Chapter 4: Family Na Everything

I wear helmet, start okada, follow small road wey people no too dey. As I go, I see chemist still open, I buy many boxes of common medicine, spirit, gauze join.

I greet the pharmacist, an old woman, she dey ask, "Pikin, you dey go village?" I just nod, pay, and rush go.

Two hours waka, I reach foot of Okpoko Hills. From far, I see papa truck just land.

Na so I dey wave, dey shout, make sure say dem see me before wahala go start.

I slow down, shout, "Papa, start dey go up—follow me!" When I dey university, I don bring my friends here, so I sabi one cement road for back wey go straight to viewing platform for middle of hill.

My papa trust me. Him just dey follow, no ask question. For Naija, sometimes na only trust fit save you.

The sound of my okada dey echo for bush. As we dey go, nobody dey, only birds dey fly for top. E be like say animals don sense wetin dey come.

I dey see antelope dey run, bush fowl dey jump, even lizard dey find high stone.

For viewing platform, me and my papa and mama rush offload truck. Thirty bags of yam, the rest na maize.

We dey rush, dey sweat, but nobody dey talk. My mama just dey pray under her breath, dey call Holy Spirit.

Time dey chase us—I no fit rest. I leave cutlass with mama, make she use defend herself, make she watch the things. Me and papa carry truck go house for another load.

I tell mama say, "If you hear any noise, hide for bush. Hold that cutlass tight o!" She just nod, dey look sky.

Mama don already pack all important house things: two iron pot, stainless bowl and basin, iron bucket—all the strong ones, arrange am well. Some bags full of cloth and wrapper.

Mama use old Ankara tie her jewelry and papa’s radio, hide am inside yam sack—Naija style, nothing must loss. She even remember to carry family Bible and old photograph album—those small small things wey dey make house feel like home.

Other things don pack, but no time to check—na just carry anything wey hand reach.

Na so we dey pack, dey rush, no even get time check if door lock well.

After we load second round, I lock door, look last time at the small compound wey I don dey live for over twenty years, jump enter truck.

I see my old slippers for door, my papa old hat for chair, I just sigh. Life dey change sharp sharp.

Papa start engine, we drive straight go seed shop for town, buy plenty fruit, vegetable and grain seed.

I greet the mallam wey dey sell seed, he look me say, "Na big farming you wan do?" I just smile, pay, and pack everything.