Chapter 4: Blood, Bandage, and Bitter Truth

Half hour later, Halima show for door, sorry state, drag Musa Danladi with her.

Their clothes dey wet, body dirty, mud all over shoe. Halima eyes red, nose dey run, as if she wan collapse. The man just dey limp, body heavy, face white like pap.

Both of dem just dey, rain and blood stain my tile red.

The red trail for floor na real wahala. I dey imagine how I go clean am, the smell of iron dey mix with Dettol for my nose.

Halima dey shiver. "Amaka, why you dey do me like this?"

Her voice na whisper, but the pain loud. I fit see the tears for corner of her eyes.

I hide my laugh, answer with dry voice:

"Ah ah, see as you be. I no dey bully you, na just say I dey fear make dem no use your kindness against you."

My own face dry like garri for sun. I wan form caring, but inside me I dey laugh.

"We be two girls—if this man..."

I allow my voice trail, pretending say I dey fear for all of us. My own fear na make dem no use my house do burial ground.

Halima no even catch the sarcasm. Her face come down small.

She nod, tears finally drop for her cheek. Rain still dey pour, the whole house cold.

The barrage too fall for am: [E get point, no be everybody get mind like main babe.]

[As she be wicked supporting babe, see as she no insist make dem carry the man go health centre since main babe no talk who e be.]

The words dey ring for my head, like say people dey watch from sky, dey judge every move I make.

Halima eye me, vex. "Abeg, help me carry am go upstairs."

She voice crack, but e strong. Her back dey bend, muscles dey shake. I just look am, heart dey cold.

I look Musa Danladi, my head dey pain me.

I dey calculate—how I wan explain all this blood for landlord? How I go talk say stranger dey sleep for my house?

Halima short pass Musa by almost 15 centimeters. As she dey drag am for road, the wound wey dey bleed just dey worse.

Musa dey groan, head dey roll left and right. Halima hand dey shake, sweat dey mix with rain water.

"You sure say you no wan carry am go health centre?"

I ask again, voice soft. I no want wahala for my hand, abeg.

Halima look me. "No worry, I go handle am."

Her face tight, voice stubborn. I just raise shoulder, no talk again.

No wahala.

I help her carry Musa reach second floor.

Staircase dey narrow, my back dey pain me. We manage drag am like heavy load. Blood dey drip for step, I dey count how many tiles go stain.

But I dey hold grudges, and the barrage talk say for last life, na this guy destroy my family.

My mind dey bitter. If destiny wan repeat itself, make e come. I ready.

So as Halima dey catch breath for staircase, I just loose my hand.

I pause for one second, memory of when we small flash for my mind—Halima dey laugh as I dey push her for swing. But I harden my heart, let go small, my eye dey sharp. Halima shout, the man slip, tumble down three steps.

"Amaka! Wetin you dey do!"

Her voice sharp, anger mix with fear. I just open mouth, cover face.

As the guy roll down stairs, I cover face like say I shock.

I even shout, “Yeh!” raise hand for air like proper Nollywood aunty. But inside me, I dey smirk.

"Sorry o, e too heavy."

I shrug, wipe sweat for my forehead. My eye dey sharp, Halima dey look me with suspicion.

Halima drag am up again like log of wood, she don tire already.

Her breath dey heavy, sweat and tears join for her face. The man just dey limp, body weak, no fit talk.

[I sure say supporting babe do am on purpose.]

[No be only feeling—she do am. I see her eye dey shine bad belle.]

If dem dey see me true-true, maybe na so. But nobody for this house fit talk say I no try.

I just clap hand, waka go my room.

I clap like say I dey hail them, then bounce enter my room, lock door. Let them manage themselves.

Dem insist to come back—make I no show small pepper?

Let them see who really get the house. The game never finish.