Chapter 5: The Road After

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Odogwu Nnamdi get old friends for Ibadan.

Him friends, na old school boys. Saka, Chuka, Babatunde—dem dey gather for beer parlour every Friday. Dem sabi all Odogwu gist. E no get anything wey he no share with dem. As him waka reach Ibadan, the boys welcome am, call am, "Odogwu the Great!" But na Halima be real reason why he dey happy.

After he find Halima Musa, he no rush come back.

He enjoy her company for Osogbo, buy her fura, take her go see Osun river. Dem two dey waka for town like newly wedded, even local touts dey salute am. Him friends dey tease am, but he no mind.

First, Halima Musa like play, she no wan return.

She go drag am go market, buy beads, dance for roadside drummers. People dey look dem, dey talk say, "See as love dey worry these ones." Odogwu just dey laugh like small pikin.

Second, he don leave all marriage arrangement for Amaka head.

He no send Amaka message, no call, nothing. Just drop letter, forget say she get life. His own na to enjoy new love.

Wetin remain?

People dey ask, "How Amaka dey cope? Na she go arrange wedding for new wife?" Some say she too gentle. Others say, "Na so life be."

"Odogwu Nnamdi na real lover boy—dey waka up and down for Osogbo with new babe, leave old wife for city dey arrange wedding."

For palm wine joint, dem dey gist. "Odogwu get mind! He leave Amaka dey suffer for house, dey run up and down with new girl. Na wa o!"

"No be say Aunty go vex?"

Saka ask, mouth full of kpomo, eyes wide. All of dem dey look Babatunde, wey dey always defend Odogwu.

One person talk am for palm wine joint.

He shake head, say, "E fit no end well o. Make Odogwu check im head."

Another one answer quick:

Babatunde laugh, talk with confidence, "Abeg, nothing dey happen. Amaka no fit vex. She too soft."

"Seyi, you no sabi, abi?"

He dey lecture other men, "If you no sabi woman matter, make you dey learn. Odogwu dey control im house."

"Odogwu Nnamdi sabi control wife. Aunty dey craze for am."

The way Babatunde talk am, you go think say na fact. Everybody nod, dey sip palm wine, dey analyze marriage.

"Even if he say make she leave wife position go be second wife, so new babe go enter, she go gree."

"You go see. Even if Odogwu say make Amaka move go back seat, she go smile, say 'yes sir'."

"Odogwu, I lie?"

Everybody face Odogwu, dey wait for answer. He just raise eyebrow, smirk.

Odogwu Nnamdi raise eyebrow.

He no say anything, just sip drink, nod small. Pride dey body.

No be lie at all.

He dey feel like king. Everybody for joint dey hail am, call am Chairman. He no know say trouble dey come.

Amaka quiet, always gentle.

She dey do her own, no dey drag matter. For compound, dem dey call her "mama peace". No wahala for her side.

Her eyes dey always full of am.

People dey talk say if she look Odogwu, na only love you go see. But dem no know wetin dey her mind.

That day, he tell her say he wan marry Halima Musa, she no talk anything.

Even me, I no shout, no quarrel. I just keep face. Everybody think say I go fight. I no get energy for fight again.

Instead, na she dey beg am make he come house early.

I still dey try make family work, dey hope say he go change. But the thing no work.

She no fit do without am even for half day.

Na so dem dey talk, but true true, na only God know my heart. People believe say na love, but na fear and shame dey hold me.

As attendant open door, Odogwu Nnamdi smile, call am:

For hotel lounge, Odogwu dey chill, Halima dey play with hair. Babatunde dey gist, but Odogwu dey expect news. As attendant open door, he adjust shirt, smile show for face.

"Aunty don reply?"

He ask with confidence, dey expect good news. He believe say letter go change everything.

Na first time he write her letter since he travel, and he trust her with big responsibility.

He wan show his friends say Amaka na loyal woman. Even Halima dey look, dey smile, dey wait for drama.

She go happy die.

Halima dey tap leg, dey whisper for Babatunde ear. She dey hope say Amaka go beg make she come back.

Attendant bow, look the people for table, fear dey catch am.

The way attendant dey sweat, you go know say wahala dey ground. He dey fidget, dey fear Halima eye.

"No wahala, na my guys. Talk."

Odogwu wave hand, give green light. Attendant bend, voice low.

Attendant bend head talk:

"Oga, message from Steward Musa... Aunty don leave house."

"Na Steward Musa bring message—Aunty don commot for house."

As he talk am, everywhere quiet. Even music for background low. Halima look up, mouth open.

"She commot?"

Odogwu voice loud, as if e no believe. The boys quiet. Babatunde drop glass.

"Yes… Aunty pack her things, carry her dowry… she don move…"

Attendant voice dey shake. "She don really move, Oga. We no see am again. Chinyere dey cry."

Odogwu Nnamdi stand up sharp.

Him chair fall, people jump. He dey look as if say ground go open swallow am. Pride come down, fear enter.

"Pfft…"

Halima Musa, wey never talk since, just laugh.

She snort, smile with mischief. She no expect Amaka fit get mind.

"So big sister dey learn from me, dey form small stubborn."

She dey tease, but for her eye, small fear dey hide. She dey respect Amaka small now.

"But she be real wife o. She carry her dowry, where she wan go?"

Halima surprise say Amaka get heart. She dey wonder wetin fit make Amaka move, where she wan start from.

Next thing, her eyes red; "Ah, na my fault o…"

Halima voice break, her tough face fall. She dey cry small. She blame herself, say na she cause wahala for Amaka.

"I too stubborn, I don even spoil big sister join…"

She dey regret, dey hold her head. She talk say if no be her stubbornness, Amaka for still dey house.

"Odogwu, abeg make we go back quick."

