Chapter 2: The Price of Progress

That night, my sister become scapegoat wey dem use to distract everybody, so Sade and her papa fit escape. Na that night Adeyemi family order my papa make he gather boys, do fight back, and na so dem take over the whole coal business for the area. That night, the whole community dey silent; even dog no bark, as if everybody know say something bad don happen.

Next morning, I go back Adeyemi family house. My leg dey heavy, my head full. Morning breeze cold like water wey dem pour for grave.

Police don already put cordon everywhere. Na there I see my sister, that dress wey she no fit buy, blood and cutlass wound full am. The police dey everywhere, dey shout, dey snap picture, but for my eye, na only my sister I dey see. Blood don stain the ground, even coconut candy don get small red, the stick bend like old broom.

She just dey there, still dey hold that coconut candy, squeeze am so till e bend. Her finger still dey grip am, as if na that small sweetness she take cross to the other side. The bead for dress don scatter, some don stick for her skin.

I think say, as she hold am like that, e go dey pain her hand. I dey reason whether coconut candy dey sweet for heaven. My heart dey tight, my chest dey pain me.

I just dey look my sister, until person hold my shoulder. The hand soft, but strong, like say e wan remind me say life still dey go on.

I turn, na my papa. Im face don old overnight, eye red like say pepper water enter.

Blood still dey his body, but no be him own. The blood dry for him shirt, mix with sweat and dust from all the night wahala.

Papa look me well well. “Your sister bring luck come our family. Na because of her, we fit hold Adeyemi family strong.” His voice low, like person wey dey pray, but the words bite me for chest. The way he talk am, you go think say na trophy dem win, not pikin wey die.

Before government begin chase cult people, that coal business na pure wahala and opportunity together. For our area, everybody dey fear coal boys—if you mess up, dem fit burn your shop or carry your pikin.

Either dem scatter you, or you go blow. People dey measure man for area by how e take survive this coal wahala. For some, na chance to move from nothing to somebody. For others, na the end of story.

My sister na the sacrifice wey my papa give Adeyemi family. For im eye, e no be pikin loss, na price for progress. Even for our small house, people dey whisper, “Na so e dey start—today pikin, tomorrow house.”

He dey work for Adeyemi, dey collect all the blame. If anything go wrong, na my papa name dem call. But for family gathering, dem go just dey hail am like hero.