Chapter 3: No More Mumu for Anybody

Uncle Musa na nurse for town health centre. Na because he be my papa in-law to be, dem gree make am go study for Abuja General Hospital.

If no be say he dey marry my papa pikin, dem for no even pick am. Na connection dey run things for here. I dey reason say, if I no dey his life again, how e go take survive?

But if I no be him wife again nko?

If dem no fit hold me with marriage, their plan go scatter. I dey reason am well. My mind dey sharp now.

Since he think say I marry am to pay debt, make I no marry am at all.

I go my aunty place, tell am my plan.

Aunty dey sharp. As I land, she give me hug, rub my back, then give me cold malt from her fridge—na so I know say I dey safe. Her house dey warm, smell of egusi soup just dey everywhere.

Aunty happy well well. "I don always know say that boy no get your time—e no fit be your husband."

She hold my hand, shake am. "You too get sense. God go bless you, my pikin. No let anybody use your papa death take tie you down."

She rush call my uncle wey dey local government, make dem cancel the marriage application for me and Uncle Musa. Lucky say dem never stamp am, so e still fit cancel.

Uncle rush go government office, carry all the paper go cancel am before Musa people fit change mouth. I thank God for family wey still get sense.

As I reach house, everywhere don dark small.

I tiptoe, my heart dey pound. I hear laugh for parlour. The kind laugh wey dey pain person ear.

Na laugh I dey hear from inside.

Halima and Uncle Musa sit together, their head almost touch.

I peep for door, see them. Fish aroma full parlour. Na real love scene dem dey act.

"Brother Musa, chop fish. When we reach Abuja, no more village food."

She break the fish, remove bone careful, then use her hand pass am to him mouth. For our side, na only person wey dey close you go feed like that. I feel somehow. Even as dem dey enjoy, dem no send me.

Uncle Musa dey pick fish bone, dey put meat for Halima plate.

He dey use hand pick meat, as if say he wan make sure say she chop the best part. Love dey sweet dem, but I dey look dem with side eye.

"You sef chop more."

Dem just dey look each other, dey smile like say na family.

Na so dem dey exchange eyes, body dey touch small small. If I no know better, I go think say dem don marry.

Na Mama Musa first see me, call my name.

Her voice sharp. "Morayo!" Everybody pause. Even radio stop to play. Dem look me like say na me spoil their movie.

Everywhere just quiet, as if my presence spoil their party.

All eyes face me. I just bone face, carry my bag waka go room. I no get time for their drama.

I no answer them, just waka go my room.

E pain me, but I hold am. If I talk, dem go use am against me. I lock my door.

Person hiss, then dem begin talk again.

I hear hiss, then laugh come follow. Dem no even send me. Na so dem dey gist, dey plan their life.

Dem dey yarn about Halima dream for Abuja, Uncle Musa dey answer once once, Mama Musa dey laugh dey tell dem to chop food well.

E pain me to my bone. Dem no even hide am again. My own don turn story for another person mouth.

I pretend say I no hear, begin pack my load.

I dey pack my bag steady. E get as my hand dey shake. I dey think of my papa watch, that small thing wey hold my memory.

Na there I notice say the iron box for my table don shift.

E never move before. I know how I take keep am. Something no pure. My mind begin race.

One kind feeling catch me. I open am quick—the pocket watch no dey. Na the last thing my papa give me.

I scatter everything. No sign. The pain wey catch me no get name. If person fit thief this one, e fit thief person life.

I search everywhere, nothing.

The whole place turn upside down. I dey sweat. Even small things dey miss. I check my wrapper, my small coin, e still remain. Na the watch dem target.

Bullet comments just light up: [The pocket watch na the male lead go give the side chick. The side chick go 'mistakenly' break the watch for heroine front, na so the suffer story go deep.]

My head dey hot, blood dey boil. E be like say the world dey turn upside down for my eye. I gats take action.

My body just hot.

I dey sweat as if harmattan no dey. I gats confront dem before e go pass my power.

I rush come out, dey try hold my vex.

I nearly shout, but I control am. For Naija, you no dey gree make people see you weak.

"Uncle Musa, na you carry my pocket watch?"

My voice loud pass normal. Everybody look up. I see Halima dey laugh.

Halima dey laugh. "Brother Musa talk say since you no get university admission, you no need am. I go dey use am check time for class."

She shake the watch for hand, her smile wicked. I look Uncle Musa, the pain for my eye dey show.

My hand dey shake as I look Uncle Musa.

I dey try hold back tears, but my voice dey quiver. If my papa dey, all this rubbish no go dey happen.

"Who give you right to dash my thing?"

Dem say if you fit thief goat, you fit thief yam. Today I see am live.

Na my papa last gift. After he save Uncle Musa, he use last energy give am the watch make sure he pass am to me.

I fit remember that rainy night, as papa dey cough, he press the watch for Uncle Musa hand, say 'make sure Morayo get am.'

The watch soak for dirty water, many part spoil. That time, na Uncle Musa even dey worry pass me.

E beg me say the watch go repair, even follow me enter market, find repairer. We dey together that time, e get as e be.

He know say I dey use the tick tick of the watch sleep every night.

Na that sound dey help me rest when trouble plenty. For our place, small thing fit be hope. The tick tick na prayer for me.

Watch repairer talk say e no worth am, but Uncle Musa kneel down beg till dem fix am small.

I still remember as the repairer talk say make I throw am away, but Uncle Musa beg till the man fix am. That time, e get small sense for him body.

Even when he begin do me anyhow, anytime I remember this, my heart dey soft.

But now, as dem dey thief my papa memory, I know say my soft heart no dey help me again.

As I dey ask, Uncle Musa look uncomfortable.

He dey shift for chair, dey scratch him head. If to say e get shame, e for talk sorry.

Mama Musa rush come hold my hand, just like before when Uncle Musa dey ignore me and she go play 'good person.'

She dey talk soft, like say she dey beg me, but her hand dey cold. Na acting she dey act. My heart no dey moved again.

"Na just old watch. Make Musa buy new one send am later."

She dey try use sweet mouth pacify me. E no go work. My papa gift no be Konga item wey you go just order new one.