Chapter 5: Blood, Tears, and Freezing Words

For General of War palace, I lie down for soft couch.

The couch soft die. If you press am, e go swallow you. Palace life sweet for small things, but na prison be the real thing.

I plan say I go wait make Musa come back, make I vex for am, but I sleep off.

Sleep just catch me, as if spirit rub powder for my eye. I dream say I dey run from masquerade.

When I wake, na to see say Musa dey carry me for hand, e breath hot for my ear, neck dey pain me.

His hand cold, but e mouth dey hot for my skin. E hold me tight, like say e no want make I waka.

I no even shake. After five hundred years of blood sucking, I don dey used to am.

E pain no even dey reach bone again—e just be like old friend wey no wan commot.

As he dey suck my blood, e hand dey waka go my waist.

I fit feel am, the way his hand slow reach my waist—e dey test my patience.

I just sigh small.

If I no sigh, I go just burst cry. Na only sigh dey help me carry all this wahala.

After five hundred years of sleeping with person, e no possible say you no get feelings at all.

Na true. If you dey near person like this, even if na stone, you go feel something.

But me, Lu Morayo, I never ever share man with another woman.

For my house, my mama always warn me: "No share man o!" Even for bush, I dey try hold this law.

I try swallow my words, my hands dey shake as I face am. I wan talk, but my throat dey block. I try talk again, voice tremble, tears dey gather for my eye. Suddenly, I push am, tears dey rush from my eye:

Tears just dey pour. I no even fit explain why, but my heart dey pain me.

"You like that Ngozi, abi?"

I shout the question, voice dey shake. My chest dey burn.

Musa shock, then frown:

His frown sharp, like warrior. For e eye, na surprise, then anger.

"Abeg, no start. I wound well this time. Come here."

E voice hard, but I fit hear small worry for am. If na play, I for laugh.

I no answer, I run barefoot for floor, dey cry:

My leg dey slap marble, I no even care. The tears just dey flow.

"You no love me! For five hundred years, all those celestial maidens dey insult me, you never defend me once. Who I be to you?"

All my pain, all my frustration just burst out. The room cold, but my body dey hot.

Small red light begin show for his body.

I don see this red light before—na sign say e dey vex, say him spirit dey boil.

E dey vex.

Fear catch me small.

If e burst, na wahala for me. But I no fit fear pass this one.

"You be my concubine. Na your place be that. As mortal, you fit even dream for more?"

His word cold, like morning breeze for Jos—e fit cut person skin. My heart squeeze.

I stagger, mumble:

I no even fit talk loud. The pain just dey swallow my voice.

"Concubine… I no wan be anybody concubine. If no be you, I for marry mortal man, be proper wife."

I dey remember my mama prayer for village—"God, give my pikin better husband." Na so e end?

The red light strong, e voice cold:

The way e talk, e fit freeze river.

"I don warn you. Behave. My main iyawo no fit be useless mortal wey no get spiritual root."

His pride dey higher than Kilimanjaro. For this kingdom, main iyawo matter pass anything.

"Enough. Stop this thing. Come here."

He no dey beg, na command. My leg dey shake, but body still waka go.

Like mumu, I waka back, e pull me enter him hand.

For five hundred years, na so I dey. No power to fight am.

After e suck my blood for almost fifteen minutes, e push one pill for my mouth.

The pill bitter, but na life line. Na so we dey survive here—pills and pain.

"Morayo," e rough hand touch my fingers, "remember your place. No mention Ngozi again. She dey try, she sabi. No insult her."

The way e talk am, e no get pity. My hand cold, my mind dey break.

Tears fall for my face. "Musa, abeg free me."

My voice low, but my soul dey cry. I dey beg for my life, for my freedom.

E just smile:

The smile cold. If cold dey get face, na that smile.

"Morayo, unless you die, forget about leaving me."

Fear grip my spirit. E be like say my own don finish for this place.

My heart shake.

The kind pain I dey feel, I never feel am before.

I grit my teeth. "You no dey fear say your main iyawo go vex because of me?"

I try use question test am, but e only turn face.

E eye change, like e dey think of person.

Maybe e dey remember promise or na secret plan. I no know.

E hold me loose small. E say, "When the time reach, you go get where to go."

I dey hope say e mean good thing. But hope no dey last for this place.

The blood smell for him body begin choke me.

My nose dey burn. I wan run, but I still dey weak.

My eye open.

I swear, na fear wan finish me. For my mind, I dey reason: Ah! I just use my mouth plan my own death?

Sometimes, mouth dey kill person pass juju. I dey pray make day break quick.

But for this kind night, even prayer dey fear to answer.