Chapter 1: Hunger and Miracles

I used to be a labourer, almost starved to death.

Even as I remember those days, my heart dey twist small for chest. Hunger no be anybody mate, na real wahala. Sometimes I go dey hear my stomach dey drum like village talking drum, but no food go answer. The sun for those afternoons dey shine like say na my enemy, my ribs dey countable, my throat dry like Benue sand.

But everything changed when the new overseer showed up. He started giving us pap and ugba for every meal. Pap wey hot, ugba wey get taste, and the smell alone fit wake dead man.

No be small matter. Imagine after days of that bitter cassava, person just show, begin give us correct food. Pap wey hot, ugba wey get taste. Na that day I believe say miracle fit still happen for Nigeria.

He made us work four days, then rest for three—never forced us to do overtime. Some people dey whisper, "This Oga no be Nigerian? Which work dey give person three days rest?"

For my mind, I dey reason am say which kind Oga be this one? You dey treat us like human beings, no be as if we be goat wey dem just dey flog upandan. Even the strong men begin wonder whether this man come from Abuja or na just angel send am.

He even taught us how to read and write, and introduced us to new things: mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and so on. Oga go draw am for sand, e go talk say, "This one na mathematics, e go help you price yam for market." Sometimes, e go talk about how rain dey fall, why mango dey drop for ground, even why iron dey shine—science wey fit touch our own life.

Omo, I remember how e dey hold chalk for hand, draw one big circle for sand, begin talk about science like say na chin-chin e dey share. Some people go dey look am with confusion, some go dey shine teeth. Me, I dey try write my name for slate, mouth dey open, surprise dey my face.

Later, after he united all of Umuola, he cried to me:

That day, rain just dey beat ground outside, thunder dey rumble like masquerade drum. Oga Obilo, the same man wey get heart strong like lion, just burst enter my room, eyes red, voice weak like person wey dey miss home.

"I have to wake up for 8 a.m. class, and I'm already the chief—why I still need to wake up for 8 a.m. class?"

He drag chair, collapse for my front, remove cap, begin wipe sweat. Me I just dey look am, laugh for inside, but respect dey make me hold face.

"My trusted man, why we no go fight more for west side?"

He dey shake head, as if the wahala for west side na only by small talk person go solve am. I sabi say war no dey sweet anybody, but e like say Oga still get soldier blood for body.

"This English self, e don tire me. I no wan learn am again."

I just burst laugh. Who no go tire? Sometimes even me, I go dey look that English, e go be like say e dey bite person for tongue. But na so life be.