Chapter 4: Family Secrets Under Rain and Ruin

To know more about the brothers, I look for family.

For every family, na story dey hide. I ready to dig am out.

I go forward, find statement from their papa.

Papa Nwosu na old man wey life don humble. For hospital, dem say e dey breathe with oxygen tube, voice dey weak like person wey dey sing last stanza of hymn.

Their mama die ten years ago; na only their papa remain.

Once woman die for family, sometimes na there things dey scatter. E pain reach bone.

Papa Nwosu na retired teacher, now get last stage lung cancer, dey hospital, no reach two months to live.

I dey imagine the old man dey count days. Life get as e be.

When e hear the bad news, e condition worse, dem rush am ICU, just come out two days ago.

Sometimes, one bad news fit kill old person faster than the sickness wey e get before. Na so Naija dey be.

After all, na both the victim and suspect papa – real pain.

Omo, papa wey lose two pikin for one case. Na double wahala.

Because e no strong, Papa Nwosu no talk much, but police collect statement from e caregiver.

Dem no wan stress am too much, so dem use nurse wey sabi how e dey reason.

The caregiver talk –

Nurse Anita, na she dey take care of the man. She get patience like water, dey calm the old man down whenever e cough dey start.

The old man don dey hospital for one and half year. When dem first diagnose am, na last stage cancer, now e don spread go bone, e no get much time.

For Igbo land, once doctor talk say cancer don spread, family go begin dey do family meeting—who go carry papa for house, who go buy medicine.

Since e dey hospital, na the elder son dey run things. Even though dem dey argue sometimes, the boy still try.

E show say Emeka get good heart. Even if quarrel dey, responsibility still dey for head.

The younger son only come when the papa first enter hospital, then stop for long. E start to come more for past two months. Every time e come, e go tell me make I comot. E go dey carry paper and pen, dey beg papa write something, but the old man no gree.

Na will e dey find, I reason.

This one na Naija classic. If family property dey, na will go start fight.

Caregiver say the second time, the younger son catch am as e dey peep, just look am blank face as e dey go, scare am well.

I dey picture Ifeanyi eye—those kind cold eye wey no dey blink. Nurse run comot, no look back.

Police ask if e tell elder son.

Caregiver say no, but the old man tell am. One day, as e enter ward, e hear old man tell elder son: "...How much remain? Treat your mama, treat myself, everything don finish. The house for village no get value, and e still dey think of the small wey I get..." Then e cough. The elder son no talk, maybe because e see caregiver.

E pain reach heart. Money for hand no dey reach, especially when sickness wan finish am.

Caregiver add say the two brothers never come together.

I dey imagine how family picture go look—no unity, everybody dey waka own.

Last last, e talk, "I think the younger son see say papa dey die, e wan fight for inheritance. I never see am pay hospital bill – e no get conscience."

Na serious talk be that. For our place, person wey no dey help for family, e mouth no dey strong for sharing.

E dey look like inheritance matter.

No be today, e dey happen for every village, every town.

I sabi this kind thing.

As lawyer, na inheritance case dey fill court for Nigeria. This one get all the signs.

If no will, property go share according to law. Papa Nwosu only get two sons, so each suppose get half.

If na only two sons, law go split am straight. Unless will talk another thing.

The elder son dey support, so e fit get more; younger son no dey help, and e no get any special wahala, so no reason to get more.

Customary law for some side dey allow the helper get small extra, but court go decide.

If Ifeanyi think say e brother dey enjoy and e no dey, and e deserve more, e need make papa write will say so.

Na why Ifeanyi dey disturb papa—na greed dey push am.

If e force e sick papa write will for am, even if e succeed, e no go work.

Law dey clear: anything by force, na null and void. Village chief go even shout am for meeting.

Because Naija law talk say, will must be true wish of the person; if na force or lie, e no get power.

No native doctor or lawyer fit change am.

If e kill e brother because papa no gree write will, thinking say e go collect all, na big mistake.

Some people dey reason say if dem remove competition, property go free. Dem no sabi law.

Because law talk say, if you kill another heir for property, you no go inherit anything.

For Nigeria, person wey kill blood for land matter, na curse dey follow am. Even spirit of land go vex.

Ifeanyi no gree confess, so nobody know e reason, na evidence go show am.

Sometimes na only evidence go fit expose person. Human mind deep.

To kill brother for inheritance, even if you no sabi law, na motive be that.

If you hear this one for village, na elders go talk say "chi dere gi njo"—your spirit bend.

Later, dem confirm am.

Police find paper for hospital room drawer, e write "will" on top, but nothing inside. Handwriting na Ifeanyi, fingerprint both of dem.

No content inside—na sign say old man no gree. Ifeanyi too desperate.

Police ask Papa Nwosu why Ifeanyi dey come steady now.

Oga just talk truth—na property matter.

Papa Nwosu say na for inheritance; e wan carry everything.

I dey feel for the old man. Person dey die, children dey drag over wetin never finish.

Because papa no gree write will as e want, Ifeanyi kill e brother, hoping to collect all.

For my mind, I dey sigh. Naija matter—property fit make blood turn enemy.

This kind motive, nobody go pity am; even judge go shake head.

For court, judge fit even use am vex for judgment.

At this point, the case come dey look boring.

My lawyer spirit dey down. E be like say na straight line, no twist. But my body still dey expect wahala.

So, this Ifeanyi Nwosu wey look mysterious, na just greedy, stubborn person?

My heart dey heavy. Na so people dey judge book by cover.

I pause, my mind no settle.

I look window, dey watch rain dey fall. Something for my spirit dey say make I look again.

I feel say this case no just plain like that.

Lawyer sense dey shout, "No rush."