Chapter 4: Crossing into Spirit Territory

"You mean say, she waka comot from grave? Even come house, sleep for your side?"

I ask am, voice low, but inside me, I dey reason say spirit matter no be play. Na only those wey no see before dey doubt.

As e dey talk this one, sweat full Kenechukwu face, fear still dey him eyes.

Sweat dey roll for e forehead like palm oil. If you look well, you go see say e don shake reach e bone.

"Yes... I know say e no make sense, but as I run comot, I see ground full with sand."

E voice low, almost like whisper. If na another person, I go think say e dey lie. But spirit sign no dey hide.

As things dey turn upside down, Kenechukwu know say those prophets wey e call before no get sense. So as e find me, na the last hope be this—use Morayo birth details do vision-seeing.

If e no settle am now, e no sure say e go fit see next moon. For our place, na so fear dey chase man reach seer.

E still talk say after that night, e find three other 'prophets' do reading for Morayo—some talk good, some talk bad.

You go see as people dey chop people money. Some say 'your wife spirit don go,' others say 'do thanksgiving.' Nobody talk true.

But none of them know say Morayo don die.

That one pain am pass. Kenechukwu no fit trust again.

"Oga, na you be real seer. Abeg, forgive as I do before. Wetin I go do now?"

I see as e dey beg, e eye red, e voice no steady. For my mind, I pity am small, but na spirit talk I dey wait for.

I knock table small, tell am make e calm down. Even though Kenechukwu no respect me before, e really dey inside big wahala.

My grandpapa dey always say, 'No dey insult person wey you never need.' Now Kenechukwu don humble.

Na that time I understand why e face get two different signs. Na fate carry am come meet me today—I suppose help am survive this one.

If you get long life, but spirit dey drag you, na person wey sabi go help you balance.

"After you run comot, wetin come happen to Morayo body?"

I ask this one because sometimes, na body position fit make spirit no rest. If dem never do burial rite finish, wahala go dey.

Kenechukwu answer, "I never fit go back, I no even talk give anybody. My family dey do business; if people hear, wahala go dey."

I see say pride still dey small for e voice, but fear dey fight am. For Igbo land, reputation dey important. Spirit wahala fit spoil business.

I nod, reason small, then talk say make we go him house see as e be.

No time to waste. If spirit matter, na quick solution dey work pass.

"Oga, make I... follow go?"

I look am, see fear for e face. E dey shake, hand dey sweat. I nod, talk, 'You must follow. If you dey with me, na there you go safe pass.'

"You must follow. If you dey with me, na there you go safe pass."

No time to form. For this one, if e no follow, spirit fit vex more.

Kenechukwu no wan go at all. E dey fear say e go see Morayo face again, the way e be—half plaster, half her own.

Na real wahala. Even man wey never fear before, spirit fit humble am.

After I assure am say nothing go do am, Kenechukwu gree at last.

I tell am say, 'Spirit no fit harm you if your mind pure.' E gree, but fear still dey.

"I go depend on you, Oga."

The way e talk am, you go know say e don surrender everything. For this life, sometimes, na only hope dey hold person.

I push am back—"Oga, abeg, money no dey carry spirit matter, make we finish first." As e dey do transfer, e hand dey shake. Na so I know say e really need help.

I know say e no stingy, but I push the money back—not because I no want, but because e own fate never clear.

If I collect now, and e waka go join ancestors, na my own spirit wahala be that. I reason say better make I do the work finish first.