Chapter 1: The Order from Okpoko Hills

Obafemi wey be Prime Minister, waka go Okpoko Hills six times, but if we talk true, the man no ever really get heart to attack the northern kingdom.

Na so people for our town dey gist am, say the man name big for war, but inside him heart, e soft pass bread wey soak for tea. Rain nor dey fall anyhow for dry season. You fit see am for him eye anytime war matter land—like say spirit dey drag am go back house. Some people talk say na juju dey worry am, others talk say na conscience. Who sabi? Only God fit know how war dey chop person for inside.

The night before dem order me to defend Umuola Junction, Obafemi wey be Prime Minister call me aside, him words heavy like stone:

Palace quiet that night, like even moon dey listen. You fit hear the wooden spoon dey hit pot, smell of ogiri and burnt onions dey mix for air. Obafemi voice low, like elder wey no want pikin hear bad gist.

"Musa, you still remember that big fire for River Yam?"

Him eyes dey search my face, like say he dey dig inside my chest for my true mind. The memory choke me, but I nod. I remember how that fire paint sky red, how river dey cry for weeks.

"Everybody dey talk say na Lanre set fire for the joined camps."

That story waka reach every beer parlour from Aba to Minna. Lanre this, Lanre that. But all of us wey know, we sabi say street gist no ever finish for truth.

"But the real truth be say, na the late King Ikenna set that fire by himself."

For inside me, cold wind blow. If na true say King Ikenna do am, e mean say our history dey wear mask since all these years.

"Lanre see our army for the other side of river, fear catch am, he don run already."

Obafemi voice nearly break as he talk that part. E be like say the weight of him words dey press him chest down.

Na when I reach the front lines I begin understand the Prime Minister own wahala.

The front lines dey smell of sweat, gun oil, and old dust wey no dey ever rest. Men dey whisper for corner, fear dey hang for air like harmattan haze. Na there I start to see meaning for Obafemi yarn, like say spirit touch my ear.

I dey look the packed ranks of northern army outside Umuola Junction—

You go see their uniforms, sharp and bright like new Ankara, lines straight as road governor dey pass. I feel ground dey vibrate, like say land itself dey fear.

Na that time I come realise the most frightening truth for this Three Kingdoms wahala…

E shock me reach bone. Sometimes, na lie dey protect country pass army.

1.

As I just land for Umuola Junction, wahala burst.

My boot never even touch ground finish, gunshot burst like popcorn. Shouting everywhere, smoke dey rise. The whole place scatter, as if Ogun himself come supervise war.

Three soldiers die just like that, no reason, no injury for their body.

Dem fall for ground like log of wood. People dey look, dey cross sign of the cross, some dey call Allah. Na so confusion fill air, like market wey thief enter.

I think maybe na poison? The local chemist wey follow us cut the bodies open to check.

That chemist na old man wey sabi plenty herbal medicine. E take him time, wipe sweat from face, then use razor wey him papa give am cut the first body.

But as soon as he open am, fear catch everybody inside the tent.

E shock us. Even the boldest among us dey shake. Even mosquito wey dey inside tent stop to bite.

The inside of the corpses empty – their bodies just like hollow calabash.

Omo, na so we see am. Empty as market after rain. No bone, no flesh, just skin like calabash wey children dey play for village square.

No blood remain inside, not even one bone.

I check my own palm, dey squeeze am like say blood fit disappear from me too. Na real mystery, as in, person fit lose faith that night.

Somebody whisper say na mammy water work, or maybe forest spirit dey vex. Na that moment I know say the matter don pass ordinary.

Dem say for Nigeria, if matter pass ordinary, e mean say spirit don dey involved. Even the chemist dey wipe hand for cloth, him face pale.

I sharply warn everybody there make dem no talk this thing outside, if not, na death go meet dem.

I draw my men close, voice low, make sure the tent cover us well. I threaten them small, tell them say, "If your mouth too sharp, e go land you for grave before your time." For this kind matter, mouth dey lead person go grave.

That night, I no sleep. I write letter, report everything to the Prime Minister. Next morning, his reply land sharp sharp.

Sleep run from my eyes like thief. I light candle, pen dey shake for my hand. When reply land, messenger no even greet, just talk, "Oga, abeg, na urgent—see letter." Then he drop am and waka off, face strong like stone.

For the envelope, e write: "To General Musa—open by yourself."

I use small penknife—my father own—tear the envelope, heart dey beat drum for my chest. Seal dey heavy, red wax like palm oil. Na only me fit open am, as e be.

The first part of the letter na wetin we first discuss: I must hold Umuola Junction against the northern army for seven days.

I read the line again and again. Seven days for Umuola Junction – na death sentence if you ask me. But I trust Obafemi wey be Prime Minister.

He talk say the Prime Minister go personally lead army come take over the fight for Umuola Junction.

As I read am, hope small enter my mind. If Obafemi go show, maybe we go survive this one. But my spirit no still settle.

But the end of the letter make cold catch my body.

The line get as e be. Na so I stop, rub my chest, pray small prayer under my breath.

"Near Umuola Junction get one hill, e dey alone, bush full everywhere. That place na natural fortress; you fit put your soldiers for that hill."

I dey picture the hill for my mind. Bush dey everywhere, snake and scorpion go dey dance for that place. But truly, na strong ground if person wan hide.

