Chapter 2: Inside Sapphire Hall

Three days after I enter Sapphire Hall, I never see Noble Wife Halima. The palace dey busy, but her side quiet like grave. The other maids dey move with hush-hush step for her corridor.

That day, as I dey sweep yard, one palace maid jam me. Her load scatter, she fall for ground, look confused. I try help her stand, she push me comot, run go. The fear for her face be like person wey see masquerade for night.

As I dey frown, another maid come try calm me: "No vex. Maybe… she go soon die."

I shock. "How?"

"She dey cook for small kitchen. Madam say she wan chop locust bean cake. She don try do am more than ten times, madam no gree—just dey vex more. Madam talk say tomorrow morning be her last chance. If she no fit do the cake well…"

She lower her voice, whisper for my ear. Her breath dey warm for my cheek.

"Execution."

I hold my broom tight. My hand dey sweat. For palace, execution no be play matter. I look where the cook waka go, think small, drop broom, follow her. Something for my chest dey drag me forward.

……

For small kitchen, cook dey wash locust bean. But her hand dey shake. The locust bean dey scatter for ground. Tears just dey drop enter basin, she no even fit see well. The whole kitchen smell of onions and fear. Palm oil stain full her wrapper, she no even notice. Last-last, she just squat, begin cry. Her voice low, like goat wey dey lost for bush. If she no fit do the cake wey madam like, na die remain for her.

She no wan die. The more she think, the more fear catch her. She even dey reason to run for night. But guards full palace—no road. The palace wall high pass coconut tree. Wetin she go do now?

As she dey break down, person knock kitchen door small. The sound gentle, like person wey no wan disturb spirit.

Cook look up. Na one young maid wey she no know. My wrapper neat, my feet no make noise. I waka go, squat for her front. The kitchen dey smell palm oil and wet floor.

"You wan make I help you? I sabi do locust bean cake too."

Cook just look me, shock, then push me. Her face strong, but her eye red from cry.

"You wan kill me? Since I small, my papa don dey teach me cook. How your own cake go better pass my own?"

She dey guard herself—na fear dey her mind pass. This na her last hope; she no go trust anyhow. For palace, to trust person dey hard like to chew bone with empty mouth.

I pause, point the white locust bean for basin. "Madam real mama from Bida. Me sef from Bida. For there, na locust bean dem dey use shine, everybody sabi do the cake."

"Sister, if you no wan my help, how you wan take do this cake?"

Cook just freeze, dey think. The basin water don dey warm from her tears. True, how she wan take do am? She don try everything… but e no work. Madam still no gree. Truth be say, her idea don finish. She just hold her hand, then relax, look me well…

When the cake finish, dem carry am go madam. My heart dey beat, sweat dey my hand. That evening, plenty matrons enter kitchen. The main one face the cook.

"Na you do the locust bean cake?"

Cook dey fear, "Yes, na me do am."

"People, carry her go."

Two matrons grab cook, dey drag am out. The corridor cold, her leg dey drag for ground. Cook leg weak, she dey beg, "Madam no still like the cake? I fit do am again—abeg, give me chance. Have mercy."

Matron no answer. Her heart strong like iron. Cook heart just break. Other palace maids dey peep. The air for kitchen heavy. She look round, eye jam me. I see her eyes, I see fear and betrayal mixed.

She point me.

"Na she! Na she do today’s locust bean cake! If wahala dey, madam no fit punish only me!"

Main matron pause, look my side. Other maids just shift, no wan wahala. Matron eye me. "Oh? Carry her join."

She dey shout, “God, no let me die for another person wahala!” but nobody answer.

Dem throw cook and me for ground. The sand scratch my knee. Body pain me. As my head clear, I look around. For front palace, curtain dey move, and for gold couch, one fine woman dey lie down. Her perfume choke everywhere—like attar mixed with something sharp, almost like bitter leaf.

"Madam, we don bring them."

Matron report, then waka go. The silence heavy. Noble Wife Halima stand from couch, lift curtain. Her gown shine like morning dew. Cook dey shake, no fit look up. Her voice low, her spirit weak. I know say e no good to look madam direct, but I no fit hold myself. I wan see how my pikin don grow.

