Chapter 2: Madness for Survival

When news reach Kano, Danjuma no even fit vex, because Sule Prince, as he dey clear the princes, still dey watch his strongest uncle.

Danjuma just sigh, keep quiet for long. As old people go talk, ‘When you see lion catch goat, goat no need shout.’

Kano Prince army strong, so court carry some go guard northern border, abi?

For north, soldiers dey scatter. Danjuma just dey count men every morning. Even the way dem move soldiers, na strategy to keep am weak.

Wetin Danjuma fit talk? He just say, "No wahala."

Na the way of wise man. No be every fight you shout. Sometimes, na inside you go dey plan your move.

After that, Sule Prince dey send people come Kano, control military and political power, send inspectors dey report Kano Prince wahala, bribe ministers, talk say he dey plan rebellion.

Inspector go waka like snail, dey write report: “Kano Prince dash market woman bag of salt—rebellion sign!” Na so dem dey twist story.

Danjuma argue tire, say na normal reward—prince no fit even dash person something?

For palace, na big insult. All those small gifts now na crime. Danjuma go raise voice, but dem no dey listen.

Sule Prince no send, just demote the minister wey collect Kano Prince reward go Taraba.

That one pack him load, dey cry for palace corridor. Other ministers begin dey fear, dey hide face when dem see Danjuma.

Kano Prince people dey mock court, talk anyhow—dem catch dem, kill dem for capital for treason.

Dem hang one for main market square. People for Kano dey cry, dey curse under breath. Na so fear dey spread.

Royal edict come, dey talk to Kano Prince anyhow. Dem wave the edict like juju paper, elders dey shout, "Old Musa talk am, na law!"

Even small pikin for street dey recite am, dey laugh, “Kano Prince—rebel!” But Danjuma no talk.

Danjuma just collect am, no space to do anything.

E just tuck letter for waist, keep face straight. Night after night, no sleep. Only the sound of muezzin and distant thunder keep am company. Some nights, e go look sky, just dey pray inside heart, “God, see me o.”

No space at all. Suleman bring thirty thousand soldiers, carry Kano Prince best soldiers go guard border, station for Kazaure, dey watch Kano Prince from Jos Plateau. Kaduna and Bauchi too, court dey control am.

All the gates close. Danjuma palace dey like prison—soldiers everywhere, even for well side, dem go dey stand.

Three sides surround am, how e wan take fight?

Na real choke. If e cough loud, soldier go show. If e wink for wrong side, report go reach king.

For the cold northern wind, Malam Yakubu, wear white jalabiya, enter Kano Prince house.

The kind swagger wey Malam Yakubu take enter, e be like rain dey fall but e no dey wet. White cloth dey shine for candle light, eyes dey sharp.

Malam Yakubu, Islamic name Dauda, na scholar wey sabi poetry and get wicked sense.

The kind poem e dey recite, sometimes go make warrior drop sword. E get sharp mouth, quick wit. People dey fear e kind intelligence.

For life, Prophet talk say everything na vanity, but people still dey find way make their name last. Book people want their name dey history, and Dauda no different—e want make e name dey ground.

Na so elders dey say, ‘If tree fall, na only name remain.’ Dauda dey reason legacy pass money.

But time never reach; everywhere peaceful, so e just dey do scholar.

E dey teach children for palace, dey arrange books, dey correct grammar. E go smile, dey call everybody “my pikin.”

Now, Malam Yakubu enter Kano Prince house, look sky, smile.

The smile sharp like razor. E look Danjuma, do small bow, raise hand, “Time don reach.”

"Your Highness, only way now na to raise army."

E talk am like prophecy. Even the wind pause small.

Danjuma eyebrow move: "I no even wan talk about our wahala. Country just calm down, soldiers and people dey with that yeye nephew. How I go raise army?"

Danjuma voice low, but you fit hear as frustration dey boil inside. E dey tap leg, dey look ground.

Malam Yakubu just dey play e role: "I sabi wetin God want. Why you dey worry about people mind?"

E go wave hand, as if e dey sweep all fear away. “If God sign am, who fit stop am?”

Danjuma: "..."

He just dey stare, no talk. For palace, na only rooster fit shout anyhow, but Danjuma just dey observe.

All this talk about God, ancestors, spirits—Malam Yakubu and him people prove from everywhere say Danjuma get king aura, say e go be king.

Some go even dey quote old Ifa verses, dey bring cowries, dey shake rattle. “Oga, na you carry crown for spirit world.”

Danjuma: "..."

E just weak. Sometimes na to sleep dey cure this kind wahala.

Danjuma don tire.

He say, "Keep all this for when you wan deceive people later. Just tell me wetin to do."

Everybody for room burst small laugh. Even Malam Yakubu just shake head, “Oga, no dey dull yourself.”

Malam Yakubu raise two fingers. To raise army na to find soldiers, buy horse. Your Highness fit use excuse say you dey find runaway soldiers, use am find men. For horse and weapon, Kano Prince house na old palace—the backyard big enough to dig underground forge.

The way Malam Yakubu dey yarn, e go fit sell sand for desert. E draw line for sand, explain strategy, “We go do am coded, nobody go suspect.”

