Chapter 3: Hunger Humble Even Genius

I work for Ochuko for long—help am copy notes for class, clean him desk after lesson. Wetin I dey get? Just food, sometimes two. He go always bring extra portion for me, I go share am for morning, afternoon, and night. Even with that, I no dey ever full.

Me sef dey do all the small work with hope say one day, I go get strength pass him. My own reward be say I dey see food, even if na half meat. Some days, Ochuko go act like say I be housegirl, but na the hunger dey humble me. I never forget.

Ochuko go dey sneak give me snack wey him mama bring from house. "This one na kilishi. My mama bring am during Christmas—e still dey okay."

The kilishi hard like stone. I chew, teeth dey pain me, but I no send. That Christmas kilishi na heritage—smell of suya spice and smoky fire. For my mind, I dey thank Ochuko mama. She no even know say na me she dey rescue from hunger.

I collect am, dey chew, but the thing hard, I nearly swallow tongue.

My throat dry, but pride no gree me drop am. Na so I drink water, force the kilishi go down. I dey smile like mumu, Ochuko dey look me dey laugh.

"This one na coconut sweet from New Yam Festival."

That coconut sweet get shell, teeth nearly break. But as I dey bite, the memory of festival dey flash my mind—children dey dance, masquerade dey parade, elders dey pray for bumper harvest. I chew am slow, enjoy small.

I collect am—nutty, hard and crunchy. I chew, chew.

I dey form big girl, but every bite dey remind me of my papa farm for village. E remain make I start sing festival song.

"These na cabin biscuit wey my mama buy."

Cabin biscuit dey dry, but e be like gold for hungry belle. Once I see the pack, my spirit rise. I dey calculate how many I fit hide for pocket before bell ring.

I reason am small, then sharp-sharp open the pack, dey munch.

No time to waste. Before teacher go come flog person for eating during lesson, I don finish half pack. My classmates dey envy me, but I pretend say I no see dem.

Ochuko dey give me these things during class, I go dey chop am for my desk. One day, after class, he just look me with big eye. "You don finish two whole packs of cabin biscuit?"

Him eyes big pass torchlight. The way he talk am, people for class turn look me. I just dey shy, but I no fit deny hunger.

"Mm..."

I dey chew last piece, no wan talk. If I talk, biscuit go fall for ground.

He just weak. "Amaka, you wan make I feed you die?"

The way he talk am, e be like joke. But for my mind, I dey reason—if Ochuko say make I dey chop every day till I full, maybe I fit grow fat like him aunty for Sapele.

I no sure whether he fit feed me die, but if not, hunger go finish me.

As Ochuko talk am, e burst laugh, I join am laugh. Life hard, but na this kain small joke dey make person survive.