Chapter 4: Family, Rumours, and Blessings

Pain tear my body, my eye dey open and close.

Voices dey float near my ear. One dey pray, one dey call my name. Cold towel dey my head, hand dey hold my palm. I dey try open eye, but pain dey drag me back.

When I wake, Chief Okoye and Madam Okoye dey smile like say dem win lottery, each carry one small baby.

I dey wonder if na dream or if I don waka enter heaven by mistake.

E be like say light dey shine from their face. For inside room, you fit hear small laugh, soft music, and sweet baby cry.

"See as our grandson nose resemble Ebuka own!"

Chief Okoye dey smile, e dey touch pikin nose, e dey show everybody. "Na direct photocopy!"

"Yes, our granddaughter eyes sef na Ebuka own—just like when e small!"

Madam Okoye dey talk like person wey win award. She dey rock the pikin, e dey sleep for her chest.

I look them, look the two small children for their hand.

I dey try reason if na true. Pikin wey just born dey resemble anybody? Small face, small hand, only cry dey loud.

All of them wrinkle, you no fit even see their face well.

Small head, eyes dey closed. But for Okoye eye, na Ebuka copy.

Ehn... dem really resemble so?

I think say na love dey blind eye sometimes.

As I dey lost, Madam Okoye sit for my side, face full of guilt.

She rub my arm, e soft, e gentle. I dey see tears wey never dry for her cheek.

"My pikin... na my fault, I scare you just now..."

She bend head, like say she dey confess for church.

"I too rush. For young girl, some things hard to talk..."

She dey try explain herself, voice low, like breeze for night.

"Na me make you born early. If anything happen to my grandchildren, wetin I go do!"

I see the fear for her face. Old woman wey never sleep for days, now dey pray her grandpikin go survive.

Chief Okoye dey smile, "You too weak. If you born outside, e for bad."

E tap my hand, like papa wey dey encourage pikin for exam.

"Thank God you come Okoye house, thank God Doctor Musa dey. Even though the children small, anything wey dem need dey for here. I tell you, you get luck!"

Na true. If I born outside, maybe me and the pikin for die.

For Otukpo, many pikin wey born outside die like fly. For Okoye house, doctor dey, medicine full ground, everything ready.

The truth wey I wan talk just die for my throat.

E be like say my tongue tie. How I go talk am now, when dem don put hope for me and my children?

Now, if I talk truth, dem go pursue me and my pikin, na death remain.

My mind dey do calculations. For Naija, if you get small hope, you go hold am tight. For me and my twins, Okoye house na heaven.

My head clear small. In that case—

I tell myself, "Morayo, one year chop better food no go kill person. Later, you fit find your way."

I no want too much, just one more year of free food.

I wipe my eyes, pretend cry, "Sorry... I no be good woman."

My acting strong that day. Even my mama for heaven go clap for me.

"With Ebuka, some months ago, for Otukpo riverbank, we join body, no marriage, I carry belle hide. I still remember..."

I frown, remember the dead body face.

I try arrange my face like person wey dey remember sweet pain.

"I still remember e get small crescent mark for chest..."

Old people dey like mark story. If you talk mark, dem go believe you.

"Correct! I talk am!"

Chief Okoye and Madam Okoye hold each other, tears dey fall.

Dem dey hug like couple wey just win lottery. For their mind, everything don complete.

"Wonderful! Okoye family get pikin again!"

All the house help dey rejoice, dey sing small, dey thank God. Some people dey pray. Okoye house get small party that night.