Chapter 3: Goodbye No Be Small Thing

When I reach Ifedike house, the tea people don go.

The parlour quiet now, only TV dey on, housegirl dey clear tray. The air dey cold, my footsteps loud for tile.

Her eye red small, voice sharp. She no like wetin she see.

She raise voice, even though I never drop bag. She look me up and down, dey wait answer.

Like say I get power to control that one. Ifedike na his own man.

For this house, Ifedike word na law. Even Mama Ifedike dey fear am small. But anytime wahala, na me dem blame.

I go rush explain, dey beg, dey cry. But now, my heart don strong. I no dey feel anyhow again.

I open mouth, talk am plain. No emotion. Just fact.

I no add anything. No beg, no excuse. My voice dry, but sure.

She try push blame, say I suppose force am. But I just dey look her, dey wonder if she dey see wetin I dey see.

She dey probe me, eye dey sharp. I no wan argue.

I lower my head, but I no gree look like mumu. My spirit don strong.

I add Simi name, no fear. Make she know as e be.

Her eye change. She dey reason wetin fit happen. Maybe she dey see say Simi dey get power for this matter.

She repeat am, like say she dey calculate next move. I just stand, dey look.

She frown, eye dey search my face, as if she dey find fault or expect make I vex.

She dey fear Simi wahala. Simi papa big man for this city. Mama Ifedike no wan wahala.

I no dey rush beg. I no dey kneel down dey explain again. I dey save my energy.

I turn, waka slow, carry my shoe, dey go my room. E be like say na thief I be, dey sneak from own house.

My load small, just small Ghana-must-go, one old box, two wrapper. The rest na memory.

My eye jam the teddy bear. E dey bed, dey look me. The thing dey heavy for my hand, even though e light.

Na teddy bear wey wear brown dress, na Ifedike give me the day Grandma die.

That day pain me, Grandma dey hospital bed, everybody dey cry. Ifedike give me teddy, say make I no cry. E sweet me, pain me, the way children dey feel when dem lose person.

E hug me, soft, the only time e ever do am. E voice low, e dey shake, but e mean am.

He whisper for my ear, wipe my tear small. The thing sweet me, make me believe say e care.

E promise, e talk am like vow. Na only that day e ever talk am.

One hug and promise, maybe na pity, but I carry am for mind as if na Ifedike special sign for me.

For my heart, I dey treat that teddy bear like gold. Na my own sign say Ifedike fit love me one day.

The teddy bear dey look me, like say e dey laugh me for my foolish hope. I rub the bear head, remember as I clutch am for night when thunder dey strike, when nobody dey my side.

I reason say if I give am, e fit just toss am for dustbin. I better hold am, use am remember say I try.

Harmattan breeze dey blow small for window, dust dey settle for my box as I dey arrange my load.