Chapter 2: Second Chance and Set Up

Na siren noise I first hear for my ear.

That kind wahala siren, e dey scatter head. My body still dey sweat from spirit journey. E be like say all the witches and wizards for my village dey pursue me from dream enter reality. I look around, my leg still dey ground, pap dey my hand, akara dey smell for nose. Na so I know say God truly give me another shot.

I open eye, see say I still dey stand for roadside, hot akara and pap still dey my hand.

Akara dey soak oil for paper nylon, pap dey warm for flask. Dust dey rise for roadside, okada horn dey blast, sun dey pepper my skin. The woman wey sell am dey wave for me, ask whether I wan extra sugar. My stomach dey rumble but fear no gree me chop. For my mind, I dey pray, dey wonder if I fit change anything this time.

Na that time one small girl, like six years, her skipping rope cut. The ball roll enter road, she wan run go carry am.

You know how children dey behave—no dey look road before dem cross. Her mama dey shout from far, but the girl no hear word. The rope just snap, rubber ball roll for tar road, she bend pick am, no know say death dey near. Other people for bus stop dey shout, dey wave, but small pikin mind dey stubborn.

Na so one truck just turn corner. Where the girl squat na the driver blind spot.

The truck be like danfo wey dem paint for container color. The horn loud, the engine dey cough like old man wey smoke igbo. As e dey turn, the side mirror no fit show the small girl for ground. Everybody just dey fear, dey hold breath, some dey try run go block the road but leg slow pass trouble.

As I see say wahala wan happen, I bone, throw wetin dey my hand, rush go carry the girl.

I no think am twice. Akara, pap, everything fly for air. I dash enter road like say I dey do relay race for secondary school. My mind just tell me say, "If you no move now, you go see tears wey pass onion." Market women dey throw wrapper for air, children dey cry, one aboki dey shout "Allah ya isa!"

Even as God give me second chance, I no fit just stand dey look person die.

Something deep inside me talk say, "Na this kind thing dey make man, man." My leg dey shake, but I no stop. My chest dey drum, sweat dey pour for my face, but I gree collect risk for stranger pikin. For Nigeria, if you see wahala, you no fit turn face.

The truck nearly reach us. People for area begin shout, siren dey wail, fear catch me for heart.

My heart dey jam for chest like generator wey dem just on. Shouts everywhere: "Jesus!", "Carry am commot!", "Driver, stop now!" The market woman wey sell groundnut throw her tray, people begin run scatter. My leg just dey move, spirit dey push me like say na my destiny dey play for there.

The driver sef don notice, he match brake, but e don late.

Tyre dey screech, black smoke dey rise. The man for steering dey sweat, mouth open like fish for basin. You go think say na Nollywood film, but e real pass movie. Even the agbero for corner dey pray make blood no touch him shirt.

"Na finish be this…"

My body weak, mouth dry. For my mind, na so everything slow down, like say time pause. The smell of burning tyre fill air, dust dey enter my eye. I just dey beg God for mercy, my own last prayer dey my throat.

For my last life, na so the truck jam me as I dey save the girl. Even though the driver try brake, the force still wound me well.

I remember am well. My bone scatter, my brain dey float. Na from that hospital I enter early grave. The pain pass anything wey I fit talk. This time, my spirit dey ready, but body still dey fight.

The truck shadow just cover me and the girl. The pressure make my heart dey drum like generator.

The sun disappear, every tin cold. I fit hear my own heart dey beat, gbo gbo gbo. The small girl dey cry for my arm, her hand dey grip my shirt. I wan use my body cover her, dey beg make God no shame me.

Since I no fit dodge, make I try my luck.

I know say if I stand still, we go die together. Na so I use all my power, my own last energy, fling the girl away, my leg twist for ground.

I fling the girl comot for my hand, then I fall for ground sharp-sharp.

My elbow scatter, face brush tar road, but the girl land for gutter, only small bruise for her knee. Everybody scream, my own head dey ring. My body no dey obey me again. Na so I close eye, accept fate.

Everybody shout. The truck wahala pass on top my head, I close my eye.

Noise just full everywhere. "Blood of Jesus!" "God abeg!" Even the meat seller drop knife, run come my side. I just dey float inside pain. Na so my life nearly cut short again.

Na God hand e dey.

For Nigeria, e get as God dey do Him thing. If Him say you no go die, na so e be. All the elders for area dey talk am. "Oluwa cover you," one mama talk, her wrapper dey ground.

If I no fit escape, make I just die once. At least my papa and mama no go suffer again because of me.

