Chapter 2: Blood, Beans, and Betrayal

As e talk finish, golden countdown show for ceiling.

The timer big, shine like church clock for Christmas.

Under the countdown, five big characters: Ife, Inurere, Suuru, Iwapele, Otito (Love, Kindness, Patience, Good Character, Truth).

Yoruba values, deep ones. Na the type wey your mama dey talk if you do anyhow.

This game no be the kind battle royale wey I dey reason.

No guns, no knives dey fly up and down—na sense dem wan use test us.

For my mind, battle royale na kill or be killed. If you fit clear everybody, you win.

This one dey turn my head, because Naija mentality be say make you dey sharp, no dey mumu for street.

But this one dey talk love, redemption. You need person wey go gree die for you before you fit pass.

Which kind wahala rule be this?

To save person na die. To fail the round, na still die.

This one worse pass Lagos traffic, anywhere you pass, wahala dey front.

Since both na die, why I go sacrifice for another person?

For Naija, nobody dey ready give life unless na blood. But the money too big—if you love person reach, maybe you fit try.

"Papa... why you dey here?"

Na trembling voice from my back.

The way the voice shake, you go know say the person dey see wetin e no expect.

"I... I... you..."

The papa no sabi wetin to talk. Na so both dem dey look each other, body dey vibrate.

"Papa, I tell you make you stay house dey look after Uchechi."

Uchechi. Family matter don land for inside this wahala.

"I go chemist go buy medicine, I see card, I say make I try my luck."

Na so for Naija, hope dey make person take risk. Even old papa dey find way to help family.

The man vex. "I tell you make you no worry about money, you no dey hear word."

If you see as e face squeeze, you go know say e dey talk true.

"No worry? You want make I dey depend on your betting? You don ever win before?"

Papa no wan make pikin suffer. Betting na street life for Naija youth.

Both of dem quiet at once.

The silence get weight. Both dey think their own wahala.

Dem begin reason how dem go survive the game.

You fit see say e pain dem to be for this kind place together.

E be like say the old man collect the card for chemist. The son, na betting shop e get am.

These places na where Naija people dey go when e remain hope small. Where you go see tears and dreams mixed together.

People wey dey run this game sabi human nature. Chemist and betting shop—na where people dey lack money pass.

Dem really reason am well. Even for my own street, na so people dey risk life for small change.

Gamblers full everywhere, people wey fit risk their life for money plenty.

Na true, from street boys to old men, the struggle dey real.

"Papa, later I go use my life for you. If you survive, abeg take care of Uchechi for me."

This man get mind.

E no be small thing to talk. The voice wey e use get one kind courage wey you no fit see for market.

But which papa go gree watch im pikin go die?

Old Naija papa, their pride no dey gree for that kind talk.

The old man stand up, pat the man shoulder. "Even if I pass first round, who know how many rounds remain? You live, I go die."

"Papa..."

E voice break, tears full eye. The kind love wey dey show, e choke.

"E don do. If you die join, na Uchechi bad luck."

Na so e hold pikin hand, e eye strong.

As e talk finish, timer never even reach five minutes, the man waka go meet the host in black.

The man no look back. E just dey walk like soldier wey don decide.

"I ready use my life make am pass."

The host look where the old man point, lock eyes with the man wey dey vex and feel guilty.

The host eye get one kind cold fire. If you look am too long, e fit burn your spirit.

"You sure?"

The man no shake. "I sure."

Host wave, two masked people hold the old man.

That same thin dagger, flash, enter old man belle.

E sharp, no delay. Old man chest rise, then fall.

The old man grunt, blood come out from mouth. The son reach out, voice crack: “Papa—abeg!” but the old man just nod, like say e dey accept fate.

You go think say e go shout, but e just sigh like person wey tire for life wahala.

Dem drag am away.

Blood dey everywhere, but the son just dey look blank.

"Papa—"

The man wey survive just kneel down, dey knock head for ground, dey cry like say tomorrow no dey.

The cry loud, raw, e make my own chest tight. Na real pain.

Na so e go be?

I dey ask myself say, which kind rule dem set so? E be like say na who get person wey go die for am dey lucky pass.

E no dey fair for people wey come alone?

I dey reason, because my own head don dey hot. If na only people wey get family dey pass, wetin remain for me?

No, almost thousand people dey here, more than ninety percent come alone.

If you check Naija, most people dey waka solo. Only few get their blood with dem.

Even people wey come as group, e rare to see blood relation.

