Chapter 3: The Last Thing Papa Left

I shock. "Ehn? One thousand? No be two hundred you talk before?"

Her mouth no even change. She just dey look front, as if say my voice na breeze. The people wey dey around begin dey look my side, some dey shake head. For her, na only money matter.

She no even look my face. "Na that time be that. Now na this price. Still my boat, na me dey set rules."

Her pride high like Third Mainland Bridge. Na so some people for this our country dey, dem go see person dey struggle, but dem go add pepper to your wound. I dey think say maybe village chief suppose regulate this boat matter, but who go challenge her?

For work, dem dey say I get better temper, but this one don pass my power. I shout, "This one na pure wickedness! I fit call local government people make dem check you now!"

People begin dey look, some dey wait for fight. But woman just cross her hand for chest, dey wait. E be like say she dey enjoy the drama.

She just laugh. "You give me money? Bring proof. Who go prove say I overcharge you? I go even sue you for slander."

Her laughter dey scatter for riverbank. E dey sound like say she no dey fear anything. Some people dey giggle, others dey shake head, dey pity me.

I just dey boil. She still dey mock me, "So? You go or you no go? If you dey waste time, I go carry my boat go."

I dey squeeze my hand, my head dey swell, but I gats remember the pikin wey dey wait. Sometimes, for this work, you go swallow pride, do anyhow to make sure you fit help person.

I remember the pikin wey dey wait, I calm down. "Aunty, abeg, I no get that kind cash. Make I use bank app? I go send you one thousand now now..."

I dey try reason with her, my face dey humble. Doudou sef dey look her like, 'Abeg, no waste our time.'

She just laugh. "You think say I be mumu? You fit send me one thousand, then after rescue, you go carry evidence go local government report me. I no go school reach, but I no be idiot."

Her suspicion dey sharp. For Naija, nobody wan make you carry their matter reach police or chief. For village, story dey fly faster than okada. I just dey tire.

My heart just cut. She don reason my mind finish. But truly, I no dey carry that kind cash—nowadays, na only two hundred dey hide for back of my phone.

I dey remember say e remain small change from last week outing. As I touch am, hope dey faint. But for this life, you gats try. I dey imagine as I go explain this story if pikin no make am.

I bring out two hundred, beg her, "Aunty, abeg, I dey rush to save person. Take this two hundred plus the fifty I give before. Abeg, get small pity."

My hand dey shake as I dey stretch am give her. For her face, na stone. No emotion, just hard.

She no talk, just collect the two hundred. I wan enter boat, she point my neck.

Her finger long, nail dirty from paddling river water. She dey shine eye, dey look the pendant wey dey my neck. Na so people for market dey, dem fit see gold from distance.

"If money no reach, bring jewelry join. That your gold pendant fine—make I help you, use am pay the remaining eight hundred."

I just freeze. I look down, na then I notice as I rush come, my gold pendant wey dey hide under shirt don come outside.

For small second, e be like say time stop. The pendant cold for my chest, rain dey beat am. My mind dey run back to old memories—my papa face, mama laugh. I hold am tight like say e be my last breath.

But that pendant, I no fit give am out—not because of money, but na the last thing my papa leave for me.

My mama die when I small, na my papa raise me. E too be search and rescue team member, so I grow for inside team compound. When I reach ten, my papa go rescue for mountain. Harmattan come, cold kill everywhere, my papa no come down again.

That time, the whole community come gather for our house, bring yam, beans, even palm oil. I still remember as neighbours dey pray, dey say, "May his soul rest, may his child never lack." My uncle hug me, him shirt smell of firewood smoke and old soap. I just dey look door, dey wait make papa waka come back, but e no show.

Overnight, I become orphan. Later, my papa people find him body. The uncles for team say he still dey hold gold pendant for hand, face dey peaceful. I cry tire. Na that pendant papa buy for mama when I be three; inside get photo of the three of us. After mama die, papa dey wear am for neck like charm. He no leave me any word, but e be like say he leave me everything.

That pendant dey carry old prayer, and if cold catch me for rescue, I go hold am, dey whisper, "Papa, dey my side." Sometimes, e be like say I dey hear him voice for wind. Na the only thing wey remind me say I get family, say love still dey for this world.

Later, I join search and rescue team too, the pendant come be my own charm...

The day dem gimme uniform, I swear say I go wear the pendant forever, as sign say I go dey strong for people the way my papa dey strong for me. Doudou sef sabi the story; sometimes, e go sniff the pendant, wag tail, as if e dey respect the spirit wey dey inside.

As I remember all this, I just tell her, "This gold pendant no go work. E mean plenty to me."

My voice dey low, but inside my body, fire dey burn. I dey hope say she go understand say some things pass money. My hand dey grip pendant tight, I no fit let go.

The woman look me with one kain eye, full of insult.

She hiss loud. Some people for boat dey look away, shame dey catch them. For here, some people no dey respect dead matter unless na their own.

"Chai! You talk say you dey rush save person, but na lie. You dey shout about good heart, but you no fit drop pendant."

I try explain, "No be so, aunty. Na my papa last thing wey he give me. I no fit give you."

My voice dey crack, almost like cry. Rain dey fall for my face, I no know if na water or tears. My chest dey tight, I dey pray make she gree.

She talk, "Wetin concern dead person? No worry, I no fear to collect wetin dead person wear."

Her voice cold like water from earthen pot. For her, everything na transaction. I dey vex, but I no fit shout for fear say matter go spoil. Sometimes, this kain person fit curse you join.

As I hear am, anger just full my body, my face red, neck vein dey show. She step back small, fear catch am. "Wetin you wan do? You wan beat me? If you touch me, na you go take care of my life o!"

The way she step back, e show say she sabi fight if push reach shove. But for this kain work, I gats remember say I no fit add another wahala join. Community people dey always quick judge rescue people.

That time, satellite phone vibrate again—na captain dey call.

The ring loud pass thunder for my ear. Doudou start dey bark small, as if e dey feel my pain.

"Baba Shola, where you dey? The pikin don nearly die finish. Medical team dey foot of mountain. Why you never reach?"

I rush reply, "Make una try first, I dey come—"

My voice dey shake, but I gats still try. For my mind, I dey beg all the ancestors make dem help me. Na so I dey beg—when road hard, na only God hand fit carry person reach finish.

No choice, I remove the gold pendant, look the greedy woman, beg, "Abeg write receipt for me. I go collect am when I come down. Abeg, keep am well—this pendant na my life."

My hand dey tremble as I give her the pendant. My heart dey beat like talking drum. For my mind, I dey pray say God go punish anybody wey thief am. Doudou dey look me, e eye red, as if e dey vex for my pain.

She happy, grab the pendant, write one something for paper inside boat. I check the note, e talk:

[Today collect one pendant, still owe five thousand.]

Her handwriting rough, the paper dey wet small, ink dey run. E pain me say person fit dey this wicked, but na so life dey sometimes.

I vex. "Ehn? How e take be five thousand?"

She look the pendant. "Yes, five thousand. Your papa leave you this pendant—no be five thousand you go pay to collect am back? No be you talk say na him last thing for you?"

Her words dey bite like pepper. For her mind, everything get price. My body dey shake, but I dey reason, if I agree now, she fit talk say e don reach ten thousand when I come back.

I dey rush to save person, but I no be mumu. I just refuse enter her boat.

I shake head, collect my pendant back, hold am tight. Na so I dey stand for rain, dey reason how to cross river, but my mind dey clear—this woman no fit use my pain cash out.