I dey tell myself, "Abeg, if na my time, make I go. No need to drag family down." My mind dey flash to my papa old bicycle, my mama old wrapper. Pain dey my chest, but my heart calm small.

Wind blow me, brake scream, then people begin hail.

Breeze cold, dust enter my mouth. The truck stop finally. People gather, dey clap, dey shout say I be hero. One old mama even spray me ten naira, say make I use am buy Fanta. One boy dey wave phone, dey record. Na from death bed, God turn my matter to village story.

I survive.

My eye open small, I fit hear people dey shout my name, dey thank God. Na miracle. I try move, body pain me but life still dey. Everybody dey rejoice. Some dey pray, others dey spray water for my face.

The truck driver jump down, rush come meet me. "Oga, you dey alright?"

Him eye red, sweat full face. He kneel down, dey beg. "Oga, abeg no vex. Na small mistake. God save you. I for no fit sleep if something bad happen."

As he help me stand, my leg dey shake like say NEPA just bring light, I just lean on am.

Leg dey waka anyhow, body dey vibrate. If to say na old man, leg for break. I hold am, him hold me, we balance like twins wey dey do sack race. Even small girl dey cry, her mama rush hug am.

Both of us breathe out, thank God.

We both just sigh, talk, "Baba God, you too much!" People gather round, dey pat my back. The fear no wan leave my body, but joy dey follow am come.

He tap my shoulder, look me well.

"Bros, you try. God go bless you."

Him voice steady, like man wey survive war. Na respect full him eye. For street, dem dey call am rough driver, but today, him get humble mind.

People call police, call ambulance. Dem carry me for stretcher enter ambulance, police carry the small girl.

The whole junction scatter. Siren dey shout, yellow ambulance arrive. Dem lift me gently, na so I dey see sky dey shift. Police dey write statement, people dey take picture, small girl no wan leave my side. Her mama dey follow ambulance, dey pray for my head.

After doctor check me, he say nothing do me, na only fear catch me, small medicine and rest go do.

Doctor na one young Igbo man, lab coat clean. He smile, say "Bros, you get nine lives. Na God keep you." He give me paracetamol, say make I rest, no need to fear. Even nurses dey greet me, dey talk say I be hero.

But I insist say I wan stay hospital, call my papa and mama, dem rush come from Makurdi.

I no wan go house quick. I gree for bed, press phone, send message. Papa and mama no waste time, dem enter bus, come from Benue. Mama dey cry for phone, papa voice dey shake. "We dey come, my son."

As dem see say I dey kampe for hospital bed, my mama hug me begin cry.

Her tears dey soak my hospital gown, she dey speak in tongues, dey thank God for my head. Her wrapper shift, she dey shout, "Thank You, Jesus!" Papa just dey stand, dey rub head, eye red but him dey try form strong.

My papa hold chest, sigh long one.

He look ceiling, breathe out. "Omo mi, God no shame us. Na today I believe say prayers dey work."

"As we hear say you dey hospital, me and your mama fear wan kill us."

He voice choke, hand dey shake. I dey see as both of them old, grey hair full head, face wrinkle. Dem no get much, but na my own wahala nearly end dem.

As I look their old face, guilt and pain full my heart, I grip their hand, tears full my eye.

No be small tin. I dey think of all the sacrifice dem make, how I nearly waste am last time. My tears no gree stop. I just dey beg God for mercy. My hand dey hold their hand tight, I no wan ever see them suffer again.

For my last life, na my mumu cause my papa and mama to die with pain.

If to say I wise that time, all these gbege for no happen. Now, e remain only one thing. I go make sure say person wey cause pain go collect am this round.

This time, Ngozi go pay.

My mind no dey rest. I dey plan, dey count my steps. This time, no pity. Na so I dey boil for inside.

After dem check me again, dem calm, then ask,

"You don tell Ngozi?"

Na so mama look me. Her face get concern, papa dey wait answer. For their mind, dem dey hope Ngozi go rush come, bring food, bring support. I just look both of them, dey plan my next move.

I know say if I talk say I don come back from death, dem no go believe. So I just look dem serious, talk,

"Papa, Mama, I get strong feeling say Ngozi dey follow another man."

Silence just land for room. Mama mouth open, papa eye wide. Dem no believe am, but dem no fit talk. I see as dem dey reason my word. For my mind, I dey prepare ground for wetin go happen.

Dem shock. Right there, I carry phone, call Ngozi.

Mama dey hold my hand, dey whisper prayer, papa just dey look wall. I dial number. My heart dey beat. I wan see if she go show true color.