Chapter 2: If You Gree, You Go End Up Like the Last Woman

Mallam Danjuma face just dey form polite, but e eyes dey far from friendly.

I see say im voice dey calm but cold, like person wey no dey use play for work.

"I wan carry young master go punishment room. Young master misbehave. Na oga set this rule—e must learn wetin e do wrong."

Me: "..."

"He still be seven years old."

I dey look am, dey wonder if e get heart at all. For this Abuja, all these big men house fit get hidden room for discipline.

"Madam, na so e dey for Uche family. You just come, you never sabi. You go soon used to am."

Me...

I no go ever used to this kind thing.

"Drop am down."

Mallam Danjuma look me well, eye dey talk plenty.

"Madam, na sir set am. E better make you wait till oga come back, talk am with am. If oga vex, we no fit explain."

"Drop am, or pack your load commot from here."

Mallam Danjuma look me, smile like say I dey joke.

"We don dey Uche family over twenty years, these rules don dey before you. Oga sef grow up like that. Madam, you just reach one day—no good to dey change rule sharp sharp. E better make you first win oga heart, secure your place."

He just waka go with Kamsiyochukwu, no even send the boy cry or whether he dey hungry.

I shake my head, no fit believe. Na old system dey rule here.

My eye change, vex dey rise.

Maybe the woman before me no even wicked reach as dem talk.

The way dem raise Kamsiyochukwu turn am cold, stubborn, even violent—no be only her fault. Chief Uche dey among, plus all these butlers and cooks...

Even me, my heart dey hot. Na family system dey spoil child finish.

I follow dem reach punishment room.

Na small, dark, windowless room.

The kind of room wey no get fan, the kind wey e go dey smell damp, old wood, and forgotten tears. The room hot like generator house, sweat dey pour for my back, and the air thick like ogbono soup.

Mallam Danjuma open door, lock Kamsiyochukwu inside, me I squeeze enter join.

Mallam Danjuma just hiss, no talk, bang the door.

I use phone light. Kamsiyochukwu dey cry before, but when he see me, he stop.

I try hold him hand.

He pull am away.

I try again.

He still pull am.

I whisper: "Abeg, let me hold your hand. Here too dark, I dey fear."

My voice low, as if snake dey pass. The small room hot, even sweat dey drip from my neck. I try form vulnerable, like Naija woman wey dey beg small pikin for help.

Kamsiyochukwu quiet.

This time when I hold him hand, he no pull, but face another side, no gree look me.

"Why you follow me enter here?"

"I dey worry for you."

"You dey lie. I be bad pikin, nobody like me."

"Who talk that one? Me I like you. First day I reach here, nobody gree talk to me—na only you help me, show me road, help me find cloth. I never see kind, lovely pikin like you."

I reach small, tap him back gently, like mama go do pikin for village, rub away the tears.

"But... I dey picky for food, I break plate, I dey curse and hit people."

He talk am like say he no get hope, but I fit see say he dey find small praise.

My heart just melt.

How dem go blame small pikin sotay he dey think bad of himself?

"Me sef dey picky for food. Who no dey? Everybody dey picky. Na adults dey cook wetin dem like, no go cook wetin dem no like. Dem dey bully pikin because pikin no fit go market or cook, so dem go dey call am picky. No fair. If na me, I go break plate, curse, even fight. Wetin you do mean say you get strong mind—you no dey gree anyhow. No wahala fit break you. I like you well well."

I dey smile for am, rub him back small, as if na my blood.

"R...really? Adults dey picky too?"

"Of course! I no dey chop bitterleaf. You don ever see Aunty Grace or Mallam Danjuma chop wetin dem no like? Think well, you go remember. If you never see some food for table, na because dem no like am."

I open Jumia app show am vegetable section.

Him small hand dey scroll, eye just shine.

"Bitterleaf never show, bitter garden egg too."

I nod.

"When we commot here, we go make dem chop bitterleaf everyday."

"Okay!"

He come dey happy, lean near me.

I pat him small head, he freeze, then turn face, dey shy.

Suddenly he talk: "But yesterday you say I be that kind pikin. Na bad pikin I be?"

Heh.

You really keep am for mind till today, small wahala.

I smile: "No na. I mean say na only pikin wey do bad thing dem dey call full name. You no do bad thing, so I no wan dey call you full name—na nickname I go use."

Kamsiyochukwu lips just curl up, then he press am down, dey form.

He pretend say e no mean anything: "My mama dey call me Kamkam."

"Okay, Kamkam. My name na Ifeoma. You fit call me Ifeoma-aunty or Ifeoma-sister."

I wink at am, like say I dey give secret code.

I remember how my own mama dey beat sense enter person, but still dey pamper when e matter. We siddon together for some time. I reason say to just dey wait here no go solve anything. The place dey choke, air no good.

I no fit imagine how many times dem lock Kamsiyochukwu for here.

