Chapter 7: Arrival in Garba Kingdom

Carriage dey shake for sixteen days, and inside those sixteen days, I try think of better name for myself.

Every night for road, I dey look moon, dey count stars. I dey ask old nanny for name, but she just dey smile, say my destiny go show am soon.

But I no sabi book like that, and by the time we reach Garba Kingdom, I never still get name.

The journey long, road dey rough. My body dey pain me, but as I see city gate, my heart dey beat.

As evening dey fall, I see through curtain one tall, strong man dey wait for city gate.

The air full of suya smoke and burning shea butter, the smell dey thick for road, mix with dust and horse sweat. The palace guards salute with fist for chest and hail, "Mai Anga!" as the king pass. His horse big, him shadow long for ground. Palace people dey fear, some dey hide face.

He ride horse, raise dust, and without talk, lift curtain, use cutlass raise my bridal veil.

My heart jump. I hold breath. Cutlass dey sharp, his face dey strong. For my mind, I dey pray.

Na Garba King be this?

People dey say he big, his beard like lion own. I dey try remember stories I hear.

Him hair wild, get beard, like lion.

His eye dey sharp, his mouth hard. I dey look am, dey try see if small kindness dey inside.

I just dey reason am with sad face, this marriage alliance no good at all.

Palace maids dey whisper, some dey cry small. I dey wish say my mama dey here.

The Olanrewaju guards and maids all fear as we enter city, no even fit breathe, me sef fear catch me, face white.

Even my hand dey shake. My feet dey cold. I dey hold veil like say na only hope wey I get.

"What’s your name?" the big man look me from head to toe.

His voice deep, like thunder for northern market. I dey shiver.

I answer with shaky voice, "I... I no get name."

I dey try hide my face, dey hope say ground go open swallow me.

"No name?"

His frown dey heavy, his eyebrow bend. I dey fear say he go vex, send me back.

He frown, glare, curse the man behind am,

His words sharp, his mouth no dey soft. "King, this Olanrewaju King mama don use sense play us. Dem send nameless yellow-haired girl."

He drag me down from carriage, pull me go palace.

My leg dey weak. I dey trip, but he no care. People for road dey watch, dey gossip.

Fear no let me cry, I just dey shake.

Inside me, I dey pray to ancestors, dey beg say make dem save me from wahala.

The big man throw me for ground, talk to the man wey dey sit for throne,

His voice loud. The room big, my fear dey grow. I dey try see face, but tears dey my eye.

"King, this yellow-haired girl no be Olanrewaju princess at all."

My heart dey jump, my mouth dey dry. I dey wish say I fit disappear.

Before I fit talk, the man for throne don hold my neck.

His hand cold, strong. I dey try breathe, but air no dey come.

"If no be her, kill her, make dem send another."

The fear dey reach bone. I dey struggle for ground, dey kick, dey pray.

Him voice low and rough, like angry masquerade.

His words dey cut like knife. I no fit shout, my throat dey pain me.

As hand grip my neck, I remember mama voice for night—"Sade, no ever forget who you be."

Fear make me dey hiccup as I cry, I raise my face shout,

My voice come out like frog, "I be princess! I be princess! Na only name I no get!"

As I see the man face well, I shock, come shout one name wey I nearly forget.

For my heart, something move—memory from long ago, one name wey my mama whisper. "Audu."

I shout am loud, hope say e go save me for this strange land. Palace quiet, everybody dey look.