Danjuma scratch ear.

Na habit wey e get when e dey deep thought. E go press ear, shake head, dey calculate risk for mind.

Malam Yakubu understand, smile small: "If Your Highness dey fear noise from weapon, just put plenty chickens or goats on top. Their noise go cover the sound."

“Chickens go dey shout, dem no go hear hammer,” e talk am with wink. Even palace guards dey try hide smile.

Danjuma no too answer, just sigh: "With all this, how many men we fit get? Hundred reach?"

E voice low, but hope dey inside. E dey try see if plan go fit work at all.

Malam Yakubu say: "Hundred dey enough."

“Hundred warriors fit turn world upside down, if mind strong.”

Danjuma laugh, bend forward, look Malam Yakubu: "Malam Dauda, you wan make I use hundred men bet my life against kingdom one million army—no be too much?"

E eyes dey shine like person wey just hear big bet for ayo game. Everybody wait Malam Yakubu answer.

Malam Yakubu cool: "Dead man no fit get bold mind."

“Nothing to lose, oga.” Sometimes na this kind mad courage dey change story.

After all the wahala, Danjuma just laugh, eye bright: Okay! Life and death, make we gamble!

That laughter scatter tension for room. Even the guards wey dey listen from door begin nod head. True talk.

But to find soldiers go take time. As Sule Prince dey press am, Danjuma need time to breathe.

Palace dey tight like pot wey cover fire. To plan anything, na under nose of enemy.

He don see him brother burn himself, see him people die, dey live in fear, even him son dey as hostage for capital—madness no far.

Sometimes e go dey stare for mirror, e eyes go red. People dey whisper for palace, “Our prince don dey craze small small.”

So Danjuma act mad.

Big prince, dey run for street dey fight for food, dey act like pikin, dey scatter everywhere, dem drag am go house, he still dey act.

Dem go say, “See prince dey drag tuwo for roadside, na wa o!” Palace gossip dey everywhere. E reach market woman, “Na so royalty dey do for your side?” People for Sabon Gari market stop dey chop suya, dey watch am, dey whisper say royalty don craze.

Say e cold, say e hot.

Dem go bring wrapper, e go push am. For hot season, e go enter fireplace. Everybody confuse.

For hot season, he wear thick cloth with fire dey burn, when Sule Prince people come check, Danjuma turn look dem with gentle but somehow wicked smile: "E really cold."

Dem fear o! Even witch for village no dey act reach like this. Dem rush report say prince don really craze.

Fear catch Sule Prince people.

Na so dem begin dey tiptoe for palace, dey avoid him way. No person wan jam mad prince for corridor at night.

Since Danjuma don mad, person gats manage the vassal state. Sule Prince never fight Kano Prince openly, so by sense and feeling, e suppose send Danjuma sons back.

As tradition dey talk, you no dey keep madman family for palace. Dem fit bring wahala. King go reason say, “Release the boys, make peace small.”

And, Danjuma don ready to rebel. Apart from recruit, he get another plan.

Danjuma dey send secret message, dey arrange for city. E dey drop coin for ground, dey call boys for dark corner, dey plan wetin elders dey call, ‘Oga way.’

Like, send people go spread money for capital.

E dey grease palm for Abuja, dey buy hope, dey shake hand with hungry generals. Na so rebellion dey build quietly.

Anybody wey fit buy, dem buy. Sule Prince dey rely on book people, but plenty military people no get hope. If dem no join rebellion, at least dem go stand look.

Some go just stand, dey scratch beard, dey say, “E go better for who side win.”

His in-law, Musa Zubairu, dey hope for am, become main link for capital.

Na so alliance dey form. Musa Zubairu go dey smile for palace, dey act innocent, but every night, message dey travel for dark road.

With people like this dey stir ground—and, most important, Sule Prince no fit decide whether to release Kano Prince sons—he dey listen to everybody.

Even the youngest court boy get opinion. King dey tire, dey rub head, “Which one I go do now?”

Musa Zubairu say, "Kano Prince get money but no soldiers. Why e go rebel? Na to die quick?"

E dey act like friend, dey dull king mind. E go drink kunu, laugh, dey talk slow, “Leave dem. E no fit.”

Sule Prince believe am.

King no know say na double mind Musa dey use. As dem dey talk for village, “Clever thief dey inside house.”

Even though Danjuma elder in-law, Suleiman Bello, beg make dem no release the boys, e no work.

King just wave hand, “Let them go.” Suleiman Bello bite lip, but nothing fit do.

Sule Prince sure say nothing go happen, and e no ready for real fight. Even though e don rude and break process with uncles, he never ready to scatter everything.

King believe say small wahala go end for talk. As elders dey warn, “No look pikin for face, say e no get teeth.”

The boys steal Suleiman Bello horses, run comot from Abuja.

Na so dem waka like wind. Palace guards dey sleep, before dem open eye, boys don vanish. Horse dey neigh for bush, moon dey shine.

Suleiman Bello chase dem, no catch dem.

E run tire, even lose him cap for bush. People dey laugh am for palace.

Danjuma happy, continue to dey act mad.

E go drink burukutu for morning, laugh for night. Palace people dey wonder, “This one na real madness or fake?”