Chapter 4 – Blood and Broken Dreams
The week after the shootout, Ajegunle quiet small, but that kind silence no dey last for Lagos. E be like calm before thunder. Mama still dey shake any time she hear loud sound. I dey try hide my fear make she no worry, but truth be say, I no sleep well since that night.
I know say Baba Eko no go just forget say I walk away. Street bosses no like boys wey say "I no do again." For them, na insult.
That morning, as I dey sweep front of our new hut, one small boy drop nylon for me. E talk say, "Dem say make I give you."
I open am — inside na bullet shell and small paper wey write:
"No one leaves the line."
My hand begin shake. I look road — no sign of the boy again.
Mama come out, "Seyi, wetin be that?"
I quickly fold am say, "Nothing, mama."
But my mind no rest. That bullet shell be like message from death.
Two nights later, I hear knock for door.
"Who be that?" I whisper.
"Na me, Samson."
Samson na one of the boys from the loading park. I open small. He rush in, whisper, "Guy, Baba Eko don vex o. Dem say he swear say him go teach you lesson."
Before I fit talk, we hear bike horn outside — vroom-vroom-vroom!
Samson freeze. "Na dem!" he shout.
I grab mama hand, we hide behind the bed.
Three shadows appear outside window. One voice talk, "Search am! Make sure say we find that boy!"
I hold my breath. Mama dey pray under her voice, "Jesu, fi ọmọ mi pamọ."
Then gunshot sound tear the night — gbam!
Dem shoot air, break bottle, and speed off.
When everywhere calm, I come out — our zinc door don get bullet hole.
Mama cry, hold me tight. "Seyi, we must leave this place."
By morning, I carry small bag and decide to go Oshodi. I no tell mama where exactly, but I know I need disappear small before wahala kill me.
Oshodi no be heaven, but at least nobody know me there. I sleep for motor park under bridge for two days. I meet one man wey dey repair generator — him name Alhaji Musa.
I tell am say I sabi mechanic work. He smile say, "If you get clean hand, work dey."
Na so I start new life again.
One evening, as I dey fix one small gen, I hear siren. Police dey chase one danfo driver wey jam motor. The driver lose control, the bus flip, scatter like paper. Everybody shout. I rush go help pull people from bus.
As I bend lift one woman, I hear voice behind me shout, "Hey you! Stop there!"
I turn — police officer point gun at me.
"You be one of them!" he shout.
Before I talk, dem handcuff me. I try explain, but no use. They throw me inside their van again. My chest tight.
For cell, I meet boys with scar, tattoos, and dead eyes. The smell strong like gutter water. One small boy whisper, "First time?"
I nod.
He laugh, "You go learn."
That night, I think about life. I no kill, I no steal, but see where I dey. My dream of better life dey break piece by piece.
Three days later, one inspector come. He check names. When he reach mine, he pause. "You be Seyi?"
I nod weakly.
He look me, then smile small. "My brother be mechanic too. I no go lie, you resemble am. Wetin you do?"
I tell am everything. He quiet small, then say, "You lucky today."
By evening, he sign paper. They release me.
As I dey walk out, I look back — boys wey I meet for cell wave me small. Their eyes talk something:
"No come back here again."
When I reach Ajegunle, I see mama outside church. She see me and run hug me.
"My pikin! I think say you don die!"
I cry small for her shoulder.
She look me and say, "Seyi, promise me say you no go return to that life again."
I swear with tears say, "Mama, I no go ever again."
That night, I sit for front of house, breeze dey blow through bullet hole for our door. I look up, stars full sky.
I tell myself:
"Blood don drop, dreams don break… but as long as I still dey breathe, my story never end."