Chapter 2: New Names, Old Wounds

Finally, for Uyo, Akwa Ibom, Ifedike and im brother meet their new destiny.

Na new town, new language. Everything strange, the air dey heavy with sea breeze, but to the boys, na just another prison.

First, dem carry the boys go one man house wey dem dey call Eromosele.

The house big, but e dey smell like soap and pepper. Eromosele na big man, but e no get pity for face.

There, Ifedike see many pikin, most of dem small pass am.

Boys and girls full everywhere, some dey cry, some dey play quietly. Ifedike count at least ten, all with different face, but the same fear for eye.

If person wan talk true, Eromosele house be like small supermarket, but instead of goods, na kidnapped children full the place.

Ifedike dey wonder, "Na so people dey buy pikin for Nigeria?" Eromosele dey walk around, dey pick, dey choose, like say dem be goat for market.

Any time stranger enter, dem go line up the children, make dem choose.

Ifedike stand, Oche hold him hand. One woman come, look all of them, shake head, pick two small girls, carry dem go.

Ifedike and im brother stand for line like that.

Every day, dem dey hope say the next person go no pick them. But one day, their own turn reach.

In the end, because Ifedike remember everything, dem sell am cheap to one local man wey im surname na Okon.

Eromosele say, "This one too stubborn, e dey ask question." Okon no care, just want strong boy for farm. Ifedike no fit argue, just dey look ground.

Dem give am new name: Okon Sunday.

Okon Effiong, the new papa, just point say, "From today, your name na Sunday. No let me hear that other name again."

Inside him mind, Ifedike dey shout, but mouth no fit talk. From today, na Sunday.

Where dem sell im brother go, Ifedike no ever know.

As Okon carry Ifedike go, Oche dey look back, tears for face. Dem separate them like goat and sheep. Ifedike heart dey bleed.

To be trafficked na like to born again by force.

Everything about your past, dem go wipe. New name, new house, new people. Ifedike just dey float, no root again.

Some children lucky, meet people wey really want pikin, raise dem like their own. That one na the best wey fit happen, but e rare.

Ifedike hear story for Eromosele house, say one girl, Blessing, go meet good woman wey send her go school, treat her like blood. But that na once in a blue moon.

Most times, for the people wey buy, kidnapped pikin na just tool to continue family name.

People dey see am as investment—make the boy work, make the girl born, make name no die. Na so the cycle dey continue.

If na girl, she go born pikin, continue family.

If na boy, he go work, bring money, and continue family.

Ifedike see am with him eye—one girl dey house, dem dey prepare her for marriage, she never reach fifteen.

Just like Ifedike, wey dem sell to Okon family.

Okon Effiong no care about Ifedike feeling. As long as work dey done, food dey manage, everything dey okay for am.

The day dem buy am, Ifedike follow im so-called papa, Okon Effiong, go house.

The journey long, sun hot. Okon Effiong no talk much, just dey look road, Ifedike dey drag leg, eyes red.

Two thin small girls, about the same age as im brother, welcome am. Okon Effiong say na im sisters.

The girls, Ekaette and Iniobong, just dey look Ifedike with small fear. Dem no smile, dem just nod head. Ifedike feel lonely, miss Oche.

Ifedike look them, look up see the house empty and rough—the compound wall no straight, goat shed dey one corner, inside the house na pure suffering…

Dust dey everywhere, roof dey leak, mosquito dey dance for air. Ifedike heart cut. E remember him mama kitchen, the sweet smell of ogbono soup.

He begin miss him real home.

Night reach, Ifedike curl for mat, tears dey fall for pillow. E dey whisper, "Mama, where you dey? Oche, you dey okay?"

Not long after he reach, Okon Effiong force am do farm work: light fire cook, take care of hundreds of goats, look after the two sisters…

Morning never break finish, Okon dey shout, "Sunday! Come carry water! Feed goat!" Ifedike dey run upandan, hands dey pain, leg dey swell.

But that one no even reach the worst.

Sometimes, Okon Effiong go vex for nothing, just use stick knock Ifedike head. The girls dey fear, hide for back of house. Nobody dey defend Ifedike.

Work need energy, but dem no dey give Ifedike enough food chop.

Ifedike dey chop only small eba, sometimes only watery ogi. Belle dey cry, but nobody send am.

As small boy wey dey grow and dey work whole day, hunger finish am.

Ifedike ribs dey show, skin dey dry. Sometimes, e go sneak inside bush, pluck mango, chop for corner.

But food scarce, and Okon Effiong no dey allow children chop belle full.

If Ifedike ask for more, Okon go say, "You wan chop pass me? Na me born you?" The girls just dey look, no fit talk.

One time, Ifedike too hungry, he shift some bricks for wall, hope say goat go die by mistake—then he fit chop.

Ifedike reason, "If goat die, dem no go notice, I fit use meat take survive." But na risk, because Okon no dey play with him goat.

But Okon Effiong catch am.

Okon enter, see brick shift, goat dey weak. E shout, "Who do this thing?!" Ifedike try hide, but Okon eye sharp.

