Her prayer, her sacrifice, her love—dem dey my body. I no go fail am.

I raise my bloody hand—ten fingers dey join my heart, all nearly broken.

I hold am up make dem see, blood dey show my love. My voice loud, strong pass pain.

I shout, bleeding, "I wicked, dey lie? I go reach like this just to harm dog?"

The words ring for crowd, sharp. I dey look Tunde, make he answer.

Tunde sneer, contempt for face. "Still dey act? You want make we kneel beg you now?"

He roll eye, lips curl. I clench fist, no turn face.

He waka come near, ask, "You dey shout say your mama dey under? But yesterday, she say she dey Osogbo. How she take waka come my house today come get trapped?"

He cross arm, dey wait answer. Crowd dey lean in, drama dey hungry them.

[The guy dey reason o.]

[Yes, so how the side chick take know?]

[I remember say she no react at first. Na later she just know say her mama dey in trouble.]

[Maybe she dey see our WhatsApp comments?]

Their words dey buzz for my ear, sharp like mosquito. I bite lip, refuse answer.

I no talk anything.

Silence heavy. Crowd dey wait, eye dey burn me.

After all, he get point.

Doubt dey bite me, but I no gree. I trust my spirit, my love for my mama.

If I talk say na WhatsApp comment show me,

Dem go think say I don craze, grief don scatter my mind. I clench my fist, hold my secret.

Dem go just think say I dey mad.

Then my mama go lost, buried under slab, forget by everybody but me.

My mama no go get chance to be saved.

I refuse let that happen. I go do anything to save her.

Seeing this, Tunde cold, "If you hear word now, our wedding go hold. If not, no push me change bride."

He smirk, sure of himself. Crowd dey murmur, some dey laugh, others dey shake head.

He think say once he talk am, I no go fit make trouble.

He underestimate me. I straighten, fire dey my eye.

He waka come, pinch my chin. "After all, person like you, I don play finish, nobody go want you again if you leave, unlike Ifeoma, wey never even kiss before."

His grip rough, words wicked. I stare am down, no flinch.

I still no talk, because WhatsApp comment flash for my mind.

[Stupid side chick, go borrow phone call Mama Sade. You go know say your mama come find you.]

Hope jump for my chest. I push Tunde hand, mind dey run.

I shake off Tunde hand, run go meet villager wey get phone.

I rush cross compound, heart dey beat kpokpo. Villagers dey look, shock for face.

"Abeg, let me make call."

Voice urgent, desperate. I reach for phone, hand dey shake.

No wait for answer, I grab phone quick.

Finger dey fumble, blood and dust dey make am hard. I try hold am steady, breath dey rough.

Luckily, no password.

Relief catch me. I dial sharp sharp, dey pray make e pick.

My finger, full of blood and dust, dey press wrong number.

Frustration dey grow, but I no give up. I wipe hand for skirt, try again.

When call finally go, I put for speaker, shout, "Mama Kemi, my mama no dey house? She come see me today?"

Voice loud, dey shake. Villagers gather, drama dey hungry them.

Everybody look over.

Eye wide, mouth open. Tunde dey frown, patience don finish.

Tunde vex say I stubborn.

He waka come, jaw tight, eye dey burn with anger.

As he dey come, voice for phone come out.

Crackling, familiar voice full air, small static but clear.

[Eh? No, your mama talk say she wan go buy foodstuff. Wait, you dey your boyfriend house? Stay there...]

The words hang, confirmation at last. Relief and fear dey fight for my chest.

Before she finish,

Line cut. I stare phone, hope dey slip from my hand like water.

Tunde snatch phone, cut call, give am back.

He drag phone from my hand, eye hard. I snatch my hand, dey fight slap am.

He glare my shock face, finally vex, grab my hair, shout, "You hear well? You must disgrace yourself for everybody before you go rest?"

His voice loud for compound, crowd dey gasp. But I stand my ground, eye dey fire. That moment, I know—my mama life no go trade for anybody pride, not even his.

I looked Tunde dead in the eye, my voice steady for the first time. “Today, I go show you say woman fit fight for wetin she love—even if na the whole world dey against am.”