Chapter 5: The Road Home

Three days before the New Yam Festival, Obinna returned to Makurdi. When he came to find me in the government house, I had just finished discussing my return to the north with Tunde.

Though the First Lady agreed for me to go, she still worried about me travelling alone, so she told Tunde to escort me. She pressed a sachet of anointing oil into his palm and muttered, 'God go protect una. No evil fit near my pikin.' She also handed him a bag of kola nuts for the journey.

In March, the flamboyant trees were in full bloom. Tunde spread a map on the table, his voice full of excitement:

'If we leave right after the party, we fit reach Sunset Hill before nightfall. If we lucky, we go catch sunset wey go burn like fire.' His finger traced the road like a child planning mischief.

Suddenly, I remembered coming back to Makurdi as a child with my parents. Father carried me on his back as we rode fast on okada. Mother, in the car, lifted the curtain to look at us, pretending to be angry. Behind us, the hills and clouds glowed red in the setting sun. That day, I felt like the world was made just for our small family.

I nodded, my eyes stinging:

'Then let’s leave after the evening prayers.' My voice was quiet, full of longing for the road ahead and the past behind.

As I turned, I saw Obinna—who should still have been in Sokoto—standing at the hall’s entrance. His brows were drawn tight with anger as he stared at me.

'What do you mean, "after the evening prayers"?' His voice was sharp, full of jealousy or maybe just old pain.

I dropped my gaze and lied calmly:

'Tunde is leaving in a few days. I’m going to see him off.' My heart thudded, but my face stayed calm, just as I’d been taught. The world outside continued, but for a moment, it was only the three of us, and all the words left unsaid hung in the air like dust before the rain.