Chapter 5: Jealousy, Love, and a Mango Tree

Next statements na from Dr. Nwosu neighbours and ex-girlfriend.

For Naija, neighbour matter dey important—dem sabi all the gist.

For the days wey the thing happen, neighbour for next door travel, no see anything. When she come back, shock catch her, she begin help police.

The woman, Aunty Blessing, talk say the compound dey quiet like church for fasting time. After e return, na police tape and people full house.

Police ask if she know say Dr. Nwosu get younger brother.

"Na now-now I dey hear am," she say. "Before, I think say Emeka na only child."

She say na recently she know, before she think say na only child.

No be today, people dey hide family wahala for face of neighbours.

Join with Chijioke story, students and neighbours no know about younger brother. After Ifeanyi come out, e almost no relate with e brother, just small money transfer.

That one na proof say relationship scatter since. For Naija, family fit dey same street, still no dey talk.

Police ask why she know about the brother now.

E say, "Na because the brother just move in recently. I dey see am for compound, e no dey greet person."

She say na because the brother just move in recently. Around New Year, e stay for like six months, then move out last month. For that half year, e no get work, just dey chop from e brother.

People for compound dey always notice who dey chop and who dey bring food come house.

Police ask how the two relate.

"Dem dey greet, but e no reach family love," she talk.

She say dem dey alright, but the younger brother and the girlfriend no dey relate well.

I dey wait for am to land gist. Na so she begin narrate.

Once I hear "girlfriend," I sit up.

Matter dey. For Naija, if woman enter story, e fit twist everything.

This na the same point for Chijioke statement. According to e classmate, the "girlfriend" wey nearly marry, break up one month ago.

All the story dey link. My mind dey reason different angle.

Police ask if the three dey stay together.

She say yes, but only for that half year; before, na only Dr. Nwosu and girlfriend.

For that six months, drama full house, e say.

Police ask the kind person the girlfriend be.

"Adaeze good girl, no dey talk anyhow. She dey respect herself," she talk.

She say the girl get sense, calm, value relationship, she like am.

For Naija, to get neighbour wey like your babe na blessing. I dey reason say Adaeze no dey form.

Then she start to talk why the younger brother and girlfriend no gel –

For compound, people dey watch your every move, even when you no know.

Na real drama.

As e talk the story, voice low, but eyes dey shine. Na big wahala she see.

After Ifeanyi move in, e begin like e brother girlfriend. Later, e dey disturb and stalk am, to the point where she call police, everybody for building come see. But police say na family matter, dem just talk to dem, then go.

People for Nigeria no dey always carry family matter go far. Police sef dey treat am like small wahala, unless blood flow.

After months of wahala, Dr. Nwosu no solve the matter. E dey alright with e brother, but dey quarrel with girlfriend, say she dey overreact.

Na so some men dey behave—brother blood dey blind eye.

Last last, the girlfriend tire, break up. After she go, Ifeanyi move out too.

The compound calm, everybody fit sleep for night again. Neighbour talk am with relief.

Neighbour say the younger brother be like street boy, and with person like that, wahala sure.

I dey picture Ifeanyi—maybe na face or e waka style dey make people fear am.

As I read this, I pause.

My mind dey replay everything. No be everybody wey look rough get bad heart, but this Ifeanyi own pass normal.

Even though I only see Ifeanyi once, my mind say e calm, dey behave. Maybe e no be good person, but e no look like hooligan.

For street, sometimes na cool face dey hide wicked heart. Na so Lagos dey train person.

Maybe the woman just dey judge am because e no get work?

I dey try balance my mind. No be everybody wey no get job be criminal.

To check, I find the ex-girlfriend statement.

I ready for another side of the story—woman talk dey always get detail.

Now, I see more details.

Her name na Adaeze, consultant.

I see her handwriting—fine, round, educated. Her Igbo name sweet for mouth.

She say, she and Dr. Nwosu dey together for three years, no easy.

Relationship for Nigeria na work. If money no dey, pressure dey double.

Dr. Nwosu get pressure for research, business still dey grow, papa dey sick, so e always dey tense. Adaeze dey try understand am.

She try be patient woman. Na so love dey demand sacrifice.

Dem plan to marry this year, but Ifeanyi show, scatter everything.

You go reason say na film, but na real life.

Dr. Nwosu never tell am about younger brother. Early this year, e finally talk, say e get criminal record, but e fear say Adaeze go mind, so e hide am. Now dem wan marry, e need talk. E assure am say no big deal.

For Naija, secret dey spoil marriage plan. Adaeze dey try trust, but the way truth land, e pain her.

But to talk am now no be honesty.

Adaeze begin dey doubt. Trust once break, na wahala to repair.

Adaeze begin worry, ask wetin e do. Dr. Nwosu say na fight. E look down, she no press. She plan to find out later.

