Chapter 5: The Moon’s True Face

Uncle Bala’s story.

(1)

I know Musa small, about one year plus.

Musa tell me about himself, same as wetin police write.

But all those na just story for file, e no show the real Musa, the one wey get heart, get struggle, get pain, get hope, get wahala.

So, people wey no sabi Musa dey talk anyhow: say people wey suffer, get their own bad side.

For like half year after the matter, people dey talk about Musa every day, all their talk be the same.

Dem talk true—Musa kill pikin wey no do am anything.

Sade die for SS2, just after e clock 17.

That time, e young, no get beef with Musa, but e still die like that.

People begin guess: Musa don craze, or e just dey vex for society.

This kind person na real madman, so why people dey pity am?

Yes, dem dey right.

For outside, Musa kill person, dump body, cross the law, no excuse fit cover am; e bad for the pikin family.

But if you look inside, who fit know how tomorrow go be?

If you check Musa life, every decision e make na like say e no get choice.

I just fit talk say, na so e be, and I understand am...

Sometimes, pain dey push person do wetin e no believe.

(2)

I meet Musa for 1999.

That rainy season hot die, everywhere dey burn.

I just come out from Unity Bookshop—the same place near where Musa later die.

I dey reason to buy cold drink, then wahala happen.

Two small boys target me. As I dey pay shop owner, one grab my wallet run.

I try chase, the other one kick my knee hard.

I fall, pain hold me, no fit pursue.

That time, one young man wey wear dark blue work cloth see everything, chase the boys for me.

Na Musa be that, serious but just man.

Na so we meet.

E bring my wallet back. I wan thank am, invite am chop, e refuse many times, last last, e gree make I buy drink, that one go do.

The man dey upright, no dey expect anything.

I bring drink, give am Fura—na him favourite. When e drink am, e go close eye like say e dey enjoy, e funny.

We even laugh together as Fura dey foam for moustache, e go say, "Oga, na this one dey cool heart."

Me, I no dey drink milk, so I carry soda.

Both of us squat for gutter side, dey gist.

But we both dey shy, no know wetin to talk, so we start to talk about our life.

Na then I see say this world get as e be——

I be university teacher, people respect me, I dey okay. Musa stop school after primary six, begin work, dey struggle, nobody rate am.

Me and my wife parents still dey, Musa own don die since, only one sister wey no dey well, dem put am for special home.

My family dey okay, everybody dey happy, but Musa wife run leave am, carry another man, leave pikin for am.

Sometimes when I dey hear his story, I dey thank God say my own better pass.

“......”

Me and Musa suppose no ever cross path, but na so life be, we come become friends.

Because of that, our life join together.

Sometimes, small act dey bring people close.

(3)

I tell you before say Musa pikin die from fall.

But the truth no be so.

This one na the real pain wey dey Musa chest.

“......”

The year I meet Musa, before rainy season finish.

Musa dey work when e hear say him daughter fall for school, dem don rush am hospital.

Musa run go hospital, dey pray make e survive.

But when e reach, the pikin don die.

I fit imagine how Musa feel that day.

E no understand—him pikin wey e see for morning don turn corpse in few hours.

If na you, how you go take survive?

Police come.

That time, no CCTV everywhere, na old school investigation.

Students and school record talk say: that morning, cleaner forget to lock rooftop after cleaning, Musa daughter go up play alone. Her classmate warn am, she no hear, na so she fall.

Na so dem write am.

Musa no gree. E talk say the pikin no dey stubborn, no fit go dangerous place alone.

But nobody believe am, no evidence, so who go help am?

So, dem close matter, say na accident.

School give small compensation, sack the cleaner. Everything settle.

I try comfort Musa, but I no know wetin to talk.

If you never lose pikin, you no go understand the pain.

We drink together, get drunk.

Me, I no dey handle drink well, small I go begin dey lose myself.

I remember, before I sleep, Musa tell me: e get evidence, e go meet school to find justice for him pikin.

But my head dey turn, I sleep off.

When I wake next day, Musa don commot.

E quiet, so I no reason am, just think say e go work.

I get class that day, so I rush school.

As I dey pass Unity Bookshop, I see Musa dey argue with security for school gate.

I dey another side, I no hear well.

I dey rush, so I waka.

Later, I hear say that day, security beat Musa well, almost kill am.

Na police save am.

But last last, na Musa dem arrest for causing trouble, e almost lose job, security no get anything.

I ask Musa why. E be victim, so why dem punish only am?

Musa tell me, say him pikin death no be accident—e get evidence.

Few days before, e carry the evidence go school, ask for justice.

When e show am, principal promise to handle am well, say e go give police, justice go come.

