Chapter 3: Money, Dreams, and Family Chains

Young oga, as e dey hurt, come dey see you as person wey e fit talk to, dey pour everything give you. The more you hear, the more you dey look am less, but you still dey form gentle and caring.

Every night, na your mat e dey lie down, dey talk talk till sleep carry am. You dey pet am, dey rub him back, but your mind dey somewhere else.

For more than half year, everywhere just calm.

No wahala, no new maid, no secret waka. The house settle, people dey breathe well again.

You and am come dey get that comfort like old couple.

Sometimes, e go dey finish your sentence, or you go know wetin e want before e talk. People go look una, dey whisper for corner.

E read book more, e dey try. No matter wetin dey push am, e dey improve fast.

You dey proud small, dey tell yourself say your own work no waste. You go dey clean table, dey smile for nothing.

You dey serve am for food, for rest. If e purse mouth, you know say na tea e want; if e twist body, you know say na massage e dey find.

You don master am finish. You dey know e step from corridor; even the sound of e cough, you sabi am.

Madam dey happy, increase your monthly pay, even hint say when young oga marry, she go promote you reach second wife.

You dey hear gist, dey hide smile. You dey imagine life as madam number two, dey dream small dream wey dey sweet person for inside.

You thank her well, but for inside, you dey save every kobo. Every month, madam add small change join your three thousand salary. By December, your money don near fifty k.

You dey count your money every night, dey plan how you go buy wrapper, maybe small land for village. You dey tight belt, dey hustle like Lagos conductor.

E no reach to buy house, no reach to rest.

You dey calculate, dey sigh. For this Nigeria, money dey disappear like smoke. You dey hold aboki calculator, dey press button, but hope no dey add up.

You just dey endure.

You tell yourself, 'No be today, e go better.' You dey use hope cover hunger, dey plan for tomorrow.

Young oga dey read more, e mind dey mature.

Sometimes, e go dey talk politics, dey ask you question. You dey answer as you fit, dey learn small small.

You sabi all the characters, small small you sef dey learn to write. Sometimes, you fit even talk about book with am, e go look you like say you surprise am.

E go say, "Ah, you sabi book pass some city girls." Your heart go jump, you go hide smile.

But you soon realise say all na waste.

One night, as you dey carry flask go room, your heart just heavy. You dey ask yourself, 'All this suffer, e go reach anywhere?'

You wake up go prepare midnight food for young oga.

Na only you dey waka for corridor. The floor cold, your body dey shiver. You dey carry tray, dey reason life.

For this time, as woman, nothing you fit do.

You dey think say, 'If na man, I for don waka.' You dey see say everywhere for this world hard for woman.

You no even fit waka commot for gate. Your family wey sell you still dey monitor you.

Sometimes, you dey dream say you dey Lagos, but every morning, na this compound your eye go open.

You get three elder brothers, all dey wait for your monthly pay to marry.

Dem dey send letter, dey threaten you. For their mind, na your work go save them from farm wahala.

But since you enter this body, you never send them shishi.

You dey dodge, dey lie say money never reach. You dey pray say one day, dem go forget you.

Those three farmers and your papa wey never old, all their hand strong like stone.

You dey remember the day dem push you for lorry, say make you go serve oga. Tears dey your eye, but dem no send.

The big red gate dey protect you for now, but if you commot, na there wahala go start.

You dey fear that day wey gate go open, you no go get place to hide.

Young oga become scholar at seventeen, pass WAEC and JAMB at twenty, come get better chance for marriage.

Compound dey jubilate, even small children dey hail am. Everybody dey say, 'Our pikin na big man!'

Everybody dey praise am say e get brain, e go reach top.

Na so aunties, uncles, even pastor dey visit house, dey give advice. People dey carry food come, dey sing praise.

E dey proud of himself.

E go waka like peacock, dey show result slip. Madam go dey smile, dey nod, dey tell visitors say, 'Na my hand work.'

E talk say the local chief daughter too plain; pastor daughter too dull; lawyer daughter fine and get sense, but no dey caring.

E dey use style dey compare all the girls, as if na fruit market e dey price.

E go strip you naked, dey draw for your body—na new thing wey e learn from book.

You go just dey laugh, dey slap e hand, dey ask, 'Which kain play be this?' But for your mind, you dey fear say e dey try wetin no good.

E don know you finish, and the money wey you dey hide under bed don full for three bags.

Every market day, you dey count am, dey dream say one day you go run.

E go kiss you, talk say you still be the best—fine, caring, no dey talk back, even though you be maid, you get sense and fit match am.

Sometimes, you go dey smile, but your mind dey far. You dey think say, 'If to say na me born for better house, na me for dey enjoy now.'

If to say your family no poor, e for marry you.

Na so life be. For this world, person wey get leg no get shoe, person wey get shoe no get leg.