When Mercy Runs Dry

Chapter 3: The Night Before The Tractor

I did not sleep that night.

How can I sleep when they want to use tractor to clear my father 3 plots worth 12,000,000 tomorrow 8am behind community school in Amaka Village?

By 8pm, Mama had cooked small garri with no soup, just garri and groundnut, watery.

Chidi ate it fast, like someone who had not eaten soup for weeks.

I looked at him, thin.

"Chidi, tell me true. Where is my father land papers? Original brown file?"

He wiped mouth with hand.

"Aunty, Chief Okafor took them. I saw him. He put them inside his Hilux brown file. He said your father cannot talk again, so he is now family head in Amaka. He said he will sell land to pay hospital bill. But aunty, he did not pay any hospital bill. He used the 2,000,000 deposit to buy new motorcycle, big one, and sprayed money at Nkwo Market."

Blood boiled. 2,000,000! My father 12,000,000 land deposit used to buy motorcycle!

"Mama, did Chief give you any money from land deposit?"

Mama shook head, wrapper.

"He gave me 20,000 last month. Said it is from land sale. But that land worth 12,000,000! 20,000 from 12,000,000! What kind of insult!"

20,000 from 12,000,000. God.

By 10pm, Amaka Village became dark. No light in our side. Only generator sound from Chief Okafor house far away, loud.

My father sleeping in his room, breathing loud, each breath pain, good hand on chest.

I sat outside with Chidi under mango tree, mosquitoes biting us, blue gate open because removed for 80,000.

"Chidi, we must stop tractor tomorrow. How we go do am? How we go stop Hilux and 5 boys with cutlass?"

Chidi looked at me, eyes big, afraid.

"Aunty, we cannot stop Chief. He has 5 boys. They carry cutlass. They beat people who disturb him in Amaka. Last year they beat teacher."

"Then we go to Area Command police?"

"Police is Chief friend small, aunty. He gave commander one small thing last year."

"Then we go to village elder?"

"Elder is Chief cousin, aunty."

Every door closed. No police, no elder, no Igwe.

I looked at phone. No money, 20,000 left after night bus 18,000. Husband blocked me. Hair shop in Abuja locked 200,000.

I had only one thing. My father old Nokia phone, small Nokia 105, inside his wooden box. He used to record everything, village meetings.

I took it. Battery dead, dust.

I charged with small solar power bank Chidi borrowed from neighbor.

By 11pm, it came on. Light small.

I opened voice notes, many.

My father voice, strong before stroke, before August.

"Date: March 3rd, 2024. Meeting with Chief Okafor about school land behind community school in Amaka. He said he wants to use land for market and filling station. I said no. Land is for my children Adaeze and Chidi. That land is family land, not community."

"Date: April 15th, 2024. Chief Okafor came to my house again with boys. He said if I no gree, he go wait until I die. I told him to leave my house. My gate still dey then."

I paused, hand shaking. My father knew! He knew Chief wanted his land even before stroke!

I played next voice note, last one, May 20th, 2024, voice low.

"Date: May 20th, 2024. If anything happen to me, Adaeze, my daughter, should take my land papers. I keep copy with Barrister Uche in Owerri. Original with me in box. Tell Adaeze I love her. And tell her about Chidi, her brother. Chidi is her brother, son of my sister. Keep Chidi safe. I have 6,000,000 saved."

Barrister Uche! Copy with Barrister Uche in Owerri! We have proof! Original papers taken by Chief, but copy with lawyer in Owerri!

And Chidi is my brother! Papa said Chidi is my brother! Son of his sister! That explains why Chidi looks like Papa small!

I shook Chidi, who was dozing.

"Chidi! Do you know Barrister Uche in Owerri? Big lawyer near High Court?"

"Yes aunty! He is big lawyer. Chief Okafor fears him small because he once jailed Chief brother for stealing goat. Barrister is fearless."

By 12 midnight, we made plan. Risky plan, no money.

Tomorrow morning 7am, tractor will come to clear 3 plots behind community school in Amaka. Chief Okafor will bring buyer from Owerri with remaining 10,000,000.

Me and Chidi will go there 6am, with my father Nokia phone as evidence, and I will record them clearing. I will shout that land has case in court, that Barrister Uche has copy, that land worth 12,000,000 belongs to Chief Williams family.

Chief will be scared of court, because Barrister is big.

But Mama was afraid, inside.

