Chapter 7: Femi’s Confrontation

Femi come alone.

No escort, no drum, just silent step. Even the wind no dare blow as he dey enter.

E reach so fast, I no even get time arrange myself. I dey for bed, hair scatter, wrapper anyhow, just dey form hard woman.

My face still dey show pride, but na small fear dey hide under.

“My sister, you dey wait for me?”

The way he talk am, e soft, but e carry thunder for under.

Femi waka come, face calm.

No smile, no frown. Just steady like lion wey dey size goat for bush.

I answer coldly, “Who allow you enter?”

My voice high, but my hand dey shake small. I dey try form as usual.

Femi vex, stretch hand, grab my chin, force me look him eye.

Him palm rough, grip no dey gentle. Eye dey burn, like person wey don see too much for life.

“My sister, you still think say I be that mumu wey you fit bully anyhow, no fit fight back?”

I raise hand, slap am.

The slap loud. Even mosquito stop fly. For palace, na only slap dey echo for corridor.

But nothing even show for him face.

No reaction. Na there I know say today different.

Before, na so I dey treat Femi—slap and insult, treat am like goat.

All the times wey I use am clean my shoe, now na my turn to chop payback.

But today, the goat no dey hear word again.

He no even blink, only small smile dey play for edge of him mouth.

Femi look like person wey craze. Him eyes red, dey look me, then e just laugh.

The laugh no get joy—na the kain laugh wey dey give person cold for bone.

He talk, voice rough: “My sister, do am again.”

Na dare. I dey look system, dey look my own hand, dey ask, "Na who send me come this world?"

Chai.

Both me and system quiet.

The silence be like morning before harmattan rain. I dey wait, system dey wait.

After small time, system complain: “See as you take spoil this boy—you don turn am to wahala man.”

Even system dey blame me. If to say system fit collect cane, I for flog am join.

I almost laugh, pinch myself, tears come my eye from pain.

Na real pinch—like say I wan wake up from dream.

I breathe deep, raise hand, slap am again.

This time, I use force, Femi face turn one side.

No be small slap. If na normal person, e for faint.

But e no even change face. He just turn look me again.

The more I slap, the more him eye dey shine. I begin reason say maybe juju dey involved.

I wan slap am again, but he grab my wrist.

This one strong. My hand just freeze for air.

Suddenly, everywhere turn, Femi pin me for bed.

Na so he press me like wrestler. Bed dey shake, my wrapper nearly tear.

With one hand, he hold both my hands, I no fit move, then e begin sniff me like dog.

The sniff loud. If dog see am, e go salute Femi.

Shaking, I ask system for my mind, “System, w-wetin dey happen… main man don really turn dog?”

I dey shiver. Even my breath dey hang.

System just quiet for long, then talk: “Better stab am quick…”

Na pride dey hold my hand, but fear dey hold my chest. My ear dey ring, but I hear system. As Femi begin remove cloth, I pull the knife wey I hide under pillow, stab am.

The blade short but sharp—palace standard. I no even look, just jab.

Then I shout, “Femi, I don kill you!”

Palace shake. My own shout wake even ancestors wey sleep for shrine.

Sharp sharp, palace guards rush in.

Noise, footsteps, everybody dey scatter.

But arrow wey fly come even fast—none touch Femi, all of dem hit me.

Arrow sharp, pain sharp. Na my own people arrange am—betrayal no dey finish for palace.

As I close eye, I think, main man na main man—no matter how cold palace be, he still fit dey naked.

Even as blood dey drip, Femi no even move. Him body na stone, him heart na iron.