She dey beg, voice loud. She dey fear say real wahala don happen.

"If big sister vex sotey she no return Odogwu house again, e go bad!"

She dey beg, voice almost cry. Even Odogwu dey reason say e don cross line.

Odogwu Nnamdi hiss.

He bone face, wave hand, try form hard man. But for inside, e dey shake.

She no return Odogwu house? She wan go her people house?

He dey wonder, dey fear say maybe Amaka go disgrace am for community. He dey calculate next step.

"Babatunde," he call attendant, "make dem extend guest house for one more month."

He no gree move yet. He wan see how long Amaka fit last outside. He dey pride, but small fear dey body.

He wan see—

He dey tell himself, "She go come back beg. Na just small stubbornness." But for his heart, e dey shake.

She commot house, how far she go reach, how long she go last?

All the men for joint dey debate, some say she go come back, some say she go move on. For me, I don cross river, I no dey return.

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For law, woman no fit get her own house.

For our place, dem go say, "Woman wey no get husband, go back people house." Even if you get money, no space for you. Society hard for woman wey wan stand alone.

If dem divorce am, she fit only carry her dowry go her people house.

Custom talk say, if marriage spoil, woman go back her papa house with only dowry items. Na humiliation wey many no fit bear.

But my mama and papa die since. At eight, na my uncle and aunt raise me.

For my own, I no get papa house to go. Na uncle and aunt raise me, but dem no really send me. I dey like visitor for their house.

So my so-called people house na just uncle and aunt place.

If I go there, na like stranger. Dem no get space, dem no even remember my birthday. I no dey fit rest mind for their side.

When I marry, uncle and aunt don chop half of my papa property.

Na so dem do, share my own thing, leave me empty. Even the land wey papa leave, dem sell without ask me. Na so I learn to hold my own.

I no wan go back there at all.

I fit beg, but shame no go let me. Better I hustle my own, than go suffer again.

So I no rush submit the divorce letter for community council, I waka enter chief palace.

I dress neat, tie headscarf, waka with bold step. People dey look, dey whisper, but I no send. I go see Mama Nkechi, the only woman wey still get my back.

Mama Nkechi and my mama be old friends.

From childhood, I dey see her for festival, dey bring me chinchin, dey help my mama for market. She dey like second mother to me.

Half of my dowry na she add join.

She be woman wey get heart. If no be her, I for no see anything hold body.

"You and Odogwu Nnamdi don divorce?"

Her voice gentle, eyes kind. As she ask, my chest tight, tears start to gather. I try talk, but words no come out.

I no know why.

True true, I dey strong for outside, but small thing fit make me break. As she ask, I remember all my suffer.

When Odogwu Nnamdi sign divorce letter without even blink, I no cry.

I stand strong that day, no let anybody see me weak. I just dey look, dey plan my next move.

When I waka commot Odogwu house alone with my load, I no cry.

I pack my things, head high. Even Chinyere dey wonder how I strong reach.

But as Mama Nkechi just ask me softly, na so tears just full my face.

I kneel down, hold her wrapper, cry as if rain dey fall for my head. She just hug me, dey rub my back.

"No cry, no cry. Divorce better, e better."

Her words calm my spirit. She dey console me, say, "Better to chop alone than chop sand for man house." She bring water, fan me, dey wipe my face.

Mama Nkechi hold me for chest:

She dey pat my head, sing old song, "Ndo, ndo, my pikin. God go do your own."

"That man wahala—everybody for city sabi!"

She raise hand, swear say, "If no be for you, that Odogwu for don see pepper!" We both laugh small, the tension break.

I just rest my head for Mama Nkechi lap, dey wipe my tears small small.

Her lap warm, like my mama own. I close eye, dey breathe slow, my heart dey heal small small.

"Now wey you don divorce, wetin you wan do?"

She ask with care, dey look my face. I no get plan, but I trust her. I just dey nod.

True true, I no dey always disturb Mama Nkechi—

I dey avoid wahala, no like complain. Even when my uncle dey maltreat me, I no disturb her. Na today pain full my chest, I talk.

Whether na wahala for my people house, or my suffer for Odogwu Nnamdi hand.

I explain everything—how uncle treat me, how Odogwu change, how Halima enter. Mama Nkechi just dey sigh, dey rub my hand.

Mama Nkechi get plenty work, I no wan add join.

She dey help plenty women, her heart big. But she always get time for me.

But this time, I talk everything.

My voice crack, but I no hold anything back. I pour my mind.

I stand, kneel down:

I kneel proper, touch ground. I dey beg, no pride for my body.

"So before I see better person marry, abeg make you help me for now."

I plead, say, "No let me beg for street. Anything you fit do, I go manage."

"If uncle and aunt no gree…"

I dey fear say if family refuse, na street remain. But Mama Nkechi no let me finish.

"You don decide say you go remarry?"

She look me, eyebrow up. I nod. No be love, na survival.

Mama Nkechi just ask.

She dey confirm, say, "If na man you want, I go help you." For her eyes, pity and hope dey mix.

I nod head.

I nod strong. This time, I no dey find fairytale. I just wan get house wey I fit call my own.

If na to go back my people house, I better remarry.

I no fit live like orphan again. Remarriage better pass suffering.

But this time, no be love I dey find, no be attachment, no be peace—

I just wan get address, get name. Even if na dry bread, make I get my own.

Just make I get where I fit stay.

No more shame, no more gossip. Na my prayer.

Mama Nkechi see through me, just slap her thigh:

She jump, shout, "Amaka, leave am for me! I get better man for you!" Her joy dey contagious, hope dey rise for my mind.

She pat my back, whisper, “No be only one road dey lead to market, my pikin.”

"I get correct person for you!"

She dey dance small, go her cupboard, bring out small photo. I dey surprised, but I dey ready for anything.