Chapter 6: Dreams and Warnings

Back to my room,

I sit for ground, back against door, hug my knees, bury my head.

I no even see bullet comments again. Silence just full my ear, only my breath dey loud.

[How now, the babe don misunderstand.]

[Good, make she misunderstand—at least she go fit waka.]

[Yes, make dem dey misunderstand, after all, the guy no sabi love, wetin him wan use wife do?]

[…Na only me wan see as guy go force love? If the babe just waka, him go… hehe.]

[True!]

I sniff.

Look up, only see the last comment:

[No wahala, as Halima, the extra babe, dey, our babe go dey suffer. If you no fit fight the sly guy, just waka.]

Na true.

Me and Tunde don dey engaged since we small.

He like snake from small. Me, I dey fear snake since small. Every time he hold snake, I go run, he go laugh me.

No matter how I try, I no fit change.

Until I see Halima for the first time.

For Tunde snake room.

She wear white dress, snake wrap her body, she dey smile. Tunde stand one side, dey look her with soft eye.

Na that time I realise—

I dey fear snake.

But many babes for this world no dey fear.

“Hiss hiss—”

The small black snake waka come.

Tongue dey flick, e raise body look me, eye round and shiny. I even feel say e fine small.

E crawl come, cold body touch my leg. I shift, e stop, wait make I calm, then continue.

E wrap my hand, head dey nudge my palm.

E dey gentle.

I stand up, carry am gently, sit back for bed:

“Make we sleep, abeg. No let me press you die.” I dey talk like say I dey beg small pikin wey wan cry.

I put the snake by my pillow.

E curl, head down.

I relax, off rechargeable lamp, lie down, no too close, no too far. Na so NEPA take light, but I no even fear again, just dey watch snake.

Sleep dey catch me—

Snakes no too bad after all.

I no even notice as bullet comments just full screen:

[Wetin guy dey do? Abeg, no touch our soft babe!]

[Babe, no sleep! See, the snake beside you wan turn man!]

[I hear say snake people fit hypnotise… Na only me dey expect wetin go happen tonight?]

For my dream—

One cold thing dey crawl from my toes, up my leg, my thigh, inside my thigh… dey climb slowly.

I shake my leg as cold catch me.

But e be like cold rope… or snake tail.

E wrap my leg bit by bit.

“Mmm.”

Fear make me whimper.

E grip loose small.

Like say e dey pet me, e use tail rub my face.

Then I open eye.

I see myself for dark room.

I sit up, look around, call without thinking:

“Tunde.”

“Tunde, where you dey?”

Strangely—

Next thing, darkness clear small.

“I dey here.”

Familiar voice from my back.

I happy, turn, na the small black snake I first see.

I freeze. “Why na you…?”

But this one different.

E don big well.

But e lower head, come near gently.

“Tunde?”

No answer.

Na only the small black snake, e use tail touch my leg small.

Like puppy wey dey fear say owner go push am.

“Little Black, why you big like this now?”

I touch am for head.

But next second—

The big snake shadow just dey blur.

E turn to one fine, naked man.

He cover my eyes with hand.

But through his fingers, I see am clear.

Na Tunde.

My eyes open.

“You, you, you…”

“Shh.”

I never see Tunde like this before.

Him eye soft, but inside dey burn. Like ember under firewood, e get small danger.

He carry my hand, press am for his neck. “You still dey fear?”

Suddenly—

I realise say no be him neck I dey hold,

Na snake seven-inch spot.*

“A snake wey dey bite suppose make person hold am. No fear,” he talk, voice rough.

I try pull my hand, but he hold am tight.

All I fit do na cry, “No…”

Tunde swallow.

He lean close. “No what?”

The heat from my ear run my whole body.

E be like fire wan catch me.

“You no like am?”

But he come even closer.

He hold my hand, guide am down.

“When I dey call you bad girl, you really never peep me?”

“Every time you pass my door, you no dey peep inside?”

“You wan leave me because you hate me, or because you like me?”

My head blank.

All I fit do na cry, “No, no do this, Tunde…”

“No dey fear me again.” His voice come rougher. He press my hand down, almost dey beg, “Touch me. No fear me. Abeg.”

I wake from the dream.

I still dey look ceiling, lost. Na so sweat dey my forehead, hand dey tremble.

“Tunde…”

My hand touch my body.

My pyjamas soak with sweat.

My hair dey stick for my face. I try use palm dey push am comot but no gree.

I just resemble person wey dream bad dream, still dey find relief. My heart dey beat kpam kpam.

I whisper, "God, abeg, protect me. Na so Mama warn me—make I no follow man wey dey play with spirits."