Chapter 5: Maggot, Market Talk, and Surgery

Halima just dey by Musa Danladi side, even use her hand bandage him leg.

For inside that small guest room, she lay wrapper for ground, arrange small pillow. The air thick with blood smell, Dettol, and that cheap perfume she like to use. She dey talk to Musa, voice low, try calm am as she dey press cotton wool for wound. Her own hand dey shake small, but she no gree show fear.

Halima mutter, 'God abeg, make this wound no kill am,' as she dey press the bandage—fear dey show for her face, but she dey hold am.

[Good, by the story, the main guy go wake up this afternoon, tomorrow the richest man go come carry am. Good life go start for dem soon.]

[The richest man wife wicked sha—just to stop the main guy from coming back, she send people to kill am. No fear God.]

[No wahala, once the main guy get power, all those people go collect.]

The comments dey loud for my head like generator. Sometimes I wan block ear, but e dey float anyhow.

I shock small.

I pause for door, dey look them. The blood, the pain, the wahala—e too much. So na rich man wahala be this? Sometimes na the poor people dey suffer pass, even for their own house.

So na the richest man wife beat Musa Danladi like this? No wonder the guy nearly die.

I remember gist from market—how rich people dey do anything for inheritance. Now I dey see am with my own eye.

I reason am, then I go stand guard outside Musa room too.

I cross arm for chest, stand for corridor, dey watch. If anybody ask, na my house—I fit explain anything.

After two days and one night wey Halima no sleep, her eye dey close.

I dey peep through door, Halima head dey nod like agbalumo for tree. She never chop, never baff. Only spirit dey hold her.

As Musa open eye, I rush grab him hand, act excited.

My own drama start. I reach him side, shake him gently, dey shout, “Musa! Musa, you dey hear me? Thank God!”

"Thank God o, you don wake!"

I dey jump small, my own happiness dey fake, but Halima no notice. I dey wait make she see say na me dey first near the man.

"Halima, no sleep—see, the man don wake up!"

I call am loud, my voice dey carry for corridor. She jump up, hair scatter, wrapper fall one side.

Halima jump up, push me go one side.

She no even send, just rush me push for shoulder. Her eye red, her voice sharp.

"Wetin you dey do? Na me save am. You wan collect my glory again?"

Halima voice dey shake, but her hand firm for the man's arm. She dey ready to fight anybody wey wan collect her chance.

As I dey arrange my hair, I just smile, then stand up continue:

I smooth my edges, put fake smile for face. "Abeg, na excitement make me call you. No be fight."

"Why you go think like that? I too happy, na why I call you."

I throw voice, try act like peace-maker.

Then I introduce Musa well well:

I look Musa face, point to Halima, raise my voice make everybody hear.

"This na Halima—na she save you."

I put hand for her shoulder, squeeze small.

"Na she use her hand bandage your wound, stay with you for two days. Even when I talk make we carry you go health centre, she no gree."

I let my words land, then nod with smile.

"You lucky say you jam person like Halima."

I fit see confusion for Musa face, but my own na to clear ground. Halima dey stand, smile dey form for her mouth.

[Wetin the wicked supporting babe dey plan? Why she change mouth?]

[She wan...]

The comments dey swirl, but I pretend say I no hear.

Halima shock, but after she reason am, she push me. She come smile shyly. "No need to thank me, na small thing."

She turn face, but I see her blush. Her hand still dey Musa shoulder.

Musa come reason, nod Halima. "Halima, abi? Thank you."

His voice weak, but gratitude dey there. His eyes dey search her own, hope dey flash for face.

"Once I better, I go pay you back."

His voice soft, but determination dey there. He try lift hand, but e fall back down.

Halima dress well, wear long gown, dey smile like flower.

She tidy her scarf, stand upright, her face bright. If person snap her picture now, you go think say she win award.

Musa try stand up, but as he rise, he fall for ground.

His body shake, leg give way. He try balance, but the pain too much, he land for tile with thud.

He shock, look the gauze wey blood don soak, panic catch am.

Fear write for his face. He dey sweat, hand dey shake, mouth open wide. He tear bandage quick.

Musa remember something, sweat full him face as he rush untie the bandage.

The smell of rot just fill everywhere, and if you look well, maggots dey waka for the wound.

The air choke. Even me step back. Na that kind rotten meat smell wey dey make pikin vomit. Small white maggot dey crawl for flesh—fear catch all of us.

From outside, neighbour voice shout: 'Who dey shout for upstairs? Make una no kill person o!' Na real tension—gossip go spread reach market tomorrow.

Musa face harden.

His face change from pain to anger. His eyes cold, lips tight. I see say wahala don start.

"Miss Halima, na you treat my wound too?"

He voice deep, suspicion dey for tone. He dey look Halima like say she poison am.

Halima dey twist her finger, nod.

She no fit look him face, her hand dey play with wrapper. Her voice small, almost disappear.

"I talk am before, no need thank me. Na small thing."

She wan form humble, but voice dey shake.

"At least, I no get heart like some people."

She look me, eye dey burn with vex. Her voice sharp, she dey throw shade.

Halima dey busy shade me, she no see as Musa eye dey change.

I just dey watch, my own smile dey corner mouth. Musa face don change.

I smile again talk, "You no even know. To save you, Halima drag you for rain pass one hour."

I let the words sink, eye Musa, then Halima.

"She too worry for you, she no even use the medicine wey I buy. No time to clean wound, but her bandage na another level."

I laugh small, the sarcasm dey strong for my voice. Musa dey look Halima with new eye.

Musa face change. He look the wound for him leg, talk with low voice:

His voice deep, anger dey bite. "Thank you, but abeg, fit carry me go health centre now?"

Halima nod like chicken, call ambulance sharp.

Her hand dey shake, phone nearly fall. She call ambulance, her voice dey tremble. The tension high for room.

But as dem reach health centre, the doctor face change as he see the wound.

Doctor open eyes, look Musa leg like say na yam wey don spoil. Nurses dey hiss, dey shake head.

"How long since this injury happen?"

His voice loud, make people for corridor pause. He look Halima, eyebrow up.

To show say she try, Halima rush talk, "Two days and one night."

She voice dey quick, try explain herself. Her eyes dey beg for mercy.

But the doctor just vex: "Na wah o! You wan use village method for city wound? Na nonsense be this!"

Doctor voice rise, make nurse for back turn look. He throw hand for air, face red.

"Since all this time, you no carry am come health centre? Maggots full the wound, you even tie rotten flesh with bandage. Young lady, you no know say ignorance fit kill?"

He shake head, look Halima with disappointment. People for waiting room dey murmur, nurse dey type for register.

"Prepare for surgery. To save the leg na just 20% chance."

He shake head again, write for file. Halima face white, Musa dey shiver. For Naija, once doctor talk percentage, na prayer remain.