Chapter 5: Sign and Suffering

That day, my mama dey house dey fry her special egg. She see my papa injury sharp sharp: big black shoe mark for him chest, hold me wey cry anyhow.

My mama sharp, she dey quick observe. She just drop frying spoon, carry me, then check my papa chest. The mark red, e swell quick.

As she hear wetin happen, my mama vex. As my papa dey bath, she limp go factory, stand for workshop gate, dey shout who beat her husband.

She no get power for leg, but her mouth dey sharp. She cry, she curse, she call all the workers thief and cowards. People gather, dey look am.

Her voice dey shake, no strong, but she no gree go.

Nobody fit drag her. The workers just dey look ground. Factory manager come out with his wrapper, eye red.

At the end, dem no catch who do am, but the factory manager come out, come offer compensation.

Chief Okafor bring small envelope, say make dem use am buy medicine. My mama no too trust am, but money na money.

My mama no dey go out, so for her to waka go factory, confront people, na big courage.

That day, neighbours talk about her courage. Some say she too stubborn, some say na love.

After all, the factory manager na big man for the area.

In those days, if you see manager waka, you fit greet with two hands. My mama stand her ground that day—na story dem still dey talk for market.

My mama brave that day, but later she regret am.

Later, when night reach, she just sit down dey cry, say, "I no suppose shout like that. Dem go target your papa."

But human being no dey always get sense. Na after everything pass, you go look back see say all those rash decisions join together na im be destiny.

Sometimes, when you dey waka for life, you go dey see road clear. Other times, na bush. Na so all our small wahala dey add up, till the big one land.

……

Make I talk about the fireworks factory.

Our village, Umuaka, dey hide inside hills. The only thing wey dey make am famous na the fireworks. Every December, people dey come buy for burial, naming, even just to show say dem get money.

The small town wey I born for dey inside mountain, and their main business na fireworks.

If you waka from our house reach factory, na like ten minutes, but na uphill. The road bad, red mud everywhere.

The factory na the biggest work place for the town—dem dey employ plenty people, na dem dey pay plenty tax for the local government.

If e no be for factory, na only small farming and palm wine tapping people dey do. Even the primary school headmaster dey collect fireworks as Christmas gift.

Every year, the fireworks wey dem produce dey sell reach everywhere, and people for the town like to fire fireworks for anything wey happen.

If rain fall, fireworks. If NEPA bring light, fireworks. Even for church harvest, you go see children with small fireworks stick, dey run upandan, chin-chin for hand, roasted corn smell for air.

But for my house, we never buy fireworks before.

If person dash us, na only then I fit see am. My mama say money for fireworks na waste—no be food, no be medicine.

Even though my papa dey work for there and fit buy cheap, he never bring any come house.

People dey talk say, "Ah, Nnamdi, why you stingy?" He go smile, say, "Fireworks na for people wey get extra change."

Because fireworks too expensive—just vanish quick. Better to use that money buy medicine for my mama.

Hospital bill dey ground, mama cough dey disturb. Me, I just dey watch fireworks from far.

I like fireworks, but I understand say we no get. So I dey waka for village, go dey look as other people dey fire their own.

I go hide for back of fence, or I go climb stone for junction just to dey peep. Sometimes, I go clap when I see better display. Dem go hiss, say small pikin too dey happy.

I dey see am, but e no be the same. If na you fire am, you fit share with others—like say you dey host people for your house. But to watch another person own, e be like say you dey beg for person door—e no sweet.

My heart go dey ache as dem dey shout and laugh, me I dey the other side dey count how many sticks dem burn.

One boy next door block me one day say make I no watch their own, say we poor, just sabi chop free.

Na Eze, that troublemaker. Him mouth sharp pass razor. E talk am in front of everybody, shame wan kill me. I just run go house, tears full my face.

I say if I no go watch, no wahala, I waka go.

I reach house, no talk. My mama ask, I just say nothing.

I no send all those things. I think say as long as my family dey together, poverty no mean anything.

For my mind, as long as I get papa and mama, I dey okay. The rest na extra.

But even that small wish, life no gree give me.

Sometimes, e be like say suffering dey follow some families like native chalk. Even your prayer no fit drive am away.