Chapter 4: The Tent of Miracles

The overseer open one tent. As he open am, better aroma just fly come outside.

Na the smell first slap my nose. Hot pap dey send steam up, the ugba dey draw me with palm oil wey dey shine. Everybody eye red with hope.

Inside, big buckets full with hot, sweet-smelling white pap. Everybody just dey look, eyes wide, saliva dey gather for mouth.

The tent wey before dey empty now turn to palace. Even the breeze change, carry sweet scent enter everybody chest.

The overseer tell us make we wait, then say:

Him voice gentle, but strong. As he talk, we dey feel small hope return. Some people dey wipe sweat, others dey swallow spit.

"Today, everybody go get one bowl of pap and some ugba. If you still dey hungry, just manage for now—your body no fit handle too much food at once. After few days, anybody wey wan chop pap and ugba, e go dey as you want!"

The way he arrange the words, e be like say he know as e dey pain us. Na true, after long hunger, if you chop too much, your body fit fail you.

One labourer gather courage, ask with small voice:

The boy voice dey shake, e eye red. "S-sir, e mean say... from now, we go dey chop this thing every day?"

The overseer nod, smile. "Yes."

Oga face just soft, eyes gentle. Na that smile calm everybody spirit.

Before you know, happiness just scatter everywhere. The first people wey get their pap no even send whether e hot—they just carry am chop, no waste time.

Some people shout, some begin sing one small song. Even elders no hold themselves, na laugh and joy full everywhere.

"Ah-ah, this ugba even get salt?"

Somebody yell, face shine. Another shout from back: "No be that bitter salt o! E get correct taste!"

"And e no even be that rough salt!"

Everybody dey nod, chop dey go. Some dey clap hand, some dey jump for where dem sit.

"God! I never chop ugba sweet like this before!"

Na so person shout, and others answer with Amen. Even people wey no dey talk before, dey talk now.

As I dey hear everybody dey shout, I rush chop my own. As the pap touch my mouth, my brain just blank.

Na small voice I fit hear for inside my head, e be like music. I close eye, let the taste fill my soul.

Sweet... E too sweet...

Nothing ever enter my belly like that before. I forget pain, I forget cold. Na only joy remain.

Na the best food wey I ever chop for my life. Before I know, my bowl don empty.

I check, shock. I dey wish say make the bowl full again. My hand dey shake, but e dey sweet me.

My body dey shake, tears dey rush comot for my eye.

Tears fall for my cheek, I no fit hide am. Hunger, pain, happiness—all join together for that moment.

When I raise my head, I see the overseer dey smile for us, satisfaction dey show for him face.

Oga Obilo dey nod head, like say him own joy dey in our happiness. He no need talk, we all understand.

That moment, I just know say this overseer no be like the ones I don see before.

For my heart, I dey swear—this one na leader. No be by mouth, na by action. Everybody dey feel am.