Chapter 3: The Meeting Weh Heat Pass Sun

This Umuola Village, na here I grow.

Sun dey shine on mud house, goats dey run upandan. I remember when I dey small, I dey chase chicken with bare foot, dey swim for river after rain. For this village, my root deep.

After secondary school, I comot go hustle, later start my own medicinal herb business.

I waka Lagos, sleep for park, hawk bitter leaf for Ojuelegba. From there, life start change. Now, any time I come back, even elders dey greet me, "Olisa, welcome o!"

Now, my business don big, everybody for village dey see me as person wey get level.

No be mouth, my pikin dey go school for city, my wife dey run shop, my parents house na zinc roof. For Umuola, e mean say I don try.

Some months back, the village road wey don bad for years, dem finally talk say make we repair am. Everybody suppose drop money. As person wey dey among them, I carry first, drop one million—na me do pass.

I remember that meeting, how everybody dey yarn, "Road this, road that." I just tire, so I pull one million, everybody shout, "God bless Olisa!" But see as dem repay me.

But I no expect say after all the money wey I drop, road still no go reach my house.

Sometimes, e be like say the more you give, the more dem wan chop you finish. My mama always say, "No put hand for fire for people wey go use am fry plantain for you."

No be say I wan special treatment because I pay more, but this one too much.

If person dey share food, you no go give am last, talkless say you go forget am for kitchen. Even goat no dey gree that one.

For committee board, dem post the new road plan.

Dem nail am for old mango tree, just beside Mama Ugo house. People gather dey point finger, dey argue.

Dem even write one note:

“Umuola Village Road Plan—public notice for seven days. If you get any wahala, abeg go report for committee.”

Even with all the English, na just to confuse people. If dem wan do their own, dem go still do am.

Na play dem dey play.

For my mind, e clear say dem don already arrange who dem wan please. Na just formality.

I stare the plan well.

I see the red marker, line bend here, cut corner there. My house dey for edge, dem just stop the road before am, like say na abandoned property. E pain me.

The more I look, the more I dey vex.

If no be say I get small home training, I for just tear the plan for board.

No wonder papa go quarrel with chairman. If na me, I for don fight.

If e reach that level, who go blame me? Money wey person sweat drop, dem just use am do anyhow.

After I check the plan, I hold my vex, enter committee office.

I look sky, say small prayer. Make I no vex pass myself today. I open gate, enter.

To call am office sef, na just bungalow with table and chair, build for local government inspection sake. Normally, nobody dey here.

The place always dey smell small of dust and old file, one rusty calendar for wall since 2012. Rat dey run pass sometimes.

But today, everywhere full.

People dey squeeze themselves for bench, some dey stand. The place hot sotey, sweat dey drip from everybody face, even the calendar for wall dey peel.

“So, everybody gather?”

I look around. All na committee people, so I just hail them.

I see Okoli dey adjust cap, Bala dey scratch armpit, Fatima dey look phone. Na all of them.

“Olisa, you don show? Abeg, bring better cigarette make we taste.”

Chairman look up, quick ask for stick.

I carry one full Benson, drop for table.

Dem rush the pack like market women on promo day. Before you blink, na empty box remain.

Even people wey no dey smoke, carry two.

I sabi these people well. If free thing dey, you no rush, you go feel say you lose.

Dem go form big man, but if you drop free biscuit, na dem go first grab am. Na so village dey be.

“Chairman, abeg, I get something to talk.”

I nod head give am make we talk outside.

I no get time for inside politics, I just wan hear am straight.

“Huff…”

“Committee dey do important meeting. Anything you get, talk later.”

Chairman blow smoke, eye dey waka anyhow, wan dodge me.

E dey form important, but I know say na my presence dey give am headache.

See am, dey form boss, dey smoke my cigarette, no even shame.

I just dey look am with corner eye. For this village, if you wan see person true colour, give am power and small change.

“How important e go be? Make I hear small.”

I just drag chair, sit down.

I cross leg, light my own stick. I dey show say I no dey go anywhere.

“Olisa…”

“Committee meeting no dey open for outsiders. Na confidential matter.”

Chairman knock table, raise voice. E no like as I just balance.

He dey form gra-gra, but for inside, I know say e dey sweat.

“Abeg, which big secret we fit get for village? Na who dey marry, who die—na all those kind gist. Nothing dey confidential here.”

I open Rothmans, light am, begin smoke.

As smoke dey rise, some committee members dey look me, some dey look ground. I sabi say nobody wan enter wahala, but I no send.

Truth be say, these committee people na chop and clean mouth gang, you expect secret?

Even chief dey always say, "Person wey chop alone, die alone. Committee people, na una get long hand pass snake."

Na whose wife run, who dey follow widow—na all those kind gist dem dey hide.

Everybody eye shift from my face go cigarette box.

You fit see say the free smoke dey do more work than chairman authority.

Chairman swallow, but him never finish Benson, so e no fit ask for another.

The guy no wan fall hand, but the urge dey catch am. I fit see am.

“Plus, government talk say villagers fit attend committee meeting and talk their mind.”

I clear throat, make dem hear me.

I dey quote law wey I no even sabi. For village, na so we dey run things.

“Na true?”

Chairman face show question mark, some people look each other, nobody talk.

You go think say dem dey write exam. Nobody wan take side.

“Chairman, you never hear am before?”

I just laugh.

I loud the laugh, make e ring for their ear. Bluff dey work for here.

True true, I no know if na law, but bluff dey work for here.

“Ehm, today meeting don finish. Everybody, meeting close!”

Chairman face stiff, e knock table say meeting don end.

So na just noise be all this?

I just dey wish make I fit press my cigarette for chairman face.

“Chairman, how una take plan the road? Why my house no dey inside? My family no deserve road?”

As people waka finish, I sit down by am, go straight to the matter.

I lean close, I talk am low but strong. The way elders dey talk when dem no wan make crowd hear quarrel.