Musa believe am, give am the only evidence.

Principal get name, so Musa trust am.

But after days, nothing happen.

Until that day, e no fit hold am again, go ask, na that scene I see.

Security no gree let am enter, dem stop am.

E argue, try force enter to see principal, dem beat am.

E no gree, days later e go police, beg make dem check the case again.

E try explain everything, just want somebody to help.

But police tell am:

"You get evidence? If you no get, abeg leave us work."

Before e waka, one police tap am for shoulder:

"She don go, school don pay, wetin you want again? Try get another pikin..."

The thing pain Musa, e just lose hope.

Sometimes Musa go look sky, shake head, talk say, "Na who get money dey get justice for Naija."

I no understand that time.

Principal promise justice, so why e go lie?

Why police no go check the matter again?

Later, I understand——

Once case don close, nobody wan open am again, especially if e no favour them.

School want good name; police want make everywhere calm, case close quick...

Unless strong evidence dey, nobody go bother.

And truth na just truth.

(4)

Musa tell me wetin really happen to him daughter.

The evidence na the pikin diary.

For there, she write everything wey happen since she enter the school.

If na today, we go call am: “school bullying.”

Musa daughter na quiet, simple pikin, just like the papa.

She fine well, tall, even though she still young, she be real beauty.

Musa show me family photo; the pikin fine no be small. For today world, she fit be internet celebrity or even star.

As dem dey talk: “Person wey get fine thing, na trouble e dey bring.”

Soon after she start school, some bad boys from outside school begin disturb am.

Dem go block her for corner near school gate, dey smile like goat, dey ask her out.

She be innocent girl, fear catch her.

The boys see say she no sabi street, dem come dey push their luck, dey talk rubbish.

Some even begin touch her, dey pull her cloth, dey drag her hair.

She fear, begin shout, dey hope say people go help.

Na after school, so if any student or teacher hear, dem fit help am escape.

But for reality?

Even though the place near main road, people just dey look, some dey even call their friends to come see.

Nobody help, nobody call police...

Why? She no understand.

That day, Musa daughter suffer well, hair scatter, uniform tear, even bra strap cut.

She even thank God say na daytime, so the boys no fit do worse.

At last, dem finish.

People waka, the boys commot, she just stand there, confused, dey look sky, dey tell herself say na dream.

Just dream...

When dem come house, she no fit talk, just dey look ground. For night, she no sleep, just dey write inside diary.

(5)

Yes, na nightmare, but no be accident.

Musa daughter wahala na plan work.

That time, security for area no good, all those gangster films dey reign. Many boys and girls dey form gang.

The boys wey disturb Musa daughter na gang people.

People wey no help, fear wahala.

The gang dey always disturb girls, fight, break things, na normal.

Most people wey see, be students or teachers, dem fear make dem no become target.

The leader na one stubborn girl for her class, dem dey call am “Moon”—her real name na Modupe, but for street, everybody sabi her as Moon.

As dem talk am:

Musa daughter too fine, boys dey like am, “Moon” come dey jealous.

Especially after she know say the boy wey she like, like Musa daughter, she come decide to deal with her.

She gather gang people, na so the whole wahala start, and that one na just beginning.

For school gate, you go see Moon and him girls, dey pose like film people. Dem eyes red, voice loud, nobody dey challenge dem.

“Moon” wicked well.

Musa daughter dey always suffer, dem dey beat am, touch am, outside school. Even if she call police, dem go run.

Dem threaten am say if she talk, dem go deal with her family.

The poor girl dey suffer, almost craze.

But still, “Moon” no gree.

Dem make sure nobody talk to her, anybody wey greet her, “Moon” go warn or deal with the person.

Dem spread rumour for school say she dey follow boys, even talk say anybody fit get her if you buy her breakfast.

For assembly, sometimes dem go push her for back, she go fall, everybody go laugh.

Dem threaten say if she talk, dem go dey disturb her every day, unless she die.

From there, the poor girl just dey withdraw, but no way to complain.

For small pikin to carry this kind thing, even adults no fit.

Musa begin notice, ask her, but she just dey talk say na study dey stress her.

She be good girl. For her diary, she write:

[My papa dey try for my aunty, him no dey sleep pass five hours every day.

I understand, I no go tell am. I go manage am.

Once I enter SS1, everything go better.

Everything go dey alright...]

Sometimes she go draw small moon beside her writing, I later realize say na the same 'Moon' wey dey make her suffer.

“......”

So, she just suffer till she die, no even reach SS1...

Musa no know whether na pressure make her jump, or the bullies do something worse.

No answer.

So all blame go to the main person—the wicked “Moon!”

The “Moon” wey nearly finish Musa life!