Chapter 10: Compound Kitchen

6

Chief wife compound.

After I greet madam, chief wife look my green dress, begin laugh me:

“See as this small noble lady get mind dey copy me?”

“Just yesterday, Chief praise me for how I fine for green, say na only me for compound fit wear am shine, today you run go copy me?”

“Your own no reach. E pain me, some people no even fit see Chief shadow.”

As she finish, she laugh loud.

Everybody join her laugh.

For all compound, na only me spend night with Chief just once.

Before, all these their bad mouth no dey worry me.

I even like the peace wey come with am.

But now, as I see chief wife green dress, my mind begin shake again.

When Auwalu dey praise me for green before, na me e dey see, or e dey use me remember chief wife?

Most likely na chief wife.

If e really love chief wife, but dey do like say e love me,

this kind person fit really use my family pay for chief wife one day.

I bite my lip till blood come out.

Chief wife see am, hiss:

“You suppose try get close to Chief, if anything happen to your family, nobody go fit beg for you.”

“E go pain you.”

Her talk make my mind jump.

One kind fear begin enter my heart.

I gree say, sometimes, for compound life, na only small thing fit spoil person day. The way chief wife take talk am—her laugh sharp like knife, her eye dey shine like say she dey see through me. When all the other women join laugh, I just bone, try form strong. But my mind dey replay Auwalu praise, dey wonder who e dey really see. As chief wife hiss and drop her warning, na so my heart catch. I swallow spit, try balance, but fear grip me. E be like say trouble dey come, and I fit no get anybody to fight for me when the time reach.