Chapter 3: Orphanage Sisters and Palace Schemes

Me and Lu Ijeoma grow up together for orphanage.

That orphanage for Akure—one small mud building with one old caretaker wey dey always drink ogogoro for morning. Hunger and fight na our daily bread.

When we waka enter this juju novel, we separate, both of us think say na only us cross over.

For my mind, I think say Ijeoma don lost. Sometimes I dey cry for night, dey whisper her name—if to say world no hard, maybe we for dey together.

When I first open eye, na person dey hold me tight, neck dey pain me like say something dey bite am.

The pain sharp, and the person breath dey hot for my skin. I no even fit shout, fear grip my body.

Later I find out say even though I be mortal, my blood get power—e fit heal celestial body.

For this world, e no easy to see person with blood wey fit heal. Na so destiny use me catch waka.

I jam Musa, General of War, for bush, na so e carry me go Celestial Kingdom as him private blood bank.

For inside cage, I dey see am every day. Sometimes e go smile small, but most times, na business.

Na years later for Palm Wine Banquet I find Ijeoma.

That day, music dey play, small chops everywhere. My heart nearly jump commot when I see her.

She dey follow Oba’s son back, dey chop insult.

All those main iyawos dey talk rubbish, but Ijeoma just dey look ground. Her eye red, but her heart dey strong.

She cross enter as bush baby.

Dem born her for bush, e show for her skin—soft but wild. But na that wildness help am survive.

Because her heart soft, she save Oba’s son, Tunde, when e nearly die.

Oba’s son dey nearly run mad, but na her voice bring am back. After that, story change.

Tunde say e wan repay her, carry her enter Celestial Kingdom, make her side consort.

Na so small bush baby become side consort. All the main iyawos nearly bite tongue. Palace gossip no dey finish.

One mortal, one weak bush baby—no way to escape Celestial Kingdom.

Na cage but e fine pass village house. Every day na wahala, but we learn to dey smile through am.

Later, we plan together: main iyawo go soon show, make we use this time gather juju pills as much as we fit.

We dey calculate every move—if na chess, na checkmate we dey look for.

Whether we chop am or sell am for lower realm, na win-win.

Person wey no get plan for this place, e go just turn spirit wey dey sweep palace.

Once main iyawo show, dem go dump us. By then, we go japa with our pills—nobody go send us.

Our plan sharp—one leg for palace, one leg for bush. Na street wise we dey use.

As all the celestials dey hail the main iyawo, me and Lu Ijeoma just dey ground dey look ourselves.

The sound of hail just dey make head dey pain person. But our mind dey for street, not for their praise.

Finally, time don reach to run.

Inside me, na only one word dey ring: japa.