Chapter 3: Spirit No Go Rest

From that day, sleep abandon me. Seven days straight, na old nightmare dey knock for my dream. My heart dey race each time I close eye.

After that long wahala, when I finally wake for real, body weak like say I run marathon from Okpoko reach Lagos. Even small smile no fit cross my face.

I look up, see Musa siddon by my side. He no even wear crown, just plain cloth. Eyes dey watch me steady, but shame full am.

If you see Musa eyes, you go see red line. Guilt just dey show for every corner. Na man wey don lose him mind.

Musa look away quick, as if my eye dey burn. He no fit stand my face. Shame don tie him tongue.

Musa know say Halima na my backbone, yet na him hand join for the wahala wey push her go kpai. The thing dey pain me, but I dey hold myself.

Halima die for Musa hand, the same day he throw party for Zainab, promote her reach second wife level. The world no just balance.

Before that day, Halima don carry token—special one wey Musa give am when he climb stool—beg am, "Abeg, give me divorce, make I find peace." Her voice soft, but her heart dey break.

Musa no gree. He hold the token tight, eye hard, voice low. People dey watch, but nobody fit interfere.

Everybody know say Halima earn that token—she save Musa life when people want scatter him destiny. The thing suppose count for something, but Musa waka use am play politics.

All because he dey fear people go blame Zainab if the couple wey Okpoko dey hail break. He no wan shame touch Zainab name, so he block Halima from escaping the wahala.

When Halima kpai, her blood stain Zainab white lace. Zainab begin shake, cry dey pour from her eye. She run hide for Musa chest, Musa begin pet am like small baby. Na Halima blood dey their hand, but Zainab na the one Musa dey console.

Our eye jam for middle of compound. Na that moment Musa remember say Halima na the same person wey stand by am, risk everything when he be nobody. But e don late—spirit don carry Halima go.

Musa drop Zainab, just stand like tree wey thunder strike. Even as chief, he resemble lost child. Everybody dey whisper.

He open mouth, but words no come. I just bone, no send am.

I waka front, kneel small, use my sleeve clean Halima face, careful not to break tradition. I collect the token from her neck, hand dey shake but my mind set.

I bend low, whisper for her ear, "Halima, wait for me. Wetin Okpoko owe us, we must collect am before we go. Spirit no go cheat us."

From small, na me and Halima dey together for orphanage. She get heart wey no dey hold pain, she dey survive everywhere she go. People dey call her cat with nine lives.

Me, I be the one wey dey carry grudge. My own na memory—if you do me bad, I go remember till last. People fear me because of am.

I grip my hand, try hold tears and anger. I no look anybody face as I waka out of the place, dignity intact.

I pass Musa, no even look his direction. From the start till finish, I no let any word drop for him sake.

From that moment, I close my room. Sickness grip me—body weak, spirit tired. I no even wan see sun.

Now, Musa just dey my side, dey look me like person wey lose road for big market. No word, no action. Only silence full the air.

He stretch hand small, wan touch my face, but as he see say my eye cold like harmattan morning, he shift hand back. Even pride no fit save am.

My voice sharp, I ask, "You no suppose dey comfort Princess Zainab? After all, na she dey cry even if breeze blow loud. Halima save your life, na only her life she lose, but na Zainab dey shake." Compound people dey shift, dey pretend say dem no hear.

Musa try talk, voice choke for throat. After small, bitter smile break his face. "Morayo, abeg, no be like this now." The pain for his face clear.

That name wey he call, before, dey sweet me. E dey remind me say I still be wife. But today, the name no carry weight again.

This time, no single reply, no smile. I just dey look am.

Musa look at me like say he dey beg, "Zainab no mean any harm. I don tell dem to put her for house arrest, you..." His voice small like rat, but I no shake.

Before he finish, I carry medicine bowl, throw am reach his body. The thing scatter for him agbada, bitter leaf smell fill the room. People shock.

That black medicine—kain one wey dey purge spirit—stain his agbada. People dey peep from corner, dey fear.

I spit the word: "Comot!" Voice sharp, cold. Even Musa never hear me like this before.

For Okpoko compound, main wife no dey raise voice for chief. But that day, I break tradition. All workers fall kneel, fear grip dem.

Musa face darken, pride wound am. He waka out, flick sleeve, door slam small. Na that day compound silence dey heavy.

As Musa step out, ground never cool, another shadow enter. This one na wahala on his own—Tunde.

People dey whisper, "Son of chief no dey enter women house o!" But Tunde no send. His leg dey move like he dey chase life and death.

This one na craze man. Tunde face no show gentle again. His eye dey red, hair rough, mouth dey tremble.

Tunde voice loud: "Halima no fit die like that. She must drop message for me. Morayo, talk true. Wetin she tell you before she kpai?" The room heavy.

I sit well, wrapper tight round my body, dey look Tunde—man wey girls dey dream about, now don turn wild animal. Nothing remain of Okpoko number one gentle man.

