Chapter 12: Gold Cage

The day Oga give me poison wine, na that day my mama come see me.

Room dark, candle dey blink. I dey sit for floor, dey count my bead. Mama enter, full of pride, eye dey sharp.

She still dey shine—dress fine, beauty full, pride full body.

Her wrapper na latest, gold ring full finger. She walk like queen, eye dey judge.

“You try well. Crown Prince fall na just time. Halima, your work finish. Go meet your papa.”

Her words cold, like harmattan breeze. She no pity, no smile.

I look her, laugh her.

I shake head, dey wonder how person fit hard reach this level. For my mind, I dey laugh. "Na you go soon meet papa."

“You still get mouth call my papa?”

My voice steady. Mama eye open, she shock. She never hear me talk since long.

Mama shock say I fit talk, but e no bother her.

She just raise eyebrow, then laugh. "So your mouth open at last? Good. Use am before you go."

She tell me many things—how she and Oga be childhood friends, but late queen collect him love.

She dey yarn old story. "When I dey small, me and Oga dey play. But palace wahala no let us marry. Queen from big family collect am."

How her poor background make her become spy for Palm Grove, just to find escape.

She talk say, "I no get anything. I use my beauty like cloth. If I no do wetin I do, hunger for kill me."

She say she hate her beauty pass, because na that one make her dey serve men all her life.

Her eye dey wet small. "This face na curse. Men dey see me, dem no see my heart."

She talk how Prince of Blessing get sense, say with small plan, e go become heir.

She dey praise her pikin, "Blessing sharp, e sabi book. Once Fola fall, na my son go wear crown."

Last last, she say soon the world go belong to their family of three, all the people wey no dey important suppose clear.

She look me, her voice cold, "If you die, Fola fall, na our own. The rest na dust."

The ones wey no important na me and Fola.

For her mind, we be sacrifice for her dream.

Mama be the last person wey see me before dem force me drink poison.

She look me last, turn, waka commot. My heart dey strong, but small fear dey my chest.

Fola always think say I dey fear, but I no even fear at all.

I don face death before. My spirit don strong. Only one thing dey my mind—revenge.

I don already tell my people to rise with Crown Prince at the right time.

I send message before. Once chief make mistake, my army go act.

I want make Fola personally kill the people wey destroy my country.

I dey pray say e get courage to do am.

I want make Fola change kingdom name for me, kill chief, kill him own papa.

If e no fit do am for himself, make e do am for me.

I know say e go do am for me.

Fola love pass anything. Na only me dey him eye.

E love me pass anything for this world.

If I ask am for blood, e go give me.

But na mumu love.

For my mind, I dey pray say make love no blind am pass sense.

But I no go see am again.

Tears dey my eye, but I dey smile. I dey remember our sweet days for Qudu.

E don tay wey I see am. I miss am die.

Night dey long, pain dey my chest.

But why the wine no be poison?

I dey wait for death, but my body dey hot. I dey confuse. "Na wetin be this?"

Na medicine wey dey make person want man.

I begin sweat, my skin dey burn. My heart dey panic. Na real fear grab me that moment.

My body begin lose control. Na that time I first fear true fear.

No be death fear—na fear of wetin dem fit use my body do.

I rush find hairpin make I end my life.

My mind dey shout, "Die before dem use you finish!" I grab pin, aim for neck.

I know say if I no die now, wetin go happen next no go better.

I dey pray, dey beg ancestors, "Make my spirit no suffer more."

But I no fit die.

Hand dey shake, guards rush in, block me. My chance don go.