Chapter 4: Family Meeting and the Grinding Stone

That night, I dey arrange guest gift list for study when house help come say Baba Adegbite dey call family meeting.

I dey check paper, dey mark who bring wine, who bring envelope. The house help open door small, whisper, 'Madam, Baba dey call o.' My heart skip.

I pack my things, lock safe, come down, see say everybody don sit.

The stairs long, my leg heavy. I count each step, dey pray for strength. As I enter parlour, everybody dey, their face straight like assembly for school.

Baba Adegbite dey centre for parlour sofa, face hard, mouth tight.

Na him dey control house. Even TV dey off. Only wall clock dey tick loud.

Left side na Tunde and my brother-in-law, Kunle.

Kunle dey always wear old jeans, face calm, dey look like person wey dey think big grammar. I smile as I see am—na only him dey show small kindness.

Kunle na lecturer for university; you no dey see am for day, na only night e dey come house. As he see me, he smile.

The smile sweet me, e give me small courage to enter.

Mama-in-law sit right, eyes red, like person wey just cry.

She hold handkerchief, dey dab eye. No makeup for face. E rare.

Baba Adegbite nod me, talk soft:

His voice low but strong. Everybody obey am for house.

"Morayo, sit down."

I greet, then siddon for edge, skirt cover my knee. My hands dey my lap, I dey find where to put eye.

I sit as he talk.

Even as my leg dey shake, I dey pray say make the matter no big.

Everywhere just dey heavy, Baba Adegbite begin talk:

He clear throat, everybody adjust chair. Even Tunde drop phone.

"When I first reach Makurdi, I no even get place sleep. How I take build this big family business today?"

He pause, look everybody. Na old man talk, but voice still get power.

"Na by dey carry myself well, dey act with sense."

He eye dey turn from person to person. If you hear am, you go check your own self.

"Na Adegbite family tradition be that, the family rules wey I don talk for una ear tire."

He dey remind us, as usual. For him, rule na rule—no dey bend.

He turn, face Mama Kemi, voice hard:

He point her with walking stick small. My mother-in-law shift, her hand dey shake.

"How you go treat Morayo like that for public today? You be elder, but you disgrace her for outsiders. How she go fit face people again?"

Some people for house help dey peep from corner, dey whisper. My mind dey pound—nobody dey talk to Mama-in-law like this for house.

Baba Adegbite na real head of family.

For Makurdi, na only him voice dey loud pass local government chairman. Even my husband dey fear am.

He no dey vex anyhow, but once he vex, everybody dey fear.

You go feel cold for body. Even children dey freeze.

Mama Kemi wey dey always form, now humble, talk soft:

Her voice weak, no be like her own. She no fit look anybody eye.

"Na vex I vex, I no really mean make she wipe am. How I go know she go kneel down quick like that?"

She try form excuse, but na only God go judge wetin dey her mind. My heart dey soft small, but I keep face straight.

"Na lie!" Baba Adegbite knock table.

The sound loud, echo for parlour. Glass for table shake. Everybody jump.

"When I come Makurdi alone, if Morayo grandpapa no help me, una for no get all this. Anybody wey mess up go collect. You no different."

E pain me as e talk am, but e true. My grandpapa help plenty people for this town.

Mama-in-law dey shake, dey cry.

She hold tissue tight, sniff, try talk but voice no come out. For first time, I see her fear.

Adegbite family start with herbal medicine. Basement still get old tools. If person mess up, dem go grind herbs for hours, till your hand no fit hold spoon again.

Even my husband, Tunde, run that punishment when e small. Nobody dey above am. Once you offend, na grinding stone go judge you.

Baba Adegbite call am "make you no forget where you from".

For am, suffering dey purify spirit. E believe say if you too soft, you go forget your root. Na old way, but e work for am.

Tunde, just relax for sofa, talk:

He talk with small smile, dey form say e no concern am. His voice calm but eye dey watch Baba Adegbite.

"Papa, Morayo no even mind, and Mama don old, her hand no fit. Make we leave am this once."

E dey try defend Mama-in-law, but e no fit look me for face. Na their way.

Baba Adegbite face change. "No!"

His voice hard, everybody quiet. Even wall clock stop tick for my ear.

Mama-in-law dey beg, "I suppose play music for orphanage. If my hand pain, how I go play? Na for company charity."

She dey cry well, voice dey shake. E no easy to face Baba Adegbite anger.

Baba Adegbite quiet.

He close eye, breathe deep. The house silent like graveyard.

"Leave am, Papa."

Kunle join beg.

He talk gentle, try smile. E get soft heart.

Me, I no talk, just dey look my knee.

Tears dey my eye, but I blink am away. I no want show weakness.

As I expect, Baba Adegbite change voice, talk calm:

E switch from thunder to rain, voice gentle but still strong.

"I no fit break family rule.

"Morayo, make you take this punishment for your mama-in-law?"

He look me gentle.

His eyes no get judgement, just dey find if I go stand strong.