Chapter 8: Night With the Dead

Uncle Oche stare the woman corpse for long, then call me, rub my head gentle.

His hand rough, but e dey soft for my head. He dey look me, like person wey dey see future inside my eye. I wan run, but fear hold me.

“Huzi don grow. Time don reach for you to carry responsibility.”

His words heavy. E mean say my childhood don finish. For village, once elder talk am, e no get turning back.

My eye wide, I wan run, but Uncle Oche hold me strong—I no fit move.

His grip tight, like say e dey pass message through palm. I dey shake, but e no pity me. Eye dey red, heart dey beat.

He look me, say, “Huzi, soon, carry this woman go your room. Tonight, sleep with her body under your bed. Na only like that you fit save your family.”

My mouth open, but no word come out. My brain dey scatter. Dead body under bed? For where!

Fear wan finish me, I dey shake head like say I craze.

I dey beg with eye, but nobody dey answer me. Spirit fit catch me, or even masquerade go vex for my head.

This man know wetin he dey talk so? Make I put dead body under my bed?

I dey reason say maybe na old people joke. Maybe na test. But e serious, eye no blink.

As he see say I no wan gree, Uncle Oche try pet me:

He pat my back, talk soft, "No fear, Huzi. If your body pure, ghost no fit do you anything. You never sleep with woman before, so nothing fit touch you."

No be small wahala. For our place, dem believe say innocent pikin dey get protection from spirit. But na dead body! My mind dey argue with my fear.

As I still dey drag leg, my mama rush enter kitchen, carry cutlass, raise am for me, dey curse:

Her voice sharp, "You think say you get choice? If you no do wetin Uncle Oche talk, I go kill you myself!" She raise cutlass, eye red. For her mind, tradition na life and death matter. Even my name she no call again, na threat full her mouth.

Uncle Oche just look my mama, then face me.

He sigh, eye tired. E no talk, but e mean say, "If you like, make mistake. You go see." Old men for village sabi pass words with eye.

“So, you go do am?”

Everybody dey look me. Even lizard for window stop to nod. My leg dey shake, but I know say if I no gree, na my blood dem go use do sacrifice. My life dey my hand.

As I see my mama eye dey red, I just grit my teeth, nod head.

I whisper for heart, "God, abeg, no let my spirit waka tonight."

Tears roll for my face, but I nod. For this life, pikin wey no get mama or papa support na only God remain for am. I just pray say God go remember me for this one.

As I nod, tears blind my eye. Tonight, na me and ghost for one room—if I survive, I go know say God dey.