Chapter 2: Secrets, Spirits, and Sacrifice

2.

I quickly write back to Prime Minister, beg to know the real wahala, make I fit understand wetin dey worry am.

I tell messenger make e run, even dash am small money, tell am say na life and death. Letter dey full of questions, as if na catechism exam.

But after long time, no reply from Prime Minister.

Day break, night come, nothing. Even bird wey dey fly message no show. I dey restless, dey pace up and down.

Serious fear grip me. In fact, Prime Minister don dey act somehow since before the journey.

I remember how elders dey say when lion dey act like goat, something dey wrong. Obafemi wey always sure, now dey look lost.

Few days before we move, Prime Minister watch stars for night, say wahala dey for heaven.

He burn incense, sprinkle palm wine for ground, dey ask ancestors for sign. He gather all him seers, dey look sky, dey murmur prayer. E dey remind me of old story, when people dey check moon before planting yam.

For seven days straight, he lock himself inside house, dey find secret for heaven.

Palace quiet that week. Even small children dey tiptoe for corridor. Everybody dey wait for Obafemi to come out, as if na new moon dey appear.

When he come out, two new white hairs don show for him head.

People dey whisper, say stress dey do am. But for our place, new white hair na sign say spirit don visit you for night.

After that, all the native seers and prayer warriors for our land gather for Aba for big meeting.

If you see crowd that day! Some carry white chalk, some dey sing praise song. Dem sing "Oluwa, gba wa lowo ogun" till the whole palace dey vibrate. Even people wey nor believe come look.

But nobody know wetin dem talk.

Dem close mouth like people wey chop meat for burial. Even palace cook no hear gist.

Na the next day for palace, Prime Minister send letter say he wan start northern campaign.

Na so commotion start. Some dey pack bag, some dey sharpen cutlass. The matter dey hot.

Na that time I remember wetin Prime Minister tell me before we move:

Obafemi words come back to me, like song wey refuse to leave your head.

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

The echo dey loud, as if he dey beside me.

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

I dey nod, my mind dey wander.

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

Goosebumps catch me again, even for heat.

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

I dey see Lanre face, how fear dey grip am. Some men no fit stand when battle dey near.

As he dey talk, even Baba Wolé wey sabi everything, I see fear and tiredness for him face.

Baba Wolé na man wey weather war, see blood, but that day, even him voice low, eye no meet anybody own.

The big fire for River Yam na King Ikenna set am? I no gree believe am.

How leader go fit turn fire on him own men? For our place, na abomination. I dey try find sense for am.

After all, na the late King carry all the best soldiers of our land go that battle.

Men wey dey sing war song, beat drum, carry juju. E pain everybody as dem no return.

After the fight, we no get power again, and the King die for Palm Grove Estate because of sorrow.

People say na heart break kill am. Some say na spirit follow am from river side.

If na true, why the King go set fire kill him own soldiers?

This kain question na only elders fit answer. I dey reason am for head.

As I dey think all these strange things, na so fight start outside camp.

Noise burst, like thunder. Everybody rush out, hand dey touch sword.

Bala see me come out, he nod small:

He nod, mouth stiff. E dey try hide fear, but I see am for him eye.

"General Musa, I no know why, but enemy send one small boy—dem dey call am Black Scorpion—to challenge us."

Enemy dey wise. Dem send young blood, make we test strength. Na old war trick.

"I see say dem no reach plenty, so I send hundred men to face dem."

Hundred men strong well. I trust Bala judgment. E dey try show enemy say we get muscle.

I nod, watch from camp.

I carry binocular, watch ground. My heart dey beat, but I try pretend say I calm.

As the fight start, enemy show serious courage, no fear at all.

Dem charge like mad dogs, shout war cry wey make ground shake. Our boys nor carry last, dem stand well.

But after one rush, dem turn back, ride go bush.

Na so dem disappear, quick quick. Everybody dey look, dey wonder.

Me and Bala dey drink zobo for city wall, but after long, our men wey chase dem no come back.

Sun dey go down, but we no see any sign of our men. Zobo cold, but sweat dey my back.

