Chapter 4: The Fall and the Last Stand

Mr. Okoli, like say he plan am, tell investors, “You people come bad time. Our oga dey court wahala with madam. Company account don freeze.”

He dey act drama, voice loud. Investors dey shift chair, dey look me like criminal.

Investors frown, remove their hand from my own.

Their face don change; no more smile. Na so business people dey change, sharp sharp.

Amina rush carry them enter meeting, beg for time.

She dey beg, dey explain, her voice dey crack. For her, na last hope.

I look Mr. Okoli, ask coldly, “You use my wife?”

My voice cold, my eyes red. I dey try hold anger, but e dey show.

He shrug. “Na you first use us.”

No remorse, no fear. For his mind, na just business.

Other deputy managers come out, dey look me with vex.

Their eyes red, their lips pressed. Na silent accusation dey everywhere.

The staff just dey laugh, dey see me as clown.

For Naija office, once Oga fall, even cleaner go dey laugh. Na so world be.

I no remember the level I reach before.

I dey search my head for glory days, but e no gree come.

But I never die.

Na so Yoruba man dey talk—'ti eniyan ko ba ku, ko ni fi ara re sile.' I still get breath, fight never finish.

The fight for power don start.

Everywhere dey hot. Small mistake, you fit lose everything.

For front of everybody, Mr. Okoli begin count my sins.

He dey roll out the list like auditor. Na so dem dey wash dirty linen for public.

“We follow you that year because you get sense. But now? Out of ten secret projects, you show eight to investors, dey raise money up and down.”

He dey list everything, voice dey shake. Na real pain dey inside.

“You no use the money for new work. Most enter your wife factory. You think say we no know?”

Office gist no dey hide. I dey try explain, but dem no go hear. For their mind, na betrayal be this.

Mr. Okoli dey para, spit dey fly, but I calm: “Everything legal. If you wan call police, call.”

I dey try maintain small dignity. Na legal cover me reach here.

He hiss, “Of course e legal. But if you wan play rough, I go follow you play. Your wife think say her business dey shine, just get big order from my friend. Now, I go make her freeze your assets by herself. You na her main sponsor. When her cash dry, she go fall, we go buy her company for cheap. E legal too, abi?”

Na real threat. In this jungle, na so dem dey hunt big prey. E be like market politics.

I ask, “Why she go listen to you?”

For my mind, I dey wonder how e take reach this level.

Mr. Okoli shrug. “She say you dey treat her bad. I tell her say you and your assistant dey hot every day, dey raise money, dey plan run.”

Gossip na Naija fuel. Small talk fit burn house. For her mind, she don believe am.

I nod. E be like say my wife believe, because I don fail her too much.

I no blame her. Person wey you no trust go dey look for evidence. I carry hand for head.

Mr. Okoli laugh: “She fear, so she rush court go freeze am.”

The laugh dey wicked. For his mind, na victory.

The other managers don surround me.

Na like school of piranha. Everybody dey ready bite small piece.

Their faces get more than vex—na disappointment join.

For here, disappointment dey pain pass slap. Na so respect dey vanish.

Mr. Okoli sigh: “You remember why we follow you?”

He dey look me, eye red, voice low. Na last respect he dey show.

I no answer—I don forget.

My mind dey blank. I dey try recall, but memory dey play hide and seek.

He continue, “When you lead us change job, boss promise us twenty percent bonus, but later fake account, chop our money. You no want make we suffer, so that night you sell your house, bring us box of cash.”

His voice dey tremble. Na real pain, na real gratitude. That night still dey his mind.

“You turn our team debt to your own. That night, we grown men hug money, dey cry. You tell us say e go better.”

Na that night, everybody know say team no be mouth. I dey remember small, tears dey form.

“From that day, you be my hero. But now, the more I respect you before, the more I dey shame for you now.”

E pain me, e pain am. For this country, loyalty dey hard to find, betrayal dey easy.

Mr. Okoli talk with passion, move people.

People for office begin dey nod, dey mumble. Even investor dey look me with new eye.

But sadly, I only trust myself.

For this world, at the end, na only your shadow dey follow you reach grave.

Before I forget things, I write down everybody character for diary.

My diary na my bible. Wetin I no fit say, I dey write am. Na only paper go remember.

My wife: gentle and good, but no trust everything with her.

Her heart dey pure, but her hand dey soft. She fit love, but she no fit handle wahala.

Mr. Okoli: fit enjoy with you, but no fit suffer with you.

Fair-weather friend, na so dem dey call am. When belle full, dem dey smile. When rain fall, dem dey hide.

Since I don get respect from these people before, I gats trust the me wey stand on top before.

The man wey build this company, wey carry team for back, na him I gats believe—no be this shadow wey remain.

I promise my old self say I go leave my family plenty money.

I write am for diary, I talk am for dream. Even if I forget my name, I no go forget this oath.

No matter how, I must do am.

E fit cost me everything, but na the only way I fit sleep for night.

Amina come out from meeting, face tight. She hold my arm, wan carry me go.

Her grip strong. She dey guide me like matron for LUTH dey guide patient. For her mind, na battle wey we dey fight together.

Mr. Okoli vex: “You no see say we dey talk?”

His voice dey rise, but Amina no shake.

Amina look am: “Sack me if you fit. Who you dey command?”

Her tone cold, sharp. She no dey beg anybody. Na loyalty wey no get price.

Mr. Okoli no fit talk.

He open mouth, then close am. He no expect am. People dey look am, dey wonder who get power now.

She carry me go office. Outside, people still dey look me like hungry lion.

The corridor hot, gossip dey everywhere. But we just dey waka, head high.

Amina ask, worried: “You dey okay?”

She dey check my face, her eyes full of worry. For her, na real family I be.

I ask, “Wetin you tell investors?”