"Abeg, Youke, arrange your defense for that hill. No let anybody know wetin dey inside this letter."

I dey look the handwriting, sure say na Obafemi own. The order clear, but my mind dey protest.

But before, Prime Minister don tell me:

The voice still dey my ear – how he warn me for palace, make I no forget. Everybody for council dey nod. Main pass, main pass, na mantra for soldier mind.

"When you dey arrange camp, you must hold the main pass, so enemy no go pass you waka. If you block main road, even elephant no fit pass."

Na big sin for war to leave main road. Even my late uncle, soldier for civil war, yarn me this lesson till today.

Why this letter come dey talk another thing?

I rub my forehead, sweat dey my palm. Something dey hook me for throat. E be like say bush dey grow for my mind.

No be to guard the main pass again, but make we enter the hill. If enemy surround us, that hill go turn to grave.

You go dey look sky, no road for escape. Mosquitoes go chop you, sun go bake you, enemy go wait like vulture.

Even if northern army no attack, if dem just block our water, we go surrender without fight.

Na true talk. Water na life. If dem cut am, man go weak pass goat.

This one na simple thing – Prime Minister wey get sense pass all of us no go know?

Obafemi nor be small pikin for war. This kind mistake no fit escape am. The sense get as e be.

So why he go give this kind order? This letter self, e really come from Prime Minister?

I open the letter again, smell the paper, check the seal, but my spirit no still gree. Something dey hide for this matter.

My mind no rest, so I call Deputy General Bala.

Bala na my right hand man. We dey chop from same pot. If trouble dey, na Bala go first charge. I call am, lock door, voice low.

I explain the hill garrison idea. Bala just shake head.

E look me, eyes red like person wey drink burukutu, then e laugh small.

"If you block main road, even elephant no fit pass."

Na so Bala talk am. E sure of himself, even dey use stick draw plan for sand.

"But if we leave the main road and go hill, if northern army rush come and surround us, which plan we get to save ourselves?"

I feel the question land like slap for my face. Na true. Which plan? If dem pin us for hill, story go end for us there.

True talk. Even Bala know this thing.

Bala dey knock sense for my head, but order na order. Nigerian army no dey joke with command. If you break am, court-martial sure.

But Prime Minister warn me serious say make I no tell anybody wetin dey inside the letter.

That warning dey ring for my ear, heavy like church bell for Sunday morning.

Military order heavy like mountain. As I dey look the Prime Minister’s big red seal for the letter, I no get choice. I garrison for the hill as he talk.

I gather my men, tell them say na new strategy, but for inside me, na fear dey dance.

Bala beg me make I no do am, say make I give am five thousand men.

Bala voice crack small. "Oga, abeg, make you just dash me small men. E go help all of us."

He wan set small camp for foot of the hill, so that if northern army show, both camps fit help each other.

The man get sense. If wahala come, at least we go fit cover each other, like two goats join head face lion.

The idea make sense. E no break military order and e fit cover us in case wahala show. I quickly agree for Bala request.

I remember when me and Bala fight for Ogbomoso, how e save my life. I squeeze him hand, say make e arrange the men sharp sharp. As brothers, we dey reason am together. My mind small small rest.

By the time we finish arrange the army, night don reach. Na so another letter from Prime Minister land.

Night breeze dey cool, but my chest still dey burn. The new letter smell of worry. Messenger no smile, just waka drop am and go.

"If enemy plenty, you fit fight; if enemy small, abeg no fight."

Na riddle be this? I read am twice, dey scratch head. Since when we dey choose which enemy to fight?

"You must hold Umuola Junction for seven days."

I count the days for my finger, wish say I fit add one day join.

"If I reach within seven days, all go dey okay. If I no reach in seven days, leave the city, lead army back to Aba sharp sharp."

The matter dey serious. Aba no be stone throw from Umuola. I dey reason how road go safe for retreat.

"Quickly contact Ifeanyi, Damilola and others to discuss moving the capital."

My eyes open wide. Move capital? Na big wahala be that. Capital no be load wey you dey pack anyhow.

"The relocation must finish within one month. For the rest of your life, never step foot on Umuola land again."

As I finish the letter, hand dey shake. This kain order, e heavy for body. E be like say thunder dey plan to strike.

I frown. This talk too heavy.

For my mind, I dey pray, dey ask God make e turn the story better. But this kain warning, e dey give person sleepless night.

Prime Minister dey attack Tarka for Makurdi. He no sure say we go win?

How enemy strong reach, wey make Obafemi dey doubt himself? Tarka no be ordinary ground, and our men no be chicken.

But even if Tarka fall and Umuola Junction lose, why we go need move the capital?

E dey confuse me. Na only if spirit catch us, we go run like that. Country dey for inside, even if enemy pack reach river bank.

Our kingdom get strong ground, northern or western side no go fit take am anyhow.

Na so I dey convince myself. After all, we get warriors, hunters, juju, all dey our side.

But from Prime Minister’s words, if we lose this time, na end for us.

I try calm myself, but my spirit nor gree. E be like say the whole world dey rest on this battle.

Wetin dey happen? Northern army really strong reach like that?

I dey ask myself, dey look sky. No answer. Just night breeze dey blow.