Chapter 2: The Queen Mother’s Test

As I expect, the Queen Mother no recognize me. Her wrapper na real Akwete, beads dey jingle as she move, scent of ogiri and hibiscus dey mix for air. Her palace soft, cool breeze dey blow, scent of hibiscus just dey float. Queen Mother dey wear soft white wrapper, beads full her wrist. Her voice low, gentle—no be like all those harsh palace women.

She gentle and always get that sad look, dey turn rosary beads for her hand, small frankincense scent just dey follow her cloth. You go feel say na her sadness dey perfume the room, not just the incense. Her hand slim, knuckle strong—na hand wey don hold sorrow reach.

"No need for all this formality, we be family. Come, make I see you well."

She no like long wahala. Even palace maids dey respect am because she dey always soft. She wave me come front, her eyes sharp, dey study me as if she dey look inside soul.

She help me stand, come look my face well well. She gentle, use hand touch my chin, eyes kind, but deep. My heart dey run, but I just dey pretend.

After all, we don know each other before. My leg dey weak. Sweat dey my back, but I just dey smile. For Naija, if you wan hide, sometimes na to play innocence be key.

Cold sweat just dey run for my back. I peep for side, see my new face inside small metal tray—no be the girl wey mama born. I dey pray, "Holy Mary, abeg cover me." Even my small scarf dey wet.

After she look finish, she smile, release my hand. Her smile dey like cool breeze for harmattan morning, calm but still heavy.

"Better pikin. No wonder Shan’er, wey no dey near woman and always dey act stiff, don dey think of you for two years."

She talk am loud, make sure Shaoshan dey hear. Small pride dey her voice, like mama wey see pikin find love.

I no wan talk too much make I no go make mistake, so I pretend shy, put my head down, stand behind Shaoshan, dey bite my lip. I bend head, dey roll my big toe inside sandal. For Naija, woman suppose humble for new home, so I just dey play my role.

Shaoshan look me with love, greet the Queen Mother. "Amina dey shy, Mama, abeg no vex."

Him eye dey shine, as if he win lottery. Everybody for room dey smile small—love dey sweet Naija people, even inside palace.

The Queen Mother laugh. "You sabi cherish who you love—very good."

Her laughter gentle, but e get story inside. I look her fingers wey dey still dey turn rosary, she dey pray for us for mind.

Then she sigh. Her sigh just long, like person wey remember pain wey never heal finish. Room quiet, even fly no buzz.

"For this matter, you resemble your adoptive father that year."

Her voice low, memory dey heavy. Palace people turn small, dey listen well—queen mother no dey talk about past anyhow.

Everybody shock small. Shaoshan blink, I open eye, even palace guards look up. Old story for palace dey always get weight.

I look up, see small sadness for her eyes, na that time I notice grey hair for her temple. Grey hair no dey lie. Sorrow don paint her life, but she still dey stand. I respect her more for that.

Incense dey rise from clay burner; Queen Mother just dey lost for thought, dey mumble: The smoke dey curl like snake, carry prayer go up. Her words dey slow, deep, like song for evening time.

"You no know... when he love person, e dey serious pass anybody. E go help her wear shoe, plait her hair, even if e dey far for war front, e go rush come back just to spend her birthday night together."

For Naija, if man love you, e go show. The way she talk am, I fit picture old chief dey rush home, dust for boot, just to hold madam for night.

"That time, I think say he really get human heart..."

Silence heavy, everybody just dey look ground. For palace, love story fit sweet, but pain dey inside.

Nobody fit talk. Even small maid pause broom, just dey listen. Sometimes pain too big for mouth.

For the heavy silence, I just dey squeeze my sleeve, try calm myself. I dey rub small part of my wrapper for thumb, eyes close, dey beg my mind to calm. Naija woman no suppose show fear for palace, na so dem talk.

That time, one palace boy waka enter, kneel down, announce, "Chief don come back from ancestral grave, arrange palace feast, say he wan personally give marriage."

The boy voice high, the whole room just shift. Queen Mother look up, beads stop for hand. Everybody know say when chief talk, nobody fit argue.

Wetin? E shock me. My mouth dry, heart skip.

No be Shaoshan talk say him no get level for house?

I dey look am, eye wide, mind dey race. Shaoshan look back, hand shake small. I look Shaoshan. E sef shock and dey happy at the same time.

I see as e try hide smile, but fear still dey for face. This palace matter dey pass our hand o.