The small room hot, and sweat dey collect for my brow. My chest dey tight as I reason how some pikin dey suffer for inside big man house.

Anybody wey lock seven-year-old for here na wicked soul.

I hold my vex, call Chief Uche.

But he no pick. I call again, e go straight busy.

I look my phone like say I see ghost.

Chief Uche block me?

I nearly shout, but I swallow am. E pain me.

Kamsiyochukwu just hiss.

"No use. Mama sef no fit reach am. Even when she dey sick, he no dey answer."

My heart just cut, as I see pain for small boy eye.

For my mind, I dey reason if this house go swallow me or I go turn landlord.

03

I just weak.

Kamsiyochukwu mama na romantic woman wey mistakenly marry Chief Uche.

After marriage, Chief Uche only dey drop money, but the woman dey find love.

One dey chase, one dey run.

At the end, Kamsiyochukwu mama sick, die young.

After she die, Chief Uche dull for small time, then jam the woman before me, rush marry am—one gold digger wey resemble Kamsiyochukwu mama.

I no sabi the sickness wey kill his mama.

But I know say, for pikin to watch him mama die alone, no fit see him papa, e go pain well well.

I picture the way women for church dey gossip: "Hmmm, Ngozi for suffer reach that level? Chief Uche sef no try."

No wonder Kamsiyochukwu grow up send Chief Uche go psychiatric hospital, no allow anybody visit.

Na the best way he fit forgive.

That day, I stay with Kamsiyochukwu for that dark room till hours pass.

I dey fan am small with my wrapper, hum “Sweet Mother, I no go forget you” under my breath, hoping e go calm am small, and gist am soft story to calm im spirit. I dey remember the way my own mama dey console me when thunder dey strike for village.

When Mallam Danjuma open door, light just blind my eye.

I use hand cover Kamsiyochukwu face.

Mallam Danjuma dey form polite, but e eyes dey mock me.

"Madam you get good heart, but abeg take care of yourself. I don report today matter to oga. He say next time, if you interfere, I fit lock you join."

Very good.

He dey pick butler call, but my own he block.

The woman before me na just furniture for Chief Uche.

I give am hard look, carry the sleeping Kamsiyochukwu out.

But Mallam Danjuma just drag Kamsiyochukwu from my hand, put am for ground.

Kamsiyochukwu, still dey sleep, rub eye, look Mallam Danjuma with vex.

Mallam Danjuma talk serious: "Young master, you don be seven, you suppose dey independent. No let adult carry you again, especially woman."

As he talk, I dey see the old school northern discipline, the kain one wey dey turn boys to men before dem ready.

Anger just dey boil for my chest.

Now I understand why dem dey call Kamsiyochukwu cold church boy and why he dey avoid woman when he grow—because dem teach am from small to look down on woman.

This kain evil, no need to argue with am.

The parlour quiet, only ceiling fan dey hum, then—gbam!—vase land for him head.

My vex make my aim sharp.

Blood just dey drop from Mallam Danjuma head.

He look me shock, like say he no believe say newcomer fit challenge am.

I hiss: "Oya, go tell Chief Uche say I beat you. Or call police, see if Chief Uche go keep you after you shame Uche family. Or try beat me—if you no kill me, I go carry your matter reach Facebook, disgrace Uche family, see who go suffer pass."

I don reason am: Madam Uche position na my own already.

To marry dey easy; to divorce dey hard.

Only one oga fit dey this house.

If I gree, I go end up like the last woman, dey follow dem dey do evil.

But I no gree.

Dem get only two choice: obey me, or commot.

Mallam Danjuma face just change, dey look me like angry dog.

I carry Kamsiyochukwu again, dey waka go door.

Mallam Danjuma block me, face dark.

"Madam, where you dey carry young master go?"

His voice low, but I no dey shake.

04

I just look am, face dey shine with half smile, I no talk, just dey look am.

Eye get power.

Stare na threat.

If I answer, I give am room to argue.

I keep quiet, make am dey fear.

True true, Mallam Danjuma just grit teeth: "Madam, I no mean any bad thing."

"Anything wey you dey think, behave yourself. If I fit make Chief Uche marry me, I fit make am sack you. You no believe? Try me. I drop my phone for room, abeg go bring am."

I just order am.

Mallam Danjuma stand.

I sneer: "You no wan hear word? Old staff?"

Mallam Danjuma waka go.

I sharply use leg push am, lock am for that dark room.

He begin knock and shout inside.

But the door dey block sound, so no loud.

Kamsiyochukwu eye wide, dey shine, but he talk: "This one... e dey okay so?"

"You happy?"

"Happy... but e no good. Mama talk say we no suppose treat people like that."

Kamsiyochukwu dey confused.

His mama get good heart.

Apart from chasing Chief Uche till she die, she no do bad thing.

So the pikin she train dey even feel bad for revenge.

