Chapter 1: Palm Grove Silence

Chuka no dey hear at all.

If you see Chuka ehn, stubbornness just dey him body like stubborn Agama lizard. Na so! Any time wahala burst, if we quarrel, you go just see as he go fling that hearing aid commot as if say e dey pain am to even hear my voice. Sometimes I go just dey look am, dey wonder if na me dey craze or if na him get coconut head.

Anytime we quarrel, he go just fling that hearing aid comot. Na that time neighbors for our block go begin notice the noise. One voice from the next compound go just shout, "Make una two calm down o! Na love matter, no kill person!"

No matter how I try reason with am, e go just do like say he no dey for this world. I fit dey shout from here till next year, he don already block me out—literally! E no dey gree talk or explain. Na so the thing dey tire person, ehn.

He never gree carry me join him real friends.

Na so I go dey house dey hear gist, but to meet him main people, forget am. E go just talk say, "Ah, dem dey busy," or "No be big thing." The one time I suggest make I follow am go see padi, na so he change topic sharp-sharp. I begin dey reason, wetin be this? Shey na secret society?

For one class reunion, person come ask am, "How you dey take manage Miss Ife wahala sef?"

The question self dey funny me because the person wey ask just dey shine teeth anyhow. You know as our people dey do—wahala na ginger, na play, but dem dey like pepper body small. All the ex-classmates gather dey gist, dey drink malt and zobo.

Chuka just point him hearing aid.

The guy raise hand, just point am like say na weapon. Everybody just pause look am—dem know say wahala dey come.

"Just remove am."

He talk am with one kind cool face, as if na secret way to find peace for this Lagos wahala. You know when person no wan hear, e better pass make dem quarrel.

Everybody for the room burst laugh.

Laughter just scatter for the whole room, even me sef, my belly cramp. One of the guys even fall for chair dey slap table, dey shout, "Chuka! Baba!" See ehn, na that day I realize say, for this our Naija, to get sense of humour dey help pass plenty things. But deep down, that joke bite me small—e pain me sha, I no go lie.