Tunde dey shake, voice dey crack, "No be Halima dey act drama? She like to do trick, find my eye, make Zainab cry. How she fit really jump? How she..." His words dey scatter, like broken bottle.

Since the day Zainab return, Halima and Tunde sweet days fade like old wrapper. Everybody for compound dey notice.

Me, I dey hide my own. But Halima love Tunde openly, her heart dey her face. No shame, no cover.

Everybody sabi their story—sharp youth leader and the girl wey rescue am. Na normal love, everybody agree.

When Halima lose her first belle, every day na cry. Her eye swell, face dry. I dey hold her, but pain too much.

Tunde at first dey behave like responsible husband. He dey beg her, dey rub her back, dey swear say better days dey come. Some nights, he go kneel for ground.

But later, wahala scatter everything. Zainab visit, use belle wahala tease Halima. Halima vex, slap her. As Zainab waka go, she try end her own life—servants rush save am, but since that day, compound cold.

After that, Tunde start to follow Zainab, leave Halima to her pain. The thing pain everybody wey care for Halima, but no power.

Tunde start dey talk, "No blame Zainab, blame me. She don suffer reach. Na her name you dey spoil, not her person. Wetin we owe am na to protect her now." His mind don leave Halima matter.

From that day, Tunde distance himself, dey defend Zainab for every small thing. Halima turn shadow for her own house.

The same Tunde wey dey buy suya for Halima, dey rub balm for her injury, dey teach her new things—e just vanish. Halima dey look for him, but only shadow dey answer.

Zainab dey show Halima pepper, but people close eye. Only God see Halima pain.

Tunde fall kneel, his voice weak: "I no wan regret again. I too weak to protect Kamsi that time. I just wan protect Zainab now. Halima, why you no fit understand? No be husband and wife we be?" His tears threaten.

I burst small laugh, no joy inside. The thing sound like old woman cough. Housegirls shift from doorway, dey peep.

I say, "Which husband and wife? You forget say Halima beg for divorce since last year? You no get wife again, Tunde. Story don change." His face freeze, pride vanish.

He look up, panic for face. "Morayo, wetin you do?"

Na order from Musa, this time accept the token, gree Halima divorce request before she kpai. From today, youth leader Tunde and him wife don separate. The senior wife don return to her papa name, go bury as such, no go ever share grave with Tunde.

I sit up, eye cold like morning dew: "Tunde, from the day you stop to trust Halima, you no be her husband again. Na so tradition talk am."

I look Tunde eye to eye, my voice no shake: "Halima no mention you for her last words. You think say her whole life na drama for your sake, but for her mind, you don finish."

Tunde lose control, dey shout, guards drag am out. Housegirls dey hide face, compound dey silent.

I fall back for chair, tired reach bone. My eye catch shadow for doorway—Musa stand there since, dey look like spirit wey lose road.

I raise voice small, "So na this be your revenge? You know say no be this I want. Halima don kpai. Person wey cause am suppose pay with im own life."

Musa voice rough, tired. "Morayo... Zainab no mean harm." He dey shake, but I know say he dey lie, even to himself.

Even Musa self no believe him words, but man no wan disgrace himself. He still dey defend Zainab, as if love dey blind eye.

Maybe Musa no dey know say the way he dey look Zainab, na only her he ever show that kain love. My mind just weak for him matter.

He dey try hide the wild love, dey try remember old promise, but last last, he fail everybody—including himself. The thing pain me well.

My spirit just break, I fall back for chair, energy vanish. No tears, only emptiness.

I talk, voice flat, "I don hear you. Abeg, leave my front."

Musa freeze, like cold breeze hit am. My words enter him bone.

He look me, eyes dey search for old Morayo. E no see am. My soul no dey for am again.

Before, I dey try be good wife. Always calm, dey swallow pain, dey smile even when inside dey burn. Musa dey always talk, "Morayo, na you be my luck for this world." People dey envy am, but e no know say na story dey run my body.

Now, since I sabi say road to go house dey, I no get reason to pretend for anybody again. My face clear, my voice dey hard, my body dey prepare for last journey.

I say, "Musa, you no fit kill Zainab, you dey owe Halima. Na your benefactor life you take pay—see your condition now. Spirit no go rest." My words heavy like church bell.

My words cut Musa. His face dark, voice cold: "Morayo, you don craze." But pain dey hide inside.

I laugh, one kain laugh. I waka close, touch his face gentle, my hand cold.

I talk soft, "Musa, I go die soon. I no want you again. You and this your Okpoko matter—make una dey."

That day, Musa run from my room like say juju dey chase am. Even pride no fit hold am again.

He no hear my last words as he rush comot. Nobody dey listen for that room except spirit.

I whisper for empty room, voice cold: "I go die. None of una go see peace for this compound again, until spirit settle this blood." Night swallow my words, but I know say Okpoko spirit don wake—nobody go sleep easy again.