Chapter 1: Mama's Call

As I dey give proposal report to the client, my mama just dey call my phone like say she wan scatter everywhere. Even with the AC blowing, my armpit dey drip like rainy season gutter.

Wetin dey pain me pass be say na this kain serious meeting wey I don dey rehearse for since last week. As I dey try hold my composure, I dey wish say my village people no dey monitor me that day. Na so I dey whisper quick prayer inside my mind make this wahala just pass.

I hold laser pointer for one hand, so to off my phone with the other hand na wahala. I dey swipe for the menu bar, dey try put am for airplane mode, but my hand dey sweat, the thing no gree show. My face just red anyhow—I shame no be small for front of all these clients, I just dey wish make ground open swallow me.

For inside Transcorp Hilton conference hall wey get AC, na so heat still dey my body. One kain prickly sweat gather for my forehead, the kain shame dey make me dey fidget. Some clients just dey look me with corner eye, others dey pretend say dem no notice.

The chairman from the other side wey sit near me look my phone, see say na my mama dey call, come talk for gentle voice, "Abeg pick the call. Your mama fit get urgent matter."

E talk am with one kind soft drawl wey carry plenty experience for life. You go know say the man don chop age, e sabi say for Naija, if mama dey call, e fit mean say rain wan fall for somewhere. E nod head small, raise eyebrow—Naija style—like say, "We dey your back."

My oga, Mr. Auwalu, no waste time, "Make I update una on the team situation first."

As oga take over, I use style take small breath, try regain my balance. Him dey always like shine for clients, so this one na golden opportunity for am.

The chairman just face another side, make e no too shame me.

As e turn face, e clear throat, collect biro, dey draw small small for him jotter. I sabi say na old men style of cover embarrassment be that. Na so e just dey nod like say e dey reason proposal.

I run comot from the meeting room, tears nearly drop. I peek left and right, dey hope say no client dey see me wipe sweat from my brow. "Mama, I don tell you say I get serious meeting today. Why you dey call me back to back?"

I still dey catch my breath for corridor, my heart dey pound. I dey hope say nobody go hear my voice dey shake as I answer the call. For my mind, I dey pray make nothing serious happen for house.

My mama say, "Chikamso schoolbag dey your car? Abeg check am sharp sharp."

Her voice just dey shake as if wahala don land. The way she rush talk, you go think say na life-and-death issue. She even add, "You know say pikin wey no get book bag, dem go laugh am for school."

"Which schoolbag again?"

I dey try remember which of the bags—my mind just blank. For my head, I dey wonder whether na new palava she don carry come again.

"The schoolbag! Chikamso own! He talk say e dey your car. Go check am now, e need am for school."

She come add small pressure for her voice, like say make I run go check immediately. That time, I just dey wish say I fit disappear from that whole situation.

Na that time I remember. Day before yesterday, I carry my pikin go him after-school lesson, e leave him schoolbag for my car, no bring am come house.

The memory flash enter my head. I see the bag dey back seat, even think say I go drop am later. But true true, I forget.

"The schoolbag dey car, no wahala. School never even start sef, still get some days."

I just dey try use better voice calm her down. I dey hope say she go gree, so I fit rush go back for meeting before oga begin suspect say I dey slack.

My mama shout, "No, you no fit just leave am for car! Chikamso need arrange him books. Come back now, bring am."

The kain urgency for her voice, you go think say dem dey use am do spiritual cleansing. E shock me small.

I just dey try calm myself. "Mama, I dey business trip for Abuja. I no fit come back today. When I return, I go bring am."

I try dey gentle, but frustration dey my throat. Abuja no be like say I dey down the street; e far well, she no dey hear.

"Business trip? Why you go travel? Company no get another person? Must na you dem go send?"

She don start to dey question my job as if na play I dey do. I just hold myself make I no talk waiting go cause another round of quarrel.

"Mama, abeg, na serious business trip I dey. This project important well. No dey call me again, I dey meeting."

I dey beg, dey pray make she hear word. I dey look left and right, people dey pass, dey glance me.

"But Chikamso schoolbag dey your car! You go come carry am now now."

She dey drag the matter like generator wey refuse to start. For her mind, she believe say anything fit wait except schoolbag.

"Wait till I come back from my trip. Abeg, I dey beg you, stop to dey call me. Chikamso no need schoolbag today, or tomorrow, or even next tomorrow."

I dey try explain, use every angle, but she just dey hold ground. E be like say my own explanation dey bounce for her ear.

I just cut the call, breathe deep, force smile, come waka go back inside meeting room.

Before I push door enter, I clean my face, arrange my wig, adjust my suit. I put on better smile, act like say nothing happen.

Mr. Auwalu sabi arrange things well. Just small time, e don dey gist with the clients. As I enter, chairman smile, "President Auwalu just introduce you. Your name na Ifeoma, abi? Good, make we continue."

The way chairman take call my name, e make my heart for chest calm small. E get as e dey use soft face encourage me, like say 'Oya, show them!'

I no even know wetin oga talk, but I just switch to work mode, focus on the project plan.

My mind dey race, but I dey use all my energy to dey focus on the slides, dey point figures, dey try dey sound confident.

I don off my phone already. This time, my mama no fit appear for my front again.

I put my phone inside my bag, zip am well, double-check say no way for vibration to disturb again. As I dey arrange my document, I reason say na better lesson be this.

"Chairman, everybody, sorry for that break. Make we continue. From the way competing products perform this year, we fit see say everybody dey reason the same way..."

As I dey talk, I dey use pointer dey shine light for screen, dey try make my voice sound cool and collected. I dey pray say make this second round go smooth.

