Chapter 2: The Power of Words Unleashed

02

"Wetin you wan do?"

Morayo quickly stand well.

She shift back, her heart dey beat. Her eye dey search for help, but for compound wey no send woman, who go answer?

Me, my eye just dey shine. Since I land for this world, I never see this sacred writing with my own eye before.

For my mind, I dey reason: if na so power dey work, no wonder poor man dey suffer. Na only dem wey get brush dey rule.

Dayo catch me dey look, come shout, "You this groundnut seller, you dey use your yeye eye look sacred writing?"

E nearly spit for ground. I feel insult enter bone.

I nearly shout back, "No be you dey do show for my front?"

But Dayo no send. "To look alone na death sentence. After I finish with her, na your own turn."

My skin cold. If person like Dayo dey get power, how poor man wan survive?

For him eye, person like me na like mosquito. To kill me no need reason.

He go fit press me like suya pepper and nobody go talk anything.

Dayo turn to Morayo, voice cold. "You no wan marry Prince Jatau? No wahala. Me and my mama dey fear say you go disgrace Commander’s Compound. Since be so, we go use another way."

You fit see as darkness dey cover Dayo mind. This one na real set up.

As he talk, he begin write for air. Small small black smoke dey come out, then one awkward 'mute' word form for air.

The air thick, the smoke dey swirl like Lagos danfo exhaust. The black smoke smell like burnt ogi pot. I dey wonder whether thunder go strike.

Omo, I shock.

The words dey shine for air like firefly for rainy season night.

E be like say my own eye dey deceive me. Na power I dey see so?

No be naija writing be this?

I wan shout: which kain naija word dey float for air like this?

The 'mute' word bend bend, e no fine, but the power wey dey come out from am fit suffocate person.

No be small thing. My chest tight, e be like say ogbono soup dey block throat.

Morayo sense say wahala dey, she try run.

Na reflex. Even goat wey see knife dey run.

But the 'mute' word just waka come alive, jam her like say na person dey chase am.

No be small thing—the word dey move like masquerade for festival, sharp sharp, no mercy.

She try shout, try call for help, but na only air dey come out. E be like say invisible hand dey choke her. No matter as she try, her mouth just mute.

Na silence wey pain soul. Only the wind dey answer her.

Dayo look her finish, no even pity. "Whether you agree or not, na the same thing. You for just hear word from beginning."

He turn face away, like say her suffering na comedy.

"Tufia!"

Morayo fit only spit, since she no fit talk.

That spit na the only freedom wey remain for her. Even her tongue dey struggle for justice.

"You this stubborn goat!"

Dayo vex, raise hand, wan slap her.

The kind anger wey dey him face fit burn house.

Morayo fear, close her eye.

She gather courage, her lips dey shake. Na old prayer dey her heart.

But after small time, the slap no reach.

03

Morayo open eye small small, na me she see for front.

Na like spirit block her. I dey stand for between Dayo and her, my hand high, my eye red.

I don hold Dayo wrist with one hand. "You dey show power for person wey no fit do power—na so man suppose behave?"

My voice low but e get weight. For my head, na only justice dey ring.

Dayo pull him hand, hiss. "No wahala, I no go bully her. Na you I go deal with now. Make I tell you—since I small, I dey practice sacred writing. I sabi write thirty-six words. Any one I write fit finish you!"

He spread him chest, dey shine teeth. Na him own big secret be that.

I form big eye. "Ehn, thirty-six? Omo, na plenty!"

I give am small respect, but for my mind I dey reason, wetin thirty-six go do wey hunger never do before?

"You don fear abi?"

Dayo think say I don shake, come dey feel himself.

He start dey bounce leg, like say him dey ready for street fight.

For this world, the more word person fit write, the more power and status him get.

Na like say your dictionary dey measure your destiny. For this world, if your dictionary dey empty, na so your pocket go empty.

Beginner: ten words.

Prefect: thirty words.

Scholar: sixty.

Chief: one hundred twenty.

Elder: two hundred forty.

If person fit write four hundred eighty, dem fit enter Grand Council.

If your papa get Grand Council friend, na better blessing. If not, you go dey waka dey find who go show you road.

For here, Beginner and Prefect na power level, no be exam title.

No be like school prefect for Naija, na real power rank be this.

Above Grand Council, one secret level dey—Sage. Dem talk say Sage fit write at least five hundred words and join different sacred writings together, power go shake everywhere.

Na the kind story wey elders dey yarn for night when NEPA take light. Everybody dey fear Sage level.

But for people of the land, to reach that level hard die. Sage no even dey again for this world.

Old people go say, "dem don kpai finish." Na legend remain.

Plenty people dey, but many go spend their whole life, dem no fit even reach Beginner level. No wonder Dayo dey carry shoulder.

E mean say na only selected people dey chop power. Others go just dey watch, dey clap for side.

Dayo come para, "Die!"

He wan raise brush write, I just knack am slap.

04

Gbosa!

The slap loud well.

E echo for compound, even birds wey dey perch for mango tree fly commot. All the small boys for compound look back. Small pikin wey dey play ten-ten stop, mouth open. Even Mama Uche for kitchen peep window.

Dayo shock, mouth open.

E touch face, surprise catch am. Na the first time wey person slap am for public.

He try write again, but as he just start, I use blow knack him for eye.

Gbo!

My punch land for him eye, he stagger back.

The place wey my knuckle touch, e swell up quick. E bend like gala wey don spoil for sun.

