Chapter 4: The Price of Blame

That time, Okoli Zainab just dey lost.

As e be so, her face no dey bright. She no dey chop, sleep no dey enter eye. People dey talk, "Zainab dey waka like person wey witch pursue for dream."

She no even fit ask why dem fight. She just dey repeat one question: “Why una no wait make I come before una bury am? Why una no let me see my brother last time?”

She dey cry, mouth dey shake, voice low. People just dey dodge her eye, nobody fit give answer wey make sense.

“Na for your own good o! Sun too hot, every day for mortuary na money. The people wey pay this money no wan pay pass this one, and if you wan more, na from your own compensation dem go cut. No be better say you just take the money? The dead don go, na the living remain. Your mama go depend on who now? No be you? With this money, life go soft. And we get your mama consent. For this matter, na she get pass say than you, abi?”

Dem dey talk like say na market talk. "Ah ah, this life na turn by turn. The dead don go, no use head knock wall."

The only man for the family, Okoli Zainab husband, no send at all. Okoli Zainab, wey no finish secondary school, no fit win mouth with the mill manager.

She dey wish say her papa still dey. Maybe elders for family go fit talk, but now, nobody dey her side. Even her own husband, na just blank face e dey give am for phone.

She just hold the ash box and the money, dey cry with her mama.

If you see as two of them hold each other, you go feel the pain for air. Even goat wey dey tie for backyard stop to chop.

Maybe that time, Okoli Yomi spirit no fit rest.

Some old people dey talk say if person die without justice, e spirit go waka for night, dey find peace.

Wetin two weak women, one old, one young, wan do?

For this side, if you no get man, you go dey fight battle with empty hand. People go look you like say you no fit do anything.

But nobody know say the seventy thousand go change everything.

Sometimes, small thing fit turn big fire for bush. This money, e go bring problem wey nobody plan.