Next thing, my phone start dey vibrate for the meeting room again. My phone dey vibrate like okada for pothole—wahala no dey finish.

For my mind, I dey shout 'Chai! Who be this again?' My body just dey vibrate with the phone. I dey look left and right.

My brain just blank. I sure say I off my phone. I really off am! I just dey regret say I no off am before meeting start. I even dream yesterday night say my mama go call me during meeting.

E be like say na spiritual attack, because even for my dream, I dey see her number dey flash for my face. This kain wahala no get end.

But the vibration loud and near.

I dey look table, dey check other people phone, dey try confirm say na my own or another person own dey make noise. The tension for my body no be here.

"Sorry." My oga open the phone wey dey table. Na strange number, e cut am, gesture make I continue.

Oga just use small smile cover face, but I sabi say for him mind, e dey vex small. I appreciate am say e no shout.

"As I dey talk, consensus dey show for..."

I try continue, but my mouth dey dry. My hand dey shake small as I hold the pointer.

Buzz buzz... buzz buzz...

I wan curse under my breath. Na so wahala dey multiply for one day.

Oga open phone again. Another strange number. E cut am.

Him face dey serious now, but him still dey gentle. I dey thank God say I no work under some wicked oga.

"As I..."

I take short breath, dey try act like say nothing dey happen. I see some clients dey exchange glance. E pain me.

Buzz buzz... buzz buzz...

Chairman just talk, "Ngozi, abeg go bring coffee and fruit, invite other department managers join us. Make we break small."

As chairman drop that command, e just act like person wey no wan make wahala spoil business mood. Na old school hospitality, e sabi arrange people well.

Me and Mr. Auwalu look each other—we sabi say dem dey give us time to arrange ourselves.

I smile small for corner mouth, grateful for the chance to recompose. Oga use eye signal say 'Make you no worry.'

"I wan use restroom."

I rush comot, grip bag, dey arrange my thoughts. I dey hope say dem no go dey gossip me for inside room.

Chairman smile, just dey behave like person wey sabi.

E even wave hand for me, like say make I relax, 'No wahala, we dey your side.' Na old people way be that.

E get as e be—na like safety net for me be that.

Na so I just thank God for people wey get sense. You go know say this chairman don see plenty for him life.

The vibration come again. My oga face don change as e pick the call, listen for three seconds, then hand the phone to me. "Na your mama."

I shock! For my mind I dey ask, how this woman take find her way reach here? My hand dey tremble as I collect phone.

My mama?

My chest tight, I wan even laugh cry. I dey wonder how this matter don escalate reach this level.

How my mama take get my oga number?

I remember say one time she dey find wetin dey for my bag, maybe she see business card snap am. Women and their sense!

I collect phone, talk, na my mama voice blast my ear:

Her voice sharp like person wey dey shout for market. The thing come dey echo for the corridor.

"Why you no on your phone? Chikamso schoolbag dey your car! Come carry am now now, you hear me so?"

People wey pass just dey look me, some dey pity me, some dey smile. I just cover face with hand.

My blood just dey boil. I fit burst like tap that moment.

I dey try talk with respect, but my voice dey rise. I dey bite my lip, dey hold tears, no wan fall my hand for public.

"Mama, I dey meeting. Abeg stop to dey call, no call my colleague again, abeg."

My hand dey shake. I no even know if I dey speak English or pidgin again. My mind just dey jumble.

"But I no see you! Come house carry schoolbag. Chikamso dey wait."

She no dey give up at all. Her stubbornness na one thing I sabi since small pikin.

"I dey Abuja! Na five hours for road o! How I wan take come back? Abeg stop to disturb my meeting, I dey beg you."

I dey try control voice, but my words dey rush out like water for broken pipe. Tears wan commot.

"But Chikamso dey wait for him schoolbag."

E be like say all her energy na to fight this schoolbag matter. I just tire.

"I go send you money. Go buy new one for the market wey dey front of the estate. Buy am now now."

I remember say mama no too trust online transfer, but today, e no get choice.

I on my phone, transfer twenty thousand naira give my mama. As she receive am, I just slump for conference table, my mind don nearly scatter.

I breathe in, hold myself. All this small small stress fit make person run mad one day. I dey pray say the money settle the matter.

"No wahala. If proposal no work, I go do am," na so my oga talk.

Oga try use style pet me, show say e get my back. E be like say e sabi wetin dey happen for family matter.

I look up. E dey look me.

E look me well, eyes soft, like person wey dey reason my wahala.

"I fit do am, no worry. Na me write the proposal, na me go present am."

I just use style knock laser pointer comot, squat down, wipe my tears under table.

My hand shake, but I use tissue clean face quick, whisper, 'God abeg.'

"Coffee don come—black and cappuccino. Abeg help yourselves."

The aroma of hot coffee fill the air, cut the tension small. I dey grateful for small small comfort like this.

Mr. Auwalu push hot black coffee give me.

E even use soft tone whisper, "Take, e go help you." E smile small, like say make I relax.

Chairman come back, smile: "At last, we fit hear the proposal. I don dey wait since."

E use joke try lighten mood. The way e take talk, people just smile, everybody ready.

Mr. Auwalu talk, "Just watch—my Ifeoma go blow your mind."

E dey hype me, make my spirit rise small. Even the clients dey nod head, dey expect better thing.

I gather myself, continue: "The strong consensus dey show for the way dem dey rush local markets and how dem dey redefine wetin dey affordable..."

I steady my voice, try add confidence. As I dey explain, I dey gesticulate, dey point chart. People dey jot note.