Chapter 9: Kitchen Gold

I go kitchen begin prepare food.

The kitchen hot, pot dey boil, pepper dey fry. Sade dey help slice vegetable. I dey look recipe book, remember old memories.

Last time I cook medicine food, e don tey.

That time, my heart dey clean, my mind dey free. I dey mix herbs, dey sing old song. I remember how papa dey nod when he taste my soup.

That time, Ibrahim never marry Madam Rukayat.

He go come kitchen, look me with hungry eye, beg for small stew. I dey always pity am, share food for am.

He be orphan, dey live for small boys’ quarters behind my papa house.

His room small, wall dey peel, mosquito full everywhere. I dey drop food for window ledge, he go collect, thank me with small smile.

To save money for book, he dey eat only one meal a day.

Sometimes, I see am dey count coins, dey write for candlelight. My papa dey always say, "Halima, help people."

One day, he faint for my backyard, I save am.

The day sun hot, I dey fetch water. I see am collapse, I run go call papa. We carry am inside, give am cold water.

As I pity am, I check my papa medicine book, dey cook medicine food for am every day make e fit digest well.

I dey mix ginger, garlic, put small bitter leaf. He begin regain strength, dey greet me "Thank you, Halima."

Na only me and am know this.

I hide am from others. If stepmother know, she go use am against me.

Maybe na him tell Madam Rukayat.

For my mind, I fit sense am. Na so world be—person go help, another go carry am go market.

He really try finish me.

Even after, he marry Aunty, no even look my side. I move on, face my work.

I carry hot food go bedroom.

The food aroma strong. I arrange am for tray, cover with cloth. My heart dey beat as I climb stairs.

Musa dey tell servants make dem pack his things.

He dey arrange book, shout instruction. His voice cold. For my mind, I dey wonder if I offend am.

“General, wetin dey happen? No be say I go move guest room?”

I pause for door, try get his attention. My heart dey shake, but I hide am.

His fine face no show anything, voice deep: “I get small things, na me suppose move.”

He no look my face. His tone flat. I wonder if na pride or shame dey worry am.

“General, eat first, pack later.”

I try smile, set tray for table. For our place, food fit calm any wahala.

I set food for table. He look am, then sit down. “Next time, make servants do this one.”

He look me straight, voice dey distance. I swallow, nod, dey arrange plate.

“No difference if I do am.”

I talk soft, want show say I dey ready to serve, no get bad mind.

“E get difference.” His voice still cold. “From now, make Sade dey bring am.”

He cut me off. His eye sharp. My hand tremble small, but I hold myself.

After he talk finish, he rush finish soup, tell servants wetin to do, then waka pass me like breeze.

No thank you, no smile. Just waka pass. The soup finish, but my heart empty.

That time, I sure for one thing: General Musa no too want see me.

I go room, sit for bed, reason my life. For my mind, I dey pray say one day, maybe e go change.

I follow his talk, make Sade dey carry medicine food go his study every day.

Sade dey grumble small, but I beg am. "Help me, na your hand dey this matter now." She nod, dey do her work well.

When I greet Mama Musa for morning, she dey praise me.

She dey call me "My own daughter." She go touch my shoulder, bless me. "Halima, na you bring light enter this house."

“Even Doctor Yusuf wey dey check Musa pulse talk say e don strong pass before. E look better. Halima, na your hand work.”

She dey share the good news to neighbours. Sometimes, she go dance small, her joy dey real.

She happy, give me gold bracelet.

She slip am for my wrist, say, "Na sign of love. Wear am, remember say you get family."

I carry am go my room, keep am for jewelry box.

My jewelry box dey under bed, small wooden box. Na my small treasure. Sometimes, I open am, look inside, remember say better thing fit still happen for my life.

Inside, na all the jewelry Mama Musa give me since I enter house.

Each bangle, each earring, dey remind me say I dey valued. My heart dey calm when I see them.

Sade talk, “Madam, you no dey wear all these. No be waste?”

She dey tease me, say, "See as you dey save am like old woman. Wear am make people see say you marry big family."

“How e go waste? If I change am to silver later, na my emergency money.”

I smile, tap the box. For our side, woman must always get small backup for rainy day.

“All these na Mama Musa gift. You go sell all, madam?”

She bend eye, voice small. "You sure say no go pain Mama Musa?"

“No be now, but if we ever separate, I go sell am for silver, keep myself.”

I talk am calm, my voice steady. For my mind, na only way I fit get small power for future.

Sade look confuse, then turn whisper, “General.”

She step back, her voice low. I turn quick, heart beat fast.

I turn, meet Musa eye—deep and dark.

He stand for door, shadow long, face tight. I swallow, brace myself.

Mama Musa eye dey fail, I swear.

Her eye don dey old, but she still dey try see all the drama for house.

Musa look paler than before.

He look tired, even as him back straight. His lips press together, like person wey dey hold anger or pain.

His look sharp, cold, as he look me.

He no blink. His gaze dey strong, I feel am for my bones.

His eye dey make me fear, but I hold myself. “General, you need something?”

I steady my voice, face him. I no go let am see my fear.

“I leave some old things for here. I come find am.”

He no shift, just stand like tree. For our place, man dey always claim property, even after marriage.

“I go help you look, General. Wetin be the thing?”

I drop jewelry box for floor, stand up, ready to help.

Sade don disappear.

I no even see when she waka pass. E be like say ground swallow her.

Musa talk, “Na notebook.”

His voice low, eye steady. For my mind, I dey wonder if na important family secret.

“Okay, General remember where you keep am?”

I begin search cupboard, hand dey shake. He stand for corner, dey watch me.

“I no remember.”

He talk soft, but his tone get edge. I search bookshelf, open small box.

I search boxes and cupboard, dey ask am question sometimes.

I dey talk, "General, e fit be this one?" He just nod or shake head.

Soon, for top shelf of bookcase, back side, I see notebook.

Na small brown book, dust full am. I stretch reach am, tiptoe.

As I stretch tiptoe reach am, another hand cover my own.

Warm hand, hot like charcoal. I freeze, my heart stop for one second.

His skin dey hot like fire.

I feel the heat for my own finger. My body shake small. I look up, our face near each other.

Na first time I see Musa face near like this.

His breath dey touch my forehead. I see the fine line for his jaw, the small scar near his eye.

Fine no be small, skin fair, eyebrow sharp, eye deep like river.

For my mind, I dey wonder why person fit fine like this, even inside pain. My breath short, my chest dey move up and down.

I choke, turn try collect notebook, but I lose balance for tiptoe, fall enter his body.

My hand fly, I dey panic, but Musa hold me. My chest press for his, our body join. For that split second, all the memory, all the warning, all the pain, just hang for air.

My heart dey drum like talking drum, my breath catch—na so temptation dey start?