Chapter 5: Kindness and Pain

"Papa."

Kunle stand up, voice loud:

He no dey fear, even Tunde look am surprise. Na only Kunle fit talk like that for house.

"How now? Sister-in-law no fit take am."

He stand like person wey wan fight for market. My heart warm small.

Baba Adegbite sigh, look worried.

First time I see old man eyes soft. He dey weigh the matter for head.

"I swear, I no go break family rule. Tunde get client tomorrow, Kunle get experiment, na only you dey free. Morayo, how you see am?"

His voice low, face serious. Everybody dey watch me.

I look up slow.

My hands dey sweat, my lips dey tremble, but I raise head. For Naija family, sometimes you gats swallow pain like hot akamu.

I smile soft, answer Baba Adegbite:

"No wahala, Papa."

My voice steady, even as my body dey shake inside. I fit see respect for Baba Adegbite eyes as he nod.

Baba Adegbite nod, happy.

His face brighten small, like say sun break small cloud.

"You be good pikin, always dey make people rest mind. I no mistake you."

I lower my eyes, dey think say sometimes to endure na better pass to fight.

……

I dey grind herbs alone for basement when Kunle show for door, eye heavy, carry hot noodles come.

The basement dey cold, the stone heavy. As I dey turn handle, sweat dey my face. My palm dey red, blister dey form, but I still dey turn stone—each sound na reminder say I no belong. Kunle shadow fall for door, the aroma of Indomie and peppered egg follow am. For my mind, na only him dey remember me sometimes.

I smile, "Kunle, you never sleep?"

I dey try form strong, even though my hand dey pain. The noodles warm my spirit small.

He no answer.

He just look me, drop food for small table, then look the grinding stone with pity.

He drop the food, look down, collect grinding handle from me, begin push am.

His hand big pass my own. The stone dey turn easier. I dey look am, dey wonder if I suppose stop am or thank am.

I freeze, no know wetin to do.

My body stiff, but I no talk. For Adegbite house, na men dey break rule for you, but sometimes na you go suffer am.

He just dey vex, face squeeze.

E be like say wahala dey his mind. I dey fear make Baba no enter catch us.

After small time, he talk low, voice tight:

His voice crack. E pain am as he talk.

"You be real clay idol? You no get anger at all? Just talk say you no wan—who go force you?"

He dey shake, eye red. For am, I dey suffer too much, but I just dey survive.

"Kunle, abeg go, Papa go vex if he see you." I force smile, try collect handle back.

My hand dey tremble as I dey drag handle. I dey fear make wahala no land.

He no gree, still dey grind.

He dey stubborn. Na him way. For his mind, e dey protect me, but e no fit fight Papa head-on.

I dey panic.

My heart dey beat fast. For Adegbite house, if dem catch you dey help person serve punishment, na double wahala.

"You no dey help me, you dey harm me! You no remember last time? Because you help me, Papa catch us, I come collect extra punishment."

My voice don dey shake, tears dey my eye.

The memory dey fresh—hand pain, leg pain, but I swallow everything. My voice crack, my chest dey rise.

Kunle stop, voice soft:

He gentle hand drop, his eyes pity me. For small moment, I remember when I first enter house, na only him talk to me like human being.

"Sister-in-law, na because I too small that time, Papa give you marry my brother. If not, if not..."

He just dey look me.

He no finish talk. His voice low, but the meaning strong. My chest tight, I look away.

My face red, I stammer, "Which kind talk be that? Abeg go, before dem catch you."

I force laugh, try push am go door. But my body dey weak, I just pray make house help no come.

He sigh deep.

He look me with one kain pity, then his face soften like rain dey fall for dry land.

"Sister-in-law, house help talk say you never chop today. Na me cook that noodles—try chop am."

He waka comot.

He no look back. The aroma of food stay, the warmth of his kindness fill the room. I blink tears, sit, dey thank God for small mercy.