Chapter 3: The Truth About Musa

"Bros Dapo, true true, no be Ifunanya be your small pikin babe? Why you hate her like this?"

The other guy voice dey calm, but e get that kind street sense. E dey talk like person wey dey reason beyond face value.

"And Musa, wetin he do you? He no even like Ifunanya, but still dey fight you for her?"

Dapo snort, voice carry grudge.

That Dapo snort loud, e show say e no dey pretend again. All the wahala wey e hide since, e drop am for ground.

"That tomboy Ifunanya don dey follow me since small, always dey drag me make I show my ears and tail, dey treat me like say I be pet dog. Why I no go hate am?"

I shock for where I stand. All the small play wey I dey do, I no know say e dey pain Dapo for mind.

"And she too dey dull. I just dey use style hold her, tell am say I never reach adulthood so I no fit near am, she believe am sharp sharp. Hahaha! We fox spirits na born sharp—me don mature since, dey date girls, get more than twelve babes already..."

The laugh dey cut me. Na that kind laugh wey dey carry malice. My hand begin shake.

"As for Musa, abeg, I no just like am. Just incubus, low-level creature—wetin make him better pass me? He even get mind warn me say make I no hurt Ifunanya. I go show am pepper."

This side pain me well. So Musa dey try protect me, but Dapo dey see am as threat?

"You sef no know say Musa feeling for Ifunanya pass ordinary crush. Ifunanya na him destined partner. That first time dem meet for age five, Musa no fit hold himself, na why he change form because he see him person."

I remember that first touch. Now e clear. Destiny get as e dey work.

"He come look so ugly that time—how Ifunanya wan like am?"

The guy voice dey carry small pity, but Dapo just dey brush am off.

"I just hold my own, dey form say I dey like Ifunanya just to vex Musa. Abeg, Musa don reach twenty-five, na now him adulthood dey come. No be because Ifunanya no dey gree near am..."

So na me dey delay Musa adulthood. E pain me say I no know all this time. Wetin I fit do now?

My heart just heavy, like say person use hammer knock am.

All my body dey numb. I wan run, but my leg dey ground.

So that first meeting, when Musa grow horn and tail for my front—

Na because I be him destined partner?

The thing choke me. Destiny matter no dey play.

And now, Dapo don use me do trick just to punish Musa.

I dey try hold tears, but e dey come. Betrayal dey heavy for chest.

From their talk, na Musa really dey suffer adulthood...

The real victim na Musa. Me I dey run up and down, Dapo dey use me play, but Musa dey bear pain for corner.

"Bros Dapo, but if Ifunanya come and see say you dey okay nko?"

The other guy get sense. E dey reason wetin fit happen if my eye clear.

"Wetin? I go just act like small pikin, she go fall. I know Ifunanya—na easy person to deceive."

I bite my lip. Na so dem dey reason me? Easy person to trick?

"Worst case, I go let her touch my tail small. So annoying. After that I go wash am well—if my fur carry her smell, others go dey make noise."

Dapo voice dey full of disgust. E pain me say even my presence dey be problem for am.

The others...

Who be these others? Na fox spirits circle? Or just clique of people wey dey reason like Dapo?

Hmph.

My body dey boil. Na real fox spirit Dapo be. Sly, cunning, e no send anybody.

So na true fox you be after all.

Even with all my love, na this kind person e still be. Fox na fox.

I hold wall, no open the private room door, no even confront am.

I dey reason say if I enter, I fit break something—maybe my own spirit. So I just hold wall, dey breathe.

I check my phone. E don reach one o'clock.

My mind just flash Musa face. For that moment, everything change. Time dey fly.

Na almost one hour since Musa message me.

If e bad as dem talk, e fit don pass help. My heart dey pound, my hand dey shake.

I really be Musa destined partner?

I dey reason say if na true, my action fit get big consequence. My spirit dey shake.

If I no go meet am, e fit really die?

This one no be film trick again. Real life dey talk to me. If I no show, wetin go happen?

After I leave bar, my mind still dey shake.

I waka for road, breeze dey slap me, I no even feel am. My mind dey replay Dapo voice, Musa text, all my years as pikin.

I think tire, then call my best friend, Zainab.

If anybody fit give me answer, na Zainab. She sabi spirit matter pass anybody.

Her own partner na incubus too.

Dem even do introduction last year, elders still dey talk about the jollof rice.

Na their own be community gist that year. Seyi and Zainab dey like beans and dodo—different but perfect. I know say she go talk true.

I wake her, ask am if all this destined partner thing for incubus na true.

For phone, Zainab voice weak, like person wey just finish all-night vigil.

She pick call, cough small, then say, "Ifunanya, hope no be police wahala? Time don pass..."

"Destined partner? Of course, me and Seyi na destined partners."

She talk am with confidence. Her own love no get hiding.

"Omo, when we first meet for blind date for mama put, just handshake, he grow horn and tail there—scare people, almost carry us go chief's court."

That story na legend. People for community still dey talk how mama put madam pour groundnut soup for table when horn show.

"After we start, I come know say na so e dey be for incubus wey meet him person."

Zainab talk am like say e no hard. But I know say e get as e dey do her heart. She love Seyi, no fit hide am.

"Why you dey ask? You jam incubus wey recognize you as him own?"

I no answer, just dodge the matter.

If I talk am, she go press, she sabi gossip. But na truth I dey find, no be joke.

"But if... say, if incubus don meet him destined partner before adulthood, but another person help am pass the adulthood, e go still work?"

For phone, breeze blow small. Zainab pause, then sigh. "Nanya, that one hard. Seyi, come talk."

Zainab pause; she no too sure.

I hear small shuffle, then Seyi voice enter phone—deep, calm, like person wey don read plenty books.

Then her partner, Seyi, collect phone talk small.

"If incubus meet him destined partner before adulthood, na only that person e go ever want. If he no fit get love from am, e adulthood go delay, even when e come, e go suffer pass normal..."

Seyi voice no dey joke. The truth dey loud inside. I fit hear Zainab dey nod for background.

"If another person try help am pass adulthood after he don find him person... e no fit work. Incubus no dey betray their destined partner. Dem fit even choose die."

That one land for my chest. I dey reason Musa face, all the years e dey bear my wahala.

Zainab rush ask, "Wetin dey happen? Which incubus you meet?"

She sabi as e dey go. Na sharp babe.

"Na Musa?"

Her voice loud small. She know say me and Musa history long.

I just force laugh, cut call sharp sharp.

I no want make dem dey press me for gist. My mind dey too hot to talk story.

Everybody know say I no like Musa.

From small, na me dey always push am for corner, but e still dey try reach me. People dey wonder wetin e see for me.

But now dem dey talk say I be him destined partner.

Fate no dey ask permission. As e be so, I just dey face truth wey I run from since.

And if I no love am, e fit die.

No be small thing. My mind just dey shout. Wetin I go do?

My mind just scatter.

The kind confusion wey dey hold person for junction, na the one wey catch me. Left or right, either way e hard.