You know Naija woman—dem go still find gist from e friends later.

But two days later, Ifeanyi just show with bag.

As in, no warning, just land for house. E fit be village style, but for city, e dey odd.

Adaeze remember say first day, Ifeanyi look am somehow, make her uncomfortable.

Na that kain look wey make person dey lock bathroom door. Even for kitchen, I dey check window before I wash plate. My skin dey crawl anytime I hear e footstep.

She tell Dr. Nwosu say this one too sudden, say before marriage, e no good for outsider to move in.

Adaeze dey try form boundary, as Naija women dey do.

But Dr. Nwosu say dem be brothers, not outsider, make she bear am.

For Igbo land, brother na brother—outsider no dey apply. But sometimes, na family dey cause gobe.

Na like person invite trouble come house.

I dey picture the scene—tension just dey hang for air.

Dr. Nwosu dey school or business, Adaeze work dey flexible.

So, na Adaeze and Ifeanyi dey jam for house pass. If trouble go start, na dem go first see am.

So after Ifeanyi move in, na she and Ifeanyi dey house pass.

Wahala dey hide under one roof.

At first, na just awkward. As time pass, Ifeanyi show e true colour.

You know as person go dey pretend at first, then after one week, real colour go show.

E begin dey harass Adaeze when brother no dey house – talk anyhow, brush body with her, try open bathroom when she dey inside, follow am for road, and so on.

Na Naija girl, Adaeze no gree. E try report to Dr. Nwosu, wahala start.

Adaeze vex, complain to Dr. Nwosu many times, dem fight. But Dr. Nwosu no serious, say na joke, or e no mean am, not as bad as she think.

Some men dey behave like say woman dey exaggerate. Adaeze dey feel alone.

Adaeze love Dr. Nwosu, but as e dey support e brother and ignore her pain, she feel say e no love her like that.

Na so love dey fade for heart.

She tire, call police.

To call police for family matter, e mean say the thing don pass mouth.

When police come, Ifeanyi act gentle, say na joke, even call "stalking" protection for sister-in-law.

Police look am, shake head, talk, "Family matter. Make una settle." Na so dem waka.

So police treat am as family matter, no solve am, everybody for building hear. Dr. Nwosu shame, fight with Adaeze again.

For Naija, if police enter compound, everybody go know your matter. Dr. Nwosu no like embarrassment, so wahala double.

Adaeze break down, confront Ifeanyi for front of Dr. Nwosu. Ifeanyi then talk something she no go ever forget.

Na that word dey burn for her mind till today.

E say, "I don do prison for fifteen years, I never enjoy life. Now I come out. My brother dey enjoy, so I wan follow am. Anything wey my brother get, I go chop am too. Even woman."

For Naija, na abomination to talk this kind thing. E mean say person dey see brother life as competition, no be blessing.

Even me, as I dey read, body cold me. How much more the person wey e talk to.

Goosebumps catch me. I close file, take deep breath.

Adaeze fear, Dr. Nwosu do nothing. She realise say both brothers no good – one pretend, one real bad guy – so she break up.

For Adaeze mind, both men fail am. Na so person dey waka comot from family matter wey fit wound soul.

One month after Adaeze move out, Dr. Nwosu die for house. Out of old love, Adaeze still mourn, but she dey fear.

As Naija woman, no matter wetin happen, old love dey pinch heart small. Dem dey talk say, old firewood dey catch fire quick.

Adaeze story match neighbour own, so we fit see the true Ifeanyi.

When story dey match, e mean say na truth. Lawyer no fit argue pass that.

So, na me misjudge am.

I pause, dey look myself for mirror. I dey remind myself say my job no be to judge, but to defend.

Because na my client, I try see am better, so I no go feel bad to defend am.

But as e be so, e no change wetin person do. Na justice go talk last.

But truth be say, the guy really bad, no matter how I feel. Na me suppose remove my own bias.

For courtroom, you must drop personal wahala for door.

Police sharp, ask Adaeze if Ifeanyi disturb her again after break up. She say no.

That one show say e just wan spoil wetin e brother get, no be real love or obsession.

This one important. E mean say Ifeanyi no really like Adaeze, na just to possess wetin e brother get. If e no fit get am, to spoil am dey okay.

Na village people dey call this kain thing "mmụọ ojoo"—bad spirit.

From here, police see another motive: jealousy.

Human heart deep. Jealousy dey drive person do wetin e no fit imagine.

The brothers just three years apart, but their life different.

For Naija, if person no make am, the bitterness dey strong. Especially if e see say e brother dey shine.

Dr. Nwosu be village best, get degrees, respected lecturer, business, money, fine girlfriend.

Village meeting go dey praise am. Family go dey show am for wedding, burial.

Ifeanyi no finish school, 15 years for prison, come out, nothing dey for hand, no house, no work, nothing.

