Chapter 4: Hope, Chicken, and Zobo

Next day food get meat inside.

Na so hope shine for my face. E no dey happen before. Maybe luck dey shine small.

Warder bring white rice, ugu leaf, roast chicken, and fine zobo. Zobo cold for cup, red like blood, chicken aroma dey slap my nose.

The aroma alone fit wake person from faint. My stomach do backflip, my mouth dey water.

I shock small, then rush eat am. As I dey chop chicken leg, my brain reset.

The taste dey sweet, but conscience dey pinch me. Hunger win.

Chei, e be like say na him food be this.

I pause, dey look the plate, but as I reason am, shame dey pinch me small.

Warder outside na new face, dey look me, tears dey fall.

Tears for man eye no be play. My mind touch, I dey look am with pity.

"Oga, Musa no do well, even your food I no fit keep."

Musa dey blame himself, him voice crack like old radio. I dey try understand wetin happen.

Him dey cry, nose dey run, dey shout anyhow.

The cry dey pain me. If to say I fit hug am, I for do am.

I look chicken leg, but hunger no let me drop am, today na rude day.

My belly dey dictate for my hand. Hunger no get respect for sorrow.

So I dey bite chicken leg, dey mumble: "Sorry, hunger too much... na your oga be this? He no wan live, try talk to am."

I dey try pass message, even if my mouth full. Hunger na wicked master.

Musa kneel dey cry, beg, knock head for cell door, but oga no talk.

Na true devotion be that. I dey reason say this kind loyalty no dey common.

This man, since dem throw am yesterday, never move, like dead body.

I dey fear say e go die for my hand, wahala go increase.

Warder for shadow dey rush: "Guard Musa, time to go. No make am hard for me—chief warden dey come. If dem catch me, na my head go roll."

For this prison, everybody dey protect their own head. No be by rank.

Musa waka go, dey look back every step, come run back, kneel knock ground three times.

E dey show respect, like person wey dey beg ancestors for favour.

"Aunty, you look like good person. I beg, help take care of my oga, give am food and water, abeg."

I dey nod, my heart dey soft. Musa trust me, na big responsibility.

"Oga must survive."

E drop am like commandment. The way e talk, my spirit dey rise.

Musa wipe tears, rush go with warder.

E pain me say help no dey reach everybody for this world.

Chei, na big work be this.

I dey curious about who him be, but no fit ask. Former chief, new ruler—na royal wahala or chieftaincy change?

Palace gossip for village go dey plenty if dem hear this kind gist.

Even if I ask, he no go answer.

I dey reason say him pride no go let am talk. Suffer head no dey allow big man talk true.

As dem talk, if person trust you, try do am well. My belle full, I happy, plus new work dey, I help my cellmate sit up.

I handle am with care, dey try no press wound. Na small thing dey make difference for person wey dey hurt.

But as I touch am, him body dey shake under my hand.

Na so shiver catch am. I come dey fear say fever don enter.

"Wetin dey do you? No fear, I be better person."

I dey try calm am. For my mind, I dey pray make God use me help am.

He still dey shake, jaw tight. After long, he breathe out small.

The tension for cell thick like ogbono soup. I dey look am, my own body dey sweat.

I realize late: "I touch your wound?"

Sometimes na small touch dey pain pass knife for person wey injure.

He no answer, I touch him back for under torn cloth, fresh blood dey. No light, I no fit see how bad e be.

Na only smell and small wetness I fit feel. I dey wish for torchlight.

"Sigh, here infection no get cure. Hope say your body strong."

I dey try remember all those home remedy for wound, but nothing dey work for this kind place.

I put tray for front am.

Na sign of peace. If food dey reach your hand, hope never die finish.

"Oya, time to chop. Hehe, wetin you wan eat first?"

I dey use joke dey chase sorrow. Hunger no be friend for sick person.

"Rice cold, you wan chop chicken?" I wipe my mouth, pause. "But to chop oil food when wound bad no good for healing, abi?"

I dey remember my mama old talk. Even if e no matter, I wan show say I care.

"I swear, I no dey eye the rest chicken."

I dey smile, but my hand tight for tray. Make e know say I be person wey get conscience.

"Drink soup before food, make I give you water first."

Na so my own pikin time dey. Water first before anything.

I use spoon carry small zobo, slowly put for him mouth.

I dey careful, like nurse wey dey attend to patient for emergency.

He lean for wall, no open mouth, eye close, jaw tight.

E be like say him mind dey somewhere else, pain full body.

I begin fake cry: "Oga, abeg no die today. I don dey alone forty-nine days, dey talk to myself, I nearly craze—abeg, stay with me."

If na Nollywood, tears for dey drop everywhere. My own be true feeling.

"Before you come, I nearly give up. I wan carve ten tally, then knack head for wall."

My voice dey crack. Loneliness na real wahala for prison.

"But you come—wetin be this?"

I dey look am, dey search for answer for him face.

"Na destiny."

Na so I dey convince myself, as if God plan am.

"Dem talk say to save life better than to build seven-story shrine. Abeg, wetin be shrine?"

I dey reason if na church dem dey talk or juju house.

"I read book reach, but this word I no sabi. I no dey dig deep."

Na true, book English different from our own. Some things no get translation.

As he no dey look, I pinch him cheek, force spoon water for him mouth.

If to say my hand dey strong, I for dey laugh, but e get as e be.

"Cough cough cough."

I dey watch am, dey ready to clean any spill. I dey pray make e no choke.

He cough tire, pain catch am again.

As e dey struggle, I dey feel am for my own chest. Pain no get shame.

Second spoon, he close eye, drink am.

I dey happy small. E mean say e wan live.

I laugh: "First time I dey serve person, no too sabi—abeg manage."

I dey joke, but my heart dey shake. I want make am feel better, even if na small.

I bring rice reach him mouth.

Na slow process, but I dey patient.

He bend head, face white.

Fever dey knock am. I dey think of home, how my mama go put hand for forehead dey check if body dey hot.

I use same style, pinch him cheek, push rice enter.

I dey smile, even if na small success.

"Oga, try chop well. Warders talk say na only May, execution after rainy season. For history, 'after rainy season' mean after the big rains—three months remain."

Na way to give am hope. Time fit change story.

"Chop well, maybe things fit change for this three months."

I dey try ginger spirit. Person no suppose give up.

I dey talk like old mama, dey make myself laugh.

E dey help me too, as I dey talk, my own fear dey reduce.

I don craze—see living person dey make me too happy.

Happiness wey come from wahala dey sweet pass party jollof. I dey treasure every small gist.

But to watch am dey chop spoon by spoon, e sweet pass to dey braid raffia.

If I fit braid hair for this kind darkness, I for do am. But now, to feed person dey give me joy wey pass that one.

For my mind, I dey dance shaku-shaku—finally, hope don land.