Chapter 4: If You No Get Face

“Olisa, to build road no be beans—na money matter. Your house dey last end, so to carry road reach there go cost extra. E no make sense.”

Chairman bring out cigarette, wan give me, face dey pity.

He do like say e wan beg, but e no get that true humility. Na just mouth service.

“No try that one. Because my house last, we no be villagers again?”

I dey look am well. If to say na play, I go smile. But this matter, e deep.

“113 houses dey this village, every one get road reach their door—na only my own dem jump.”

I raise hand, count imaginary house for air. I dey make sure am say e hear am.

“Chairman, you dey do ojoro? Or you just feel say my family easy to ride?”

I no collect him cigarette, I just dey look am.

People for outside dey look through window, I no mind. This one na my fight.

“Olisa, you dey reason am wrong. Road na everybody own, I no fit decide am alone.”

“If to say na my hand, I for carry road enter your compound, no be just gate.”

E even dey form innocent.

E dey try act humble, but I sabi say na packaging. For inside, e dey shine eye.

“Abeg, the plan dey outside. Make I tear am come show you?”

“You no fit decide? How come road reach your backyard and chicken house?”

I dey point finger for plan wey dey table. "You no fear God?"

“You no fear extra cost there. No be use of office be that?”

I wave hand, I tire.

E dey scratch head, dey bite lip. Everybody dey wait chairman mouth, but na only air e dey blow.

My house dey end, yes, but that one no follow.

For plan, chairman front and back door—even chicken coop—dem mark am.

So, my family no reach chairman chicken?

If to say e get sense, e for hide face. But e still dey argue.

“Olisa, no be me o. Na everybody decide the route, majority carry the day.”

“I be chairman, so dem wan make sure people fit find me. No be power I dey use. Na serve I dey serve.”

E still dey argue.

He wan make am look like say na community own, but I see the game.

“Serve who? Your chicken dey serve village too?”

Everybody for office laugh. Even Okoli cough, try hide face. I no send.

“Okay, chairman, you try for this your talk talk. You no sabi anything, but you sabi arrange mouth. If you dress well, dem go think say na you be council chairman.”

I just dey yab am.

For our side, na so we dey draw line for joke and vex. Chairman dey try smile, but e eye dey hot.

“True?”

E face bright, think say I dey praise am.

I see am, I shake head. Na so dem dey miss sarcasm for our side.

“True ke? Na joke I dey joke, you carry am for head?”

I bone, e face change.

E swallow spit, dey look me. For our side, you gats know when play don end.

“Abeg, I no get time for play.”

“This road—whether na your idea or another person, e must reach my gate.”

“Make you hear am well: na order I dey give, no be beg.”

I stand up.

My voice heavy. Everybody quiet. For village, once pikin talk like that, elders dey respect am small. But wahala still dey corner.

“Olisa, because you get small change, you wan dey order me?”

“Like am or not, na the plan we go follow. Finish.”

Chairman knock table, dey shout.

Mosquito fly from the noise, people look up. I just smile. E think say I go fear?

“Musa, I dey respect you, you dey knock table for me? You think say you be oga?”

“I never even talk about how you talk to my papa, you don dey raise shoulder.”

“I try talk soft, you no hear? Try knock table again, make I show you.”

I point finger for him nose.

People hold breath. E no easy to see wahala for committee office, but today, ground dey shake.

So all this while, I too calm, this old man forget how e dey beg me before, now e wan show?

E think say Olisa no fit move again?

I eye am steady. E shift chair, clear throat.

“Olisa, village road na everybody own, na everybody dey decide. I no fit do pass myself.”

E calm down, voice low.

Everybody for office just dey look floor. E get as e be. Respect dey, but tension dey dance for air.

“Clap, clap, clap.”

I clap. Better line.

I make the clap slow, so e go ring for all their ear. Let dem know say I no dey move by noise.