So, e mean most people no get hope unless dem use brain.

I no fit understand. Who go gree die for another person wey no be family?

Even for church, people dey do love, but to die for another? E hard.

If dem fit clear so many people at once, wetin be the aim of this game?

For my mind, na only God and village juju fit explain.

"Guy, you go die for me. Drop your contact, I go give half the money to your family."

Big man voice dey loud. If you see the size of e arm, you go know say e dey chop well.

One big man roll up e sleeve, waka come my side.

E arm big, full of knife scar.

For Naija, when you see that kind scar, you know say street dey the person blood.

"Na you I dey talk to, no form dead man."

I frown. I no like make person disturb me when I dey think.

I dey try maintain peace, but my face don strong.

"Oga, shift."

The big man laugh. "Guy, if you no go meet the host, I go beat you die here."

Na so e talk, e chest dey bounce like boxer.

"Go find another mumu, I no get your time."

E grin, throw punch for my chin.

I dodge, e fist miss, just brush my nose. I no even blink.

For Naija, to dodge punch like that na confirm street credibility.

I no fight back, e self no attack again.

I just dey look am, my body balance.

"I no expect am. Sorry say I disturb you."

The big man cool. E respect my calmness.

That move na real control. If you never train, you no fit try am.

The big man know say I no be small pikin.

Street code: no be who big pass dey win.

Old, weak, sick people plenty here. Na just first round, e no need to fight me.

For Naija, old people dey suffer pass. This kind place, old person no get much chance.

After the big man waka, one thin woman waka go meet the host, dey look back every few steps at one older woman.

The way she dey look, e show say e no sure. Her leg dey tremble.

"Wetin you talk na true?"

The other woman just nod, no talk.

Her eye red, but she strong face.

"No lie give me."

She nod again.

The thin woman stammer, look the host, "I... I go use my life for her..."

Tears dey her eye, but her voice steady. She don make up her mind.

"You sure?"

She breathe deep, "I sure."

Same process, same method, dagger enter belle.

Blood for ground, but the old woman just cover mouth, tears dey drop small small.

The older woman just smile, shake head, voice don hoarse.

You fit see say life don humble her.

Apart from to swap life with person wey you trust well well,

For Naija, if e no be blood or close friend, who go risk am? Even family self, na debate.

Na only trickery remain?

People for here dey reason am, dey find short cut.

No, mumu people too much, liars no reach.

To see mumu na normal for street, but to see mumu wey go die for you, na another matter.

If you die, how you wan make sure say the person go fulfill promise?

For this country, trust na problem. Even for burial ground, people dey scam.

To use force like the big man no go work too.

If na street, person fit use force, but for this place, rule pass muscle.

No be only if you fit win fight.

Even if I no fit fight the big man, I go rather make am beat me die than help am pass.

Na pride dey talk that one. I no fit just give up for bully.

True, not everybody get that kind strong mind.

But e no be the main way to pass.

Some people go break, but na small minority.

But e no be the main way to pass.

So wetin be the real way to advance?

I dey try connect the dots. For Naija, e get as e be—sometimes, na the person wey humble dey win.

"Fine boy, you wan flex?"

The voice cut my thought. I look up, see woman wey arrange herself well.

One woman, cloth open, face fine, waka meet me.

Her eye dey shine, lipstick correct. She dey smile like say e sure for her.

"Make we go one corner flex small? I get skill wey you never see before. Since we go die, make we enjoy first?"

Her accent dey mix. I fit tell say she dey use body find way.

"Shift. If you no quick, I go kill you."

I answer cold, no time for play. For this kind place, pleasure na sin.

"Ode."

She hiss, waka go another corner.

My thinking scatter again, I vex.

The kind anger wey dey my chest fit burn tyre for street.

I climb lower bunk, jump go upper bunk, sit for there, try avoid disturbance.

I just wan get small peace make I reason well.

The golden countdown for ceiling dey go down. Less than one hour thirty minutes remain.

Sweat dey my back. Time dey fly, but solution no show.

Everybody else go die.

For this kind country, time na real enemy.

As time dey go, people dey panic. The room full of quarrel and fight.

Some dey even swear, dey threaten. Na Naija, tension dey high.

Many people start dey fight, dey try force people submit.

This one na pure wahala. Person dey use fight find salvation.

Make I use force too?

I dey reason am, but street sense dey warn me—if rule talk love, fight no be solution.

The later e be, the less mumu people remain. If I go do am, better do am early.

No, the rule talk say make you show love and kindness.

