Chapter 4: DNA and Family Palava

Which kind talk papa dey talk?

I dey confuse, dey look e face, dey try understand. The room cold, but the thing wey e talk cold pass harmattan.

I look am, confused. “I no...”

My voice small, almost disappear. My eyes dey search e own, dey hope say e go gree me.

Mr. Folarin drop the photo for table, voice cold. “Go back to Chuka family. You no fit be my pikin. I no be your papa.”

The way e drop the photo loud, my heart jump. My hand dey shake, but I no wan cry for e front.

“But mama talk say na you be my papa.”

I dey beg, voice crack. I dey look e face, dey hope say e go pity me.

“E no possible.” E close eye. “Me and your mama separate eight years ago, but you be just six. You fit only be Chuka Eze pikin.”

The way e do the calculation, e be like say e don sure for e mind. But I dey confused. I dey count with my finger, dey try make sense of everything.

I count for my finger, come realize say wetyn e talk fit make sense.

I dey lost, dey wonder if all the things wey mama talk na lie. My heart dey beat fast.

Abi na true say I be Chuka Eze pikin?

I dey doubt, but my spirit no gree. My mama no fit lie give me, I dey sure.

But mama no fit lie give me.

I remember all the things wey she talk—how e pain her, how she fight for me. No way.

E get as e be.

I dey confused, but my mind dey tell me make I still hold hope.

“Daddy, you fit do DNA test with me. I really be your pikin!” I pain myself, pull small hair for my head, give am puppy eyes, dey hope.

I look am with all the hope wey I fit gather. My hand dey tremble as I pull hair. The small pain remind me say I no dey dream.

Mr. Folarin look me, eyebrow squeeze.

E eye dey read my soul. E try hide e feeling, but e hand dey shake small.

“Achoo!” I sneeze again.

The sneeze loud, I nearly fall. The cold no dey help matter.

Mr. Folarin look outside, then look my small body. “If you wan stay, no wahala, but na only tonight. Tomorrow, I go call community leader make dem carry you go house.”

E voice don soft, like say e don pity me. E no want wahala, but e still dey fear.

Better! Daddy no chase me again.

My heart jump for joy. I try hide smile, but e show for my face. I dey thank God inside.

Mr. Folarin go upstairs go ready room for me.

I follow am, happy.

The house big, stairs dey wide. I dey look all the family photo, dey count how many times e smile for any of them. My leg dey make kpa-kpa for tile.

“Daddy, how you take see mama for your mind?”

I dey curious, want hear the truth from e mouth. My voice small.

Mr. Folarin hiss. “She no dey loyal, she get bad mind, greedy, fake join.”

Na three big grammar—na only the last two I understand.

I dey scratch head. I dey try remember if I see mama do those things. My mind dey ask question.

“Daddy, mama really dey like woman like that?”

I dey hope say e go talk another thing. I dey wish say na misunderstanding.

“...Small pikin no suppose dey ask this kind question.”

E voice soft small. E no want talk again. E face dey turn away, like say e dey hide something.

I slow down, my chest just heavy.

My heart dey sink, like stone wey dem throw inside well. The whole house cold, my mind dey fly back to mama.

Since I small, I sabi say people no like mama because dem call am the wicked side character.

For our area, na so the talk dey go. From market to church, everybody get one story about Adaeze the villain.

Because she be villain, everybody just dey hate am.

Even children no dey gree play with me because of her matter. Some go call me 'witch pikin,' but mama always pat my back, say make I no mind dem.

Mama tell me say for her first world, her name na Adaeze, and she get brain cancer. Before she kpai, one prophetess find her, ask if she go gree enter story as villain. If she fit make the main guy fall for am, dem go give her better body.

Mama say that prophetess na real woman of God, wey dey wear white lace, carry big Bible for hand. The offer wey she give mama, na life and chance to get true love, but e get as e be—she go suffer, but if she win, she go shine.

Mama gree.

She take the risk, for my sake. She say she gree because she wan see better life, even if e hard.

She become Adaeze Okafor—the real Adaeze pikin wey dem lose, true fiancée of Chuka Eze.

The Okafor family na big name for town. Their compound na the kind wey get mango tree, borehole, and big generator. The compound dey smell of mango leaf after rain, and generator dey hum for background. Mama na the lost pikin, and when she return, people dey look her with side eye.

Yemisi na her small sister, the main babe for this family story.