"Adaeze, if you go there tomorrow 6am, they will beat you! You are woman! Let them take land! Let's save your father life first with 6,000,000!"

I held Mama hand, thin.

"Mama, if they take this land, we have no money for Papa drug 47,000, no money for Enugu therapy 700,000. This land is 12,000,000. With 12,000,000, Papa can go to Enugu for treatment. We can rebuild blue gate. Without land, we are finished, open compound forever."

Mama cried.

At 1am, Chidi slept on floor, barefoot even inside, feet had wound from walking no shoe for months.

I looked at this boy, 15 years old, no father, mother poor sells akara in Umueze, working for 15,000 that never came for 2 months, but still cleaned my father mouth, fed pap.

I brought small vaseline from my bag, applied to his foot wound gently.

He opened eyes.

"Aunty, why you dey help me? Nobody help me before."

"Because you helped my father when nobody helped him in Amaka, Chidi. You are my brother from today. Papa said so in Nokia."

He smiled small, first smile I saw since I came.

At 4am, c**k crowed in Amaka.

I woke Chidi.

"Time. Time to go to land."

We trekked. No keke, no okada by 4am. From our compound to school land — 25 minutes walk in dark bush path, torch small.

I wore wrapper and slippers. Chidi barefooted, torch in hand, Nokia phone in my wrapper.

We reached land by 5:30am. Dark still, dew.

The land — 3 plots, my father land, with palm trees, cassava farm that Mama planted to feed father, boundary with school wall.

Dew on leaves cold.

I touched soil, cold, soft.

"Papa land. Our land."

Chidi said, "Aunty, hide behind school wall. If Chief boys see us early, they go beat us before buyer comes. Hide."

We hid behind school wall, cold block.

By 6am, small light came, birds.

By 6:30am, we heard sound. Tractor sound, far away, engine loud, coming from Amaka road.

Tractor coming. And Hilux. White Hilux. Chief Okafor coming with buyer and 5 boys with cutlass.

Chidi held my hand tight, shaking.

"Aunty, I dey fear. My hand dey shake."

I held his hand, my hand shaking too.

"Me too, Chidi. Me too. But we no go run. Today we fight for Papa land, for 6,000,000, for blue gate."

Tractor entered land, engine loud, blade down.

Chief Okafor came down, laughing, wearing white agbada again, cap. Buyer beside him, fat man with gold chain, from Owerri.

Chief pointed at palm.

"Oya, driver, start from that palm! Clear everything! My client wants to build filling station here! 12,000,000! Cheap for 3 plots in Amaka!"

Buyer smiled, looking at land.

Tractor driver started engine, blade down, ready to clear my father cassava, Mama only food for father.

I could not watch again. Cassava is Papa food.

I stood up from behind wall, wrapper, shouting with all strength I have.

"STOP! THIS LAND IS NOT FOR SALE! THIS LAND BELONGS TO CHIEF WILLIAMS UCHE! I AM HIS DAUGHTER, ADAEZE WILLIAMS! IF YOU CLEAR THIS LAND, I WILL TAKE YOU TO COURT! BARRISTER UCHE HAS THE COPY PAPERS! THIS LAND WORTH 12,000,000!"

Everyone turned. Tractor stopped, engine on.

Chief Okafor eyes became red, angry.

He saw me, saw Chidi.

"So na you, Adaeze? You wan fight me? You and this small houseboy wey I dey feed 15,000? You wan stop 12,000,000 sale?"

He walked towards me, agbada, 5 boys followed with cutlass, shiny.

Chidi stepped in front of me, small boy, 15 years, barefooted, no shirt, in front of 5 men with cutlass.

"Aunty, run! Go call Mama! Run to Area Command!"

But I did not run. Because behind me, I heard new sound.

Black Prado jeep drove into school compound, fast, dust everywhere, horn.

Door opened.

Man in suit came down, tall, beard, carrying brown file, Barrister Uche file.

Barrister Uche.

He had come. 6:45am. Without me calling him. How did he know we were here in Amaka?

And why was he looking at Chidi like he knew him, like father?

Tractor engine still on, blade down.

Chief cutlass boys still there, 5 boys.

And Barrister Uche said one sentence that scattered everywhere in Amaka that morning.

"Chief Okafor, you cannot sell this land. This land belongs to this boy, Chidi. And I have family papers to prove he is Chief Williams son."

My legs almost fell.

What? Land belongs to Chidi? Houseboy? How? Papers?

Chidi?

The houseboy is owner?

What was happening in Amaka?