Chapter 7: Maryam's Return

As I wake again, sunset dey paint everywhere red, the light enter room. The colour dey warm, e make my eye pain. Person dey flip pages near me. As I move, he notice sharp sharp. He press im hand for my forehead: "You dey hot! Fever dey catch you!"

"Why you no drink tea this morning?" The concern for im voice different, e make my chest tight. I open mouth, but voice no gree come out. My throat dey pain me, my body just weak, dry. I just shake head say I no want. Suleiman laugh small, then carry me up. The way e hold me, e gentle, but strong.

He don change cloth, no smoke smell, and he dey careful die. He know say I hate smoke, so he no dey smoke for my front. Na only when e vex I fit smell am.

"I no wan drink tea again!" As he carry me go car back seat, I force the words come out, even as my throat dey pain. The seat soft, leather cold for my leg. He pause, like say he wan vex and laugh at the same time. "You just like to dey do your own, abi?"

...

Maybe na true. Maybe I just wan see if he fit ever throw me away. But I no talk again. I just shrink for seat. My body dey small for corner, I dey count tree wey dey pass window. Car start, clouds dey move outside. The red sunset for sky dey burn, like say e fit burn my chest. I dey feel empty, like person wey dey float.

...

Suleiman carry me go house. Person dey sit for parlour sofa. I try remember when I first see Maryam, but nothing come to mind. My head dey blank. I just notice—she resemble me die! Like say na my twin, but her eyes different. Her skin fair, nose sharp, even dimple dey same place like my own—e shock me.

So as she see Suleiman, she jump, rush hug am. Her voice high, she no even care who dey watch. For almost one minute, Suleiman just stand, shock. Till her hair touch im neck and she happy call im name: "Suleiman, I don come back!"

...

The girl still dey daze for im hand, so I talk: "She say she don come back." Suleiman throat just move, after some time, im voice come out, hoarse: "You... you don come back!" I never see am lose control like this before—just dey lost. Im hand dey tremble.