Yemisi get light skin, dimple, and smile wey fit melt anybody. She dey sing for choir, everybody dey love am.

The pikin wey everybody love—even though no be blood, dem no fit send her back to suffer for poor family.

Na so Yemisi dey shine. Even teachers for school dey use her as example. My mama just dey background, dey try fit in.

Mama Okafor cry tire, beg Grandpa until Grandpa gree make Yemisi stay.

Family meeting full the parlour. Grandpa come, beard white, voice strong. Na him last say make Yemisi no go anywhere.

Mama never know wetyn she do wrong. But once Yemisi vex, na my mama dem go blame.

Any small quarrel, na my mama go chop blame. E reach a point wey she dey hide for veranda, dey beg God for peace.

Everybody dey look my mama with bad eye.

If she dress, dem go say e too loud. If she talk, dem go say e too harsh. Na so life dey do am.

Even though na blood, my mama slim, rough, no get that rich babe swag.

She no sabi all those big English, nor dey wear Brazilian hair. She be street girl wey get small sense.

Papa and Mama dey like the main babe pass. Chuka Eze sef no like my mama.

Na Yemisi dey get all the attention. Chuka Eze dey follow am everywhere, dey buy am gifts. My mama just dey look from window, dey sigh.

After she return go Okafor family, na only Grandpa really welcome am.

Grandpa go call her 'my Ada,' go share groundnut and zobo with her for backyard. E be like say na only him see her true heart.

Mama na orphan for her first world, she dey find family. Whether na her first papa and mama or this new ones, she cherish all of them.

The pain wey she carry, na only person wey no get anybody go understand. Na why she dey fight so hard to belong.

No matter how she try please everybody, the story just dey carry her go where e wan go.

E be like fate don write her script. No matter how she bend, the line straight.

Mama no get choice—if she no fit make Chuka Eze love her, she go vanish.

She dey pray every night, dey hope say miracle go land for her doorstep.

Later, Okafor family get wahala, almost scatter. Na that time Chuka Eze break up with Yemisi. Yemisi cry, second male lead carry her go abroad go heal.

The house empty that time, everybody dey mourn loss. Yemisi pack, travel, promise to send letter. My mama just dey try patch life together.

That time, the tech company wey mama start dey blow, Series B money almost complete, but she sell am for small money. She use the money plus Grandpa inheritance buy herself position as Chuka Eze wife.

People for street begin dey whisper—'see as Adaeze use money buy husband.' But mama no send. She dey pursue wetin she believe.

Even though Chuka Eze no wan marry am, e heart still dey with Yemisi. E just dey follow any woman wey resemble Yemisi.

Na so my mama dey always dey try fit herself into Yemisi shadow. E dey painful, but she no gree give up.

But the one wey resemble am pass na still my mama.

People dey talk say na only my mama get Yemisi eyes, but na her stubbornness dey make people avoid her.

Chuka Eze go dey kiss my mama anyhow, but dey call Yemisi name. E go even carry babe come house, dey romance for their bed. Na only when e see my mama dey sad, e go rest.

The kind pain wey my mama dey hide, only God fit understand. She go cry inside, but smile outside.

Even when I born, e no send us.

Na only Grandpa buy me new wrapper and small gold earring. The rest just dey look us like stranger.

Mama reaction: Anybody wey want this rotten cucumber, make dem carry am.

She talk am with bold face, like say she no send anybody. But me, I dey see her cry for night.

I no too understand, but I like how mama no send.

I dey try copy her strong mind. If people talk anyhow, I just close ear.

On my sixth birthday, the prophetess talk say time don finish—the main guy no love mama, so mission fail. Punishment na say she go vanish.

The prophetess come with her white lace, red gele. She look mama, voice sad. 'Adaeze, your work for this world don finish.'

Same time, hospital result come: brain cancer, final stage.

I dey the hospital room when doctor break the news. Mama just hold my hand, no shed tear.

Prophetess give mama three days.

The countdown start. For those three days, everywhere dey slow, like say time no wan move.

I still remember mama face that time: she confuse, she pain, she sad, then she look me with all her heart.

Na that look give me strength. Even though I dey small, I know say na her last wish.

She no beg Chuka Eze again, she just decide to find papa.

She gather all her small strength, dey try reach out to Mr. Folarin. Even when people laugh her, she no look their side.

She try reach papa many times, e no gree see am. The message she send, e no answer.

She go church, go office, call phone, but everywhere block. E pain her reach bone.

