Chapter 3: Dream or Juju?

That place for Ifedike lips—how e take match exactly where I bite for my dream?

I dey look am for stage, dey compare my dream and reality. The shape of the wound dey the same. My mind dey dance confusion.

E fit be say na him dey my dream?

I shake my head. No, no, no. Wetin dey happen?

No possible.

I wan laugh, but na fear dey hold me. Spirit no dey play like this, abi?

My mama look me. "Why your face red like this? You get fever?"

She touch my forehead, her eye still dey search my face. "Na your time of the month?" she whisper.

I cover my hot face, no fit talk.

I no wan explain. I just pretend say na heat dey worry me.

"E too hot. I wan go find breeze."

I stand up, hand still dey shake small. The wrapper almost fall, I adjust am well before I waka.

As I stand, I look Ifedike way—

He sit, but e dey look my direction. My heart skip beat, as if spirit dey pass my back.

Our eyes jam.

Na that kind eye contact wey person no fit explain. E last only one second, but e reach to make my stomach turn.

For him cold eyes, apart from surprise, e be like say small feeling still dey there wey never clear.

I see the way his jaw set, like person wey dey struggle with inside wahala. E no be ordinary look o.

I tell myself say na my eye dey deceive me.

I quickly look away, dey remind myself say na ordinary man e be—at least for public.

I waka reach lakeside, my mind just dey full with that man face wey I dey see for dream.

The lake dey calm, some boys dey fish for the edge. The air carry scent of wet earth and fish. Faint smell of ogogoro from the fishermen corner mix with the scent of wet earth. I stand for shade, dey reason my life.

Before I know, e change to Ifedike face.

My dream man face and Ifedike own dey mix like ogiri inside soup. I rub my eye, still no clear.

The two faces just dey overlap for my mind.

I dey try separate am, but no way. The thing just dey worry my head.

No possible.

I talk am for inside heart. E no fit be so. Spirit no dey use big man play.

That man no fit be District Regent.

I laugh small—just to scatter the fear. Wetin big man want with ordinary patrol officer pikin?

I hold my chest, lean for one palm tree, dey try clear my head from all this wahala.

The palm rough, but e cool my body. I close my eye, try breathe in and out.

I no even know say person dey my back since.

All my focus dey front, na so I no notice the footstep wey soft for sand behind me.

"Yanning."

The voice deep, but carry something wey make my neck stand. Na the same voice from dream o.

That same voice from my dream sound for my ear, clear.

The thing sweet and fear me at the same time. My leg weak. I fit swear say na only for night I dey hear this kain call.

I turn, heart almost jump commot.

The shock make my hand press my chest. I face am—Ifedike, for real life, not dream.

Ifedike stand there, him eye sharp, dey look me.

His agbada catch breeze, the sun light for his face. The man fine die, but his eye dey deep, dey look like say e dey read my mind.