Chapter 5: Palace Gist and Sworn Sisters

"But him don turn Oba, and Oba dey get many women."

For palace, no be secret. Oba get right to plenty wives, but e still dey pain if love dey inside.

Morayo purse mouth, dey play with ivory fan.

She dey reason matter, her face dey strong, but I sabi say she dey feel me.

I bend head, dey touch my old goje. "True. For life, if you gain one, you go lose another."

My voice low, the goje string dey vibrate small—like spirit dey waka for room.

I teach Morayo how to fry chin chin.

For palace, food na power. If you fit cook, you fit hold man heart. I dey pass wisdom wey my mama give me.

Tunde like sweet die. Sometimes, him go dey beg me to fry chin chin for am.

Him own sweet tooth na big secret, but I dey use am take hold am.

I dey knead dough, dey laugh: "If you sabi this one, you go fit hold him belle."

For Naija, dem go tell you say, "Way to man heart na belle." Na true talk.

Morayo dey complain say she no like cook, but because she wan win Tunde, she try learn.

As she dey grumble, I dey laugh—love dey humble person.

After one hour wahala, flour full our face and cloth. We just dey point each other dey laugh.

The kitchen dey scatter, our laugh dey loud. Na so friendship dey sweeten life.

Na that time, one person wey wear yellow waka enter.

Na so palace people dey, dem sabi enter room without knock. You go dey think say dem install CCTV for everywhere.

Tunde stand, hand for back, face strong: "Olori, you dey bold o—run commot palace, carry my beauty follow body."

If Tunde dey vex, e dey show for eyebrow, but today na small play dey inside.

I sabi am well. I know if him dey vex or na play.

After so many years, I fit read Tunde mood like market price list.

I carry hot chin chin, give am. "Chop, e still hot."

My hand steady, my smile dey wide. Food dey settle quarrel pass talk.

Tunde hiss, him throat move, turn face. "No use that trick."

He dey do like pikin wey dey form strong head.

I slap my head. "Ah, you no wan chop my own. Na the beauty own you go wan, abi?"

I dey tease am, dey push am make e talk true.

I signal Morayo.

For Naija, eye signal dey pass message fast. Women sabi the code.

Morayo carry her own batch wey don burn black, give Tunde, use sweet voice: "Your Majesty, abeg chop."

Her own voice soft, like person wey dey beg for market discount. She dey try use woman power.

I wink Morayo—"Na only true friend go give you burnt chin chin with confidence."

Tunde look the thing, eye dey shake as if e wan do big thing. As him chop am, the chin chin burn am well. The thing dey waka for him mouth. E fear say him tongue go protest, so him swallow am sharp sharp, give thumbs up:

Tunde mouth dey twist, but him pride no go let am talk true. For palace, sometimes to praise person na part of the game.

"This kain food na only heaven get am! Beauty, your cooking pass Olori own."

As him talk am, him dey peep me for corner of eye.

Him dey wait make I talk back, make wahala sweet.

I follow play, smile. "Your Majesty suppose give Morayo better position o."

Na so palace position dey jump, from kitchen to throne. I dey push her up.

Tunde pause, raise brow. "Which position you think fit her?"

I talk: "Morayo no get family—people fit look down on her. I wan make her my sworn sister, give her Noble Lady rank."

Na big thing to swear sisterhood for palace. E mean say you dey share your fate, no be small play.

With this, e go easy for Morayo to be next Olori.

I dey plan her better future, so her road go smooth. Na Naija way, if you get power, you use am lift your own.

As I talk am, both Morayo and Tunde shock.

For palace, people dey suspect everything, but today na true from my heart.

Tunde face just change. "Olori too good, always better to others."

His voice low, like person wey dey beg for rain to stop. E pain am, but e respect my decision.

With that, him waka commot kitchen.

You fit see say e dey vex, but e no wan quarrel for front of people. Na pride dey cause am.

Morayo hold my sleeve. "Una dey quarrel?"

Her grip soft, but her eye dey find hope.

I smile. "Since I sick, I dey avoid am. I feel say if I die, e go pain am less."

I dey use logic cover pain. For Naija, sometimes we dey pretend so others no go hurt.

I even wish make e hate me. Maybe if I die, e go even happy.

Wish wey dey pain pass blade. But I dey talk my truth—sometimes, love dey mean you wan protect person from your own wahala.

Morayo no talk for long, just dey rub her red eye. Then she throw away the burnt chin chin, start knead dough again.

Tears wey no fall, dey heavy for chest. She gats try again, for my sake.

"Teach me again. This time, I go sabi am."

She dey ready to learn, to do better. For Naija, if you fail, you try again. Na so life be.