The man grab koboko, flog am for waist, pain catch am sotay e no fit get up.

Okon Effiong no get pity. Every stroke loud, Ifedike dey cry, but Okon no stop.

Okon Effiong talk am straight:

“With this one, you go dey tied to this family forever.”

Okon wipe sweat, drop koboko, say, "If you try run, na grave go collect you." Ifedike dey shake, but inside, e dey plan.

But Okon Effiong forget say, when dem buy Ifedike, he already be seven, remember how traffickers kill him mama, carry him and im brother.

Ifedike dey count days, dey mark wall for night. Every time e remember mama blood, e swear say e no go die for this house.

He swear for himself say one day, he go comot from this house.

E dey plan, dey watch, dey wait for chance. E dey practice how to run, how to hide, how to survive.

One year after he enter Okon family, Ifedike start primary school with others.

Na new world. For classroom, teacher dey call roll, Ifedike dey answer, but heart dey somewhere else.

For register, dem write im name as Okon Sunday.

Ifedike look the paper, see "Sunday Okon"—e feel like say e disappear again. But e no fit talk, just dey obey.

From that time, Ifedike begin know the adults and children for the village.

He dey greet elders, dey help market women, dey watch boys play football for field. Sometimes, e dey smile, but e never happy.

Plenty children for that village na bought children; everybody know but nobody talk.

Na open secret. Some dey whisper, "That one no be real pikin." But nobody dey challenge the elders. Ifedike dey wonder, "How many of us dey here?"

Maybe im brother dey among them?

Every face Ifedike see, e dey check for Oche eye. Hope dey small, but e no gree give up.

Ifedike go school, but for corner, he dey ask about im brother.

E go ask, "You sabi any boy wey resemble me?" Some go shake head, some go laugh, but Ifedike no stop.

One day, one village pikin talk say, for the next village, one boy dey wey resemble Ifedike.

Ifedike heart jump, e thank the boy, run go fetch water for courage.

As Ifedike hear am, im body begin hot.

E dey sweat, hand dey shake. E pack small garri for pocket, ready for journey.

He run go that village sharp sharp, but reach there, the boy no be im brother at all.

The boy name na Udo, e get scar for cheek, but no be Oche. Ifedike heart fall, e try smile, but tears dey corner eye.

He waka back house, disappointment full im body, dey look sky every small time.

As e dey waka back, e dey pray, "God, abeg, keep Oche for me."

Where dem sell im brother go?

Ifedike dey reason every night. Sometimes, e dey dream say Oche dey near, then wake up to empty mat.

Papa know say mama don die? Papa dey find us?

E dey imagine papa face, dey hope say papa never forget am. E dey wonder if papa dey still search.

That time, Ifedike papa, Terna Agada, don collapse plenty times.

For Umuola, dem dey say, "See as Terna dey waka like ghost." E no dey sleep, no dey eat. Only one thing dey for him mind—find im family.

After im wife and sons disappear, he search night and day, dey waka for town dey find dem.

Terna Agada no tire. Rain or sun, e dey ask people, dey check bush, dey beg for clue.

Plenty talk dey for village.

Some dey say na juju, some say Akunna offend person. Others dey whisper, "Maybe na city man carry dem go."

Some people talk say Akunna Oche run comot with her two sons.

Dem say, "Maybe she get man for city." Others say, "She no fit do am." But nobody sure.

That time, communication bad, people fit waka disappear, nobody go hear from dem again.

No phone, no letter. If person waka, e fit take years before you hear from am. Na so people dey lost, family dey break.

Terna Agada no gree believe.

E trust Akunna. E know say she no fit leave am, not with only thirty naira and two small boys.

If she wan run, how she go carry only thirty naira to buy shirt?

E dey reason, "If to say she wan run, she for carry money, carry wrapper, carry all her load."

Every day, Terna Agada dey suffer, dey go police post dey find news.

Police dey tire for am. Every morning, dem see Terna, eyes red, voice low, dey beg for help.

Later, one villager talk one thing wey catch him ear:

One old man for beer parlour say, "Why you no go check those people wey dey sell pikin for town?"

“Why you no follow the trafficker matter?”

The talk touch Terna. E remember say, for Ogoja, na so so story about traffickers dey fly.

For Benue, child trafficking dey happen here and there, even two or three traffickers for town don enter prison before.

People dey fear, but police dey try sometimes. Na big wahala for the whole area.

Terna Agada rush go police, begin find clue by himself.

E begin dey ask question, dey waka for market, dey peep inside shop, dey mark every face.

Meanwhile, the matter of Akunna Oche and her sons miss spread for town.

Everywhere you go, people dey talk, "You hear wetin happen to Akunna? God forbid!" The story spread pass bushfire.

One villager, Aisha Nwafor, tell police say she see Ifedike and im brother outside one shop for Ogoja Market Street.

Aisha na woman wey sabi everybody. She say, "I see those boys, dem dey wait for their mama."

She know their mama, Akunna Oche, so she greet the boys, tell dem make dem go house early.

