When Mercy Runs Dry

Chapter 5: My Husband Is Coming

Emeka message was still on my phone, light on in dark compound with no blue gate.

"Adaeze, I am coming to Amaka Village tomorrow with my family. To bring you back. Or to divorce you there in front of your village people. Prepare."

Divorce in front of village people.

Hand shook, phone shaking.

Mama saw my face under mango tree.

"Adaeze, what is it? Who sent message? Your face changed?"

I gave her phone. She read with small torch. Eyes big, wrapper.

"Emeka dey come tomorrow? With his family from Abuja? To divorce you for Amaka? In front of everybody?"

Chidi came close, barefoot, wearing Papa big slippers now.

"Aunty, who be Emeka? Your husband?"

"My husband in Abuja, Chidi."

Chidi frowned, small boy frowned like man, 15 years.

"He wants to divorce you because you came to save your father? That is not good man, aunty. Good man no dey divorce wife because she save father."

I sat on floor, near father wheelchair inside room, father sleeping, breathing loud, good hand on chest.

For 4 years I endured Emeka in Abuja.

In Abuja, I sold hair, small shop he rented for me in Wuse, but every month he collected all money, 20,000 profit.

"You are my wife. Your money is my money. Your family in Amaka are witches."

He slapped me once when I said I want to send 5,000 to Mama for Papa drug 47,000.

"Your family in Amaka are witches. They want to suck you. Forget them."

And I forgot them for 4 years. Because I wanted marriage to work, because I thought divorced woman is failure.

Now father had stroke. And Emeka said "If you go to that wretched village, don't come back to my house."

I went, night bus 18,000. And he locked my shop, locked my 200,000 hair business, Brazilian wigs.

And now he wants to come to Amaka to divorce me in front of everybody, to shame me.

Because in Amaka, if man divorces you in front of village, you become nobody. No man will marry you again, they say.

Mama held my shoulder, old woman 58.

"Adaeze, you will not be divorced. I will beg him. I will kneel for him. I will tell him you will not come to village again. I will tell him you will stay in Abuja."

I looked at Mama. Old woman, thin, kneeling to beg son-in-law who never gave her 1,000 for 4 years, who called her witches.

"No, Mama. You will not kneel. I am tired of kneeling for Emeka. I knelt 4 years."

Chidi said, voice small but strong, "Aunty, what will we do tomorrow? You must go to Owerri by 10am for Barrister letter about 6,000,000. And Emeka is coming tomorrow too, same day, to divorce. Which one first?"

Barrister letter. Papa letter written 6 months before stroke. What was inside? Barrister said "It will change everything again, about 6,000,000."

What else did Papa hide before stroke?

By evening, Amaka people came to our compound. No blue gate, remember? Chief Okafor removed gate to sell for 80,000. So compound open, goats entering, no lock.

Women came, 5 women. "Adaeze, we hear you fought Chief Okafor! You saved 12,000,000 land!"

Men came, 3 men. "Adaeze, you be strong woman! That Chief don thief too much in Amaka!"

They brought small gifts. One brought yam, one brought 2,000 naira, one brought palm oil small bottle.

For 2 years since Papa stroke, nobody came. When father was rich and cheerful, compound full, Christmas 3 goats. When he got stroke and silent, nobody came, no yam, no 2,000.

Now they came because we fought Chief Okafor for land.

Is that how Amaka is? People come when you win?

I thanked them, collected yam.

By 9pm, they left.

Compound dark again, no light, only moon.

Only me, Mama, Chidi, and Papa in wheelchair inside room, breathing.

Chidi slept on mat near Papa room, guarding him, barefoot still but I gave him my father old slippers, big slippers, size 44, his feet size 38, but he wore happy.

"Aunty, I wear Chief slippers! I be Chief now! I be Chief Chidi Uche!"

Small happiness in dark compound.

I could not sleep. Mosquitoes.

I opened Emeka message again, light.

I typed, "Emeka, I am in Amaka. My father is sick, 47,000 drug. My family needs me. If you want to divorce, come. But I will not leave my father."

I did not send. Deleted.

I typed again, "Emeka, please, let's talk when I return to Abuja."

Deleted again. Why am I begging man who locked my 200,000 shop?

I decided to sleep, mat on floor, wrapper.

At 2am, dogs barked. Dogs in Amaka barked loud, many dogs, 10 dogs.

Chidi woke up, fast, slippers.

"Aunty! Aunty! Someone dey outside our compound! Where blue gate should be!"

I woke Mama, shaking.

We heard voices, outside compound, where blue gate removed, open entrance, dark.

"Chief Okafor boys! Na Chief Okafor boys!"

Mama whispered, shaking, wrapper.

Because Chief Okafor was with Area Command in Owerri for questioning, but his 5 boys with sticks — they were still in Amaka Village, angry we spoiled 12,000,000 deal.