Bala no fit hold am: "General Musa, make I go check." I nod.

Bala nor dey fear. E just grab sword, call two men, run go.

But before you fit finish one cup of zobo, Bala don come back.

E dey pant, cloth tear, sand full shoe. Him face pale like groundnut soup wey too much oil dey inside.

He kneel down, face white, voice dey shake:

For war, na rare thing to see Bala shake. My hand dey ready for prayer.

"Oga... wahala don happen... all the soldiers die!"

Bala voice quiver. If you see am, you go fear say juju pass there.

"The way dem die bad well well... no be person kill dem at all..."

I dey listen, heart dey freeze. No be bullet, no be knife. Wetin kill dem?

Bala bring out one strange palm leaf from him cloth.

E hold am like sacred item. I dey look, dey wonder if na juju or message.

"I just find this one for hand of one dead soldier..."

Bala voice low, as if e dey talk for graveyard.

I look Bala well: "Wetin be this?"

I dey look Bala eye, search for sense. E just shake head, give me the leaf.

I see for the palm leaf, strange pattern wey dem draw with blood.

I rub my finger for the blood—still warm. For our place, blood wey never dry mean the spirit still dey near. The thing red, fresh. Blood still dey smell iron. If na ordinary war, nobody go waste time draw.

The drawing bend anyhow, like say the person rush draw am.

Na so hand shake, line scatter, but you go see pattern if you look well.

I look am long before I see say na person stand for high platform, wear agbada wey wide like village chief own, hand dey up like prophet for crusade.

I bend the leaf, eye dey narrow. I see the agbada, the platform, hand wey dey up, like prophet for crusade ground.

This kind thing, no be Prime Minister dey borrow east wind for River Cliffs?

I dey remember how we dey hail am that time. Obafemi wey borrow wind, make fire sweep enemy. Na big tori.

But why soldier, before he die, go draw this picture hold am tight?

Which kind last message be this? For war, dying man no dey waste time.

Which sign he wan give us?

I dey reason deep. Maybe na warning, maybe na curse. My mind dey twist.

As I dey hold the palm leaf, memory flash—when I small, my grandmother warn us about juju drawings. She say, "If you see blood pattern for leaf, no touch am! Spirit fit dey call you." But this one, na my duty to face am.

3.

Me and Bala keep quiet. We know say something deep dey behind all this.

Breeze nor dey blow again. Only sound na for our own breath. E get as e be, like say ground dey watch us.

If na Prime Minister dey behind, wetin be him real plan for this Okpoko Hills journey?

Bala look me, I look am. Both of us dey ask same question for mind. War nor dey show all him teeth.

Na that time, my scout wey I send go Prime Minister camp come report say, for Prime Minister’s war meeting, Yakubu bring one plan.

Scout burst in, dust full face, voice low. I send everybody commot before e talk.

Yakubu talk: "Aliyu Musa na small boy, no get sense."

Everybody burst laugh, even palace guard wey no dey smile join, but e be like say Yakubu dey use mouth cover real plan.

"I ready to carry five thousand strong soldiers, pass through Eziokwu, follow east side of Palm Grove Hills, enter Okirika Valley go north. In ten days, I go reach Kaduna."

That road dey dangerous. Palm Grove full of wild animal, but if dem fit pass, na quick way go north.

"Prime Minister fit lead main army through Ogudu. If we do am like this, everywhere west of Zaria go fall for our hand."

I dey picture map for my mind, as if na ludo board. The plan dey bold.

Bala bring map, dey look Okirika Valley and Eziokwu Road well.

Map rough, e get oil stain and small tear for corner—like all maps wey pass through war. Dem draw am with charcoal, hand dey shake, but e clear say if plan work, enemy nor go get where to run.

If Prime Minister use Yakubu plan, surprise through Okirika Valley, Umuola Junction go just be bait.

We nor go fit hold both places, so one must fall for the other to rise.

Now, all northern army dey for Umuola Junction, with generals Danjuma and Shehu.

Those men get name for killing. If dem gather for one place, wahala dey cook.