She warn, "Make una no waka anyhow. Market no safe." Ifedike nod, Oche just dey look ground.

That time, Ifedike even reply, “We go wait for mama, make we go together.”

Aisha smile, pat Ifedike head. "Good boy," she say, then waka go buy onions.

As she see the children with their mama, Aisha Nwafor waka go her way.

She no know say na the last time she go see dem. Her mind dey rest, she no suspect anything.

After that day, nobody see Ifedike or im brother again.

E shock the whole village. People begin dey fear, dey lock their children inside house early.

When police and Terna Agada hear this, dem follow Aisha Nwafor go that street.

Terna dey run, police dey follow. Aisha dey point, "Na here I see dem."

But as dem check the family wey Aisha Nwafor point, dem no see any sign of the woman or her sons.

The shop empty, no sign, nothing to show say Akunna or her boys pass there. Only old ludo board dey ground.

Terna Agada heart break.

E sit down for gutter, cover face, tears dey drop. Police dey try console am, but e no hear.

He waka comot the shop, but as he look up, he see the next shop.

E see signboard, "Ochuko Oviri & Sons." E remember say Ochuko get bad name.

That moment, something click for Terna Agada mind.

E remember say Ochuko get basement, and people dey fear the man. E begin dey shake.

The shop owner na Ochuko Oviri, wey people dey call Ochuko the Third—him get bad name, people dey talk say he be trafficker.

Ochuko na man wey dey show for night, dey spend money for beer parlour, but nobody fit talk to am anyhow.

And before, Terna Agada don work as bricklayer near Ochuko Oviri house, sabi say the man get deep basement—perfect place to hide people.

E remember how e help lay block for Ochuko, the way the man dey hide things, always dey lock door.

Terna Agada no waste time, beg police make dem search Ochuko Oviri house.

He beg, "Abeg, make una check that basement!" Police dey look face, dey drag leg.

But as dem no get evidence, police just look small, no see anything.

Police shine torch, look up and down, but Ochuko just dey smile, dey offer dem kola nut.

After police comot, Terna Agada and Akunna Oche family no give up.

Family gather, dey plan, dey pray, dey look for another way. Everybody dey worry, but nobody get answer.

Terna Agada spend eighty naira buy cigarette dash villagers, hope say he fit gather people to check Ochuko Oviri house.

E dey beg, "Abeg, help me." Some collect cigarette, some just dey look. Na so the matter waka.

But dem stop am.

One elder say, "If you no get evidence, police go arrest you join." Terna vex, but e no fit fight everybody.

No evidence, dem no fit force enter.

For Nigeria, na evidence dey talk. Without am, wahala fit fall for your own head.

After he think well, Terna Agada leave the Ochuko Oviri clue.

E go home, pray, hope say God go expose wickedness one day.

He no know say, that first day wey police and him go Ochuko Oviri house, Ifedike and him brother dey locked for basement just some meters away, dey pray for rescue.

So close, yet so far. Ifedike dey hear noise upstairs, dey shout, but nobody fit hear am.

Suffer dey always play people wayo.

Life dey do people anyhow. Even when help dey near, e fit miss road.

Papa dey find him sons with all him heart; sons dey miss papa die.

The love strong, but fate no dey help. Na so the world wicked reach.

Everything close, but dem still miss each other.

Ifedike dey cry, Terna dey cry. Both dey pray, but answer no come.

After Akunna Oche and her sons vanish, Terna Agada quiet for long time.

People for village dey whisper, "That man don turn shadow." E no talk, e no smile, just dey look ground.

Villagers remember say, after im family scatter, Terna Agada no comot house for three, four months.

Na so e lock himself, e dey sit for veranda, dey look bush, dey hope say e go see small footstep for sand.

The gray-haired mama for Agada family, dey fear say her son fit harm himself, always dey beg am to go outside small.

Mama Agada go knock door, "My son, abeg, come eat." E go sit for beside am, dey sing old song, dey rub Terna back.

But after half year, the old woman die.

She sick, body weak. Last thing for her hand na Ifedike old shirt and Oche small shoe.

Before she die, she hold Ifedike old shirt, whisper prayer for her grandsons, tears soak pillow.

As she die, she hold photo of Ifedike and him brother for hand.

The photo old, colour don fade, but na her only hope. She close eye, tears for face.

Terna Agada lose another person wey mean everything to am.

E bury mama beside papa grave, cry till voice crack. People for village dey pity am, but nobody fit help.

For the years wey follow, Terna Agada try to gather himself, build new house, comot from the old one.

E say, "If I stay here, memory go kill me." E gather small money, build mud house for edge of village.

As he dey leave, he use brush write for back of the old bedroom door:

With charcoal, e write, "Ifedike, Oche, your papa don go find you."

That way, if the boys ever come back, dem go see say papa never forget dem.

That night, Terna Agada sit for the old house till morning.

E dey look star, dey talk to God. "Abeg, keep my children. Even if I no see dem again, make dem dey alive."

From that day, Ifedike vanish. Only Sunday waka remain, but inside, the old name still dey shout.