Chapter 3: Toilet Revenge and Lawyer’s Truth

She never finish talk.

The rage wey dey my chest no get name. I see her mouth dey move, e be like mosquito for my ear. Before I know, my hand don dey reach her hair.

I rush her, grab her hair, drag her enter bathroom.

Her wig shift, she dey shout, "Leave me!" but nobody dey help. I drag her, the pikin follow, dey shout, "Mummy! Mummy!" but I no even reason anybody.

Police see wahala, rush come, but I jam door.

I use my leg block door, my back dey sweat. My heart dey beat gbo-gbo-gbo.

The pikin still dey with her, I drag them enter too.

The bathroom small, smell of bleach everywhere. I push both of them inside, my anger dey show for my face.

Police dey knock, she dey stammer, "Wetin you wan do? You wan beat person for police front?"

Her voice dey shake now, eyes wide. The pikin dey hide behind her, but I no pity dem.

I punch her for belle, she fall kneel down.

Her voice break as she groan, hold her stomach, dey gasp. I hear, "Police! Police! Help o!"

She hold her stomach, dey shout, "He beat me! Police, help o!"

Her cry dey echo for tiles. I see fear for her eyes, but my mind dey dark.

I drag her by hair, push her head inside toilet bowl. The pikin fall for ground, dey cry, dey hit me, "Leave my mama!"

I no look back. Her wig almost fall, her head inside dirty water. The pikin voice dey crack, "Bad man! Bad man!" but my eye don red.

I look am, talk coldly, "No close eye. Watch as I dey treat your mama."

My voice low, cold like night breeze. "Make you see say bad thing no dey sweet when e reach your turn."

I press her face for toilet, she begin vomit, I flush toilet join.

I dey shake, but I press harder. The smell fill the room, my own eyes dey water.

I shout, "Since your mouth dey dirty, make I help you wash am!"

I fit hear police dey break door. I press her down, my voice loud.

She struggle, I press her back.

Her hand dey scratch toilet, dey look for grip, but I no let go. The pikin dey beg, "Abeg! Abeg!" but I stubborn.

She dey vomit, but still dey swallow am.

Her face pale, she dey cough, tears and spit everywhere. She no fit talk again.

The pikin dey cry, "Bad man! You be bad man!"

Her voice crack, she dey beat my leg, but e weak. I look her, cold.

I look am, "Yes, I be bad man. Look well, no forget my face."

I hiss, turn my face away, but the boy eyes big, full of fear. Na that kind eye people dey remember for life.

The woman dey shake. That time, police break door. I raise my hand, talk, "I no go fight. Abeg, carry my wife go main hospital. If this woman too get trauma, na because she too weak for mind. Abeg, no let her come out dey hurt people again."

I open hand, surrender. My voice calm, but my blood still hot. The police dey rush carry the woman, but I no send again. My only prayer na for my wife.

Dem carry me go station. I tell police say my own case and my wife own different. I beat that woman, I ready take punishment. But as she hurt my wife, she must pay.

For counter, police dey write statement. One old officer look me, talk say, "Young man, this world wicked. But you get good heart. Next time, use sense." I just nod.

But this life no be film. Justice no dey always win.

I learn quick. For Nigeria, if you no get money or mouth, na only prayer remain for you. My anger dey burn, but my hand tied.

That woman just stay cell one day. Because she get two pikin and dey breastfeed, dem release her sharp-sharp.

Dem even dash her Fanta, talk say she dey nurse baby. I hear one officer whisper, "Woman matter dey different for law o."

We wan press charge, police talk say my wife no get wound, so e no fit be criminal case.

I dey reason, "So na only blood or bone wey break dem dey count? Wetin of the heart?" But nobody answer me.

As for trauma, law no dey count am as injury.

I dey vex, but na wetin lawyer explain later. For Naija, if no be wound wey show, e hard.

I no gree, carry my wife go meet lawyer. Lawyer talk say for this kind case, na just bad luck. At most, na civil case you fit run, better make we forget am.

Lawyer tall, wear brown suit. He cross leg, talk am gently: "Oga, I feel your pain. But na system be this. E no dey easy. Make you try move on."

Lawyer dey sip pure water, wipe sweat for forehead. "Oga, for this country, na who get connection dey win case."

I vex, ask if we fit sue for insult, as I see online.

I dey show am screenshot from phone. He laugh small, shake head, "For Nigeria? Dem go call am minor matter. Court fit throw am out."

Lawyer shake head, talk say law dey protect breastfeeding woman. No way to jail her for this. Even if you win, na just suspended sentence or bail.

He talk am like say e dey teach me how to chop pepper soup. No hope at all. "Even if dem sentence am, e no go reach prison. Only fine or bail."

As we comot law firm, my wife bite lip, but tears dey rush for her face.

Her hands dey tremble. She dey use scarf cover face, but tears still dey roll, drip for her chin.

I hug her, my heart dey break, as she dey cry inside my hand.

I dey stroke her back, dey whisper, "Sorry, sorry." I feel her pain for my own blood. Even keke napep driver wey pass slow down, look us with pity eye.

She ask me, "Why bad people no dey suffer?"

Her voice low, as if she dey talk to herself. Her eyes dey beg for answer I no get.

I no get answer.

I rub her hand, squeeze am. For my mind, I dey ask God same question. But even God quiet that day.

For some, small money be punishment. But for us, crime too cheap.

Some people fit pay small money, waka free. But for us, the pain go last forever. For my heart, I dey cry for her.