Chapter 6: Birthday Cancelled

After mama disturb aunty with phone call for almost one hour, aunty no get choice, she carry me go house. Because she vex say aunty carry me cinema, mama just cancel my birthday party for fourth day of New Year.

I dey pack my bag with slow hand, tears dey my face. Titi hug me, tell me sorry. Aunty dey shake head, she no fit believe.

Aunty shock: "But na Amara birthday."

She throw hand up, voice loud. Even neighbours dey peep.

"She don chop cake for her last birthday. She only get 139.5 for English and still dey lazy—she no deserve birthday."

Mama voice hard like concrete. She no dey look my face, just dey arrange plates like say I be stranger.

...Aunty just roll eye, try reason with papa: "Brother-in-law, Amara na the best pikin I don see. If na another child, with this kind pressure, dem for don craze. No matter how she dey read, at least let her celebrate birthday."

She dey beg, her voice dey break small. Papa sigh, but him no fit fight mama.

Papa wan talk, but mama just push aunty go door: "Celebrate wetin? If she no enter university, she no go even get food chop, she still dey talk birthday?"

She hiss, then lock kitchen door. Na so everybody just quiet. The house cold, only generator dey hum.

As I see mama no dey shift, I know say my New Year don spoil.

I close my eyes, tell myself say e no go pain me. But the pain dey like needle, dey pinch me for inside.

No wahala, I fit manage. But I don already plan with my friends for fourth day, I no wan break my promise: "Mama, if I finish all the homework wey you give me for holiday before then, I fit go Mama Kemi's bukka with aunty for my birthday?"

My voice dey tremble, but I gree use stubbornness beg for my small joy.

Mama raise eyebrow: "You sure say you fit finish all that homework?"

She dey size me up, like say I dey plan escape.

"If I finish nko?"

I stand for ground, my eyes no blink. I dey ready for any test.

"Okay. If you finish, you fit go."

She wave hand, no look me. But I know say na small chance be this.

Na this small hope I hold. For three days, I dey sleep only two, three hours every night, even carry homework enter toilet.

I dey write for bathroom, dey solve maths for corridor. My eyes red, my body dey weak, but I refuse give up.

By afternoon of fourth day, I finish everything.

I submit all my work, even arrange them well. My handwriting no even fine again, but I no send.

Aunty come carry me, my two best friends follow come. Dem bring gift—Zainab give me rhinestone hair clip, Ejiro give me lipstick.

My friends dey dance, dey sing birthday song for street, even small children join follow us reach Mama Kemi's bukka.

Mama Kemi serve us jollof rice with correct dodo and shaki, the aroma fit wake person wey dey sleep. "Amara, this lipstick go match that Ankara gown wey you buy last time," Ejiro yarn, she help me open the lipstick. Zainab dey arrange my hair. I dey blush, my heart dey sweet.

I quick test the lipstick for my hand. That orange-red fine sotay my whole body warm.

For that small moment, I forget all the wahala, all the stress. I just dey happy.

Suddenly, my smile freeze.

Mama show for Mama Kemi's bukka.

The whole place quiet. My friends hold my hand. My chest dey beat like drum for new yam festival.