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I pray say Mama Tasty see sleep dat night. Na so she open eyes throughout the night. She no come understand wetin dey happen for Abako; this one don too much.
Na by 6 am naim she ready comot from house. She no even tell her husband or Michael wetin she hear. Dem go delay her and her mind no just settle at all. She been dey try call the watch night man, but that one number no dey go again, so she decide say she go run go see wetin dey happen by herself.
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Shaba don heavy wella and she no dey fit waka too much. Her belle no too big like some other people wey dey get belle; maybe she no dey feed well or the baby naturally small for inside belle. To eat sef na problem, even though say food full ground for her. All these things na new experience for her, because she never get belle before. And the worst thing be say, she no get mama or husband or sister or mother-in-law wey she go cry for or complain give. Na she dey paddle her canoe by herself.
This particular morning, na pains wake her up. Her waist be like wetin wan explode. She just dey scream anyhow, but where she dey far for inside uncompleted building and nobody dey near. She don even too weak to dey shout wella. Over one hour and nobody don mistake hear say Shaba dey shout. She dey sweat like Christmas goat. Na one place she dey because she no fit stand up. Whether na death dey come, she no fit explain because she no even understand wetin death really mean.
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If no be the call wey Mama receive, her plan be say she go enter community school go find Shaba that morning. But things come change and she gats go know wetin happen for front of her shop.
People don already gada for front of her line, everybody dey observe. She quickly rush go there. Her mind dey give her one kind feeling wey she no like. I mean, who no go feel one kind if person die for e house? She reach there, but e be say dem don carry the dead bodies comot. She fold her hands begin look, she no even fit talk anything. She begin use eyes find Mama Angela wey call her for phone and the security man, but she no see any of dem near. But as she dey look, she come see some policemen dey point her direction.
“Sorry madam, na you be Mama Tasty?” one of the police come ask her.
“Yes, na me… Na my shop be dis… Any problem?”
“Not at all, ma. My oga wan see you concerning the death of Paul and Gordon. You go follow us like dis go station.”
“I no understand? Werin una use dat one mean?” Mama eyes change immediately, she come dey confused. “And who be Paul and Gordon? I never hear those names before for my life, talkless of the nonsense wey u dey spit from your mouth!”
“Madam, if u reach station, you go explain to my oga. And make I advise u, beta call your lawyer now.”
The mata serious pass wetin she be think. Police no first be beta pipu, na every opportunity wey dem see, naim dem go want take bend person hand go back collect all e money. Maybe na money dem dey find. All these na wetin dey run through Mama as she dey try reach her husband for phone. She no even know as she wan take tell am for phone. The mata funny and she no even tell am say person die for her shop in the first place before she comot house that morning; even Michael her main paddy for the house no know wetin dey shele.
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Time don pass normal for Timo to take come out from cell. Normally, e no dey spend the night for cell, but this one don pass like dat; the news of fresh pipu wey dem kill for last night no even dey help matters. E be like say him go tay small for there, even e politician boss never show face at all for station. Nobody don come find Timo for station talkless of say dem wan bail am.
Everybody dey on the run, boys don few for Abako. Cult fight dey always bloody, not to talk of the one wey involve money. Nobody really know how the money take go, because of the fight.
Timo sidon for ground for him cell begin reason life. If him boss no come, that means mata fit don red, and based on say na politician, e no go wan like enter limelight for that kind mata. What of him friends? Those ones sef too dey on the run and go don find the next route out of Abako. That one come leave am with only one person wey go fit help am – Mama Tasty!
He quickly rush check whether e go see police tell to look for him phone for counter, but e come remember say e no even carry e phone come station at all. My guy come weak, but wetin for weak am more be say if e come finally hear say dem arrest Mama Tasty too – him only hope.
Written by Chuky One Pilla