Last last, that day.

The day cold, sky dark. Mama wear her best cloth, carry small bag, waka with hope say she go see papa.

She wait under him office till night, body almost finish.

Mosquito bite her, rain beat her, still she no move. At the end, nobody come.

E still no show.

That night, she waka home with tears. But she still pat my back, say everything go better.

Mama no be that kind woman.” I clench my fist, look Mr. Folarin for face. “Mama really love you. She never forget you.”

My voice dey shake, but I no care. My eyes dey hot with tears, but I stubborn.

Mr. Folarin shock small, then e just laugh, voice bitter. “Na she teach you this one too?”

The laugh no get joy. E sound like person wey life don beat well. E look me, eye red.

I shake head. “No...”

I dey wipe tears, but my hand dirty. My heart dey hope say e go believe me.

“Nobody sabi Adaeze Okafor reach me.” Him face cold. “Apart from Chuka Eze, she no ever love anybody.”

The way e talk am, e pain me. I dey try remember if mama ever lie to me. My heart dey bleed, but I still dey hope.

My face red as I try hold myself.

My nose dey run, but I no want cry for man wey no even gree say I be e pikin.

I no fit talk say mama na conqueror, say she dey with Uncle Chuka just to survive.

I wan shout, but I lock my mouth. If I talk, dem go say pikin no get respect.

How I go take make papa believe say mama really love am?

I dey think, dey plan for my mind. Maybe if e see how I dey stubborn, e go know say I dey truly fight for my mama.

As my mind dey heavy, I lie down for bed.

I curl for corner, use wrapper cover body. My eyes dey stare ceiling, dey pray for miracle.

Mr. Folarin cover me. “I dey next room. If you need anything, just knock.”

E voice soft, but e hand still dey shake. E adjust the pillow for me, make sure say my leg no dey cold.

“Okay.”

I whisper, my eyes dey close. My body dey tired, but my heart still dey race.

The bandage for him wrist still dey bleed small, like say the wound never heal.

The blood stain small, but I dey see am. My mind dey fear, dey hope say e go better by morning.

Papa wound?

I dey worry.

I dey pray say make e no do anything wey go pain me. For night, I dey peep e door, dey check if e still dey alive.

Ten minutes later, I stand for master bedroom door.

I tiptoe, my leg dey shake. I dey fear, but I gats try.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

The sound small, but for silent night, e loud.

Mr. Folarin open, eyes red, face hard. “Wetyn happen?”

E face strong, but I see small worry for corner eye. E dey fear say maybe something happen to me.

“Daddy, I fit come sleep with you?”

I no wan stay alone. The cold too much, and my heart dey heavy.

“No.”

E voice stubborn. But I no gree. I dey beg with all my heart.

I join my hands, beg am, “Abeg? You know say since I small, I never stay without mama...”

My voice dey break. Tears dey come out. I dey hope say e go gree.

“...Enter.”

E finally gree. E shift for me, arrange space.

E arrange mat for floor, make me sleep for bed alone.

E no wan sleep for bed with me, but e make sure say the mat get enough foam. I dey thank am small for e effort.

To make sure I no fall, e even on small rechargeable lamp.

The light dey shine yellow. E drive away small darkness, make I fit sleep well.

“Daddy, you no go sleep with me?”

I dey hope say e go agree. The bed big enough.

“Big girl no suppose dey sleep with papa.”

E voice low, but e dey try teach me better thing.

I sit up, surprise. “So you don gree say na you be my papa now?”

My eyes shine. I dey hope say na true.

Mr. Folarin close eye, no wan look me. “Na more reason why man no suppose.”

E voice crack, but I sabi say e dey try protect me.

I lie down, disappointed, but I see one photo frame wey dem turn face down for nightstand.

The glass dey shine for light. I stretch neck, dey peep.

Na mama picture.

The smile for the picture no reach her eye. I dey remember the day she snap am—na Grandpa house.

“Daddy, you miss mama too, abi?”

My voice soft, I dey beg for answer.

Mr. Folarin pause, voice stiff.

E no talk for long. The silence thick like pap.

“...No.”

But the way e talk am, I know say na lie. E eye dey shine with small pain.

True?

I dey doubt am. Na only man wey pain dey hold go talk like that.

But why, after mama die, you no get mind to live again?

My mind dey ask, but I no talk. I just dey look the shadow for wall, dey pray say tomorrow go better. But for this house, even shadow get secret.