Spindled slumber, p.11
Sozaboy, page 11
I was very happy to lie down. By this time small rain don begin dey fall, dey make noise for roof. I begin think of Agnes. But sleep catch me well well. I sleep.
Lomber Eleven
When we wake up next morning, the rain was falling bad bad. The roof of the school was leaking plenty plenty and everywhere na soso water water. I was thinking to myself how are the pits that we dig last night. Water go don fill all well well. I was laughing small for my belly.
Then the soza captain came again. It is very early in the morning, oh. This soza captain is small man. I no think that the man fit old pass myself plenty. But always he is dressing very well. His uniform is very clean. And ’e dey wear him hat with style. Very thin man so. When he walk, na with speed like say porson dey pursue am. Him get three star for him shoulder. So as he came into that open place where we were sleeping, everybody begin to jump up because they know as this soza captain used to hala if porson is not doing something well. That is what happened yesterday when we were digging that pit wey water don full now. Many times the soza captain hala at some sozas. Then he give them punishment. Either they will make double quick march on one place or he will ask one sarzent to beat them. And if you see how the boys were crying ehn, you will sorry for them. So this morning, they are not looking for wahala. So immediately we all fall inside one line. Everybody attention. No movement.
So the soza captain say that he is very happy with what we have done yesterday. That we show that we learn the thing they teach us well well. That we will be good soza. That our job in that place that he called Iwoama is to stop the enemy from coming into that town. Because he will tief everything inside the town. Then he will take away all the women and begin to use them. And he will not stop at Iwoama. After Iwoama he will enter every place from Dukana and then he will go to Pitakwa. I beg oh, God no gree bad thing. Suppose as the soza captain come talk, enemy begin enter Iwoama? Then he will kill all of us plus myself. Then he will enter every place plus Dukana. Then they will carry away my mama plus Agnes and then begin to use Agnes. I beg, God no gree bad thing. Instead of that, we go fight sotey the world broke into two. No worry, soza captain, the enemy no go fit enter Iwoama. At all.
So the soza captain tell us that to stop the enemy, we must all work very hard and as him tell us yesterday, we must obey our leader. He said that sometime sef we will not get food to eat; no water to drink and no medicine, even if we sick. But we must not worry. Because everything will be awright after all. So this morning, he will give us new uniform and gun and he will divide us into three company. So he put myself and Bullet and thirty other boys in ‘A’ company. He said that Bullet is our leader. So he give am three ropes and another watch to wear for him hand. Like that for the three companies. Then he called those three people that he have made leader of the company and he begin to talk to them.
I was thinking to myself how I am lucky to be with Bullet in the same company. Because to talk true, I like am plenty. Na very fine man. And ’e sabi almost everything. And ’e no dey make gra-gra. All him things na je-je. And if you no know sometin and you aks am he will take time to explain to you. As he used to do his thing, you will think that that thing is easy to do, you will not know that it is very difficult. Because ’e get power to make big thing look like small easy thing. I was very happy to be in that ‘A’ company. I know that it will be very easy for me to obey Bullet. And I know that he will teach me all those things that I cannot understand. So that I will be very clever soza by the time we don finish the fighting.
Now, after the soza captain have spoken to the three new leaders that he called san mazor, he said quashun to all of us. We stopped talking or thinking. Then he told us again that now we all have san mazor – three of them. From this time, we must do what the san mazor say. Obey before complain. That is what the soza captain said. If there is trouble or disobedience, he will shoot all those who cause the trouble. Good morning. Then the soza captain turned and left.