As first son dey climb, second son dey ground. E dey pain well.

So, dem reason say –

Police dey conclude, "Na jealousy dey join property matter."

Ifeanyi dey jealous everything e brother get, but most things e no fit reach. So e turn girlfriend to object, see am as the easiest to grab.

Na so envy dey turn to hate. Instead of to work, e dey look for shortcut.

But as e dey harass Adaeze, e no feel better; the more she hate am, the more e jealous, till e kill e brother, remove the thing wey dey pain am.

For my village, elders go call am "ike gwuru," when person tire for life wahala, e just choose evil.

Na very dark, wicked motive.

If court hear this kind thing, even judge fit wipe small tear before judgment.

At this point, me sef don dey hate my client. But as lawyer, I gats maintain my work.

For Naija, lawyer job dey hard. To defend person wey everybody dey curse, you gats get mind.

I continue dey read the file.

I dey look for any small loophole. My eye dey sharp like person wey dey find five naira for sand.

Neighbour and Adaeze talk match what downstairs neighbour talk. But that one old, no hear well, no notice anything that day.

You know say old people dey waka own, wahala pass their ear.

Other people for area talk some useful things.

For Nigeria, na old men for compound dey know all the gist. Dem dey always dey for veranda, dey play draught, dey watch.

Three old men for the same compound say, for afternoon of the crime, around 3 or 4 p.m., as dem dey play draught under mango tree, dem see Ifeanyi enter the building.

Mango tree dey compound center, na there all the elders dey gist. E easy to notice stranger pass. As dem dey play draught, na weaverbird dey make noise for mango tree top.

Dem notice am because e stand dey look dem for long, like say e dey watch or e lost in thought. E face dull, body stiff, right hand always inside pocket, like say e dey hold something.

Old men sabi eye for wahala. Dem go say, "This boy get as e be."

The old men think say e wan rob dem, dem ask am wetin dey. E just wave left hand, enter building. E right hand no commot from pocket.

Na so street sense dey work. Person wey hand no dey show, e fit dey plan something.

Wetin dey e right pocket fit be the murder weapon, the cloth belt wey dem use for the killing.

My mind dey connect the dot. If e carry am enter, e fit carry am commot too.

Later, police no see the belt for scene, and since Ifeanyi no talk, dem no fit find am. This kind weapon easy to destroy, maybe e burn am.

Na so evidence dey waka disappear for Nigeria. If you no sharp, rain go wash am away.

Cigarette seller for the area see Ifeanyi as e dey leave.

Baba Uche dey sell cigarette since 1972. E sabi everybody face.

Ifeanyi dey buy cigarette from the shop before, so the owner sabi am.

You no fit pass Baba Uche for junction, e no notice you.

That evening, before everywhere dark, owner see Ifeanyi rush commot from the building, cloth rough, face like person wey dey lost. Owner greet am, but e no answer, just waka go.

Na usual for person wey commit crime—body go dey shake, e no go wan talk to anybody.

Police check CCTV, everything match wetin people talk. One camera face the building gate direct.

For Nigeria, CCTV dey rare, but for estate like this, na blessing. Evidence clear, no argument.

The time wey dem see Ifeanyi match the time of death wey forensic people talk. In short, Ifeanyi no get alibi.

My lawyer mind dey look for escape, but nowhere to hide.

Plus, for the evidence wey dem collect, apart from fingerprints and footprints, another strong one dey.

Na so dem dey build case like bricklayer—one block on top another.

Skin and blood wey dem find for Dr. Nwosu hand, plus some hair for bed, DNA show say na from Ifeanyi. For court, once DNA enter, even village chief go nod. E get scratch for body too.

If fight start, na scratch go enter. Evidence no dey lie.

Police even recover deleted search for Ifeanyi computer – things like "how long to strangle adult man to death" and "how to deal with adult male corpse."

For Nigeria, if person dey search this kind thing, wahala dey cook for pot.

E start dey search these things since one month before, show say e plan am.

No be accident, na plan. That one dey make case heavy.

Other witnesses no talk anything new, and no talk against what others say, so I no go talk too much.

I check all the statements, dey nod my head—no loophole.

At this point, Ifeanyi crime don clear.

Everybody wey read the file go know say na this man do am.

Motive too dey clear.

If you combine jealousy and property, na recipe for disaster.

Police, from Papa Nwosu and caregiver statement, see the first motive: to fight for inheritance.

But my mind dey ask, e get as e be. If na only property, why all the drama?

But if na just to collect property, why e no just kill quick? Why beat and disgrace the victim?

For our culture, to add insult to injury na taboo. E mean say the hate deep pass property wahala. My body dey shake small as I dey reason am. But my spirit dey warn me—this case never finish, e get wahala wey still dey hide for corner. I ready to dig am out.