As he see say I wan hit am again, he shout, "Wait! I never finish writing. How you go dey beat me?"

He dey complain like small pikin wey dem collect biscuit from hand.

I reply, "Why I no go fit beat you?"

For my mind, I dey wonder whether na brush dey save person from slap.

Dayo just mute.

He open mouth, no word come out. Small shame dey him face.

For Beginner and Prefect level, people no fit write sacred writing fast. Even as dem say he get talent, he rush go learn thirty-six words, but he never master any.

Dem just dey show power with half-baked skills.

Dayo try provoke me. "If you get mind, make you let me finish writing!"

Na empty threat. For street, na first blow dey win fight.

I bone face. "If I let you finish, nko?"

My voice calm, my eye dey focus. I no dey for nonsense.

I no believe say na naija word be this sacred writing for this world. Just to write different naija word for air, e fit bring different result.

I dey reason, if I sabi how to write, who go fit hold me again?

If I sabi this thing before, I for no dey do servant work.

For my mind, I dey blame myself say I slow for sense. My leg for don cross better level by now.

"You talk am o!"

Dayo begin write 'stone' for air.

The brush dey shake for him hand, the air dey vibrate. Small children for background dey peep, dey wonder who go win.

Serious power gather, big boulder form for top our head.

E be like say Mount Zuma dey float for sky. The weight alone fit break person head.

He wan use am crush me and Morayo.

No pity for him blood. Even family no dey safe.

I narrow eye. "You wan finish your own sister join?"

I give am that Igbo elder look—eyebrow up, chin forward.

Dayo just bone. "Prince Jatau no even sabi her face. Any woman I give am go do."

For him mind, women be like market yam—anybody fit chop.

Morayo hold hand tight.

She dey tremble, but e be like say hope still dey somewhere inside her chest.

Her own half-brother wan finish her.

For this world, blood no even sure pass garri.

Any family love wey remain, don scatter.

For village, dem go say, "Na pikin wey no get fear dey sell e sister for market."

As the boulder wan fall, Morayo just give weak smile, her eye full of guilt like say na me she carry enter wahala.

She fit dey think say her own trouble don leak enter my life.

Sweat dey my palm, but I bone face like street boy. I use finger quick write one word for air.

If na my village, elders go don call family meeting.

Na hope dey inside me—if I perish, make dem know say I try.

05

"Stop!"

As the word form, one ancient breeze just blow everywhere, everything freeze.

Na harmattan wey get sense. The whole place quiet, boulder hang for sky like magic juju.

The boulder hang for sky.

Even goat wey dey pass, stop, dey look. Everybody shock.

I pull Morayo commot.

I grab her hand, my body dey tremble. I dey thank my mama for all those midnight prayers.

Dayo look me like say he see ghost. "How you take write sacred writing with finger?"

Na so e mouth open like fish. If na joke, he for laugh, but this one pass him power.

Na only people wey reach Chief level fit write without brush, and even then, dem prefer brush because e strong pass.

Everybody for compound sabi say finger writing na elders work. I dey imagine how elders go react if dem see this one.

The same word, if different people write am or use different tool, the power dey different.

Na like say na knife and cutlass—you fit cut yam, but one go make the yam sweet pass.

The 'stop' word wey I write—na only him teacher side he don feel that kind power before.

If your teacher strong, na him shadow dey guide you. But this one pass all teacher wey him know.

"This guy strong pass my teacher?"

Dayo dey reason him life. Maybe na today him destiny go reset.

My leg weak, I fit swear say na juju. But for this place, na ordinary.

As the thought enter him mind, Dayo quick shake head, no wan believe.

Na so fear dey do person. You go try deny wetin your eye see.

Suddenly, my finger begin itch. I look am, small small golden flower dey open for my index finger. Small small golden petals, like those yellow cassava flowers, dey open for my finger.

E dey tingle, like say hot egusi touch am. I dey wonder if na juju or blessing.

These golden flowers na energy wey come from the world itself.

If dem see am for shrine, dem go say na gods dey send sign.

"Wetin be this one?"

I quick brush the petals commot.

I dey fear make e no be witchcraft. For my area, anything wey shine na two things: miracle or wahala.

The petals touch Morayo, the 'mute' word lose power immediately.

The thing shock me, but na relief full everywhere. Na like say rain fall for dry season.

Morayo regain her voice, quick explain, "This thing na 'miracle writing produce flower.' Only person wey write sacred writing for the first time dey see am."

She dey talk with respect, like person wey see angel for dream.

Then she shock, look me like say I be spirit. "You... na your first time to write sacred writing?"

Her eye dey wide, her lips dey shake.

I smile. "E be like so."

I try form gentle, make she no fear.

Dayo just freeze.

He start learn sacred writing from two and half years, write him first word at three.

No be today e dey hustle. Him mama dey praise am for compound, but today, mouth don close.

'Heaven.'

That first word, na everybody for family dey celebrate. Na big naming ceremony that year.

Him papa even add that word for him name.

Him papa dey proud, him mama dey cook jollof, but today, na silence full everywhere.

That time, him self see 'miracle writing produce flower.'

Na old women for family dey say, "Our pikin don get gift!"

This na sign from heaven and earth—nobody fit fake am.

If you lie for this one, gods go catch you sharp.

But how person wey dey write for the first time go strong pass am?

Na the question wey dey shake compound. E be like say spirit enter body.

Dayo no fit reason am.

For him head, na confusion full everywhere.