For battle royale, rule dey important. To break rule na mumu move.

Na true, for Naija, person wey break rule dey collect punishment pass.

Wait...

Rule—

E get as e be. Sometimes, na the loophole dey save person.

"Oga, I know say this request no make sense, but abeg, you fit... you fit die for me?"

Na so small voice cut my thought. I look down, see one pikin dey kneel.

How old this boy be? Sixteen? Eighteen? Twenty?

Na small boy, eye red, but e still dey beg with respect.

Tears full e face, anybody go pity am.

For Naija, even big man dey soft for beggar with better story.

"Brother, my mama sick, she need money. I really wan save her. If I survive, I go keep only one million, the rest go your people.

Tell me who to give am, I promise. I go repay you, take care of your people. As long as I fit save my mama, abeg. I know say I dey rude, but I no get choice. I no wan die, my mama only get me. I wan save her.

If you no gree, I go understand. Thank you for listening."

The way e talk, you go know say na last hope.

The boy bow, dey look me, hope full e eye.

I think three minutes.

I look the boy, my mind dey fight itself. My mama face flash for my mind—if I die, who go remember me? But the boy eye dey beg like hungry dog.

I dey look am, my mind dey do calculation—if I die for am, who go remember me?

"Okay."

I give the boy address, name, phone number.

As I dey write am, my hand dey shake small. My own life dey my hand, but I dey give am for stranger.

We agree say if he survive, he go give my friend the money.

He gree quick, even knock head for ground.

The way e take bow, you go know say e get respect.

I no waste time, waka go meet the host in black.

As I dey go, people dey look me like say I craze.

"I ready use my life save am."

I point my right finger at the boy.

E shock, the boy begin cry, e no fit talk again.

The boy kneel down.

"You sure?"

"I sure."

As I talk am, my chest dey heavy, but my voice steady.

Cold dagger enter my belle. Apart from the pain, another type of sting dey there.

The pain sharp, but the cold wey follow am dey different. E be like say I dey float for dream.

Both pain mix, no be better feeling.

As e dey pain me, my mind dey flash my babe for hospital bed, and my mama prayer for morning.

I look front. The boy don stand, dey smile like say na me mumu.

My own face na the same thing.

But inside me, I know say na the right thing I do.

When I wake, my wound don stitch.

The place wey dem keep me soft pass my house for Surulere. I smell better air, like say dem spray perfume everywhere.

The bed soft, get small flower smell.

I just dey wonder if na heaven I dey.

I sit up. Big glass window dey front, I fit see people dey waka outside, dey fear.

Some dey shake, some dey hold each other. Tension dey everywhere.

Some just dey sit for their bed—dem believe say dem go pass.

Faith dey run for Naija blood. Some people dey trust prayer pass logic. One woman dey kneel by her bed, dey recite Psalm 23 under her breath.

The golden number for ceiling dey jump. Twenty-five minutes remain.

Time no dey wait for anybody.

Another bed dey beside mine, but empty.

Person wey suppose dey there dey pound the glass, tears full e old face. Na the old man wey first die for im son.

The man just dey beat the glass, voice no dey come out. Na so grief dey hold person.

I waka go meet am, look the crowd through the glass.

At least, one survive, abi?

The old man look me, wipe e tears.

E eye red, but e try form strong.

"Young man, you know from beginning say na so to survive?"

I nod.

"Why?"

I just dey look am, no sure if I go talk. But the man pain dey show.

At first, I just dey suspect.

Dem get gun, but why use that special dagger?

I dey try remember the pain. Na only the dagger pain dey remain.

Because the dagger thin, if you stab am for one angle, e no go touch inside organ.

The calculation dey make sense. For Naija, if person wan kill, e no dey do am gently.

As e enter my body, I sure. The other pain na anaesthetic.

The kind sleep wey follow, e dey different. I no dey feel fear.

To make us sleep, so we no go shout say we never die.

Another thing. All the people wey dem stab, staff go drag their body away.

No person wey gun kill dey move. E mean the game dey use style remove who dem want.

But people wey gun kill, dem leave am. Blood, brain, everything just dey everywhere.

Na clear message: sacrifice get value, stubbornness get punishment.

So, the bodies wey dem drag, e mean say dem still need them.

Game na sense and heart, no be muscle.

What make me sure say this game na to survive through death na the rule.

I connect all the sign. Na only the people wey show love get hope for this place.

The host talk:

"The name of the first round na Ife. As long as you show love and kindness, you fit advance."

