Chapter 5: Street Deals and Dark Choices

So I quietly follow Mr. Nwachukwu reach his house, plan to find corner beat sense into am for Ifunanya sake.

I dress low-key, wear cap, dey form like person wey dey go buy recharge card. As I dey follow am, I dey plan which corner go good for small warning beating.

After about thirty minutes, Mr. Nwachukwu reach one dirty shanty area, almost empty.

Omo, the place dirty. You go see gutter water dey smell, broken bottle everywhere. Some small children dey play for darkness, no mind anybody. Na true ghetto.

Ifunanya don tell me say na here her papa dey stay now.

She talk am with shame, say after gambling scatter him life, na only this kain area fit accept am.

This place na forgotten part of town: everywhere dark, nobody, and the best part—no CCTV.

For Naija, CCTV na luxury. If kasala burst, nobody go fit trace you. Na only God dey see everything.

I tighten my fist, ready to move.

I dey hype myself. For my mind, I go just shake the man small, warn am make he no disturb Ifunanya again.

But just as I wan reach am, two young boys show for corner.

These ones na real area boys. Their shoe, their look—everything shout trouble. My spirit just rise as I see dem.

One dye him hair yellow, the other get tattoo for both arms—dem no look friendly at all.

Their swagger different. Tattoo Arms dey drag leg, Yellow Hair dey chew stick like goat. Na so you dey know who dey run street.

As I expect, Mr. Nwachukwu face change, he try run as he see them.

Him body dey shake. Even the way him dey walk, e show say he no trust the boys at all. If you sabi ghetto life, you go understand.

But those boys ready. Mr. Nwachukwu, almost fifty, no fit outrun them.

Before you say jack, the boys surround am. Yellow Hair fast like fire, Tattoo Arms block back. Wahala don land.

Yellow Hair rush go, kick Mr. Nwachukwu for ground.

The man fall like log. Na so boys dey teach person lesson for street.

Tattoo Arms grab am like fowl, begin slap him left and right.

If you see slap, you go fear. The sound echo for night, even rat run hide.

Just two hot slaps, Mr. Nwachukwu quiet.

Him eye turn, mouth dey drip. For Naija, street boys no dey waste time. If you stubborn, na hospital sure pass.

From their talk, I hear say dem be gambling debt collectors. Mr. Nwachukwu owe them over one million naira, only pay small interest last week.

Omo, the debt big. For Aba, na only big man or useless gambler dey owe like that. I dey shake head for the man. Na so people dey take enter wahala.

Dem insult am, threaten am, force am promise say he go pay next week. Yellow Hair even point him nose, warn am:

Their threat serious. "Oga, if you no bring our money, you go see another side. No dey play with our street."

"I know say you get daughter. If you no pay, I go sell your daughter to brothel, no be joke!"

As I hear that, my body cold. Dem no dey play for here. Na real threat.

I dey watch from far, my mind dey sweet me. But as I hear them mention his daughter, my heart jump.

E reach me. I dey reason say, na Ifunanya life dem dey joke with? The thing pain me, even though I no too like her papa.

But na Mr. Nwachukwu surprise me pass. He dey nod like lizard.

Omo, see disgrace. Instead make he defend Ifunanya, he dey reason with them like business partner.

"Yes, yes, I get daughter."

The man voice dey shake. He dey try show say he fit bring something come table.

"Bros, my daughter fine well. And you know wetin? She still be virgin."

I dey fear for the kind pride wey he put for that word. For am, e be like achievement.

He reason small.

E pause, as if he dey calculate market price. Na so hunger dey make person lose shame.

"How about this, bros: I go find way bring my daughter come, give her medicine. Her first time go be for una, make e clear my one million naira debt. How e be?"

Na now I nearly craze. See as papa dey trade pikin like goat for Christmas market. I dey wonder if I dey dream.

The two boys look am, then burst insult.

Dem no believe wetin dem hear. Dem dey shout, "Oga, you dey craze? You dey mad?"

"Na diamond dey your daughter body? One million for one night?"

Tattoo Arms dey laugh, Yellow Hair dey spit for ground. Dem dey see the man as mumu.

"Who even sure say your daughter still pure?"

For street, e hard to trust anybody. Dem dey talk say e fit be fake story just to dodge debt.

Mr. Nwachukwu dey beg them: "Na true. If she no pure, make una carry her free."

The thing shock the boys. Even me, I dey shiver. The man no get conscience at all.

The boys no send am again, just threaten am, then waka.

Dem no get patience. Dem just talk, "No try nonsense. If money no show, you go see." Then dem disappear for corner.

As I hear all this, my blood just dey boil.

I dey shake. Na Ifunanya matter, na my matter too. I dey reason say, how person go dey plan to use him own blood like this?

Wetin I dey find like gold, na small change for Mr. Nwachukwu mouth?

Na so e dey be for Naija—person wey dey suffer, e own no dey important for those wey suppose protect am. The thing pain me, e dey make my body hot.

Just to think say Ifunanya fit end up with another man nearly mad me.

Jealousy dey bite me. Even as I dey try hold myself, my mind dey scatter. I dey plan wetin I fit do.

I hold myself make I no rush out, but my body dey hot.

I dey struggle, because one part of me wan rush out, another part dey warn me to calm down.

Then, suddenly, idea flash for my head.

Omo, as e flash, na so I begin reason fast. Na Naija you dey, if you no sharp, world go swallow you.

Why the person no fit be me?

If dem go sell her, why no be me? The thought sweet and pain me at once. But na survival we dey.

My conscience dey bite me, but my body dey win the fight. For this life, na who sharp dey survive.