Chapter 3: Fatherhood for Stranger Land

4

As I waka comot bedroom, I see say na two-storey house I dey for Palm Grove Estate. The sun for Lagos dey bite, but AC inside house dey try.

Downstairs, Fanfan just dey quietly play puzzle near the big window.

Sun dey shine for am, e bend head, just dey gentle like say na small angel.

No sign of wahala wey small pikin dey do.

I reason say maybe na because of the wahala between him papa and mama.

I just feel somehow for am.

As I dey think, I waka go meet am.

“My pikin, wetin you dey play? Make Daddy play with you.”

Fanfan open eye look me, then e stand well like say e dey fear punishment, still call me, “Daddy.”

I rub him head small. I try smile, even though e stiff for my face. E be like say I never smile for years.

E just smile, lean into my hand.

I feel am for body, I fit guess say ten years later, I no too care for this pikin, I just leave am.

But as e still small, e no dey keep malice.

After we play small, e begin show me him puzzle with joy.

“My pikin, na only this toy you get?”

When I be him age, if I no dey play ball, na to watch Super Strikas or dey race toy car.

Fanfan look me, fear still dey him face, say, “Daddy talk say other toys dey too noisy, if I play with them, e go vex.”

My chest squeeze—so na me dey kill this pikin joy before?

Me: “...”

People dey talk say I get good mind. How I go dey vex for my own pikin?

Me, ten years later—wetin do you sef?

As I dey reason this one, na so bell ring.

Na Musa.

I just dey hope say make this Musa go get better advice pass the wahala wey dey my mind. Fanfan, even as small as e be, look me like say e dey beg for smile. I rub him cheek. "Later, Daddy go buy you better toy, you hear?" E just nod, happy small, like say hope dey.

5

As Musa waka enter, I nearly no recognize am. I nearly laugh—Musa wey dey wear slippers up and down before, now na suit and tie. Na this one be my former yeye padi?

Na glasses and suit e wear, like big man for office.

I open eye, shout, “Ah, Musa?”

Musa just bone face.

Fanfan run go meet am, shout, “Uncle Musa!”

Musa rub Fanfan head, then face me, “Abeg, make we talk upstairs.”

I sharply carry am go study, before e talk, I rush tell am everything wey don happen.

After e hear finish, Musa just dey look me well, then ask the main question: “How you sure say you waka enter future, no be say you lose memory?”

Ehn…

“I still remember the last food wey I chop before I waka come here—na two chicken laps for school canteen.”

“....”

“I remember the exam wey we do two days before. I still remember the questions. If na memory loss, I no go remember all these small small things from ten years ago.”

Musa just hiss, no still believe.

We grow up together—he sabi me pass anybody.

I scratch head, talk, “Okay, the day before, na when I toast Halima, she gree for me.”

Musa face just change, call me mumu.

Then e begin yarn me wetin happen for the past ten years.

My chest dey hot as Musa talk. Even as he dey talk, he no gree look my eye straight, as if shame dey worry am for my matter. Him own body language talk say the wahala pass wetin I fit handle. He siddon, cross leg, begin tap finger for table—na that his old habit when him dey think serious matter.

6

E talk say, ten years later, na real sickness hold me—bipolar wahala.

And the cause? Na the school beauty, my ex, Halima, cheat on me.

Musa say after we start, Halima dey do like say na only me, but e still dey keep many guys around, dey use me catch cruise.

By the time e notice say my head don dey touch, e don too late.

Later, Halima even frame Musa say e dey disturb her.

Because of love, I just vex, stop to talk to Musa, even fight am join.

I wan argue but words no gree come out. I turn to mumu for Halima.

But when I reach twenty-seven, Halima still dump me.

And the person wey she run go meet na my school roommate.

As I hear all this, I just sit down for sofa, dey reason life.

“Chai, na wa o.”

After all the mumu, nothing I gain, na sickness join.

“So who be my wife now?”

I remember say I never even ask who be my wife.

Musa look me, pause small, then talk, “Na Morayo.”

I nearly fall from chair—Morayo? The same Morayo wey all boys dey toast?

“Wetin?!”

I no fit believe say ten years later, na Morayo I marry.

I begin dey reason say maybe I dey dream.

Na this point, my mind just dey wander go back. If na church, pastor for say na generational curse. Or maybe na village people dey use my head play draft. I pinch myself small, just to confirm say I never dey inside one Nollywood script. My heart dey beat kpa kpa kpa.

7

Me, Musa and Morayo na padi from small.

The three of us grow for the same compound for Ibadan, go the same school.

Morayo always dey do well.

She fine, her character and book work no get mate.

Everybody for area sabi her.

As she dey grow, she fine pass before.

No be say I no reason her before.

But I just feel say I no reach her level.

Plus, boys too plenty wey dey follow her. Sometimes, I dey help deliver love letter to her for other guys, just to hide my own feelings.

I remember, after I give her that letter, she just bone me for days.

So even when she later dey treat me special, I just talk say na childhood friendship.

She sef travel abroad after school finish.

Now Musa dey tell me say na Morayo marry me.

This shock me like say Super Eagles win World Cup.

Suddenly, another thing come my mind.

“O boy, Fanfan na four and half, and I break up with Halima at twenty-seven. So, e mean say I no waste time at all?”

Musa look me with that ‘so you sabi’ face, talk, “That time we no too dey talk, but I hear say you and Morayo dey caught for bed by Halima, so na then dem say Fanfan enter.”

“How that one go happen?”

“Morayo no be that kind person.”

Even if my head knock, Morayo no go just do anyhow.

Musa say, “I no know the koko. Na so I hear say Halima wan break up, you no gree, so she come catch you and Morayo together, use am turn the matter.”

“But as I sabi Halima, she fit run package for there.”

My eye just turn.

No wonder na only my things dey the room. If Morayo really marry me because of pikin, e mean say she no happy at all.

“O boy… how I go do now?”

The sweet dream just turn wahala.

Musa tap my shoulder. “Try dey treat Morayo and Fanfan well. All these years, you just dey do like stone for them.”

The way Musa talk am, my chest just tight. For my mind, I dey beg God make He give me chance to correct my ways. If this na second chance, I go try dey present for my family. As e be so, life na turn by turn. E fit be say na now my own miracle go land. I sigh, look window, where sun dey shine on top Fanfan head, hope say tomorrow go better for us. But for this kind life, who sabi wetin fit happen next?