Chapter 5: Nurse, Friend, Prisoner

I start dey care for am.

I dey see am like brother wey God dash me. As days dey go, I dey learn new thing about patience.

I force-feed am two days. Third day, him spirit return, as I bring tray, he grab spoon.

My heart jump. E mean say hope dey.

"You wan chop by yourself? Strength don come?"

I dey smile, dey tease am, even if my eye dey red from lack of sleep.

He look me, nod small.

Na small nod, but for this place, e mean the world.

I no too happy—one big joy don go.

I dey miss the way I dey baby him. But I happy for am too.

I fear say he go finish meat, I waka my spoon reach him plate, collect half fish.

Na so hunger dey humble big man. I no send if etiquette dey or not.

He see, come push fish plate give me.

Na so e show say e get manners. I dey respect am for that.

I shine teeth: "Thanks, oga. I give you head and tail, you chop belle."

Na small joke, but e dey sweet me.

Cellmate no talk, no touch dish, just bend left leg, put rice bowl for knee dey chop.

E dey eat with slow pride, like prince wey dey hide for bush.

He hold spoon like beginner—I no see well, but e slow, like say he dey pick one grain at a time.

E resemble pikin wey dey learn to eat for first time. My eye dey shine.

"Make I still dey feed you? At this rate, you go dey chop reach next year."

I dey mock am small, but e dey help lighten the mood.

He stiff, bury head for bowl, begin chop fast.

E shame small, but hunger still dey win.

After food, he turn face wall, back face me.

E dey act like person wey dey vex, but I sabi say na shame dey worry am.

I waka look am: "You wan piss? You no fit do am sit down—make I help you stand?"

I dey tease am, dey use play chase away my own sadness.

He freeze, no move, just cover ear with hand.

E dey run from my voice. I just dey laugh.

I laugh.

My laughter echo for cell. Sometimes na only way to keep sanity.

So na because I dey make noise, he wan face wall, cover ear find peace.

E clear say my own noise pass prison wahala.

Two days pass, that Guard Musa show again.

Surprise catch me. Na so promotion dey waka for this life?

This time, he wear correct green agbada, carry cutlass, no dey sneak, na big palace servant lead am come.

If you see Musa, e resemble king for village drama. Palace servant wey follow am just dey shine, pride full body.

That servant tie coral, beads, ivory for belt, neck short, belle big, face white like chalk, powder everywhere—true definition of palace wahala.

E stand like statue. If e cough, ground fit shake.

"Chei, everywhere dey smell." He curse, bring out handkerchief cover nose, no even look us, just dey form boss.

E do face like say prison na latrine. I just dey look, dey vex small.

Chief warden kneel, dey smile: "No know say Baba Seyi go come, no fit arrange better."

Na real respect. In our place, person go kneel for elder or big man, show say power change hand.

He call: "Guard Musa."

I shout: "Musa, you don promote?"

I dey happy for am, but e just smile with sadness.

Musa just smile, no talk, just dey find my cellmate with eye.

The concern for Musa face fit melt stone.

"Open door! I wan enter."

Order loud, everybody scatter. No be small thing oo.

Chief warden fear, open door only when Baba Seyi nod.

Power na real for Naija. If oga never talk, junior no dey move.

Musa rush enter, old man with medicine box follow, smell of herbs everywhere—native doctor sure.

That agbo odinani aroma dey fill cell, my nose dey tingle.

Dem light lamp, raise my cellmate cloth, check am everywhere.

As dem dey work, my heart dey beat. I dey pray make e survive.

I stand dey look.

I dey learn as dem dey treat wound, dey note all their moves. Who know tomorrow?

Just one look, I shock.

No be only whip and burn—him right thumb and forefinger don flat.

The pain for there go pass labour pain. I dey fear, dey look away, but curiosity hold my neck.

Both ankles break, twist anyhow. Right leg wound reach bone... na one punishment I hear for palace before.

If person offend chief, na to break leg, make e no waka again. The pain dey legendary.

That time I shock, no fit look, just waka pass. Now, na everything I dey see.

My eye don strong for suffering. Prison life dey teach person lesson.

No wonder any time he wan move, na hand he take support.

I dey respect am for that. Strong man no dey cry anyhow.

Three days I live with am, I no know say him body wound full like that.

Shame dey my mind. I dey feel say I too harsh for person wey dey battle for life.

I think say I dey suffer, dey force am get up, dey feed am, I wan slap myself.

Na so ignorance dey do person. E good to dey show mercy.

Doctor dey sigh as he check everywhere.

The man just dey shake head. Even native doctor fear this level wound.

Small time, he whisper something.

E talk soft, like incantation.

Musa begin cry: "Oga, abeg no hold am—try piss."

E dey beg with real pain for voice.

He remember, turn to me: "Aunty, fit step outside? My oga na correct man—no dey do anyhow for woman face."

I dey respect tradition. For our place, man no dey expose himself anyhow for woman wey no be wife.

...True, I never hear water for three days.

E shock me. I dey reason say this life na real battle.

I shock, throat block.

No words fit come out. I just dey nod like agama lizard.

"Chief warden, carry her commot."

Na so dem waka me commot. I dey thank God say I see corridor again.

First time in over fifty days since I transmigrate, I comot cell—but na only the person inside dey my mind.

As I dey waka, my mind dey back for cell. Na so love for human being dey grow.

As water finish, I rush back look door.

E be like say na world war dem fight for cell. I dey hope say my padi dey okay.

Cell bright, over ten lamps dey.

