Chapter 2: My Basket, My Own Seed

I carry one basket of eggs go meet Mama Chika for village entrance, change am for thirty naira.

The basket heavy for my hand, but my heart dey light as breeze. As I reach Mama Chika shop for roadside, ground dey dusty, fowl dey scatter. She dey pick beans, but once she see me, her face break into full-tooth smile, dimples for her cheek.

She look me, dey tease me with smile.

"Halima, no be Mount Zion dey do miracle? Why you dey sell egg if your husband dey collect anointing?"

Mama Chika mouth sharp well-well, she dey always use talk find person trouble, but na play. Her eye dey dance as she dey yan.

"You wan follow Young Master Musa go that heavenly place, why you still need money?"

She say am with laugh, tapping her thigh like say she don catch me for something. Na old gist—everybody for village sabi say Musa Garba be my husband, but dem still dey see me dey hustle.

The Young Master Musa wey she dey talk about na my husband, Musa Garba—a well-known genius among the youth leaders for Mount Zion Fellowship.

Na so dem dey call am—Young Master. For village, any small boy wey sabi Bible, dey pray, dem go call am master. But for Musa own, the thing carry weight. Even elders dey greet am well.

Three days ago, the man reach new spiritual height and got called up.

That day na like market day—everybody hear say Musa Garba spirit don rise, he get new title. Some old women even kneel for ground, dey call am 'man of God.'

Mount Zion send their people to escort am go back to the city.

The convoy wey reach village that day na wah. Two buses, men in white flowing gown, dem dey pray, dey sing worship. The bus horn loud, children dey chase after, dust dey rise, and the air smell like burnt corn and palm oil.

For front of everybody, Musa Garba talk say he go carry two people follow am.

The whole compound scatter as he announce am. People dey whisper, some dey look me, others dey look Amina Danladi.

But before that, he need to settle some things for this world.

Na so spiritual people dey do. Before dem waka go, dem dey settle matter wey fit hold them for ground.

Everybody think say na me and our son, Yusuf, he go carry.

Even mama Chika tell her friends, "Halima don hammer. She go follow Musa enter city, life go change for her."

But the truth be say, no.

Omo, village people sabi gossip, but dem no know wetin dey my heart. Na only me sabi the real matter.

Whether for my former life or this one,

For both this life and the last one, my own no dey among the chosen. My shadow no dey follow them go.

I never dey among the people wey Musa Garba wan carry follow am.

Even if dem call my name, e go dey by mistake. As far as Musa Garba mind dey, I no enter.

I hide the money for my sleeve. My palm dey sweat, but my mind dey sure—this na my own seed money, no be for church or man. Smile small—half play, half true—and talk,

I just shift my scarf small, hide the thirty naira, then answer with smile wey no reach my eye.

"Musa Garba fit be man of God, but me I never reach that level.

My own anointing never mature—abeg, make I use my hand dey do my own small hustle. If money no dey, spirit no go buy market for me."

"If money no dey, how I go survive?"

I throway hand for air. Even for church, offering basket dey go round. Who dey give if everybody dey wait for manna?

Besides, this money no be for Mount Zion at all.

I bend closer, whisper: "Abeg, no tell anybody. I need this money for my own waka."

Na my transport money to take waka comot from here.

I fit use am enter bus go where my eye see. This time, I no go let any man future tie me down.

"True talk, true talk. Mount Zion go dey big, dem go get place to spend money."

Mama Chika nod, believe wetin I talk.

She adjust her wrapper, tap me playfully for back. "My sister, shine your eye! Money dey important for this life."

I no talk again. After I finish the exchange, I waka go house.

As I dey go, the ground for my foot dey warm, early sun dey shine small, goat dey bleat for far corner. My mind dey already for tomorrow.

As I step out, I whisper small prayer—God, order my steps for this new road.