Chapter 2: Police Station Palava and Broken Laws

My chest just dey pain me.

The pain no be small. E be like person dey pound yam for inside my rib. My body cold, sweat dey run my back even for inside AC.

I hold her, feel like say stone dey on top my chest.

For her ear, I dey whisper, "No cry, e go better. I dey here." But the words sound empty, like prayer for dry well.

As man, how I go fit see my woman dey humiliate, dey beat, and I go just stand?

Dem teach us for house say man suppose protect im own. Na that thing dey burn me pass. Wetin be man if he no fit shield im woman from disgrace?

Just to imagine wetin she pass through, my body dey shake.

Na so my palm dey cold. My mind dey replay her tears, her small voice, her body for ground, over and over.

The shop people don already call police, dem come quick. The woman dey cry for police say she wan carry the pikin go chemist, say if anything do am, she no go let us rest.

Police carry biro, dey jot quick-quick, but my mind no dey there. The other woman dey dramatise, her mouth sharp like razor.

One police come ask us how e happen, but my wife still dey shake for my hand, no fit talk.

I answer for her, voice low. "Oga police, abeg, my wife no fit talk now. Her body dey shake, her mind no dey."

As I see her like that, my mind dey cut. I tell the police, "Abeg, fit carry my wife go health centre first? She no dey okay."

I no even care about case again. I just want make she rest, wipe the tears wey never dry for her cheek.

The woman just hiss, "Wetin she dey form? All this her drama too much. When I dey breastfeed my pikin and people dey see me, I no send. Which kind woman dey act like this?"

Her voice high, dey roll eyes, dey form hard woman. Some people laugh, others hiss. Na Lagos, everybody get mouth for another person matter.

I for tear her mouth that time, but na my wife matter dey my head.

I look her, I just sigh. If na my street for Warri, I for show her pepper. But my wife dey my front, her face still dey drip tears.

I no even answer police again, just carry my wife enter police car, beg make dem carry us go hospital.

I hold her hand for back seat, dey rub her palm, dey pray make she stop to shake. My mind dey beg God make this pain stop for her.

For hospital, police talk say na mutual assault case.

I dey look them, dey wonder how dem fit call this one mutual. But law na law for Naija. Everybody dey protect their own head.

Say we go wait for medical report before anything.

I dey restless, dey check clock every two minutes. My wife close eyes, still dey shiver, body cold.

I beg my wife make she see doctor, but she dey shake so tey she no fit walk. I carry her enter exam room.

I open my arm, carry her like baby. She hold my neck, her tears still dey flow. I whisper, "I no go ever let you fall."

As doctor dey check her, him face come serious, tell me make I wait outside.

I see worry for doctor face. He touch my wife forehead, check her pulse, then look me, eyes serious. "Oga, step outside."

I dey wait, dey panic. The small pikin come out, no scratch. He run meet him mama, dey cry, dey hold face say e dey pain am.

His cry loud, but I dey hear am from corridor. The mama dey pat am, dey look me like say na me be devil.

The woman hug am, dey eye me, dey pamper am, "No fear, my baby. If anybody try you again, we go deal with them."

She rub his back, dey sweet talk am. Other women for waiting area dey shake head, dey talk for low voice.

I dey bite my finger, dey pray make nothing bad do my wife.

I dey promise God say if she survive, I go do thanksgiving for church—even though I never enter church since secondary school.

After some time, doctor come out, my wife no follow.

My leg weak, my heart jump. I stand up quick, dey look doctor face for answer.

He say, "Her case no simple. She dey get heart palpitation, no fit breathe well, her mind no stable. I go arrange ambulance carry her go general hospital. E be like say she get trauma for mind."

He speak gentle, but I see wetin he dey hide for eyes. "Oga, you need hold am. Na this kind case dey lead to serious wahala if we no act fast."

I shock, even the woman quiet.

Her mouth open, her own drama calm. She no fit talk as everybody dey look her with bad eye.

She come dey talk, "Abi na only me feel say she dey overdo? Na just to see body, na wetin big for there? She even wear bra. If she dey so shy, she for stay house."

Her voice no get power again, na only mumu for background dey nod. One nurse just look am, hiss, carry file go.