The light dey blind me small, but I dey happy say hope fit dey for person wey dey suffer.

Doctor dey work sharp sharp—needle, knife, thread, like tailor, dey use spirit and saltwater clean wound, bandage am well.

My cellmate dey turn anyhow, no move, like say breath sef stop.

For that moment, I dey beg God for miracle.

As dem dey reset two fingers, he scream—warders sef no fit hold am.

If na my papa, he for faint. Pain no be play for this life.

Finger pain dey reach heart—I no even know him name, but as I hear that scream, my own body begin pain me.

E dey like say my flesh dey connect with him own. Na true human connection be that.

But one time, he look me through cell door, then just surrender, close eye, bite teeth.

E dey strong, even for pain. I dey respect am.

My heart dey shake, fear say he go die—my hand dey hold bar dey shake.

I dey reason say if e go, my hope go scatter. Prison go return to grave.

I come understand wetin Musa mean by "gentlemanly and upright."

Correct man no like show him bad side.

For Naija, man pride strong. Even if pain dey kill am, e go hide am from woman.

When the wahala treatment end, he fall coma.

I dey cry for inside, dey pray say e go wake.

Doctor rest small, tell me: "Nobody go care for am here—na you dey responsible, aunty."

The way e look me, e dey pass message. I no get choice.

"I don write medicine—boil two times daily, dem go bring am. Let am cool, feed am, make sure he drink everything."

I dey nod like say I be nurse. My heart dey beat, but I no fit show fear.

I nod, remember all instructions.

I dey count everything for my head like JAMB question.

Suddenly my back dey scratch, like say insect dey crawl.

If na home, I for think say na mosquito. Here, na stress dey catch my body.

I turn, na Baba Seyi white face dey there.

E dey smile with teeth like goat wey chop yam. E dey reason me with eye.

He use horsetail brush touch my waist, eye dey waka my body, then smile for Musa.

The way him dey look, e resemble herbalist wey dey find apprentice.

"Guard Musa really try for your old oga. Person wey dey die, you still find woman for am."

E dey talk with small laugh. I just dey twist face. Wetin concern agbero with overload?

Huh?

Na so confusion land for my face. My mind dey calculate different things.

Which kind nonsense—who dey breed here? I just dey find person to talk to!

If na my village, I for don curse Baba Seyi join. But I hold myself.

Musa squeeze hand, force smile: "Thanks, Baba Seyi—abeg, fit allow doctor dey come change medicine every day? And get servant make cell neat..."

Musa dey beg, e voice dey beg like pikin wey need extra meat for pot.

Baba Seyi raise hand north, dey mock.

E dey form big man, dey do like say he get power pass king.

"Today na ruler grace make you enter. No dey overdo, Guard Musa."

Na warning. For palace, over sabi fit land person for trouble.

He hiss: "You don see am, wound treat finish. Time to go, Guard Musa—go serve ruler."

E dey chase Musa like goat for market.

Musa shame—everybody know wetin sup.

Na so face dey ground, eyes dey red. Shame full body.

He betray him oga just to see am.

The pain for Musa body dey strong. E dey like say e dey swallow stone.

Musa eye swell, he kneel knock ground three times, voice low but strong.

That three knocks na tradition. E dey mean 'I salute, I beg, I respect.'

"Aunty get good heart, as I leave oga for your hand, I rest."

Na blessing be that. My body dey hot with new responsibility.

"I no get power, but I tell chief warden—food no go short you. Even if una die after rainy season, I go bury una well, dey visit grave forever."

My mind soft. This na promise wey go sweet even ghost.

Chei, you be better person.

If not for prison, Musa for be hero for our place.

I get the message—he no fit come again till months pass. This na farewell.

My eye dey water, but I dey strong face. Person no suppose break down for public.

Warders bring pillow and wrapper, throw for ground.

Na sign of small favour. Wrapper dey do as blanket for cold night.

Everybody waka—cell quiet.

Na so silence land. The sound of their footsteps fade, darkness hug us.

Na only me and cellmate remain.

The bond wey suffering dey create, na only people wey experience am fit understand.

I sit small, spread wrapper, gently carry am on top, then lie beside am.

I dey careful, like mama wey dey handle newborn.

The medicine calm am, wrapper soft—I close eye, relax.

For once, my heart dey beat slow. Sleep dey near, but mind no rest.

"Oga, you be big man before—how you end up like this?"

My voice low, like secret wey person dey whisper for night.

"Dem set you up?"

I dey try find story. Na so Naija people dey do—if gist dey, we go find am.

"Even for prison, person still dey run for you—e sweet me."

The way people dey loyal to am, na sign say e get better character before wahala.

I turn, raise three fingers.

For our side, na way to swear friendship.

"We two, suffering brother and sister—no born same day, but make we die same day."

I dey use joke hold my own spirit. For here, laughter dey heal small wound.

I touch my neck: "I wonder if to lose head dey pain."

Even if na play, I dey reason if death dey easy.

No reply, no sound, even breath no sure. Him left hand touch my right—hot like fire.

E be like electric shock. Fever dey rise, my own panic join.

I touch him face.

Na heat burn my hand. This one no be ordinary fever.

Yawa! Fever dey catch am!

I dey shout inside, dey find solution for my head.

I clear throat.

I dey prepare to shout reach heaven.

"Abeg! This oga get fever—where paracetamol dey? Chief warden, bring towel, methylated spirit, wet cloth!"

Na so I dey holler like town crier. Even rat go fear my voice that night.