That morning they gave all of us gun. Every porson one gun. It is the second time that I have hold gun in my own hand. And I am telling you I was very very proud of myself. New uniform plus gun. Even sef that gun dey wonder me plenty. I look am for him mouth. I look am for belly. I look am for bottom. Just small and thin. And with plenty of power. Short man bogey. I carry the gun for my hand. I put am down. I clean am small small. I pull him tooth, ’e talk small small. I come proud well well. And I dey laugh for myself. So now I be sozaboy proper proper. Wetin Zaza go talk now if ’e see me? I was thinking how I will take foto of myself inside new uniform with gun and then I will send the foto to Agnes and then she will show it to all those Dukana people. And they will be prouding when they know that one of their picken is now big soza. But I think that sometime I will wait small time so that I will get one rope or two rope or even three, then when I send the foto they will know that I no hold joke; that true true I am big man now in soza work.
Yes, that is what I will do. By that time sef, sometime I will even get bigger gun. But I like dis my new gun. It was even like the time that I first married Agnes. I was prouding plenty. And I see that the other sozas are also prouding plenty for their own gun. Everybody was looking at his gun like new wife dem just marry for am. But we no get plenty time to stay there that morning.
They ask us to fall into line again. And we begin to march. I am telling you, as we were marching today not as we used to march before. Everybody seem bigger than before; whether because of new uniform or because of gun, I do not know. But myself it is because of gun. I no look sef whether the gun is new or old. I am just proud of the gun when I remember that with that gun Chief Birabee go fall down for ground when he see me call me ‘sah’, ‘Oga’ and ‘massa’ and all those fine fine names.
It was still raining small small by this time and we were marching to that place where we dig pit yesterday. That is ‘A’ company with Bullet as sam mazor and ‘our leader’. I no care for the rain sef. All I was remembering is what that soza captain tell us that we must work hard, obey our leader and not allow the enemy to formfool. I was saying to myself that if the enemy begin to formfool today that I have got gun, he will see pepper, red pepper. Ha! Ha!
By this time we have reached where we dig the pits yesterday. And true true water don enter am plenty. Then Bullet say that we must enter the pit two porson inside one pit. So he divided us into two two. Himself and myself were inside one pit. So I ask Bullet whether we shall remove the water first before we enter inside the pit. He shook his head. I no like this oh, but as they tell us to obey before complain, I cannot complain. And as other sozas were entering the pit, no complain, I myself did likewise. Bullet also entered the pit.
No sooner we enter that pit than I hear some thing. Yes, I hear something, some kain sound like dem shoot gun. I fear small. Then I was angry because I think it is one of our company who is shooting that gun. But Bullet tell me that it is not our boys who is shooting that gun. Then he pointed to the front. I look carefully. I cannot see anything at all. I wanted to get out of the pit so that I can see better still. So I was about to jump out when Bullet pushed me down. As he pushed me down, I hear another sound like gun and I see something like bird with sharp noise wey fly near my head.
“Careful, be careful,” Bullet said.
“Whasmatter?” I asked.
“The enemy,” Bullet answered. “The enemy is over there.”
“Is it the enemy that is shooting?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“So he have already begin to formfool wey day never broke and we get new gun for our hand.”
“He was just greeting us.”
“Is that the way to greet people for Iwoama?”
“That is a greeting at the front.” And Bullet begin to laugh small small.
“If that is what this enemy go dey do, there will be plenty trouble,” I said.
“Oh yes, there will be plenty trouble,” said Bullet, and he was laughing small small. After some time I begin to laugh too. After that day, nobody shoot again. But every day we must stay inside the pit. For evening time another Company will take our place. Or some time na we go stay for night time. All through the night. And porson no go sleep sef. Whether rain or no rain we dey stay inside the pit. The food wey dem give us for chop no too fine. In fact, dog no go fit chop dat kain chop. But as Bullet talk, war is war. Porson wey want better chop must wait until the war don finish.
“But which time de war go finish?” I asked Bullet.
“War will finish when everybody don die finish,” he answered, and he begin laugh.
Look, I no like as Bullet dey take everything for joke. How war go finish when everybody don die finish? Na who go live to enjoy after that? Does it mean that myself, my wife Agnes and my mama go don die finish by that time? Then why are we fighting then?