If we sacrifice Umuola Junction, Prime Minister main force fit just take Kaduna, conquer everywhere.

Blood nor dey my face again. I dey see how we be sacrifice for chess board.

Me and Bala look each other, our mind dey turn, then we go back our camps.

We no talk again. For war, silence dey loud pass masquerade drum.

On the third day, Shehu vanguard reach hill foot, just as I expect.

Na so trumpet sound for morning. Shehu men dress in black, face like stone. Dem nor talk, just stand.

Shehu order him men surround the hill, no attack, just block water, make we surrender.

Water. Again. Enemy wise. Suffer go make us bend knee.

Prime Minister only tell me make I hold, so I no try to break out, just dey send scouts.

Each morning, I dey send small boys go bush, make dem bring any tori. Even if na monkey wahala, I wan hear.

By noon, my scout come back, report quick quick.

He run, sweat full body, dey breathe like goat for harmattan.

"General, I no sure if Yakubu plan for Okirika Valley don happen."

He scratch head, voice low.

"Prime Minister main army still dey Tarka, but over ten thousand men wey Yakubu lead, dem disappear."

Disappear. The word heavy for my ear. Ten thousand men nor be wrapper wey breeze fit carry.

Plenty questions dey my mind. No, I must see Prime Minister face to face.

E reach time. Man must look truth for eye, even if e dey burn like pepper.

I know say Shehu men no go attack for some days, so I disguise myself, follow bush road go Prime Minister camp.

I wear old cloth, cover face with dust. For night, I waka alone, spirit dey lead me. Snake almost bite me for bush, but I nor stop.

By the time I reach Tarka camp, night don reach. I no expect say Prime Minister dey sickbed, life almost finish.

Tent dey quiet, only lamp dey burn. Obafemi dey for mat, voice low, eye red. E shock me.

"Youke, you don come back at last! E mean say time don reach for you to know the real truth for this Three Kingdoms world."

E call me Youke, like old times. My chest dey heavy. The room smell of herbs, as if babalawo just commot.

Obafemi cough, I smell bitter leaf medicine for air. Prime Minister talk with last strength, eyes full of tiredness.

You go see old man wey carry country for head. E look me, like say e dey see my soul.

Since late King die, na only Prime Minister hold us together.

Obafemi na pillar. If e fall, na whole house collapse. Everybody dey look am for hope.

When everybody comot, Prime Minister start to talk the big secret.

His voice low, but sure. E dey drag breath like man wey swim river come out.

Everything start from the famous three visits to the mud hut…

The story no be new, but e always dey sweet for mouth. People dey add salt, but today, na Obafemi own version I dey hear.

Prime Minister be ordinary man before, dey farm for Okpoko. Late King, wey like wise people, visit am three times for him hut.

Na for that mud hut, e plant yam, e harvest wisdom. King Ikenna like gather smart people, na why e waka go meet Obafemi.

But Prime Minister, after he watch stars for night, already know say old dynasty don finish, new people go take over.

For our tradition, star dey talk, if you sabi read am. Obafemi no be ordinary eye. E see say rain wan fall for old tree.

Late King, wey dey shout restore the old ways, na fight against heaven him dey.

Old ways get power, but heaven nor dey play. To fight am na waste energy.

So the first two times, Prime Minister no gree come out from hill.

Stubborn like goat. If e nor see sign, e nor go move.

But when late King come the third time, he carry bottle.

This one, everybody remember. The bottle matter na legend. Some say na gin, some say na blood, but nobody know true story.

The bottle cover with black cloth. That time, nobody know wetin dey inside.

King Ikenna hold am tight, as if na key to world. Even breeze no fit blow the cloth.

Servant for the hut give the bottle to Prime Minister. As he open am, he gree come out immediately.

Obafemi no ask question. Once he open bottle, e bow, follow King go.

After that, na the famous Okpoko Plan to share the world into three…

From that day, everything change. Council gather, land divide, history take new shape.

At the end, I dey look sky, ask God: who go remember us if we disappear for this hill?