My voice low. I dey try make sense of the wahala.

Amina say, “I promise am say account go soon free. We need madam to apply sharp-sharp. I fear say we gats tell her the truth. And investor say he must see signed divorce agreement today. Him no care about anything else, just want make company asset no join madam own.”

Her words fast, her breath short. She dey calculate every move, like chess master for Oshodi.

I sigh. “Make I reason am.”

My sigh long, heavy. I dey try process everything, but brain dey drag.

Amina shake head. “No dey reason again. I don already call madam. Make we clear everything. I go print divorce agreement.”

She dey take charge. Her voice no dey beg. For this moment, na she be Oga.

I sit for sofa, dey watch Amina dey rush work.

I cross leg, hands for lap. My mind dey blank. I dey look her dey print, dey pack paper.

Even if I wan help, I no fit again.

Sickness don reduce me to observer. My own na to sign, no be to decide.

Now, na only the company legal control remain for my hand.

For Naija, na legal document dey save person. If you lose am, na wahala.

As the door open, my wife waka in with cold face.

Her step firm, her eyes cold. She no greet anybody. Na wahala she bring.

She just bone: “Wetin you want?”

Her voice sharp, her eyes dey burn. E be like say I offend am just now.

I no even know how to face her.

My mouth dry. I dey try form words, but nothing dey come.

Because I no remember the love again—everything I dey do na just to make myself proud.

I dey protect my ego, my last pride. Love don turn business.

Amina hand her document, she glare.

My wife collect am, look Amina from head to toe. Her face dey vex, her nose dey flare.

She snap: “No let your small witch give me anything. I no send una. Even divorce agreement you dey use her give me.”

Her words sharp, like pepper. E cut, but Amina no shake.

Amina cut her: “No be divorce agreement. Abeg, read am. We no get time.”

Her own voice firm. For her mind, time dey finish, solution na the goal.

Amina attitude change.

She no dey do respect again. Now, na business mode.

All this time she dey help me, she dey respect my wife.

She dey always dey greet, dey bend, dey smile. Now, e don end.

But now, she just dey impatient.

Her patience don finish. For her, na battle for survival.

Maybe for her mind, she no fit take anybody betray me.

Her loyalty dey fierce. Once she pick side, no going back.

My wife shock, collect document, begin read. Amina arrange divorce paper, talk: “All your factory orders na from us, medical report dey inside. If you no believe, check am yourself.”

Her hand dey shake as she read. The truth dey heavy for her eye.

My wife look the paper, cover her mouth, then look me.

Her tears quick, her pain raw. Na realization dey dawn.

Sharp-sharp, tears burst from her eyes.

She try hide am, but e no work. Tears just dey drop.

She cry: “You… why you no tell me?”

Her voice crack. Na pain and regret dey fight inside her.

Amina reply: “You sure say you dey trustworthy?”

Her words cold, but na truth. If to say trust dey, maybe story for dey different.

My wife cry: “I sure pass you! Na my husband—no be your work to protect am!”

Her cry loud. She dey fight for her place, dey claim her man.

Amina snap: “Go court apply unfreeze now, sign divorce agreement. Sharp-sharp. I dey tell you again, time no dey. Abeg, no tell anybody.”

Amina voice like command. Na final warning. She dey protect me, protect herself.

My wife collect document, wipe tears, waka come meet me.

Her step slow, her eyes red. She dey search my face, dey beg for something.

She look heartbroken, bend down, hold my face.

Her hands soft, her touch gentle. For that moment, I feel small again.

She cry ask: “You really no remember me?”

Her voice low, almost whisper. Na pain dey everywhere.

“You no remember wetin I like, wetin I no like, everything about us.”

She dey search my eyes for answer. My silence dey kill her.

“I think say you no care again, but I no know say reality go wicked pass.”

Her voice dey break. Na sorrow wey words no fit carry.

She wipe her face, voice dey shake: “Sorry, I think say you no love me again.”

She dey apologize, but na her own pain she dey talk.

I no know wetin to talk. Amina don throw extra paper for her, shout: “Na now you dey talk love? Go do your own, abeg, keep am secret!”

Amina no get patience again. Her own anger dey show.

My wife shock, come get sense, sign divorce, look me one last time, then waka go.

Her back slim, her step heavy. For my mind, I dey beg her, but my mouth lock.

Only me and Amina remain.

The silence choke. E be like say spirit pass. Na only Amina sigh break the air.

I say, “You too much.”

My voice small. Na gratitude, na apology, na everything.

She arrange table, dey clench teeth.

She dey try hold herself, but her hands dey shake. She dey arrange paper like say she dey count last respect.

Her body dey shake, her voice dey tremble, try hold tears: “I hate to see hero fall. As pikin, dem dey say I be boy. I hate as Sango fall for Oyo, hate as Moremi die for Ife, hate as Jaja of Opobo trust people for Calabar…”

Her voice dey carry history. She dey remind me say hero no suppose end in shame. Her own pain dey deep.

“For my mind, the worst na to see hero fall. Life suppose end well.”

Na hope wey people dey carry. But for here, na rare thing.

“Everybody outside dey see you as coward. Dem think say dem fit finish you—dem dey dream to climb on your head.”

She dey talk true. Na so world dey be. Once you fall, na everybody dey jump you.

“If you lose today, all your old glory go turn stepping stone for these clowns.”

Na my biggest fear be that. To turn legend to lesson.

Amina wipe her tears, face strong: “You don stand on top before. Even if you forget, I go follow you reach the end with pride. Ant no fit climb hero bone.”

Her own loyalty no get mate. She raise chin, her eyes bright. For her mind, na oath she dey swear.

She help me stand, raise head high, carry me open office door.

Her arm steady, her step bold. Together, we face the last crowd.