Chapter 5: A New Life, An Old Threat

I rest for here, sometimes waka round Ifunanya family old street for miles.

I dey waka pass old cassava farm, see children dey play where we dey fetch water before. Sometimes I go sit for mango tree, dey look sky.

Neighbours don move, street dey quiet.

E be like abandoned ghost town. Goat dey chop grass for gutter, birds dey make noise for zinc.

People for Umuola dey talk say too many dead people spirit dey here, place get heavy spirit.

Children dey fear this area at night. Some say dem dey see shadow. Na so village gist dey spread.

Emeka tell me before, na security escort work he dey do, but now he come back Umuola to settle.

E talk am with pride. 'I don waka reach Kaduna, Port Harcourt, even Benin.'

When he dey talk about all him waka as escort, Emeka just dey shine, strong and sharp.

Muscle full everywhere. Him eye dey sharp. Even small wound dey him hand, e no send.

He no be that small boy wey dey cry for my body after dem beat am that year.

The way life don mold am, I dey reason say suffering dey build person.

I ask am why he stop escort work.

My voice soft, I dey pray say e no go vex.

"To dey waka everywhere, no know where I go end, e no get meaning."

He say am like man wey don see plenty wahala. For Nigeria, when man tire, na home e dey remember.

Emeka lower head, voice low.

E no wan talk too much. Some things dey pain pass mouth.

"Plus, I fear say if you still dey alive come house, you no go see me."

As e talk am, e eyes dey shine. I dey try hold my tears.

He cook beans and goat meat pepper soup, just like I like as pikin, steam meat pie join.

I dey wonder how e remember all my old favourite food. The pepper soup hot, e wake my spirit.

"A Ifunanya, chop more. See as you thin."

E dey talk am like mama wey dey worry. My mind sweet me.

"I just recover, no fit chop meat too much," I smile, I dey pick food for am instead.

I dey cut meat, push am for him plate. Na small way to show say I still care.

Emeka face change.

E look my hand, e face dey serious.

"Dem do you bad for city?" he ask sudden.

E eye dey red, like say e wan fight who hurt me.

I hide my pain, just tell am say I save Obinna, I no be the bad woman people dey talk.

I no want talk pass my mouth, but e dey look me, dey wait for more.

Say the Prince’s Palace fine, I live there peaceful for a while.

I dey try make am believe say all dey okay, but my voice no get joy.

"Peaceful?" Emeka cut in.

E voice sharp, e no believe me. E eyes dey check my body for more scars.

He grab my right hand, vex: "See this big scar, you dey call am peaceful?"

The way e hold my hand, e dey careful but strong. E dey pain me, but na sweet pain.

I shame small.

I no wan talk how the scar come, but e dey show say I suffer well.

Na scar from when I block assassin blade for Obinna.

That day, blood full everywhere. I nearly faint. E no easy.

Knife pass through my hand, scary die.

Till today, I dey dream of am. Scar dey remind me say life no be storybook.

Obinna self risk him life climb rock find medicine, promise say he go protect me forever.

He swear for my head, say nothing go touch me again. I believe am then, no know say promise dey dry like harmattan wind.

But later, just because my hand shake when I pour tea for Aisha Danjuma, he insult me say I dey clumsy. Na still the same him.

E no even remember the pain I bear for am. My heart cold.

I cover my right hand, force smile.

I no wan show say the thing dey pain me. For Nigeria, woman no too dey show weakness.

"Abeg, make we leave that one."

I dey beg am make e no ask again. Some memories dey better for bush.

I look round the small compound, still the same after eight years, grass grow, birds sing, I sigh deep.

Na so place be—old, but na my root. I dey look mango tree wey my papa plant before e die.

"At least papa house still dey, my town still dey, old friend still dey."

As I talk am, I dey remember when pikin dey play suwe for this same compound.

The tea show Emeka eyes, pain full inside.

As e sip, I see small tears for him eye. E no wan cry, but e dey try hold am.

He look me, eyes deep like river, soft with love.

If na olden days, elders go say, 'Na love wey no dey hide.'

My heart shake, I no fit look am, just lower head, dey listen to birds and children laugh for outside.

Children dey chase chicken, dey shout. The sound dey calm my mind, remind me say life dey move on.

Umuola sweet well.

The air dey fresh, even the rain get special smell. My body dey relax for the first time in years.

Sweet sotay the past dey like dream.

The pain fade small small, as if river dey wash am go.

I just stay Umuola from then.

I tell myself, 'No more running.' This land na my own, whether e dry or green.

Three months later, Umuola first escort agency open.

Tomato sellers dey shout price, children dey chase after keke. People dey hail us for market, 'Ifu-Ifu boys, dem no dey slack!'

With the gold chest wey Obinna give me, I buy land, Emeka gather people, buy horse.

The first horse na black, we name am 'Odogwu.' Even the small keke wey we buy, e help for rainy season.

Business dey boom every day.

Dem dey even call us from other towns. Some wan copy our style.

People dey praise me say I get sense, and Emeka say him get mind, brave.

Some women dey use me as example for their daughters: 'See Ifunanya, she no carry man matter for head, she use her hand make money.'

I hide my full name, just say my surname na Ifunanya, I no talk about Prince’s Palace days.

