Chapter 5: Orange and Family Secrets

I stay for Ochuko house for seven days. That house different from my own. My family get four children—big ones dey cry, small ones dey shout. Four children squeeze inside one room, everywhere dey scatter.

Ochuko house na palace for my eye. The way everywhere dey arranged, na like person dey prepare for governor visit. The air dey cool, everywhere dey smell like air freshener, no be like my mama house wey dey smell of kerosene and beans.

Ochuko na only pikin. The whole house dey clean, everywhere get flower pot, stairs dey, guest room, flower dey balcony. The only wahala—food no dey.

Even their toilet flush dey sound like music, no be like our own wey dey shout as if spirit dey inside. E shock me say house fit fine like that, but kitchen empty. I search cupboard tire, only see oats and tea. No indomie, no garri. I dey miss my own house small.

Midnight, hunger wake me, I search everywhere, even cabin biscuit I no see. Na so my eye land for one small orange tree for balcony.

That orange dey call my name. Moonlight dey shine, so the orange dey glow like golden egg. My hand dey shake, but I no fit resist.

I remember for village, how we go climb mango tree for midnight, dey hide from mama cane. I dey look the orange for like thirty minutes, till Ochuko waka pass, shout:

Ochuko voice thunder for the quiet. E first shout, then pause. I freeze, hand still dey mid-air, eye wide.

"Ah! Who dey here!"

I freeze, look am. Na that time he know say na me.

Ochuko first fear, then laugh. Na so e come close, look me well.

"No be spirit, Amaka, why you squat for balcony? Oh—the oranges... If you wan chop, pluck am."

E shake head, collect the orange, wash am for me. The way he laugh, e be like say I don turn night crawler.

That night, Ochuko fear nearly make am cry, me sef cry—hug the orange, I dey emotional. The orange sweet die.

I sit down for balcony, breeze dey blow. I dey chop orange, tears dey my eye. For my mind, I dey thank God for small mercies. As I lick finger, I dey remember the days of mango for village. That orange na life saver.