Chapter 5: Trouble for Compound
Next day, na noise for downstairs wake me.
Children dey shout, woman dey quarrel, generator dey roar. I rub my eye, check time—afternoon don reach. I dey wonder how I sleep reach that kind time.
I check time—na already afternoon.
Sun dey shine, but my body still dey cold. I stretch, try clear my head. Hunger dey bite me.
As I come out, better aroma full the house.
The smell na real food—onion, pepper, palm oil. My stomach dey rumble. I dey follow nose go kitchen.
Morayo, wear apron, dey smile by the table.
She tie scarf for head, her face dey shine. She dey arrange plate, dey hum song. The apron na my own, but e fit her well.
Two meat, two vegetable—everything make sense.
Rice, stew, efo riro, fried plantain. Meat big, fish dey side. I dey look am like person wey win lottery.
"I never cook for long. I no sure if I still sabi. Come chop."
Her voice soft, her eye dey beg me make I try. I dey smile, dey form big man.
I dey hungry. I just sit down, dey chop like say tomorrow no dey.
I no even talk, just dey swallow food. The taste dey sweet, my body dey thank her. I dey nod head, dey praise her small.
Her food sweet, especially the way she dey cut beef—she dey cut beef like person wey sabi butchery, every slice sharp, no bone, no waste.
I dey wonder how she take get that skill. The meat neat, no fat. E remind me of the way my mama dey cut meat for Christmas soup.
As I dey look her, I dey reason say I don catch better woman.
For my mind, I dey plan say if she gree, I fit keep her. I dey imagine how neighbours go dey jealous me.
The noise outside loud more. I come go check.
People dey shout, some dey run, some dey laugh. I dey curious, so I go balcony, peep.
People gather for Mama Risi door.
Dem form small crowd, dey point finger, dey whisper. I dey try see wetin dey happen.
I no fit enter, so I tap one guy wey get tattoo and yellow hair.
Na area boy, but we dey greet. Him dey always find trouble, but today, e dey calm.
Him name na Small Baba, small thief wey don go prison before.
Everybody sabi am. Him dey quick borrow, slow to pay. But him get street info pass anybody.
He smile, show him brown teeth.
He dey always smile like say him dey plan mischief. I dey careful with am.
"Nobody know who kill landlady dog—dem skin am, hang am for her door."
I shock. Skin dog? For Lagos? I dey try picture am. My body cold.
"Old woman wake see blood and dog skin for ground—she craze."
I fit imagine Mama Risi scream. The whole compound go shake.
"Dem talk say she dey ICU now. If ambulance no come quick, she for don follow her dog go."
People dey talk, dey laugh. Everybody for this house don chop Bingo bite before. Everywhere dey smell dog piss and shit, but Mama Risi too get power, nobody fit talk.
True talk. That dog na real wahala. But nobody fit talk before. Now e don die, people dey free to laugh.
Now dog die, Mama Risi for hospital—if no be say e bad, people for dey celebrate.
I dey shake head. For Lagos, na only strong fit survive. Even landlady fit fall.
As I remember last night, I spit, laugh small.
I dey remember how Bingo chase Morayo. I dey feel one kind, but I no let am show.
Na that time, Morayo show from stair.
She wear clean cloth, her face fresh. She dey look around, dey fear small.
I wave her come. She waka come meet me.
She dey walk soft, like person wey no wan draw attention. Her eye dey scan everybody, but she just dey focus on me.
Small Baba eye nearly comot.
He dey look her like say she be actress for film. I dey vex, but I no talk.
"Omo, who be this one?"
He dey smile, dey lick lips. I dey block Morayo, dey protect my own.
I just block Morayo for back.
I dey use my body shield her. For Lagos, if you slack, person go collect your babe.
"Na my babe."
I yan am with strong voice, make e know say no try nonsense.
Small Baba smile, dey jealous.
He dey nod, dey look me with respect. I dey feel like big man.
To change topic, he talk about the dead dog again.
He know say e no fit collect my babe, so e switch.
"You see as dem peel the skin? Na pro do am—at least ten years dey handle knife."
I dey wonder who fit do that kind neat job. My mind dey turn.
"Police come, but too many people, who dem wan ask?"
True. For this compound, everybody dey suspect. Police no fit do anything.
"All because old woman too stingy to fix camera. See as e be now..."
Na so. She dey always talk say camera na waste of money. Now see as e don be.
Knife work...
My mind just flash go Morayo beef slices.
I dey remember how she cut meat—straight, neat, no mistake. My body cold.
I turn, but she don dey climb stair, shadow don swallow her.
She waka slow, no look back. For my mind, I dey reason say maybe na coincidence.