Chapter 5: Home No Dey Throway Pikin

"Sign am!" My leg don numb; I no wan hear story.

I dey bite my lip, dey wait. No time for tears.

"A Yao, no dey stubborn."

Him voice dey beg, but I no gree look am face.

"Your body no fit carry all this wahala. Na my fault this time. No worry, I go find way cure you."

He dey promise again, but I dey hear the same old music. My heart dey deaf.

Dr. Ifedike sigh, guilt full him eye. He dey apologize, but me I no need am.

He wan touch my hand, but I shift. Apology no dey reach my bone.

"Dr. Ifedike." My voice cold. He look me, fear show for him face small.

I dey call him by full name, make e know say wall dey between us.

"A Yao, make I check your pulse, abeg?" He stretch hand, I shift back, my face white pass before.

I dey gasp, my breath dey shallow, but I still dodge am. I fit stand on my own.

He change face, wan hug me, but one soft woman voice call from inside: "Ifedike, e dey pain me."

Her voice na like bell, sweet but sharp. E dey command attention.

Just that one talk, Dr. Ifedike rush enter the house.

He no look back. I dey watch am silhouette, dey disappear.

"Where e dey pain you? Make I help you rub medicine." He support her, worry full him face.

The way he dey bend, dey pamper her, I know say my own don end.

I look up, jam her eye.

Her gaze dey hot, sharp, like razor. She dey size me like person dey check market meat.

Her face fine, sharp, just like person wey fit be heroine for palace story.

Even her walk dey command respect. Her confidence dey choke room.

As she look me, I see small wickedness and pride—like say na only she matter for Dr. Ifedike.

Her eyes dey warn me say make I no cross her lane again. She get her own power, her own story.

Ngozi no talk, just pick divorce paper from ground, write Dr. Ifedike name, drag me go.

Ngozi strong. Her hand dey steady, she dey push me with all the love she get.

"Madam, make we dey go house!" She hold my hand, her step slow. I just laugh, body light.

For my heart, na like say load don commot. I dey free. The laughter na small, but e sweet.

I suppose know before—second male lead always love female lead. Story fit finish, but people no dey change.

I dey accept my place. Everybody get their own lane for this life. I no dey struggle for another woman destiny.

To love man wey dey follow female lead, na like person dey try fetch water with basket—if you no drop am quick, na only pain you go get.

Na true talk. Na basket I dey use since. E never full, e no go ever full.

"You wan carry anything?" Na when we reach gate Ngozi remember. I just hold her hand, waka comot from Divine Doctor’s Compound.

My heart no dey heavy. Nothing for that house dey tie me again.

Nothing dey here wey I go miss.

Na only dust and old memory dey there. I dey carry my own life waka.

By the time we reach house, night don show.

The air for compound dey smell of wet earth and burning firewood, my childhood memory just rush me. Street dey quiet, moon dey shine soft. I dey feel peace small for chest.

Papa rush come as him hear, eye red.

He dey pant, him wrapper half tie. Worry for him face like map.

"Why you come back?" Worry full him face, as him see my pale face, him no fit talk for small time.

His hand dey shake as e try hold my shoulder, fear dey him voice.

E don tey wey he see me this sick; as he see am now, tears just dey his eye.

He dey fight to hold himself strong. Na real man, my papa.

"Make we enter first." Papa voice choke, he turn go wipe his tears. I pretend say I no see, but my heart dey pain me for am.

I dey press handkerchief for my eye. Na for papa sake I dey strong.

Papa treat me well. My mama die early, leave only me—weak and sick. Everybody talk say I no go survive, but Papa still raise me.

For compound, e no let anybody call me 'witch pikin' or 'bad luck.' Him dey always say, "Na my only, na my miracle."

Nobody sabi how much he want make I live, so he arrange make I marry Dr. Ifedike, hope say I go get better life.

All him friends dey talk say na the only way. Papa no gree sleep, until I get hope.

But now, I don come back. He no need ask, he know say wahala dey.

Him eye dey talk am all. He fit sense pain, even if I no talk.

"Papa, rest early." As I enter, I see say my room still dey as e be before I marry.

Na my old mat, my old pillow, even the small picture of mama still dey for wall.

As I look Papa loving face, I just feel say nothing dey to cry for again.

If love fail outside, home still dey. My papa na my root.

Who second male lead be? Na their own wahala. But Papa na my own, no story fit change am, no other pikin dey.

I dey smile small, dey hug him from back, even as my body dey weak.

"Anything wey happen, talk am tomorrow. Yao’er, sleep well. No matter wetin, you get your papa." As he talk am, all my pain just rush out.

Tears dey my eye, but I dey hide am. My heart dey soft.

"Okay." I hold my tears, enter house. I no be small pikin again—I no go let Papa worry.

I fit be weak, but my mind dey strong. I dey promise myself say no more tears for man matter.

Ngozi understand, she no talk.

She just dey arrange my wrapper, dey fan me. Na true friend.

Na when I reach my room, tears finally fall. My chest just dey hot, blood dey my throat.

I dey choke. I press pillow, dey sob quiet. E pain me, but e dey wash my soul.

Outside, frog dey croak and wind dey slap window, but inside my chest, only storm dey.

Last last, I still sleep. But as I open eye, Ngozi talk, "Dr. Ifedike don come."

I dey wonder why, but I dey ready for anything now.