Chapter 3: Ghosts of My Village Love

As we waka comot from Odu Hall, my head just dey hot, my face dey burn.

Even the ground dey look me like I dey disgrace my ancestors. [Na Queen be real main character—demon consort no reach.]

[So funny, dey fight for old man wey Queen no even want, still dey feel say she win.]

[Serve old man for five years, think say she gain, at the end na empty hand she carry.]

Dem dey call me winch, say na jazz I use tie king, scatter palace, say I no get shame.

But I be just farmer pikin. The man wey I suppose marry na simple person, dey dig ground, dey save money build two rooms for me. He go buy moi-moi for me, we go sit for backyard dey gist till moon show. Back then, every Saturday, im go buy akara for me, use palm wine toast for my papa. If no be old Oba wey just get mood that day, come our village...

I close my eye, sigh long.

The past sweet, but na heavy for heart. I for dey farm now, dey talk with neighbours for moonlight. But the small hand wey dey hold my own just grip me tighter.

Na that time I notice—Musa hand too cold, sweat dey for palm.

I look am well—pikin wey suppose dey foolish, e look up, im round face and big, shiny eyes dey blink.

"Mother Consort, just now e nearly bad."

I shock.

My body freeze, I nor fit believe say na Musa talk. "Wetin?"

Musa look left, look right, stop for road, talk serious: "Mother Consort, you do well just now. Person wey get sense dey follow how things be."

I freeze like stone for river.

So Musa no be mumu?

E come talk again: "Zainab senior me, I junior. Zainab get Queen Aisha family and all the old men for back. Me, na you raise me, but I no get power."

E lower im voice.

E voice deep, e nor shake. "Mother Consort, all those books and stories I don read finish, but I no dey let anybody know. From today, abeg, no ever talk say you want make I be crown prince. As e be now, our main work na to survive."

My eye open wide, I dey look am like juju. Comments just dey burst question mark.

[Wait, Musa no be fool?]

[This pikin, you be which level? You dey change script?]

[Na now Musa real face show, because demon consort don wise up?]

...

So na me be the mumu?

I nearly laugh, nearly cry—body nor even know how to feel.

[Abi na this Musa go shock everybody last last?]