Chapter 1: Arrival in a Dying Empire

Just land for another world, na so I find myself for the time wey Oyo Empire dey about to scatter. But my identity? I be brother-in-law to Alaafin Adeyemi, the king himself. As person wey marry into royal family, even if I wan run, e no go easy at all. I just dey complain for my mind:

You know say e dey funny sometimes, as life fit turn person to character for story wey no be him plan? As I land, na like say my destiny dey tie with people wey dem never even born where I from. For this Oyo wey don dey shake, na only God and ancestors know how I go take survive. My own na to dey dodge wahala and use my head. For my mind, I dey ask: this royal connection go make me chop or e go finish me?

[Ding! Countdown to when Alaafin Adeyemi go end himself for the big baobab tree: 300 days...]

Who go believe say—my king brother-in-law dey even dey catch my mind gist sometimes.

1

Oyo, sixteenth year of Alaafin Adeyemi reign. People dey chop people, farm and bush don finish, bandits full everywhere. Hunger dey North and South, dead body and pikin wey dem abandon block river, block road. Bashorun Ganiyu dey scatter everywhere, Fulani invaders dey look us like suya meat. All the chiefs and warriors dey plan their own. Na so I land for this world, for year of hunger. As Alaafin brother-in-law, for now, I still dey chop correct pounded yam, wear fine agbada, dey enjoy. For some days, I just dey relax with fine women, dey hear bata drum, dey play ayo, dey live soft life like say nothing dey happen. Bashorun Ganiyu, Fulani, Ajele Kazeem—all those wahala I just push am go back of my mind. My present identity na just royal in-law, notorious for wasting money. If I carry myself go meet Alaafin, come talk: “Brother-in-law, you no fit beat Bashorun Ganiyu, Oyo don dey fall, and soon you sef go end yourself. But no worry, Bashorun sef no go last—Fulani go run am when dem enter, na dem go carry the whole Yoruba land. Last last, all of us go dey serve dem—”

You dey shock? With Alaafin head strong like Ogun shrine stone, I for still dey alive?

As dem dey chop pounded yam, some people dey boil lizard for river bank, na there hunger wicked reach. If I talk true, na only God hand I dey, because if dem catch me dey run mouth anyhow, na my head go first roll for ground before day break. For Oyo, person fit get mouth, but make you dey use sense. Who no sabi wahala, go learn by force.

Less than one year remain before last Yoruba dynasty go scatter. I no be Sango, I no be Moremi wey come back. This Oyo Empire—I no fit save am. Until one morning, my papa wey no dey ever wan spend money scatter my sleep. The old man drag me comot from mat, say make I go palace. I hear say some wahala dey palace today, na why he send me—himself no wan go, dey fear say brother-in-law go ask am to donate money for warriors again. I just dey look am for mind: you no wan spend now, but when Bashorun come, you go lose even your wrapper. Better make I, the prodigal, finish am first. As I dey yawn enter palace, I lower my head, blend with other chiefs for back, make dem no notice me. I no sleep well for night, so as chiefs dey talk, I dey nod dey go. I almost fall for ground, like say I wan do full prostration for Alaafin. All these people dey talk their own—Bashorun Ganiyu, army money, shortage, and the rest. Most of dem still dey reason say Bashorun na ordinary thief. Dem talk say e no be the first time he rebel—anytime e happen, dem dey scatter am quick, nothing dey. I close my eye, dey rest, dey reason for mind. Instead of this their talk, I for prefer go chop better akara for market after palace, then go sleep again. Suddenly, one loud shout wake me, my body shake, I nearly fall.

Na so palace dey be—everybody dey do as if dem sabi pass their shadow, but once king cough, everywhere go quiet like grave. Even the way I dey do like say sleep dey catch me, na strategy; you no fit trust wetin ear go carry reach king mouth. If no be for my papa stinginess, I for dey palace dey shine with my own money, but for now, na manage I dey manage. As for Bashorun Ganiyu, e get as the man be. People dey talk am like play, but for inside, fear dey catch everybody. You go see all these big chiefs dey arrange face, but na shakara—na only who never see fire dey play with smoke.

"Enough! Make dem give order: Balogun Sunkanmi go leave Iseyin immediately, go crush the rebels. If anybody delay again—I no go take am easy!"

As king vex, all the chiefs kneel sharp sharp. Me sef rush kneel, cold catch me. This Balogun Sunkanmi matter—history don already write the end. [My brother-in-law still dey rush things. He dey send people go war without food, without better warriors... no be set-up be that?] [Na the last pillar of Oyo be this, e go soon fall.]

I dey complain for my mind, suddenly I feel as if needle dey prick my back. I look small from corner of my eye. Wahala! Alaafin dey look me with eye wey sharp like cutlass. That kind eye, e make me shiver. My sweat dey drip small small for my back, but I hold body make e no show. I quickly face ground, no even dare look am again. [Why e dey look me like that?] [Na palace guards don report say I dey carry woman up and down?] [No possible. With Chief Ayo as oga, palace guards just dey do show.]

For palace matter, person fit dey kneel like goat, but na survival. That Alaafin eye—kai, if dem use am roast yam, e go done quick. Sometimes, I dey reason whether e fit see through my soul. I dey sweat, but I no fit show am, otherwise e go think say na guilt dey worry me. Na so I dey waka for eggshells, dey pray make today pass without wahala.

After small time, Alaafin talk: "Akinwale, you get anything to talk about my order?"

"This chief no get anything to talk."

I be just in-law. If not because my papa beg my queen sister for small post, I no even suppose dey palace. I go come dey talk?

As I dey kneel, one memory flash for my mind—Uncle Yemi wey talk anyhow for palace. Till today, dem never see him leg. I swallow the urge to open mouth, just dey blend for back like crayfish for ogbono soup.

Na small courage dey even make me dey stand for back. Na for these palace walls person dey learn patience. If you talk when e no concern you, dem fit collect your head with one look. My own na to dey blend like crayfish for ogbono soup—dey there, but no dey make noise. If person dey ask me for advice, I dey dodge like say I get cough. My papa sef, that one, na money be him problem, not power. E say make I no talk anyhow. I dey obey.

After some time, Alaafin just hiss: "If nothing dey again, make everybody go."

Chief Enoch shout say palace don finish. I wipe sweat, waka comot hall, hear my colleagues dey gist for back:

"Balogun Sunkanmi don old. Plus this sickness and no food—sending am go war now na just to kill am, no be so?"

Ah, so people dey reason am well. Another person hear, begin fear, hush am: "No dey talk that one! Wall get ear, abeg make wrong person no hear! We go just follow king talk... the rest no concern us."

Yes, no worry. When Bashorun come, na to surrender and keep post. But me, as royal in-law, I no fit run... For history, my stingy papa no end well. If him own end bad, my own nko?

You see as everybody dey form loyalty for day, but for night, na to pack their load dey look for road. Na so Oyo people dey—wise in survival, sharp for mouth. For my papa own, if dem finish us, e go dey regret all the cowries wey e hide for wall. As for me, I dey learn to keep face straight, voice low. E get why.