Chapter 5: Akara for Survival

When we reach viewing platform again, time don reach 7 p.m. Since morning, I never chop, never drink—na just strong head dey move me.

My throat dry, my leg dey shake, but I dey happy say my family dey together. Even the small breeze for hill dey sweet me.

Now, as we safe small, I relax, hunger and tiredness just hit me once.

My body dey heavy like stone. I wan just drop for ground sleep, but mama eye dey shine. She sabi say hunger no be friend.

Lucky say mama pack all dry food and vegetable. She climb truck, search, bring out big red nylon. From inside, she carry akara and one bottle pepper sauce, then one small green scent leaf. She use the leaf rub pepper, spread am for akara, roll am, give me.

Mama akara hot, pepper dey bite, but the scent leaf cool am small. Even breeze from hill dey help push the aroma enter my nose.

As I smell the akara and pepper, my body just cool. Na only Naija mama sabi arrange survival food like this—hot, sharp, get small sweet inside.

I chop am like say I never see food before.

Each bite dey sweet, the pepper dey make my eye water, but I no stop.

"Chop slow, make you no choke," mama talk, dey smile, give me plastic kettle. "Drink water."

Her smile fit melt stone. She wipe sweat from my head, then look papa: "Na God hand we dey."

As I look my family, all of us sit together, e be like na the best food wey I ever chop.

My papa dey nod, dey look far. Even though wahala dey, our family dey united. I thank God for that.

After food, I tell papa and mama about the wahala wey happen last time. I no sure if sea go reach Okpoko Hills—but I remember, as I dey struggle for water, I still dey see the shape of Okpoko Hills for far.

My voice dey low, but dem dey listen well. My papa dey hold my hand, mama dey pray. For this kain matter, prayer no dey ever too much.

So, we plan quick: make we go the summit, the highest point. One white shrine dey there, na strong cement dem use build am. E no big, but e get five floors, only one entrance—easy to defend, hard to attack if people come.

I dey remember when I small, we dey play for that shrine, dey run up and down. Nobody dey go there now, na only lizard dey stay.

But less than sixteen hours remain before wahala start, and no road reach summit, truck no fit climb, so we no fit carry all things from viewing platform up.

My papa say, "We go dey waka up and down like bush rat today o!" I just laugh, but my mind dey reason wahala.

Now, we gats sort the things again, carry only the main main ones first.

As Naija man go talk—use sense pack wetin you fit carry.