Chapter 3: Death in White Lace

Him name na Kenechukwu, big business man for the area. Him and him wife wey don die, Morayo, know each other for five years. Dem just marry, dey think say happiness don start. But only few days later, Morayo get accident.

For this our town, once person marry new wife, neighbours go come chop rice. For Kenechukwu, e never reach one week before bad news land. Dem say joy and sorrow dey waka together.

Na keke jam am—maybe she dey for where the driver no see. Morayo enter under the keke, when dem pull her out, half her head don scatter.

For Akokwa, keke na wahala. The drivers no dey look road well. People sabi say, if you see keke dey speed, abeg, waka for corner.

The driver fear, run comot, up till now dem never see am.

Police try find am, but for this side, if spirit no catch you, you fit run for years. People just dey talk say maybe na jazz dey protect the driver.

New wife die like that—her spirit no fit calm.

For Igbo land, if person die sudden, dem believe say the spirit go dey waka, dey disturb people. Especially woman wey never born, e pain dey double.

Later, Kenechukwu arrange burial for her. For her village, dem dey bury for ground. But the day dem carry her reach the mortuary, wahala start.

Na so elders gather, dey talk in low voice. Some say make dem call dibia, some say make dem wait. The air just stiff like kpali wey never open.

The coffin na iroko wood, Morayo body dey inside. But six strong men no fit lift am at all.

People gather, some dey shout "chai!", others dey cover face, tears just dey flow. You go see men wey chop egusi and semo, but the coffin no gree move. Dem try, dem sweat, dem kneel, but ground no gree.

The burial people quick understand: her spirit still dey vex—she no wan rest.

For village, na so dem go quick find root of problem. If coffin no gree move, na sign say person spirit still dey wahala. Dem dey fear such sign well well.

One old man talk say, "If spirit no gree move, no force am—trouble go jam house." Dem ask Kenechukwu how e wan do am. If dem use machine force carry the coffin, e fit move, but e fit vex the dead body and bring wahala later.

Some elders say, 'No use force, abeg. Spirit no like am.' But Kenechukwu mind dey hot; e just wan make everything end.

Or, dem talk say, make e rest first, call person wey sabi come do prayer.

E get one old woman wey dey do song for burial. She try sing, but her voice no move the coffin. Everybody begin fear.

That time, Kenechukwu no believe all these spirit matter. E think say na way to collect more money. E no wan make wahala that day, so e just force dem move the coffin.

E pay men extra, dem push am with plank and rope. Everybody just dey look, nobody gree talk again. The elders shake head, but nobody fit fight money.

After that, Kenechukwu begin dream of him wife every night.

Na so spirit begin knock for him door. For our side, dream dey show where problem dey come from. But Kenechukwu no believe before.

For dream, Morayo face no clear at all. She go wear the same white lace she wear the day of accident, blood full everywhere, she go just stand for Kenechukwu bedroom door—no dey talk, just dey look am.

People say if dead person dey appear, no talk back. But this one, she just dey look—eye red, face pale, as if she dey wait make Kenechukwu talk first.

After some days, Kenechukwu mind begin shake. E no understand why Morayo go dey appear for him dream like that.

E begin call different people, try different things—salt for door, broom for window, nothing work.

E ask me, "Morayo dey vex for me?"

I look am well, reason say if to say na my hand, I go fear too. But I keep my face strong, no let pity show.

"The person wey do her bad never pay. Her spirit never rest. For that kind time, you force bury her, so of course she go vex."

For Igbo, if person no get justice, spirit fit dey waka. I explain so e go understand say na action cause reaction.

"But this one no hard to settle. But when I check just now, your wife don die pass twenty days. Why you just dey come now?"

In our culture, spirit get time to rest before e go. If wahala still dey after twenty days, matter fit strong pass ordinary.

Kenechukwu talk say e don call plenty 'prophets' before, dem do prayer for three days for him house. At the end, dem talk say Morayo spirit don go, she no go disturb am again.

The prayer people carry candle, holy water, dey shout alleluia. Kenechukwu give dem money, hope say peace go return.

That night, Kenechukwu sleep well—no dream. But the next morning, e smell something rotten for him room.

E wake up, sniff again, realize say the smell dey come from him side.

The smell strong pass dustbin. E turn, begin search for rat wey die. But nothing.

E turn, bump into something. As e look well, na him wife Morayo wey dem don bury be that.

Na so e freeze, heart nearly stop. For our place, if you see dead person for night, abeg, run or call elder.

Kenechukwu fear so tey e no fit shout. By that time, Morayo no fine again. Her head don spoil for accident, for mortuary, dem use plaster fill am.

Spirit matter no dey hide. Her face na half human, half plaster, as if her pain still dey for this world.

So as Morayo lie for Kenechukwu side, her face be half her own, half na plaster.

If to say na ordinary dream, person fit wake. But this one, Kenechukwu know say e don cross into another kind wahala.