I look up. The woman fine—her skin like fresh yam, eyebrow fine, but her eyes cold… Her eye cold like early morning Harmattan, fit freeze fire for pot. She look me back, smile small. "You get liver."

"Make una carry her go, comot her eyes."

I shock, draw breath. Fear grip my heart. Cook fear, shift from me, no wan wahala. Suddenly, madam laugh. Her laughter sweet, but e short. She cover mouth with handkerchief, laugh well. For that moment, I see small Ayoola inside her. The dimple for her cheek flash, then disappear.

But e vanish quick. Madam stop to laugh, sigh. "Why you dey fear like this? See as your face white."

She change tone, ask, "Na you do the locust bean cake?"

I pause, answer, "Yes."

She nod, tap her finger wey get red nail small. The ring for her hand flash for candle light.

"Make una carry her go, execute her."

Cook fall for ground, just dey look madam. Her mouth open, but word no come out. Madam tilt head. "This time, I no dey play."

Two guards rush, grab cook, drag her go. Her cry just dey ring everywhere. The sound dey cut ear. Madam sit down, carry grape, dey peel am. She ask me calm-calm, "You know why she die?"

I frown. "Because she no serve madam well."

Madam laugh small, like she dey mock me. Her laughter carry bitterness. "Because she no know who be her real madam."

As she talk, I hear footsteps for outside. One palace maid wey wear green bring royal nurse come, him just dey look ground as he check madam pulse. The nurse hand soft, the room smell of herbs. I look, my mind dey turn. She sick?

"Most of the poison don comot for madam body. If she rest, she go well soon." Na God hand save her this time.

"Thank you, Royal Nurse."

Dem voice low, I no hear everything. I just kneel for one corner. The marble cold for my knee. After small time, green maid carry nurse go. Madam lift curtain, come meet me.

"Wet in be your name?"

"This servant be Aminat…"

"Aminat…" she repeat soft. The name roll for her tongue. After she pause, she say, "Go. I dey tired."

I return house safe. My body still dey shake, but my spirit dey strong. Madam even dash me bracelet. The bracelet cold for my wrist, na sign say she see me. When I reach, other maids rush come. Their mouth sharp, but their fear pass their curiosity. Dem wan hear wetin happen, but before I talk, dem quiet, dey look door.

"Qudus Gugu."

Na that green palace maid enter, her face strong. She get scar for chin, her eyes sharp. She look me well. "Aminat, pack your load. From today, you go dey inner hall serve madam."

……

I no get plenty load; small bundle reach. My wrapper, comb, one old Quran. I follow Qudus, dey observe her. She no old, maybe sixteen or seventeen, but madam trust her well. For palace, trust be big thing.

As I dey reason am, she talk: "Better make you use sense for here. That cook let small change blind her eye—see wetin am bring."

"Before you, another maid dey. She just reach three days, she run go dey close to matron from Madam Fatima palace…"

I shock. My throat dry. Na Peace she dey talk? My chest heavy. Everywhere quiet; Qudus voice clear. She young, but her mouth sharp, her word strong. For her eyes, she fit be old woman.

I surprise how person wey never old fit be madam close person. Na palace wahala make person wise quick. Qudus look me.

"Aminat, your cake sweet madam. If you serve her well, she go treat you well. But if you get any other plan…"

Her voice cold. Her eyes no blink. I quick talk, "Aminat no fit try am. Thank you, Gugu."

"Better so," she talk. "Na the bold ones dey die pass…"

After I enter Sapphire Hall, even though I no close reach Qudus, I dey see madam more. The hall always smell good, but always cold. Madam no like wake early, no dey mix with other wives, she just dey do her own. Her world small, her smile rare. These days, she dey always tell me make I do locust bean cake for her. E be like say the cake dey remind her of better days.

Anytime she dey chop the cake, she just quiet, her eyes down. I no fit know wetin she dey think. Sometimes she go look window, sometimes she go just dey squeeze her ring.

The more I see am, the more I know say she no wicked as people talk. She get many things wey she dey hide. Her pain deep, but her eyes dey cover am like curtain. I dey eager to know her well, to understand her. My heart dey push me, say make I find road into her world.

So I just dey find way to win her trust. The chance come quick. For palace, na only person wey get sharp eye dey survive, and my own eye never dull since I born. But for this palace, even sharp eye fit blind if you look the wrong person.