Chapter 2: Fine Genes and Ugly Truths

When my mama dey young, her beauty no get mate for our side for Makurdi.

People dey always gist say, if my mama waka reach market, even traders wey dey drag customers go just dey look. E get one time, my papa talk say na her smile first make am fall. You know those olden day stories when fine girl na hot cake? My mama na the real deal.

My papa too na fine bobo.

Some people even say na him resemble old Nollywood actors, with that smooth skin and gap tooth wey dey charm all the aunties for town.

My elder brother and sister be fraternal twins. When dem born dem, their fine face cause wahala for the hospital.

Nurse no gree hand dem over at first; dem dey admire them, dey call other staff make dem come see. Doctor even joke say dem suppose do advert for baby powder.

So when my mama come get belle for me by surprise, everybody advise am make she keep the pikin.

Dem talk say after twins, belle dey hard, so everybody dey celebrate the miracle. Neighbours bring yam and palm oil come house. My mama, she just dey smile, dey touch her belle like person wey win lottery.

Dem talk say when belle sweet, pikin dey come out like Sunday rice—everybody wan chop.

“The first two children fine like this, the third one no fit bad.”

Nobody for street believe say thunder fit strike two times, na why everybody sure say this next pikin go be better version.

But I fall everybody hand.

Na so the matter be. Even for omugwo, my grandma dey look my face, dey turn her head, dey mumble for Idoma, dey say, “Wetin happen for this pikin face?” She mumble, “Onya ne k’akpokwu?”—which mean, ‘Who borrow this face?’

My face shape, my nose, my skin colour—everything manage avoid all the fine things wey my papa and mama get.

As dem dey bath me, mama go use powder, dey rub, dey hope say maybe next month the face go settle. But e no gree.

Na me ugly pass for our family.

The thing dey pain, but who I go blame? Sometimes I go dey look mirror, dey wonder if I borrow face from neighbor.

Children no sabi hide their feelings.

Even small pikin wey never sabi talk, if dem see me, na frown dem go frown or run go hide for back of chair.

Since I small, all the other children for compound dey dodge me.

I dey try play ten-ten, dem go bounce me. Na only for church children’s department, sometimes I fit squeeze in, but after, dem go still ignore me when dem dey share sweet.