As we are staying inside that pit, many things used to worry me you know. Like that question. Why are we fighting? I used to confuse plenty any time I ask that question to myself. I cannot ask Bullet because some time he will think that I am not doing what the soza captain said about obey before complain. So I just keep quiet so that they can give me one rope or two ropes. I am sure that as Bullet like me plenty he will soon give me rope. Only I want something to happen so that I can show them that I am good soza. Then they will give me rope. If I have that rope, then those Dukana people will know that I am not just Sozaboy but really tough man who can bring Hitla home.
But we waited plenty days. Nothing come happen. Then I remembered what that Chief Commander General was saying in big big grammar that day for the training camp – how he was saying that the enemy have tired and they cannot fight. If so, why do they not ask us to return to our home? So we continued to wait. And nothing happened. Everyday the same thing.
And something was very bad for that place, you know. Water to drink no dey. Common well sef, you cannot get. So that all the time, it was the water in the swamp that we were drinking. And that is also the place that we are going to latrine. Na the same water that we are bathing and using to wash some of our clothes. And na the same water we were using for cooking. That is if we get something to cook like eba and soup. But as you know, not every time that we can cook soup and eba. Even when we cook, na sozaman cook we dey cook. Just throw water, salt, pepper and small fish for pot at the same time. Otherwise, always small biscuit and tea for inside mess pan without sugar or anything. Christ Jesus, man picken don suffer well well.
All this time Bullet and myself we are like brothers. Because we are always staying in the same pit or we sleep near ourselves in the dormitory tent. I think this man likes me too much as me I like am too. We used to talk about everything. I told him how I was apprentice driver and then my mother and Agnes my new wife with J.J.C. And how Zaza and Bom, Terr Kole and Duzia are always talking things that will make porson laugh plenty. Bullet used to laugh plenty whenever I talk about Zaza and how he used to fight in Burma. I used to wonder why he was laughing like that. But when I asked him he will only laugh more and more. He told me how he too is the only son of his mother and father in Aba. How he have gone to school plenty and he can type letter and he have read plenty book. And he have now joined army because he knows that when the war don finish all those who have fight the war well will become big man. And he told me that as I am his brother now, when he becomes big man he must not forget me at all.
All these things made me very very happy and although we were suffering many bad things, I did not worry at all. Because bad thing must happen before good one come happen.
Lomber Twelve
One day, as we were inside the pit in the afternoon, I see something like handkerchief in the bush very far away. At first, I think that what I am seeing is not true. How can handkerchief grow in the bush? And white handkerchief too. I begin to think that I am stupid. But no. It is white handkerchief. And this handkerchief was going up, up, up. So I called Bullet and told him what I am seeing.
“What is the meaning of this handkerchief?” is what I asked Bullet.
“It means surrender,” he answered. “That mean to say that the porson who is holding that handkerchief does not want to fight again. He want make we settle our quarrel. Make we talk. Make we no fight again.”
“So true true that this enemy don tire for fight as the Chief Commander General was talking that day?” I asked.
“I no think so.”
“You no think so? Are you saying that the Chief Commander General was telling lie that day to all of us? Is it?”
“I am not saying so. But sometimes, even the Chief Commander General, as you call him, can make mistakes. If he were correct, why should we be here today? And you remember the greeting we had when we first arrived here?”
As Bullet was speaking was confusing me again. I don’t like how he used to talk big big grammar sometimes. Either he will be laughing small small and he will not talk plenty or if he wants to talk, he will make big big grammar and he will be confusing me. But the one that I am talking about now is not something to confuse about. Because true true that white handkerchief is moving nearer and nearer. So Bullet told me to go and tell everybody in their pit not to move at all. Not to shoot. But everybody must hold their gun ready. In case he gives them order to fire. So I jumped from our own pit and went to all the other pits and told them as Bullet have said and then quick quick I come return to my own pit. So I no go miss anything that the white handkerchief will do.
