Chapter 5: Unfinished Justice

The new evidence make Uncle Tijani quiet for long. The air thick, e dey hard to breathe.

Even though I no see, I know say na call record dey Sani phone.

Call wey I make to am.

Five minutes before the explosion.

After long silence, Uncle Tijani waka comot. E just sigh, carry him file, e shoe dey drag for floor. The corridor outside smell like cold beans and kerosene, footsteps echo for the hall.

The questioning pause, I relax for chair. My back sweat, the shirt soak.

I fit guess say e dey check CCTV, wan know where I dey when I make that call, whether I fit go back to the place go do anything. I dey reason say maybe e go call my grandma, or ask Sani mama question.

But e no go see anything.

Na exactly wetin I want. To check CCTV go take time, go make this investigation long. For my mind, na justice be this, make their wahala show face small.

I no mind stay for station small. Na only like that people go talk about the matter. If I stay, my name go dey their mouth, their children go fear, maybe dem go begin treat other children better.

The more dem never settle am, the more people go notice. Sometimes, na only trouble dey make people think.

I close my eyes, dey imagine. Up till now, the only news go be say four pikin go play, three die, many question dey, the last one police carry am. For street, old women dey shake head, market boys dey whisper, everybody dey fear.

With their parents dey talk anyhow, people go begin suspect different thing. People for mosque, church, even teachers for school go begin talk say life don spoil.

If small pikin like me kill three other small pikin, people go begin talk about the law for children. Dem go ask, who dey guide children, who dey teach kindness? Na wetin I want be that.

Even if people curse me sotey I reach hell, no wahala. If you wan do big thing, you gats pay big price, no be so? I just pray say grandma go manage, make thunder no strike our house again. For this world, na only God dey judge true true. As I dey sit for that small hot room, I know say this matter never finish. For Nigeria, story never end until market close.