Chapter 5: Hostile Homecoming and Dangerous Secrets

After eight, my papa stagger enter house.

Gate bang. Na so slippers dey drag for floor, the stench of ogogoro fill the parlour. Neighbour dog begin bark, everybody know say trouble don land.

He hold me, almost fall me down.

He drag me close, eye dey red. I fit smell beer for him breath. He nearly fall, I hold wall.

Papa dey happy say he win money today—over one thousand.

Na so he dey talk like king, dey raise hand, 'I finish dem for pool today! Money just dey my hand.'

I just dey hail am. "Papa, you try o! Abeg, fit give me that thousand?"

I try play smart, voice soft, dey smile like say I dey joke. For my mind, I dey reason say, maybe luck go smile for me.

My papa just freeze, then give me one hot slap.

Na so hand land for my face—gbosa! My ear ring, tears push for eye.

"You this pikin, you dey craze? You dey ask me for money?!"

Him spit fly, eye dey bulge. If to say I fit run, I for don disappear.

As he slap me, I shift back. But once my papa vex, he no dey stop till he beat person.

I dey dodge, but e still manage land shoe for my back. My leg dey shake, but I no wan cry in front of am.

My mama rush come cover me. My papa remove shoe, use am flog her.

The sound loud, like thunder. Mama dey shout, 'Abeg!' but he no send. Na so fight scatter, as usual.

Another night without sleep.

I dey lie down for hard mat, dey count ceiling. I dey hear mama dey sob, dey cough. My body dey pain, but my mind dey dey plan.

After my papa tire for beating, he calm, food don cold.

He go sit down for parlour, dey blow breeze with mouth, say, 'Na una make my life hard.' I just dey look am.

Me and my mama go kitchen, still dey prepare small thing for am to drink.

We dey look for anything to mix—garri, groundnut, anything at all. Mama dey move slow, her hand dey shake.

Nothing dey house except small groundnut.

Mama pour am for plate, dey sigh. She look me, eyes red. I just dey look ground, dey press hunger.

My mama look empty cupboard, start to cry again, dey talk say she wan go back be rich person pikin.

She just dey sob, say, 'God, abeg, make dem carry me go. I don tire.' I dey try hold her, but my hand dey weak.

But this time, my papa hear am from outside.

My mind jump. I quick tap mama, try hush her, but e too late. E get as body dey do me, like say cold wind blow enter house.

[No let your papa know say you dey find your people. He do your mama and grandpapa bad, he dey fear revenge.]

[If he know, he go kill both of una.]

As the bullet comment land, my leg begin shake. My mind dey race.