Chapter 4: The Smell and the Secret

I dey panic for parlour, ready to call pastor, when the sound stop.

I hold my phone tight, dey reason if I suppose dial church line or call Mama.

I go stand for bedroom door.

My hand dey shake. I dey try look under door but fear dey hold me.

Soon, she open door.

Her face dey pale, but e dey shine small. Her eyes red, but she dey act normal.

One strong fish smell just slap me, I nearly vomit.

E strong so tey, I carry nose. Even my cloth smell the thing.

I peep inside, see her cloth scatter for floor, with some milky liquid scatter everywhere. E white like pap wey no done well. I no even know wetin be that.

The sight shock me. I freeze for door, dey imagine different things.

“Wetin you dey look?” My sister push me back, hand me foam box.

She use body push me comot like say I be small pikin.

“Carry this go, dem dey wait for you for shop.”

She no gree look my face, just close door fast.

I no get choice, carry box go.

As I dey waka out, my leg dey shake. The fish smell still dey my hand, e no gree comot.

But the way my sister dey pant and the thing wey I see for her room no gree comot for my mind.

I dey try shake am off, but the picture dey haunt me like person wey see masquerade for bush.

Reach shop, I give Dad the abalone, just talk small:

I dey whisper, “I just see my sister—her body hot, maybe she sick.”

Dad face just change small.

He pause, rub hand for chin like say he dey remember something wey pain am.

“Why you dey put mouth for everything? When time reach for you to take over, you go understand.”

He talk am slow, voice no sharp again. Na only Mama dey look me, her face full of worry.