Chapter 8: Rain Dey Drum, Secret Still Hide

I fit still walk away now.

If I stop now, the secret wey die with Musa no go reach me.

I no go fear say Mr. Auwalu go find me.

I reason make I resign as Chuka lawyer.

I dey imagine myself dey go back village, start poultry farm, leave this law wahala. Sometimes, peace better pass victory.

……

As I leave house, I go court, plan to stop being his lawyer because Chuka dey hide evidence.

Before I sign am, I ask one court worker:

"If I resign, court go still give Chuka another lawyer?"

But the answer shock me.

……

"Since Chuka don already refuse legal aid before, whether he get another one depend on him own wish."

This different from wetin Chuka tell me, so I ask:

"You sure na Chuka refuse legal aid by himself? No be say the lawyer and Chuka agree?"

"Na wetin record talk."

I feel say something dey wrong, so I ask, "You fit tell me who be that lawyer? I wan ask something."

"Na Lawyer Femi from Makurdi Law Chambers."

……

I go Makurdi Law Chambers, find Femi with help.

"Hello, Lawyer Femi, I be Chuka lawyer. I wan ask something."

Femi look me, shake hand, tell me make I sit.

"Hello, abeg sit."

As I sit, Femi ask:

"Wetin you wan ask?"

I go straight:

"Just one thing. For Chuka case, na you and am agree, or na Chuka just refuse your help?"

Femi look me, no hide anything:

"Na Chuka refuse me."

Na Chuka refuse!

But when Chuka hire me, he talk say the legal aid lawyer no gree do am, na why he find me.

To be sure, I ask Femi again:

"Chuka tell me say you get wahala, you no fit defend am, so you refuse."

Femi shake head:

"No way. I only go once. He tell me make I commot, say he no need legal aid."

"You fit stand by wetin you talk?"

I see say my tone bad, I quickly beg:

"Sorry, Lawyer Femi, no vex."

Femi wave am:

"I fit answer for every word I talk today."

I stand, bow:

"Thank you well."

With that, I leave Makurdi Law Chambers.

The sun hot, but my mind cold. I dey wonder, which kain palava be this?

……

As I dey go house, I dey reason everything:

Mr. Auwalu arrange killing to cover secret.

Chuka gree kill Musa for money.

Musa gree die for money.

The thing match.

But why Chuka refuse legal aid, insist make I defend am?

……

To find answer, I go detention center to ask Chuka.

I never officially resign, so I fit still visit.

As Chuka see me, he happy: "Senior, you don give police the video?"

I shake head: "No."

He look down: "Why?"

I say: "I meet Lawyer Femi."

……

Chuka quiet.

Him eyes dey run left, like say him dey think.

"No dey form story. Legal aid lawyer no discuss with you many times. Na you refuse am."

Chuka don dey sweat, his reaction confirm my mind.

After long silence, Chuka sigh, give up:

"Senior, I gree, I lie to you."

"Wetin you dey hide?"

I never ever wan know the truth reach today.

Chuka face strong:

"Senior, I wan end our agreement."

……

Confusion full my head.

But Chuka serious:

"You no be my lawyer again. You no get right to ask me anything."

I just sit there, pen dey my hand, but my hand dey shake. Rain dey drum for zinc roof, and thunder dey do like masquerade parade outside. E be like say all the answers for this case dey run far from me. For Makurdi that night, I realize say, sometimes, Naija story no dey ever finish for court, and the real wahala fit pass law.