Chapter 4: The Main Woman Arrives

I arrange my cloth, go town set up my meat stall. WhatsApp status still dey roll:

The sun never fully rise, but I don already arrange suya and fresh pork. Market women dey hail me, "Omalicha nwa, bring two pounds for me!" But my mind no dey fully there, na those status dey dance for my mind.

*[Ah! The supporting character get mind dey treat the main man like this. When our main babe go show face?]*

*[Sisters, chill, the supporting character dey enjoy for now. Our babe don find her, soon she go question her, and once reward show, she go sell out the main man.]*

*[The supporting character wicked and mumu, later her house go scatter~ After dem find the chief’s son wey she lock, she go disgrace herself, dey drag the chief’s son, dey shout say na her husband.]*

*[The pig butcher girl wan be chief’s wife? Na joke. The main woman na the real fiancée. The supporting character go craze, try attack main woman, but the main man go protect our babe, order make dem flog supporting character fifty times, break her leg—na real pampering!]*

*[Dem even put collar for her neck, make she crawl and bark like dog, everybody go see am. Who send am to treat the main man like dog? E sweet me!]*

I read am, belly turn—people too wicked for mouth, but for real life, dem no fit try am. If to say these people dey see real life, dem no go get time for all these stories. I just dey shake my head, dey arrange my change.

My heart skip. I try calm myself say all these heavenly book talk no sure.

I dey mutter small prayer for my mind: "God, abeg, no let enemy see me finish."

Next thing, I see group people dey come for road. Dem dress fine, carriage and horse correct. Dem stop for my stall.

You go think say na wedding dem dey go, the way dem shine. All market people pause, dey look. Even tomato seller for next stall stop to arrange basket, everybody dey wait for drama.

Carriage curtain open, one fair, fine face show—everything for her body dey show say she get level. She look me from head reach toe with her almond eyes.

The kain eyes wey dey weigh person, dey check whether you get sense. If na competition, she go win for beauty and pride.

"Na you be the meat seller wey everybody dey talk about for this Palm Grove?"

Her voice dey soft but carry weight. Even small children hush as she dey talk.

As she show, WhatsApp status just dey para:

*[Wow wow wow, our main woman don finally show! Supporting character, shift!]*

*[Ah, see as our babe fine, my heart dey melt!]*

*[Na here e start! Soon main woman go find main man, sweet love story go begin!]*

I no talk. From the WhatsApp status, I don already know say na Zainab, community leader daughter.

Her family na the ones wey dey run festival. If dem cough, everybody go say "bless you" even if dem no sneeze.

Her small maid shout, "Hey! Our madam dey talk to you!"

This small girl, na pepper body she get. If na my own pikin, I for dash her small slap make she calm down. But I just smile.

I just slam my knife for table, curl my lips, smile. "Na meat you wan come sell for here, madam?"

I bend my head small, show say I dey respect, but my tone get small fire. Make she know say I no be anybody pikin for here.

Zainab shake, cover her mouth with handkerchief, frown like say she dey see rubbish. "No, I come ask you something. If you talk true, I go give you this."

She wave the gold bangle, na real treasure. Market people dey look, some dey whisper, "See as God dey bless some people."

She remove her gold bangle, stretch am out. "Dem say you buy male servant for market recently. Na true?"

Her hand steady, but her eye dey sharp. Na question wey get trap inside.

WhatsApp status begin craze:

*[Supporting character na mumu! This bracelet na the token wey main man give main woman. How e take reach her hand? Greedy thing—she go believe anything! Na joke!]*

*[True talk! Once she carry am go house, main man go notice. Only our sharp main woman fit do this kind thing~]*

*[Later she no wan return am, dey claim say na her own, last last dem break her hand, she return am—loss upon loss. She deserve am!]*

For my mind, I dey wonder if na real life be this or na film. E be like say everybody dey act script wey I no get copy.

I hold the bracelet, dey rub am. The carving fine, gold dey shine. Na pure gold. E fine well well.

The thing heavy for hand, cold. I imagine say if I sell am, na big money go enter my hand. But I no let my eyes show greed.

Zainab just dey look me with eye full of insult. "Person like you, pig butcher, never see this kind thing before, abi?"

She talk am as if she dey step on cockroach. My pride dey pain me, but I package.

I drop the bracelet, sigh, talk with heavy heart, "You talk true, madam. I buy male servant for market."

My voice low, as if I dey beg God make he understand say life no easy for people like me.

"But e no last three days. E die."

I no even blink as I talk am. I dey act like person wey life don humble well well.

Zainab eyes wide, her voice sharp: "Wetin you talk?"

She almost jump from carriage. Her eyebrow climb up like say she wan fly.

I return the gold bracelet, my tone sad. "As I buy am, e don bad. I waste two silver for nothing. E die, bring bad luck, I throw am for mass grave back of Okpoko Hills."

If you check that mass grave, na only spirit you go see. I dey pray make she no get mind go there.

"If you wan check, madam, go look there. If you see the servant trader, help me collect my two silver back."

My face strong, but inside, my heart dey beat fast. This lie na my own cover cloth. My hand dey shake small, but face no show am—Naija woman no dey fear ordinary fine madam.

Zainab face change, but she no fit talk—she just waka go.

She raise her nose, turn face, make her servants carry her waka. As she dey go, she throw small dust for my stall, but I no send.

WhatsApp status burst:

*[Wetin she dey talk? How she fit lie like that? She no even collect the gold! How main woman wan take find main man now?]*

*[This supporting character wicked o! She even lie say main man don die. Our babe go cry tire, sob sob sob.]*

*[No worry, the main man love our main woman. He no go gree make she dey sad. The more wicked the supporting character, the more serious her punishment go be!]*

Let dem continue dey vex. For this Naija, na who get sense dey survive. I hold my own small joy, dey mind my stall.

I arrange my stall, laugh small. Why their so-called "main woman" fit use gold and love lie give me, but I no fit lie to save myself?

Na who wear shoe know where e dey pain. If dem like, make dem judge from morning till night, na me dey live my life.