I took my father old big torch, big torch.

I went outside small, shone light outside.

5 boys. Same boys who followed Chief with cutlass morning, now with sticks, one with small cutlass for bush.

They were outside, at our open entrance where gate removed 80,000.

They had sticks. One had cutlass, not big.

"Where is Adaeze? Where is that small houseboy wey record Chief Okafor for Tecno?"

Chidi hid behind me, thin, slippers big.

"Aunty, na them! Them be ones who beat me last month when I asked for my mama 15,000 salary! They beat me!"

I shouted, brave but voice shaking, wrapper.

"This compound belongs to Chief Williams Uche, most cheerful man in Amaka! If you enter, I will call Barrister Uche! Area Command Owerri will carry you! I have Caveat!"

One boy laughed, young boy, 20 years.

"Barrister? Area Command Owerri? For night 2am? No police for night in Amaka, Adaeze! Chief says if we pursue you and small boy comot for Amaka tonight, he will give us 50,000 each! 50,000!"

50,000 to pursue us from our father compound. Our land worth 12,000,000, and they want to pursue us for 50,000.

I held Chidi hand tight.

Mama inside praying loud, rosary.

"Blood of Jesus! Blood of Jesus! Williams, help us!"

Boys stepped inside compound, no gate to stop them, feet inside.

One boy raised stick, pointing Chidi.

"First, we go beat that small boy for recording Chief gate 80,000!"

He moved to Chidi.

I stood in front, wrapper.

"Touch him and you touch me! I am daughter of Chief Williams! I am Adaeze Williams!"

Boy pushed me, small push, I fell, wrapper tore small, knee pain.

Chidi shouted, "Aunty!"

Mama screamed from inside, "Leave my daughter!"

At that moment, my father voice, from inside room.

For 2 years, my father never talked. Only drool, only "N... N..." and "Adae..."

But at 2am, when his daughter fell on ground and his new son Chidi about to be beaten for 50,000...

My father shouted from inside room, loud, clear, voice of cheerful man.

"LEAVE MY CHILDREN ALONE!"

Everybody froze.

Me, on ground, knee pain. Chidi, crying, holding my hand. 5 boys with sticks, cutlass. Mama praying inside.

Because that voice... that was Chief Williams Uche voice. Most cheerful man in Amaka. Voice that paid 14 children school fees. Voice that shared 3 goats to 23 widows.

He spoke! After 2 years silence!

Papa spoke!

We all ran inside room, left boys outside.

My father was sitting up in wheelchair, eyes open wide, one good left hand pointing outside to boys, good hand shaking, tears rolling.

Tears, but speaking.

He spoke again, slow but clear, after 2 years.

"A... dae... ze... Chi... di... no... fear... Papa... here..."

Mama fell on floor crying, loud.

"Williams! You don talk! You don talk after 2 years! My husband don talk!"

I hugged my father, wheelchair, he shaking, speaking took all strength, breathing hard.

"Papa! Papa! You spoke! You said leave my children alone!"

Chidi knelt, holding Papa good hand, crying, slippers big.

"Papa! Papa! You spoke! You called me Chidi!"

Outside, 5 boys heard Chief voice. They heard him speak after 2 years silence. In Amaka, people believe stroke man who speaks again has ancestral power, has strong spirit.

They became afraid, superstitious.

One boy said, "Chief don speak! After 2 years! Make we run! Na juju!"

They ran. They left compound, disappeared into dark bush path in Amaka, sticks dropping.

No gate, but my father voice became gate tonight. Voice became blue gate.

By 3am, Papa slept again, tired, but smiled in sleep, first smile in 2 years, one side mouth smile.

Mama, Chidi and me, we sat around wheelchair, we did not sleep, we watched him breathe.

At 5am, phone rang, loud, Barrister Uche.

"Adaeze, where are you? Are you safe? I heard Chief Okafor boys went to your house last night in Amaka. I sent Area Command to patrol your area."

"Sir, we are safe. My father... my father spoke last night! He shouted leave my children alone!"

Barrister quiet small, surprised.

"He spoke? After 2 years silence? Adaeze, that letter in my office about 6,000,000... you must come today 10am. Come with Chidi. Your father wrote about why he stopped talking. It was not just stroke, there is herb story."

Not just stroke? What does that mean? Herb story?

What did my father write 6 months before stroke about 6,000,000?

And Emeka is coming today with family to divorce me in Amaka.

10am Owerri for secret letter about 6,000,000.

And Emeka coming to Amaka to divorce me same day.

Which one I go first? Father secret or marriage?

And will Chief boys come back tonight with more boys for 50,000?

We saved land yesterday, 12,000,000.

But today, battle is for my marriage and my father voice.

Tomorrow is not far. Tomorrow is today in Amaka.