Chapter 5: Mother's House

When Tunde come house, I just finish serve the last food.

He drop briefcase, dust wey follow am from outside dey smell of city bus and old office. Him shirt wrinkle small, face tired.

"See the prescription. From now, you go dey go chemist every week collect medicine," he say, hand me the paper.

I collect am, look the writing—doctor scrawl, almost unreadable. Na so e dey for Naija, only pharmacist sabi decode doctor handwriting. I look the paper, then look am—this one no be ordinary medicine, na another way to tie me down.

"I dey travel next tomorrow. Make we go photo studio tomorrow go snap picture together."

He dey talk as if na normal thing. But me, I dey see through am. Snap picture to keep memory, but na only me dey suffer the memory last last.

I remember my last life. Before he travel, he still drag me go snap photo. For the next ten years, he dey enjoy him life, but na me dey use that photo hold body—take care of him parents, raise our pikin, forget my own future.

Every night, I go look that picture, dey wonder—when my own go better? Na only me dey see pain for the print. Others dey see happy couple.

I force smile. "No wahala."

I no get energy argue. Make e dey, I go play along. Inside me, I don dey plan my own waka.

Make we see whether you go see me tomorrow.

I dey talk for mind. Time go tell.

As we dey chop, I ask, "Abeg, you don return my train ticket?"

I dey look am straight, no blink. For Naija, sometimes you gats face person if you want result.

Tunde no even look up. "Never. I plan go this afternoon. Wetin happen?"

He dey press yam with fork, eye dey TV. E be like say my matter no serious reach.

"Give me the ticket. Make I go return am myself," I pause. "I get time."

He pause small, look me for eye. E be like e wan talk, but e swallow am.

"I self get one certificate wey I need collect for afternoon. I dey fear say I no go get time do the refund."

That na normal Tunde. Always busy, always another plan. I just dey look am.

Tunde give me the ticket.

He push am come my side for table, I pick am, no say word. The ticket paper soft, e don bend for edge. I keep am well for wrapper.

As I hold am, I just breathe out long.

E be like say burden fall from my chest. I dey free, at least for small time.

That afternoon, as Tunde comot, I pack everything for house wey we no need. I give out the ones wey I fit, sell the rest.

I carry old pot go Mama Sikiratu, give small radio to neighbor pikin. Some wrapper I sell for aboki wey dey buy old things. I dey light, ready for journey.

That night, when Tunde return, he bring him mama come.

As I hear keke horn, I know say wahala don land. She wear blue lace, tie gele big. Face dey serious, eye sharp.

For my last life, na the next day he bring her. So when I see her today, e shock me small.

I hide my surprise, wipe hand for apron, greet am with half-smile.

"Wetin be that look? I no welcome here?" she just fire me.

Her voice sharp, like blade. Even Tunde shift, dey look me. I bend small, say, "Welcome, Mama. House dey your own."

Tunde grow for single-mother house. Him mama raise am alone—no easy. He dey always try please am, and the woman get strong head.

The way she dey look me, e be like say I be tenant for my own house. For Naija, mother-in-law wahala na old story.

For my last life, I understand say e no easy for her, so I dey always try make her happy. But even after I serve her for more than ten years, till she die, she still dey complain about me.

Some people say mother-in-law na second wife. I don learn—no matter how you try, she go always find fault.

Now wey I don come back, I no get time to dey pet her again.

She dey look me like say na thief I be—dem say, if goat dey chop yam, na person teach am.

This time, my mind strong. I no dey for pleasing anybody. My own future dey my front.

"Tunde no tell me say you dey come today, so the room never ready. You go wait small."

I talk am calm, but my voice firm. Tunde eye big. I see am dey panic small.

Tunde shock as I call am full name. Before, I dey call am Tunji. He think say na because he just bring him mama come, na why I vex, so he rush explain.

"I just go collect some documents today, my friend get keke, so I bring my mama first. Whether na today or tomorrow, e no change anything."

E dey twist hand, dey look me, dey look him mama. Old woman just dey look two of us, as if she dey judge.

Him mama see as her pikin dey try please me, dey even explain why he bring her, her face just change.

She hiss, drop bag for chair, cross leg, dey look me from head to toe.

Tunde notice, rush talk,

"Make my mama use our room. We go sleep for the other one."

He dey try settle ground. I no send. I dey pack my things already. Make dem do as dem like.

Before, I for rush do am. But this one—my mind don strong like ogbono.

I no send. I dey travel tomorrow, so e no concern me where she sleep.

I dey reason, 'By this time tomorrow, I go dey far from all this drama.'

Him mama move enter our room, na that time her face calm small.

She open bag, dey arrange wrapper, dey look mirror. E be like she dey size the place.

But she no gree rest. She dey call me serve tea, bring water, even wash her feet. I just dey arrange the other room, pretend say I no hear.

She shout, 'Morayo!' I ignore, dey dust shelf. Tunde run go fetch water, carry tray, even bend wash her leg. I dey laugh for mind.

As she see say my face strong, na Tunde do everything by himself.

He dey sweat, dey run up and down. Neighbour peep window, dey shake head. I just dey arrange my load for corner.

When I finally finish tidy up and lie down, he come flop for bed, dey complain say he don taya.

He lie back, arm dey block face. 'Na wah o, today long.' I just shake head, no talk.

"Morayo, my mama get her own way. Try dey take care of her well next time, abeg. No let am dey uncomfortable for here."

He dey beg, voice soft. But me—I don tire for all this.

I just laugh for mind.

If to say na before, I go vex. Now, I just dey smile like person wey know secret.

I answer am anyhow.

'Make she rest. Tomorrow, I go dey my way.'

As I lie down, na so Tunde come near. I shift away, vexed. "Your mama dey next room."

His hand cold, but I no gree. For my mind, the matter don end. I face wall.

He press near, him breath warm for my neck, hand enter under my cloth. "She no go hear."

He dey laugh soft, think say na play I dey play. I no gree answer.

But before he finish, him mama shout, "Morayo, come help me go toilet!"

Her voice loud, scatter the small romance wey dey try start.

I close my eyes, just dey laugh inside.

If person tell me say na so I go take escape, I for no believe. Na God hand, I dey thank.

Tunde stand up, no choice.

He grumble, drag leg go her room. I dey hear am for corridor, dey answer 'Yes, Mama.'

"Where your wife? Na you again?" him mama dey complain.

Her own wahala na second nature. She fit nag for Africa competition.

"Sleep, Mama. You fit manage yourself. You get meeting with friends tomorrow, and you dey travel next tomorrow. No go tire yourself."

He dey try calm her. Me, I dey cover myself, dey hide laugh. Tomorrow, I go free.

Na so I dey hear noise—her own way to show say she no happy.

She dey tap floor, dey cough small. Me, I just dey ignore.

I just block ear, sleep carry me quick.

I dream say I dey enter train, dey wave bye-bye.