Chapter 2: Paternity and Peak Milk

Mr. Folarin face white like chalk, body sef don dry like stick.

E look me well, face squeeze. “Which pikin you be?”

The way e take look me, na so landlord dey look tenant wey never pay rent. E face hard like person wey chop pepper for empty stomach. Sun dey burn, but e skin cold.

I blink, answer am, “My name na Zikora. My mama name na Adaeze. You be Mr. Folarin?”

I try form gentle pikin, voice soft like bread. My heart dey beat anyhow, my finger dey twist the hem of my skirt. I dey look ground, dey count sand, dey fear make e no shout.

Mr. Folarin raise eyebrow. “Na me.”

The eyebrow e raise na like say I talk nonsense. But I just stand, dey hope say e no go push me commot.

My eyes red sharp-sharp. I rush go hug am, dey cry, “Daddy, I don finally find you!”

I no even care if e stiff. I wrap my hand around am like sapa dey wrap body. My tears just dey pour, as if I dey wash away all the wahala.

Mr. Folarin mouth twist. After e struggle small, e finally commot me from him body. “Sorry, I no sabi you. I no even know your mama.”

The way e push me away, e pain me reach bone. But I just dey look am, dey hope say e go change mind. For him eyes, I fit see say e dey battle wetin e go do next.

Part of him shirt for waist side don soak with my tears already.

As e feel the cold spot for him shirt, e eye blink fast fast. Maybe e dey think say this pikin na wahala, or maybe something deep dey worry am.

E look am, e face show small irritation.

The kain face wey e make, na like person wey neighbor pikin pour dirty water for compound. But I no let am chase me.

I purse my lips, my body just dey heavy. “Daddy, why you no wan claim me?”

I say am with the kind voice wey small pikin dey use beg for sweet. Even my heart dey tremble.

Mr. Folarin: “...”

E close door. “Go house, pikin. Abeg, young girl, this kain joke no good for morning.”

As e close door, I fit hear small sigh wey escape from him chest. The sound be like door wey dey creak because e old.

Two minutes later, I ring the doorbell again.

“Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong.”

I press the bell like say na generator switch. Rain dey threaten to fall, but I no care. I fit smell wet sand and fried akara from neighbor window.

When Mr. Folarin open the door again, e look more tired. Him wrist bandaged anyhow, face pale. As e see me still dey outside, e eye don vex. “Wetyn you want again?”

The bandage for him wrist dey soak small with red. E eyes dey shine like person wey never sleep well for days.

I tiptoe, try look inside, dey twist my fingers. “Daddy, I fit enter come chop something? I dey hungry die.”

My belle dey cry, and the cold dey bite me. My stomach dey rumble like generator wey no get fuel. I look up with hope wey dey weak, but still stubborn.

Mr. Folarin grind teeth. “...How many times I go talk am, I no be your papa.”

E voice carry small thunder, but I no fear. Na hunger dey push me.

I just look am, face innocent. “But mama talk say na you be my papa.”

I say am like say if I repeat am reach ten times, e go gree. Small hope dey inside my voice, like candle for breeze.

E reply, “I no know your mama.”

I watch e face, dey try read if e dey lie. My leg dey shake.

“So how my mama come get me with you?”

The question wey I ask make e pause. E eye blink like say e remember something, but e just lock face.

Mr. Folarin close him eyes, waka enter house.

As I wan follow am, e just carry bread and Peak milk from fridge, e hesitate small, eye dey dodge my own. Then e push bread for my hand, like say e dey pay debt. Voice dull. “No let me hear that doorbell again.”

The bread na Agege, and the Peak milk cold well. The way e force am for my hand, e pain me, but my stomach dey thank am.

As e talk finish, e slam the door.

The sound of the door loud, like slap for silent night. I just stand, dey wonder if na so life hard.

I stand there shock small.

I no believe say e fit wicked reach like this. But as I look the bread for my hand, I just accept say na so my day be.

Then I sit down for step in front of him door, look the bread for my hand, begin chop am slowly.

My leg dey hang for step, cold breeze dey blow. I use my small teeth dey break the bread. Even as e dry, my mind dey travel go all the times I and mama go chop for verandah, dey talk about future wey no ever come.

The bread dry, so I sip the milk.

The Peak milk na my only comfort. I close eye small as I drink am, the cold dey catch my chest.

Breeze strong, I shrink my neck, harmattan dey catch me.

My lips dey crack, my nose dey run. If I fit get wrapper now, I for use am cover myself. But na only my small sweater I get.

E too cold.

I rub my palms together, dey wish say mama dey here to rub my back. My teeth dey knock like knock-knee.

And I really wan pee.

I squeeze leg together, dey try hold body. My eyes dey turn red with the urge.

No get choice, I stand for door again.

The only thing wey fit save me now na to beg, make I no disgrace myself for step. I wipe my nose with back of hand, dey knock gently.

Since e talk say make I no ring bell, I knock instead.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

“Knock, knock, knock.”

I knock taya, the neighbor wey dey opposite poke head come check wetyn dey happen.

Aunty Ronke, wey dey always gossip for balcony, stretch neck. Her wrapper tie up, eyes sharp like rat. She dey look me with question mark.

Finally, as Mr. Folarin no fit bear am again, e open door.

E open the door small, like say e dey fear to see another ghost. E eye don red pass before.

I sneeze, my eyes dey water. “Daddy, abeg, I no fit hold am again. I wan pee.”

The way I take talk am, my voice dey shake like engine wey wan knock. I nearly cry join.

The fine aunty wey dey opposite come out, cover her mouth. “Mr. Folarin, na your pikin be this? I never see am before o.”

She use her hand dey cover mouth, her eyes dey shine with amebo spirit. Na her kind dey quick spread gist for compound.

Mr. Folarin face just dark.

E face change like rain dey fall for inside e heart. E look left and right, like say e dey calculate the wahala wey I don bring.

As e see me dey shiver for harmattan breeze, e just sigh, shift for door. “Enter.”

E voice low, but e no fit hide the pity wey dey e tone. I rush enter, my mind dey thank God say at least, I no go disgrace myself for outside.