One day for market

Today na Sunday. My chicken for yard neva do kukuruku but I sabi sey time don reach mek I wake up dey waká gó market. I get dream for night wey na so-so ojuju dey pursue me. Tufiakwa! I reject am. Papa Ifeanyi still dey sleep, dey snore with im mouth like basket. I no sabi haw I dey manage sleep with di kind ringtone wey dey komot from im mouth every night, but once my head touch pillow like dis, I don go… I don too work.

Ifeanyi still dey sleep for ground. Im sister too still dey sleep. See as she spread leg. I carry leg small-small mek I no match dem as I begin dey pack my market things. As I dey pack am dey go, na so my kpangolo drop for ground. Ifeanyi begin dey turn dey shake body, but Papa Ifeanyi? For wer? Dat one with im generator for mouth. If I like mek I break plate for im ear, e no go wake. I déy happy sey I no wake di pikin-dem. If not dem go slow my waka, begin dey ask for many things.

I carry my bag start dey go market. As I komot for my domot, I see sey Gloria don dey wash cloth for outside.

“Gloria, haw nau?”

“Mama Ify, I déy o. Yu don dey gó shop?”

I no sabi di kind JAMB question wey she dey ask me. Shey she no see sey I carry load? Wich oda place I go dey go for early momo like dis? I dey wonder weda na di belle wey she carry wey make am to no sabi wetin dey happen again. Dis one go be number five wey she don born. Oga Calistus dey find boy. No be small wahala.

“Ehen nau. Na market I dey gó.”

“Okay o, gó well o.”

I smile for am, komot my face. Gloria, Gloria! After she don do amebo go dey table my matter for neighbors, she go kon dey shine teeth with me like sey we be padi. Yeye dey smell! Gloria no be my wahala today. Wen time reach, she go meet ha own for road.

I continue my waka go market. Sun don begin dey shine. Pikin-dem don begin dey komot to sweep ground. Shop don dey open. Okada don dey find passenger. Everybody with im kettle don start new day. Na haw e suppose be. No time to waste time. Everybody gat find things to do with dia hand.

As I reach market, I see sey na me first reach market. Mummy Tope, my neighbor neva reach. E better like dat. She too dey do. Once she reach like dis, na so-so cho-cho-cho she go dey do. I no mind to dey follow am talk small-small, but once she enter talk like dis, she no dey fit stop. I be di kind person wey no too like talk. I fit siddon from morning till night just dey think. But with di kind work wey I dey do, if I no talk, I no go see shi-shi. Di women for dis awa market too like gra-gra. Na only two option déy. Mek yu fight gidigbo to find customer or mek yu siddon dey look. Last-last wen hunger don tire yu, yu go carry yor load go village go dey look.

See wetin I dey talk, I don too think forget mysef. Mek I sharp-sharp arrange my market. Day don break finish.

As I dey arrange my tomato and my oda things, na so Mummy Tope come. She bring ha pikin, Tope, come market today. Dat pikin get coconut head. She no fit keep nyash for one place. Na so-so wahala she dey cause for market.

“Mummy Ify, yu early today o”, na wetin Mummy Tope talk as she begin dey arrange ha things. I just smile small, but for my mind, na blow I want give am. Wich day I no dey come shop early?

“Welcome o. Haw body?”

“Ah, we thank God… Tope, yu no go greet Mama Ify?”

Di mumu Tope just dey look me like sey I get shit for face. As di mama yeye, na so di pikin too yeye.

“No mind Tope jare! She no well. She bin get malaria. Na wai I say mek she follow me.”

Na so she start ha cho-cho-cho. I no sabi haw she no dey tire. My own be sey na market I come sell. Mek she dey talk dey gó.

One don nak. People don dey komot from church. Market don dey full. Na dis time I dey like market. People dey waká up and down dey buy every-every. I dey like wen all dem big-big madam come market. I dey always look dia cloth. Na so-so fine-fine things dem dey wear. I dey pray for di day wen me sef go komot for my motor, dey wear big madam cloth and shoe. Dis kind life go fit me well-well. E get one woman wey come buy onions from me. She buy plenty onions, kon say mek I hold di change on top. Di thing sweet me well-well. E don tey wey person dash me money. I see as mummy Tope dey look me with one kind eye. Na she sabi. Mek she sef pray for better customer.

E no long before Ifeanyi come jam me for market. I dey always happy wen e come, becos wen e come, I déy quick sell my market. I no sabi di cream wey di boy dey use but I no dey complain. Na my good luck charm. I go see better money wen day end.

As night want reach, me and Ifeanyi start dey pack awa things mek we go house go rest. As we dey pack, na so olokpa rush enter inside market, gbam! People kon dey scatter. Dem kon dey shout sey dem dey find Tope. Tope ke? Wetin dat one don do now? Mummy Tope dey try cover am make di olokpa no see am. Na so Ifeanyi shout sey she dey hide under table. Di olokpa just push Mummy Tope go one side, drag Tope komot for under table. Dem talk sey dem dey arrest am. Sey she steal money from person. Last-last, dem don nab am. No be today she start dey thieve. Mummy Tope start dey cry, dey beg dem sey mek dem leave ha pikin. Dem no gree o. Tope just dey look. She no send. Na so dem put am inside handcuff, dey drag am go dia van.

Mummy Tope leave ha market, follow dem dey beg. I kon dey tell am sey sorry o. Sey God go make dem release im pikin. If yu see di bad eye wey she give me. Wetin I do? I just dey pray for am. Shey I don do bad ni? Na she sabi. Me and Ifeanyi finish to pack awa things. Today make sense, no be small!

Tope don finally see di one wey pass am.

Writer: Itseme Akede; Illustrator: Oritseshemaye Onakpoya