Chapter 4: Palm Rock Plans Scatter

Director Musa talk say dem get four female members before, but one waka suddenly because she sick. One woman comot, Ifunanya join, and since she sabi hiking, to join group no be wahala. Eight people before, still eight now. The new adventure group go spend four days, three nights for deep bush. Me and my cousin sabi the route like our palm. Only problem be say this time, we no rest at all, equipment and supplies never full. My cousin dey behave like person wey dem inject energy, he dey rush us to move before him tea even cool. Ifunanya just dey follow am quietly, like shadow. My mind no settle—something must happen for this trip. Because the woman wey comot na the leader among the women. When kasala burst, na she dey first agree to give herself up for food and water, na she dey break the last resistance for the prey. Just like when lead sheep jump cliff, the rest go follow. Ifunanya fit know say the leader no go come? She fit even sabi wetyn the leader suppose do?

Every small thing dey suspicious now. Ifunanya dey too calm, e dey worry me. Even as we dey trek, she no dey talk, just dey look bush like person wey dey calculate. The way she dey follow Seyi for back, you go think say na shadow follow man for hot afternoon. My chest dey heavy, because for this work, na small thing dey turn big wahala. If leader wey dey control women no dey, na who go first fall? All my sense dey alert.

By 4:30 evening, we reach Palm Rock. Na the first stop for all local guide people, the main place wey prey go relax. Palm Rock na one protruding rock for middle of cliff, like mushroom wey dey face sky, flat surface, good soil—perfect for camp. Because e dey hang for air, the view dey mad, almost every tourist dey fall for am. After we set up tents, tourists gather round fire, dey sing, drink, dey show themselves. Me and my cousin just rest for mountain side, no too mix with the tourists. The corridor smelled of red oil and dust. Crickets dey sing, and distant generator hum dey mix with night breeze. The men sabi the work for Palm Rock. Dem suppose make the women trust dem—pretend say dem be good men—so the women go relax, give up their supplies, then tomorrow when wahala start, dem go just surrender.

For this place, stories full everywhere—old men dey say spirits dey live inside the rock, but tourists no dey fear. As fire dey burn, bottle dey pass hand to hand, and laughter just dey fly like festival time. Me and Seyi dey form big men, just dey watch from corner. Sometimes, the smell of suya and palmwine dey enter my nose, but I no fit join them. Na so the work be—always dey outside dey look in.

"We no suppose allow Ifunanya join group. She sabi everything about us, but we no know anything about her. No need add more wahala."

Seyi dey grumble as he lick him dry lips, eyes scanning crowd. Na true e talk—if person sabi your secret, but you no sabi anything about am, na wahala be that. I dey nod, but Seyi mind don dey another place.

"You no understand." My cousin wave me off.

Those three words just dey vex me.

He dey talk as if na only him get sense. Sometimes, e dey do me as if I go just slap him head make he reason well. But as he talk, na so he dey scan the crowd, eye dey rest for Amaka body, then move go Aisha, then VV. I dey watch am, I dey shake head.

My cousin just dey eye the female tourists. Apart from Ifunanya, the other three na Amaka, Aisha, and VV. The finest one na Amaka—real Nigerian beauty—skin like fresh pap, dress white like Sunday church, sneakers clean pass new naira note. She just dey shine for crowd, like flower for dry season. I no fit guess her age, but the way she tie her ponytail dey remind me of my secondary school days. Compared to her, the rest no too fine reach. As night fall, fire dey die down, everybody just dey look star. Tonight sky just dey shine pass normal. All the years wey I spend for Palm Rock, I never see sky wey bright like this. Time just freeze. Suddenly, Amaka waka come meet me.

As she approach, her perfume blend with the scent of firewood and dust. She dey smile, teeth white like fresh coconut. I dey recall those days for Lagos when girls go waka come your side, dey talk with confidence. For Palm Rock, the moon dey high, breeze dey soft, everything just dey slow like old Nollywood film. Na moment wey person no go forget quick.