Chapter 4: The True Cost of Hope

One woman inside crowd shout, "No wahala! I don dey take am for twenty years! Hospital dey call me cancer miracle!"

Everybody cheer, some even clap. She raise hand, face full of hope. That kain testimony dey move crowd for Naija, especially for market or church.

"How much e dey cost per dose? E suppose cost well. Plenty people dey lose all their money for fake medicine..."

Officer dey reason like person wey don hear scam story before. Crowd quiet small, people dey calculate for mind.

"Before, na one hundred naira per pill. This year, e reach one-fifty."

You go see the way people nod, dey reason say, 'Na cheap, o.' In this Nigeria, anything below 1k na free gift.

"How many pills you dey take every day?"

The woman smile, say, 'Just one.' Other people nod, support am. For Naija, if medicine no stress, everybody go like am.

"Just one."

As she talk am, people for back repeat, 'Just one.' The thing don turn chorus.

"So, na one-fifty naira a day dey cure cancer?"

Some people laugh, some hiss. Officer face show disbelief. If na so e easy, Nigeria for don turn paradise.

"Yes!"

Crowd shout again. Some dey wave hand, others dey clap. Hope na strong thing for this country.

The officer put hand for waist, shout, "Abeg! Na so cancer cure easy? If miracle drug dey, na me first go arrest who report am!"

E voice rise, people quiet. One small boy for window ask, 'Mummy, na true?' The matter come be like film.

Everywhere quiet.

You fit hear mosquito pass. Crowd calm, even goat for backyard stop to bleat. Hope, fear, and confusion just dey mix.

I pull officer trouser small.

My voice low, I bend small, say, "Oga officer, na dem report my papa."

Officer look me, sigh, then look crowd. For Naija, matter no dey end where e start. My mind dey heavy, but I no fit cry for public. But for this compound, hope and wahala dey drag—nobody know who go win.