Chapter 5: Family Compound

I carry Tanira go my papa and mama house.

Na Ikorodu side, big bungalow wey I build after my breakthrough. Fence tall, gate strong, but inside, na full old-school compound.

Their own house na big bungalow too, na me buy for them after I make money again.

I remember the day I present key—my papa kneel, pray for me. My mama dance skelewu with old women. Na big day.

But the old people, dem still turn compound to farm.

Dem no dey hear word—every small land, dem plant something. Ugu dey here, pepper dey there. Even goat dey chop for back.

Yard full of ugu, scent leaf, all those strong veg.

You no fit waka three steps without stepping on vegetable leaf. Sometimes, dem pluck leaf, give neighbor.

No way—village people like strong taste.

If you like, buy supermarket tomato, dem go still say e no get taste. Na only backyard veg dey enter soup well.

Dem say market veg no get taste—only the one dem plant with their own hand dey sweet.

My mama dey talk am every time, 'Wetin dem dey spray for those market leaf? Na chemical.'

As I bring Tanira enter, my papa and mama begin smile like say dem win lottery.

Dem rush come out, open gate. My papa almost fall as he dey run. My mama dey clap hand, dey shout, 'My pikin! My pikin!'

Especially my papa—if you see how him dey laugh, you go fear say him teeth go fall.

Old man dey jump, dey shake my hand like say him win Governor ticket.

Dem never meet Tanira before, but dem know say she carry my pikin.

Dem dey shine eye, dey size her. My mama touch her belle, dey pray inside.

And since my mama hear say Tanira like pineapple, she don dey sure say na boy.

Na old woman logic. She buy two big pineapple, keep for fridge. She dey smile, dey wink me.

Dem talk say, sour for boy, pepper for girl.

If na pepper Tanira dey crave, my mama go dey fear. But pineapple, dem dey sure.

Na big news for them.

Old people dey like grandchildren. Their face dey glow as dem talk.

For their mind, if I get money but no grandson, na waste.

'If you like, build mansion, but if no pikin dey shout your name, e no mean.' Na so dem dey talk.

Me sef reason am like that.

Na pikin be the main thing. No child, no name. Na tradition for my side.

If I no get son, all my hustle na for nothing.

Wetin be all this money, if nobody go inherit am? Sometimes, I dey look my account, dey fear say another person go chop if I die.

As dem hear say I give all property to Morayo, dem shock.

My papa hand shake, he drop cup. My mama stop dance.

My papa slap table, stand up.

'How she go do you like that?' He dey vex, face dey red.

"She too do!"

He shake head, eye me like say I be mumu.

"Ten years, no egg—delay Seyi family line—she still get mind collect all my son property?"

He dey shout, neighbour fit hear. I dey beg am, make e no break chair.

"No way. I must collect am back."

He dey reason say na battle, say him go see lawyer, fight am for court.

My mama vex pass.

She dey cry, dey pack sand. 'Wetin this woman dey reason? After all our love, she wan carry property?' My mama mouth dey sharp.

"That wicked woman—shameless!"

She wave hand, hiss. Her eye dey shine.

"If she no fit born, make she go. Why she go chop my son money?"

She dey roll eye, shake head. Old women for compound dey come join talk.

"Old man, I dey follow you go. I go scratch her face!"

She dey tie wrapper, ready for wahala. I dey beg them, dey explain my plan.

I beg them, explain my plan again.

I go over everything—how shares go make us rich, how property be small thing. Dem dey look me, dey shake head.

Finally, to stop wahala, I raise voice:

I shout, 'Make una rest! Agreement never finish, final divorce never settle.'

"All agreement don sign, but final divorce never finish."

I look both of them, beg with hand. Dem calm small.

"If you go fight her now and she change mind, wahala go dey."

I dey warn them, make dem no spoil my own plan.

Dem no happy, but gree at last.

Dem hiss, go inside, but I dey see say dem never rest. I just hope say dem go listen to me for once.

She dey kneel by bed every Friday, dey beg God for pikin.