As e talk am, my mind just dey open. Na love go save person, no be gra-gra.

So, na loving people go survive.

For Naija, na only love fit hold family together. This game dey test real spirit.

I no explain everything to the old man, I no answer the question.

No be everything person suppose talk for mouth, especially when e fit make wahala.

Everybody here, for theory, na opponent.

But as e die for e son without think, e touch me small.

No be small sacrifice. Only real papa fit do am.

So I reason say make I just talk small.

"Pay attention to the rules."

I use eye point the glass, make e understand say na only who dey reason go last.

The old man no understand, just dey look me.

But e appreciate the talk, I see am for e eye.

"Next round, listen well."

Twenty-five minutes fly.

If you dey count seconds, this place go turn your mind upside down.

Gunshot sound outside the glass.

E loud, sharp. People for inside just dey shake.

The thing na like fire, everywhere gun sound.

Sound dey bounce for the glass, but you fit see small smoke for outside.

Within five minutes, all quiet.

That white room don turn blood red.

If you see am, you go vomit. E resemble Lagos abattoir after Sallah.

Everybody wey still dey there, including those wey person sacrifice for, don die.

The old man look him son corpse, mouth open, dey nod, tears and spit dey rush everywhere.

If you see as e body shake, you go know say the pain deep.

But no sound commot.

Even voice fail. Na only tears remain.

E no fit even cry.

The door behind us open, corridor dey outside, white light for ceiling dey on one by one.

The light dey shine like say dem dey open way for judgment.

I know say I no suppose care for the old man, but I still talk.

"Old man, time to go."

I just use small voice, but e nod like say e dey find strength.

We waka enter the corridor.

As we dey waka, the silence between us dey heavy, but e give small comfort.

The corridor long, like one kilometer.

If you walk am, e go pain your leg, but for here, e be like journey to new life.

For the end, we enter another room wey resemble the first one.

The air fresh, but still cold. I smell new paint, like classroom wey dem just renovate.

But no bed for here, na big stage dey.

The stage and ceiling get glass everywhere.

You fit see yourself inside the glass, like say dem dey remind you to look yourself well.

The host in black sit for sofa inside the glass, microphone for hand.

E cross leg like boss, dey watch us with small smile under e mask.

People dey enter the room less and less, until nobody come again. Staff close door.

You go hear door lock, the sound sharp like padlock for police station.

I look around. Less than five hundred people remain.

Meaning, first round alone, almost half don die.

If you check am, e mean say blood plenty, but lesson dey inside.

"Congrats to all of una wey pass first round.

Some of una use sense.

Some, make I talk true, na luck carry una.

If you look crowd, you go see those wey dey lucky for face—dem just dey look sky, dey thank God.

Friendly reminder: rules no dey lie."

For this game, rule na law, no be play.

E no give us time rest.

The man cold, e just dey go straight to business.

E announce the next round.

"The name of the second round na Iwa (Righteousness)."

E pull black cloth from table, show three glass boxes, each get different color beans.

As e pull cloth, people stretch neck, dey wonder wetin dey inside.

First box—one gold bean.

Second box—five silver beans.

Third box—ten copper beans.

If you see the shine, you go know say this one no be ogbono or beans for market.

"Everybody fit pick only one box. The beans fit exchange. Anybody wey gather all three types fit advance.

Game na two hours. After that, anybody wey never gather all three... go die.

Any question?"

One man with full beard raise hand.

The beard dey full, you go think say e be herbalist.

"Fit we collect beans from others by force?"

Host smile. "Rule no talk say you no fit, so you fit."

That smile get as e be. For Naija, if person dey smile like that, na warning.

No other question. Staff arrange everybody make dem go pick beans one by one.

People dey try reason strategy, dey look who dey strong, who dey mumu.

The place wey dem dey pick beans far, so we no see wetin each person pick.

Na clear sign say this game no dey for eyes wey dey do aproko.

After I hear the rules, I just dey reason.

Street sense dey tell me make I calm down before I move.

To gather all three beans mean na only as many people as gold beans fit pass.

If you get gold bean, na jackpot, but e fit turn curse if you no use sense.

But if you pick gold bean, you no fit exchange am. Na wahala be that.

Na big risk—if you no fit use am well, e go burn you.

Either you trick or use force.

But first round rules don show say this game no like thief or cheat.

This game dey test character, no be muscle.

The main way to pass na as host talk—trade.

"You, go pick bean."

The staff voice sharp, no time to dull.