Na so I dey hide, even when people dey ask plenty question. My spirit say, 'Old wahala better dey hide.'

Before you know, half year don waka, cold season land.

Morning dew dey thick, even yam dey hard for ground. But business still dey move.

I still dey hear gist about Obinna from travelers.

Some talk say him don fat, some say e slim. I no send, but e pain me small.

Like say him wedding with Danjuma family near, some even say the new princess don get belle.

Everybody dey talk like say dem be royal family pikin. Me, I dey count my money.

Dem say one cat lost for Prince’s Palace, prince dey find am day and night.

Na so story dey sweet for palm wine joint. Dem go laugh, 'Cat wey fine pass human being.'

I no know if e concern me.

For my mind, I dey wonder if na code for something, but I push am comot.

Before, I no want open old wound, so I no tell Obinna about my family, just talk say I be poor orphan.

For Nigeria, people dey hide their pain, especially when e fit open old injury. I dey hide my own well.

Obinna no ever know say I be big family pikin from Umuola, always think say I low.

E look me finish, think say na only street pikin dey waka with am. E no know say some spirit high pass title.

Even if him wan find me, I no sure say he go fit reach Umuola, wey far reach thousand kilometers.

Umuola far, bush road no dey finish. E go try, e go tire.

But one day, I get order to escort one noble lady from Umuola go Abuja for marriage.

Na big work. Everybody dey prepare. My spirit dey high.

Dem say the groom na Chief of Zaria grandson, big person.

The family money long, their name dey open door. I dey fear small.

Me and Emeka lead escort team, deliver the bride reach Abuja safe.

The journey no easy, but we strong. No bandit fit try us for road.

But for guest house, na only one room remain.

The woman for counter dey smile, say 'No vex, na only this one dey.' My heart dey skip.

Emeka sharp, say he go sleep for keke downstairs.

E dey fear village talk, but I no send. Man wey fear woman na better person. For village, people go say man wey rush woman no get respect.

I hold him wrist, half vex, half laugh: "Bed don ready, wetin dey fear you? I no be witch wey dey chop man."

I dey tease am, but my mind dey sweet. Sometimes, small play dey heal old wound.

Truth be say, even as we close now, we never really cross line.

I dey fear say e go spoil old friendship. But my body dey hot.

He stop, lock door, suddenly carry me up.

My heart jump. I no expect am. Na so body dey move when love dey true.

Him breath hot, but he control himself.

E just hold me, no rush. E dey respect me as woman.

"Na you talk am, wife."

E call me wife, my heart dey fly. For our place, na big thing.

Him strong hand hold me for waist, I no fit move.

E dey look my face, eye soft. My spirit dey shake.

My face turn red.

Even for my dark skin, I dey blush. I no fit look am eye.

Emeka kiss me, tongue hot, make me almost forget myself.

E sweet me. For that moment, all pain disappear. Na only me and am remain for the world.

But just then, knock land for door, say wedding wan start, make escort team come chop.

Na so reality land. Life no dey wait for love. My body cool, but my mind dey run.

Na so Emeka release me, lick him lips like say him still dey remember the taste, dey smile like bad boy.

E dey form hard man, but I see say e happy.

He look me sotay my leg dey shake, I shy, waka go down.

As I dey waka, I dey hold chair. My body still dey vibrate.

That night, for Chief of Zaria wedding party, big people full everywhere.

Even Emir send representative. Women dress like rainbow. I dey count gele, my eye dey shine. Jollof rice scent dey fly for air, drums dey beat for corner.

After plenty palm wine, I hear bride family dey praise our escort agency.

People dey clap, dey hail. My mind dey sweet.

"The boss, surname Ifunanya, na woman, sharp, get sense, and fine well."

Some men dey smile, dey toast for corner. My spirit dey high, but I dey hide.

Everybody look me.

Even elders dey nod, dey whisper. Na small thing dey make name go far.

Lucky say I wear veil, hide my face.

If not, maybe one old friend go recognize me. Abuja people sabi talk.

But I dey feel one cold, sharp eye dey follow me.

As I dey look up, na so cold dey catch my back. I dey pray say na my mind dey play trick.

So I just dodge everybody, drag Emeka go mama put for end of street, buy my favourite palm wine.

I dey laugh, dey drag am. The street light low, but my spirit high.

As we just enter back alley, na so plenty torch dey shine for corner, night full everywhere.

I dey hold Emeka, my hand dey shake. My mind dey sense wahala.

All those guards with eagle embroidery and gold sword—na only prince people dey dress like that.

Their uniform clean, boot shine. Even for darkness, gold dey glint for hand.

The secret guards shift for road.

Dem no dey smile. Their eye dey like police for checkpoint.

The man wey show face, wear yellow agbada with lion embroidery, power full body.

The way him dey waka, na like lion. For my mind, I know say na Obinna.

He block everywhere, no escape.

I dey count road for run, but guard block everywhere. Na only prayer remain.

Obinna raise cold eyes, him gaze land for my hand wey dey hold Emeka own.

As him eye dey my hand, my heart dey beat. I know say wahala don land. For Naija, past and present dey clash for junction. Na this night my spirit go decide road. Whether na love or past go win, tomorrow go tell.