“Now, you hold your gun on the ready. Release the safety catch and keep your hand on the trigger. Keep cool. And keep your mouth shut.”
If na before I will not understand what Bullet is saying but, you know, sitting in this pit for one month, I am beginning to know one or two things. Even the big big grammar that used to confuse me proper proper before no dey confuse me too much again. Even, I can speak some big grammar sometimes myself. Just I will repeat what Bullet or the soza captain have said. And I will say it carefully with my mouth and with style so that if you hear me talking by that time, you will even think that I am oyibo man. Even Bullet come give me one book and every time when I get small chance I will try to read the book. It was very tough for me, I am telling you, but if there is some word I do not know, I must ask Bullet and he will explain to me. I was prouding of myself plenty.
The white handkerchief that is moving is not a thing for joke at all. So I have heard what Bullet said about being ready. And I must not talk at all. Now the white handkerchief begin to near us. I can see that no be just handkerchief wey dey move by itself. ’E get man wey dey hold the handkerchief. But ’e no dey show himself. Just dey go on him belly, small small. So by this time, Bullet come hold handkerchief by himself. So that the porson who is coming will know that everything is awright. So when the man see Bullet’s handkerchief, he stood up and begin to walk to where we are. Him put two hands up to show that he have no gun. So when Bullet see that the man no hold gun, he jumped out of the pit. But he looked at me as if to say ‘I think you remember what I told you before’.
Bullet stood attention. And when the man came near, they shook hands together. So the man bring out a packet of cigarette and gave Bullet one stick. Bullet took it and they begin to smoke. So the man said that the two of them should sit down. Then they sat down together. At first, they cannot talk easily because as you know, they do not know what to talk about. But the man come bring one bottle of ginkana from him pocket and he drank it first. Then he gave it to Bullet. That one drink too. Straight from the bottle. Then the man laugh small small. Then Bullet begin laugh too, small small.
All this time my finger dey for the trigger. I never fire gun before as you know. And I don’t know as it will be if I pull that trigger. I am wondering to myself; but I also like as the man dey drink dey pass the bottle to Bullet. They drink like that until the drink finish well well. So the man bring another bottle. ’E tell Bullet make him give some to him friends wey dey inside ‘those cold trenches’ as him talk am. Na pit de man dey call ‘trench’ you know. Sometime ’e don drink proper no remember de correct name again.
“I will see you again tomorrow.” That is what he said before he begin to crawl for belly return to the place that he have commot from. When he reach far far place, Bullet told me to return the catch of my rifle. He gave me the bottle of ginkana that the soza have left behind.
I drank it small small. Then Bullet said that I should send it to the next pit, make the other sozas drink too and pass until everybody have drunk. So that night every soza drank small ginkana and the pit was not too cold for us. And we were very happy because since we reach that place, we have never see any hot drink. Only tea for bag and the water no dey hot sef.
But there was something which was worrying me for mind. I think I have seen that man before. I sure say I have seen that sozaman before. Oh God, where I have seen that sozaman before? That tall man with plenty tooth. Where have I see him before? I asked Bullet whether he have seen the man before. ’E say him never see arri from Adam. So I ask am why de man come. And why ’e bring drink. And whether true true na dis man dem dey call enemy.
“Oh yes. That man is the enemy,” Bullet replied. “Look, Sozaboy, we are in war front, o.k. And in the war front, there are all sorts of people. Drunkards, thieves, idiots, wise men, foolish men. There is only one thing which binds them all. Death. And everyday they live, they are cheating death. That man came to celebrate the fact.”
“Bullet,” I said, “I beg you, no make too much grammar for me. I beg you. Try talk the one that I will understand. No vex because I ask you this simple question.”
“No, I no dey vex,” Bullet replied after some time. “I no dey vex. What I am saying is that all of us who are here can die any time. Any time. So while we live, we must drink. Because, as you know, man must wak.” This Bullet is very clever man you know. Man must wak. I like that. Man must wak.
