Chapter 7: No More Running

Back for house.

The house cold, light no dey. I lock all door, carry chair block passage. My heart still dey race.

After I tell my wife everything.

My voice dey shake, I dey sweat. Morayo dey look me like say I dey mad.

Morayo first reaction na say I dey lie.

She hiss, clap hand, say, "Abeg, Olawale, which kind story be this? You drink? Na juju dey worry you, abi you just dey form story? Which kind juju dey this world?"

Her eye red, she shake head. "Men sef. Fear small, dem go begin talk ghost."

I swear say I no dey lie.

I kneel for ground, raise hand, say, "God punish me if I lie for your head. Keke dey talk inside that wardrobe."

But Morayo still no gree.

She stand up, waka go kitchen, slam door. I hear her dey talk for herself, "Nonsense. I go do am myself."

At the end, she vex: "You no fit do anything right. I go bury Keke by myself."

She carry wrapper, wear shoe, carry touch, say she dey go now. I try beg am, but she no look my face.

My wife waka go.

She slam door, I hear her footstep fade for corridor. My heart dey pound. I dey pray make nothing do her.

Not long after she commot.

My phone ring. Na in-law. I pick call, my hand dey shake.

My in-laws call, dey ask how far wedding preparation, whether we don see baba to choose day.

Dem dey talk sharp sharp. "We hope say una dey ready o! The whole family dey wait. Make sure you do am as tradition talk."

Dem na business people, dem believe in all this spiritual matter, especially the wedding day.

Their papa na chief for Akure, dem no dey joke with custom. If anything spoil, dem go shame us.

I no fit tell them truth, so I lie say my wife dey sick, promise say we go see baba soon.

I say, "Madam dey under the weather. Na malaria. We go see baba tomorrow, I swear."

After the call, I carry beer, say make I use am calm myself.

I finish one, start another. My mind dey race, my hand dey shake. Beer no fit wash the fear away.

After I drink well, my mind just dey on that wardrobe.

I dey remember Keke voice, the knocking, the laugh. I dey sweat for night, even fan no fit cool me.

But I no fit understand.

Spirit matter, juju matter—everything dey entangle for my head. I dey reason say if na dream, make I wake. If na real, make God help me.

If na person, how she go survive inside wardrobe for twenty years?

No food, no water, dark everywhere. Na only spirit fit do am.

If na spirit, how wardrobe go fit lock am inside?

Spirit suppose dey waka anywhere. But Keke own different. Na so I dey reason till eye red.

As I dey think, sleep catch me.

I no know when I drift go. For dream, I dey see small hand dey knock, dey call me.

I no know how long pass.

I just dey float, then suddenly, I feel person dey tap me.

Person just dey shake me anyhow.

"Olawale, wake up, wake up..."

Voice sharp, panic full am. My body cold, sweat dey my face.

I open my eyes.

I see Morayo face, her hand dey my shoulder, her own hand dey shake.

Na Morayo.

Her face pale, cloth tear, one shoe no dey leg. She dey breathe like person wey run from masquerade.

Night don reach again, my wife don come back from old house.

She no carry anything. I fit see mark for her hand, like scratch.

Her hair scatter, cloth tear, her eyes full of fear.

For her eye, na terror I see. She no fit talk full sentence.

I know say she don hear that strange voice too.

I dey look her, she dey tremble. I bring water, she drink but hand dey shake. I say, "Talk, wetin you see?"

"So, I no dey lie, abi? You hear Keke voice from inside wardrobe. This thing serious."

I no dey shout. My voice low. I dey shake, but I try hold her hand. She just dey nod head, tears dey drop from her eye.

Morayo just dey look ground, shock still hold her: "I hear am, I hear am. No be only say I hear. I... I even open the wardrobe."

She voice no pass whisper. Her hand dey shake. I dey fear the next word wey go comot.

"What!"

I jump stand. My leg nearly fail me. I dey shout now, forget say neighbors fit hear.

"Who tell you make you open am? Wetin you see?"

I dey sweat, my mouth dey dry. I dey pray say make e no be wetin I dey fear.

Morayo talk again: "She... she dey outside the door now."

As she talk am, na so knock land for our parlour door—three times. The air cold. Keke voice echo for corridor, "Mummy, daddy, I finish hide-and-seek. Make una open door."

Sweat break for my face. My heart dey hammer. For that moment, I know say no hiding again. Twenty years secret don come knock for our own house. For this Naija, secret dey sleep—but some daughters, dem no dey ever gree end their own hide-and-seek.