Chapter 9: Lion Heart

Okoli Zainab and her mama still dey shock, brain no dey work again.

Morning and night, na only sigh you go hear for compound. Sometimes, Zainab go just look sky, tears go drop, no strength to talk.

Especially Okoli Zainab, this one hit her hard.

She dey think, "How I go tell papa for grave say I no fit protect my brother?" Even her belle dey turn her, baby inside no dey allow am rest.

Her papa die before she marry, make her promise say she go take care of her brother.

She remember that promise every night. Her papa voice still dey ring for her ear, "Na you I dey trust, Zainab."

But now, she don fail her brother.

Guilt dey press her chest. Sometimes, e be like say she dey drown for inside sorrow.

And the way e happen, she no fit understand.

Questions full her mind. "Na only me remain, why dem rush bury am? Wetin dem dey hide?"

Okoli Zainab know say wahala dey, if not, dem no go rush bury her brother body.

For village, if burial rush like that, something dey under. E no be our way.

But to know the exact thing, she no fit put finger.

People dey talk, but na coded talk. "No too ask question, Zainab. E go spoil body."

But she no just sit down. The day after she bring her brother ashes come house, she waka go local government, find lawyer, pay 200 naira for advice.

If you see as she hold the money, na like person wey dey pay bride price. Lawyer Musa just dey look am, eye dey pity.

The answer break her mind.

As the lawyer talk finish, na so her leg weak. She carry file, tears drop inside bag.

For her head, na life for life.

For her mind, na eye for eye. She dey remember all those old story, how people go fight for family name.

Her brother die for beating—how e go just end with money?

She dey reason, "If na my papa, e go let am go like that?"

But Lawyer Musa for the firm talk: “If person die for fight, no be the same as say dem plan kill am. Both sides get blame. E no reach for death penalty.”

E talk am like person wey dey read from book. Zainab just dey nod, but e no enter her mind.

And the main thing be say, na group fight because of woman.

Once lawyer hear say na group fight, e no even wan hear story. "Dem go share blame."

Group fight dey share blame, so prison time go scatter among them.

E explain, "If seven people beat, e hard to point who kill. Prison na for everybody small small."

No matter how, chance to get death penalty no dey.

E be like say the matter go just die down, after some years, everybody go forget.

At most, dem go serve small time.

E no fit bring her brother back. Na that pain dey break her.

After prison, dem go continue their life.

She dey imagine as dem go return, dey laugh for street, like nothing happen.

Okoli Zainab just dey lost, no know wetin to do, na im the six parents come.

She no expect anybody, na sudden knock for door wake her from thought.

The first thing these six do as dem enter, na to ask for money.

No greeting, no sorry, just straight to matter: "That seventy thousand, bring our own."

Before Okoli Zainab fit understand wetin dey happen, the six—after people for street ginger them—begin pour everything, talk how Okoli Yomi take die.

Dem begin argue, voice dey rise. One say, "Na Sani cause am!" Another say, "My pikin just follow!" All dem dey try clean their name.

Dem try prove: Your brother no die for our children hand, e no concern us.

Na that time, Okoli Zainab snap. For her eye, e no be just about money again. E be like say all the wahala wey she dey press inside, e boil reach surface. She stand up, voice shake, but words sharp. Even the old woman for corner, wey dey press wrapper, fear catch am. Nobody expect say Zainab fit shout for six elders like that. But as she open mouth, everybody quiet, air heavy like rain wan fall.

But the words wey come out from her mouth that day, nobody for village ever forget.