I blink, form small pikin voice.

"But he wicked us... He lock us for hours, I dey hungry, I tire, and he dey look down on woman. You think say e good?"

"No."

"Correct. When pikin do bad, adult dey punish. If adult do bad, we go punish am. Na fair game, abi?"

"Yes."

Kamsiyochukwu gree.

He come dey calm.

Or maybe, for him mind, he don dey plan to fight back since, but no get support. Today, with my help, he fit vex well.

I think say na good thing.

I tell one servant: house go get three days off.

Everybody waka go with joy.

Only Aunty Grace, the cook, dey ask where Mallam Danjuma dey.

I look am, face cold.

"You need am for something?"

"Normally na Mallam Danjuma dey tell us these things."

I look am with half smile.

"So na Mallam Danjuma you dey hear? Na him dey pay your salary? I just tell Mallam Danjuma something, now I dey tell you: If I fit make Chief Uche marry me, I fit make am sack you. Think well who get this house."

Aunty Grace waka commot, face no sweet.

She go dey grumble inside her mind, but today na me be oga.

Kamsiyochukwu come dey worry.

"Ifeoma-aunty, Papa trust Aunty Grace and Mallam Danjuma. Dem go report you, papa go vex for you."

"Make he find us first."

I pack small cloth, drag suitcase, put Kamsiyochukwu on top, push am out.

He never sit suitcase before, so he dey stiff.

Him small hand dey hold handle, try sit well, dey fear say he go fall or shame catch am.

I wan laugh, but my heart dey pain me.

"Your mama ever carry you go travel?"

"No, mama always wait for papa for house."

Romantic woman dey like that: if call no connect, she go just dey house, dey fear say she go miss the man. But the man sef no wan come house, dey run from her.

Life go just dey pass for inside wahala.

At the end, she let the man go, but she die.

Leave pikin with no mama, no papa love, dem twist am into wahala.

I squeeze Kamkam hand, whisper, "No worry, as long as I dey, you go see better life."

"Ifeoma-aunty go carry you go travel. Hold tight, sit well..."

I push suitcase, run small.

E laugh dey sweet, like pikin wey just see Father Christmas for first time.

Neighbours for compound dey peep, some dey smile, others dey ask, "Na play una dey play so?"

The keke driver look us two times, then smile—"Madam, you and your pikin dey run from village people?" I just laugh, pay am double.

I call keke, pay cash, book discount hotel for Palm Grove Estate, use another person ID check in, stay with Kamsiyochukwu.

Main reason na to hide from Chief Uche.

Since Chief Uche no wan answer me, make he dey. He go soon dey worry.

For the next few days, I carry Kamsiyochukwu go all the popular places for city and near-by.

We ride carousel, go aquarium, chop different food, enter swimming pool, play water, climb Olumo Rock—enjoyment full ground.

I buy am gala, cold Fanta, and puff-puff for roadside. I show am small bushmeat place for outskirts, where everybody dey laugh. Even the way he dey lick ice cream dey melt my heart.

During this time, Chief Uche assistant call me. I ask him name, save am, tell am make he free Mallam Danjuma when he get time, then I block am.

At last, Chief Uche gree call me himself.

I let am taste rejection and busy tone, my vex reduce small.

Kamsiyochukwu come dey look me, worry dey his face, finally he talk:

"Ifeoma-aunty, you no dey fear papa?"

"No. Na so e scary?"

Kamsiyochukwu pause.

"Mama dey fear papa. When papa come house, he no dey talk, just dey frown for mama."

Na emotional wahala be that.

Kamsiyochukwu no like him papa as pikin, but as adult, he turn to the same person—if not worse.

Cold, stubborn, no dey trust, no dey respect, always dey regret.

So, women, the best love you fit give your pikin na to choose good papa for am.

I rub him fluffy head.

"So you gats dey smile for me often. For this house, na only you I know. Others dey bully me, your papa no dey answer my call. If you no dey talk to me, no dey smile, my chest go just dey burn."

I dey try form joke, but my voice crack small. Kamkam look me, then nod.

"I promise to dey smile for you everyday." Him face serious.

I quickly raise my pinky, "Make we pinky swear."

Kamsiyochukwu look confused. He try raise finger, I hook am, recite, "Pinky swear, hang for hundred years, no change," but my heart just drop.

He no even know this one.

He don be first grader.

How he dey survive for school?

Just then, cold, angry voice sound for my back.

"Ifeoma, wetin you dey do?"

His voice cold like early morning dew for Jos—"Ifeoma, wetin you dey do?" My heart skip, but my face no show am.

I look up, see Chief Uche.

Heh.

Man wey talk say he dey go business trip for three months, come back after four days.

Sharp guy.

I adjust my wrapper, squeeze Kamkam hand. Time for round two.

I brace myself—if war dey come, make e come. I no go gree.