Chapter 5: Abalone Day Patterns
After that, I begin dey watch well. I notice say every first and fifteenth—when shop dey busy pass—my sister dey stay house, no dey help.
I dey mark calendar, dey write small notes for phone. Anytime abalone day reach, na so my sister disappear.
And anytime I go collect abalone, my sister go dey pant, sweat go full her body, sometimes even her hair go wet.
Sometimes, her voice go change, deep like person wey just wake. E dey somehow.
One day, after I collect abalone, I peep inside, my sister just shout:
Her voice loud, "Why you dey peep every time? You don big, e no good to dey look woman room anyhow."
I just smile: “I just wan know why you dey keep abalone for your room. Everywhere dey smell like fish. How you dey cope?”
I dey try act like I dey joke, but my mind dey hot.
Her face soft small.
She look me, her eye dey shine like say she pity me.
“At least you still get conscience. If you really wan know, bring babe come house, marry. Take over from Mama and Papa—then you go sabi everything.”
She dey talk like person wey carry big secret, dey wait for relief.
“Why e must be babe?”
I dey push question, dey hope she go talk true.
She shake head, talk with meaning: “No be just babe—na marriage. Once person sabi our family secret, she no fit comot again.”
Her face serious, voice low like she dey confess for priest.
To be honest, fear catch me.
I dey look her, my heart dey skip. E be like say I dey stand near shrine.
For person wey just dey early twenties, to face secret wey fit tie me for life, na fear I dey feel pass curiosity.
I dey sweat, dey reason if I suppose run or pray.
I begin realise say this secret no simple as I think, and I fit no fit carry the wahala.
The thing heavy. I dey look my hand, dey imagine if I fit live like that.
That time, my phone ring.
I almost throw phone away, na so the sound shock me.
Na my babe, Morayo.
Her name pop up, I just smile. Small relief enter my body.
“I hear say your parents open restaurant near school and business dey boom. I fit come check am?”
Her voice sweet for phone, dey make my mind cool small.