Chapter 3: Truth Under Pressure

Officer Musa still young. After all this, e no fit sit again, e waka comot from the room. The door slam small, the air cold as e comot.

After small time, one middle-aged officer enter. E get big stomach, the kind wey only beer and small chop dey cause.

From the sound, as e enter, e first open him flask, drink small, sigh long. The smell of ginger tea fill the room.

Then e talk slow: "Olamide, abi? My surname na Tijani, you fit call me Uncle Tijani.

I know say dem do you bad, but you gats understand, na you last follow them. We need clear everything make you no get wahala." E voice get that uncle vibe, the type wey dey advice for family meeting.

After that, e pause, like say e dey wait make I talk. The clock for wall just dey tick.

I no answer, so e begin talk by himself: "Plenty big bag of cassava starch dey that greenhouse. Na food una wan cook there?" E adjust him glasses, e face gentle.

I still no talk, just bend my head. My chest dey heavy, like yam for sack.

But Uncle Tijani patient, just dey sip him tea. E no dey rush me, even smile small.

For a while, na only the sound of tea wey dey hot dey the room. I hear the fan dey squeak, and outside, motor dey horn.

Finally, I no fit hold am, I talk: "No be food—dem wan play non-Newtonian fluid game." My voice low, almost like whisper.

"Oh." Uncle Tijani stop him tea. E look me with the kind eye wey father dey look pikin wey talk true.

I just talk everything once, like say I dey pour beans from basket: "Una suppose see from CCTV, we go that greenhouse the day before too. That day na still dig tunnel we play, but na me dem make dey dig, dem just stand for back, sometimes kick me for fun. Dem dey laugh pass when I fall inside the pit.

After we dig the pit, Chika talk say e see one video online, non-Newtonian fluid pool dey fun. If you stamp hard, e strong, if you step small, you go sink. The pit wey we dig just fit am." I use my hand show as person dey sink for starch.

Uncle Tijani talk: "The three of them no get money. Na you tell them say na starch dem go use, abi?" E eye dey serious, like principal for school assembly.

I squeeze my fist, but I nod:

"Yes, book talk say na starch and water. So dem go thief three big bag of cassava starch from one workshop for next street.

Next day, we make the pit bigger, carry three big bucket of water from Sani house, about hundred meters away.

Plan be say, pour starch first, then water, so we fit control am, make we no spoil am with too much water." I dey count the step with my finger, dey show how hard the work be.

As I dey talk, I use my hand show how to stir, explain: "Like how mama dey mix akamu—if you press am hard, e go resist, but if you touch am soft, e go sink." My arm dey pain as I remember how dem force me do the work.

Uncle Tijani grunt. "And then?"

"Breeze strong that day. The greenhouse get hole. As we pour one bag starch, wind blow am everywhere, so we change plan, pour water first, then starch.

But we forget say ground dey soak water. As we pour one bucket, e disappear quick.

So dem tell me make I go Sani house go carry big plastic sheet for drying garri, to line the pit." I look up, hope say e go understand.

"But we no see plastic sheet for the place," Uncle Tijani talk, e dey look me strong. Even though I no see, I feel the way e dey look me.

I nod. "Yes, because I no go. For road, I check time, see say na time for grandma to pack stall. If she do am alone, she go too tired, so I just go house.

And... the rest una know am." My heart dey beat fast, but I try hold myself.