Chapter 6: Rain and Punishment

My marriage alliance come even before Third Princess wedding, but dem do the preparation together.

Everywhere for palace dey smell of new yam and perfume. Tailors dey run up and down, singers dey rehearse.

I hear say Third Princess make plenty wahala, so Papa King lock her for house, only free her on wedding day.

Morayo stubborn no be small. Palace guards dey guard her door, Senior Wife dey cry inside.

Musa no come palace again, not even for morning council.

Elders dey talk, dey ask, "Where Musa dey?" Some say he dey sick, some say he dey vex. Me, I no know.

Me, I no send wetin dey happen outside, I just dey my new palace, dey chop better food, come fat small.

Na so my cheek dey round, my wrapper dey tight. Old nanny laugh, "See as Princess Sade don fresh."

On the day of marriage alliance, dem drag me wake early, bath and dress me.

Palace maids dey scrub my skin, dey plait my hair, dey rub powder for my face.

Once dem wear wedding cloth and cover my head with red veil, dem push me enter carriage wey dem tie with red aso-oke.

The red aso-oke shine pass sun, bead full everywhere. Palace people dey clap small as I waka pass.

"Papa King and Mama Queen no go come?"

I dey peep window, dey search their face. Na so my mind dey turn.

I lift curtain look, morning mist full everywhere, small rain dey fall, everywhere empty, nobody dey.

Market women no dey, drummers no dey, only rain dey beat roof.

"Senior Wife say she go come see me off. Why she no come?"

I dey feel lonely, like goat wey dem wan carry go market.

The old woman wey dey follow me pull down curtain, smile.

Her smile dey soft, her hand dey cold as she hold my own. "Time no dey, no time. His Majesty dey busy, na why dem say make we go first."

True, wedding dey follow time, no fit late.

I remember how they tell us for palace, "If wedding late, rain fit fall, bad luck fit enter."

"Papa King dey busy, Mama Queen and Senior Wife dey busy too. Sade sabi."

I try hold myself, my heart dey tight. I dey force smile for my face.

I sit well, put down red veil, when I talk again, my voice don dey shake small. "No wahala, Sade go behave. Nanny, make we dey go."

Na so the carriage begin move, horses dey drag, road dey shake. My heart dey shake join.

I first wan ask Papa King if he fit give me name. To dey call Sade all the time no good.

Since pikin, I dey dream say my name go sound like star, but today, na just Sade.

As I hide under red veil, my face and eyes don red.

My eye dey hot, but I dey try hold tears. For palace, dem dey say, "Princess no suppose cry for wedding."

"Sade go behave. Sade no dey miss house, no dey miss Mama."

I dey lie small, but na so life be. I try wipe tears make nobody see.

I hold veil wipe my tears, then smile again.

I remember old stories my mama dey tell me. I hope say ancestors dey watch over me.

Mama, Sade dey marry, and na the biggest Garba King I dey marry.

Na so palace dey talk, "Garba King, na lion for north." My heart dey beat, but hope dey somewhere.

I hear say him get money. Once Sade become queen, I go pour palm oil for you everyday, so you fit chop and drink well for spirit world, even the ancestors go dey massage you."

I dey promise myself say I go send my mama gift—even if na only for spirit world.

Spring rain dey fall like thread, blood dey flow for blue stone ground in front of Musa family ancestral hall.

The rain heavy, the ground dey red, but nobody dey pity. Old men dey watch, young boys dey fear.

Musa kneel, head down, underclothes already soak with blood, one red rain drop hang for him black eyelash.

Every whip dey land, my own back dey pain me like say na me dem flog. Musa no shout, no cry.

Like blood tears.

The elders dey whisper, say Musa too stubborn. But for my mind, I dey see man wey no fit bend.

Whip with barbs fly for air, cut rain, land for Musa thin back with heavy sound.

Every sound loud for air, like thunder for rainy season.

Him face white, but he still stand like iroko, kneel dey look ahead.

The pain dey strong, but Musa no move. Even the youngest for crowd dey fear.

The youngest sister no fit look again, rush go meet their papa, beg am with cry,

Her voice dey break, she dey kneel for ground, "Papa abeg, abeg, e don do."

"Papa, abeg stop. Brother know say he wrong. Brother know say he wrong."

Other women dey join beg, but Papa Musa no hear.

Papa Musa hold whip, veins dey show for hand, dey look him best pikin, ask am with strong voice,

His voice heavy, full of pain and disappointment. "You still dey talk say you no wan marry Third Princess, still wan go join army?"

Musa raise head slow. Even as he weak, him voice still strong.

Musa eye dey red, but his mouth no shake. "Yes, I wan join army. I wan go war front, see how Garba Kingdom, wey dey beg Olanrewaju before, don strong reach to make all council elders weak, come need to give innocent, weak woman for useless peace."

Palace elders dey look ground. The shame dey spread like smoke.

"You wey no dey hear word, shut up!"

Papa Musa vex, kick Musa for chest.

Musa fall with heavy sound. People rush, but elders hold dem back.

He fall back, hit ground hard.

Rain mix with blood, his face dey face sky, but his mind far.

Everywhere for him eye come dey blur, he come dey see that small girl wey dey smile at am, dey hold her pie like gold, dey say thank you.

Sade, small girl, yellow hair, always dey smile. Na her face dey his mind as pain dey bite.

She no sabi anything—just small meat pie fit deceive her.

Palace people dey forget her, but she dey shine like sun when she see small good thing.

This kind innocent small girl, wey no enjoy princess title, not even name—why, for last moment, dem go send am, wey struggle so hard to live, go die?

His mind dey race. He dey remember all the years she suffer, the times he see her for cold, the hunger for her eye. Wetin this world dey turn to?

For the heavy rain, Musa close eye, tears nearly fall.

He no go let his tears fall. For him mind, he dey pray say Sade go find happiness where she dey go.