Chapter 4: The Marriage Night

Before you know, my sister reach eighteen. Time don reach for her to go meet the three-colour snake.

E just be like film. She tall, fine, but eyes dey dull. That night, harmattan wind carry dust enter compound, even moon refuse to shine.

My mama face long. "To raise pikin reach this age hard well well. She no fit marry man, now na snake dey benefit. That one mean say bride price money go reduce. Dauda wan start family, still no get money marry wife..."

Her mouth dey run anyhow. She dey count all her suffering, all the money wey she never see, dey lament like market woman.

She just dey talk anyhow, her mouth dey run like tap.

She no even care say people dey hear am, as long as she fit talk her mind finish.

Uncle Auwalu look her with vex. "Enough! You never collect enough since? If you still dey talk rubbish, if you vex that three-colour snake, make you dey careful say your son no go craze again."

Uncle voice thunder for compound. Even children wey dey play for outside freeze. He knock staff for ground, face tight.

Na that time my mama keep quiet, face like person wey chop bitter leaf.

She purse her lips, eyes red. Everybody know say when mama quiet like that, wahala dey boil inside her.

She turn, hold my sister hand, dey tell her make she use all her skills serve the three-colour snake well—so that he go send more meat snakes.

She dey whisper, "Nne, abeg, do am well. If you serve am well, e go reward you, e go reward us. This snake no be ordinary."

Mama no dey fear. As dem dey talk, na woman wey get lion heart fit face bush for night.

My sister no talk anything, just free her hand from my mama, give her cold eye.

She look mama, steady. That kind look wey say, 'I no be your commodity.' She waka away, back straight, chin up.