Chapter 1: Chicken Dey Talk

Dem say for Oke-Odo Temple, servant boy no get luck. But the day my chicken begin talk, my own story change.

The air that morning heavy with smell of fresh earth and corn, morning bells dey ring for main shrine, and red palm oil stains dey everywhere for the servant boys’ wrappers as we dey hustle with early chores. My wrapper dey scratch my leg, sweat dey collect for my forehead as I scatter corn for ground. The chickens just dey rush, dey scatter everywhere, like dem no get home training at all.

"That useless woman, she go hear am. Once I turn back to human, I go show her pepper."

"That dog—she use power join body with me, suck all my strength, even turn me to chicken join!"

"Why you dey look me like that? You no get work? If you no stop, I go use my beak tear your eye o."

My hand freeze for where e dey hold the chicken neck. Wait first.

E be like say breeze just blow cold for my back. E get as my heart skip. Na so my hand just stiff, and na only God know how long I stand dey look the chicken.

The chicken... dey talk?

Fear catch me, I nearly run mad. I fling the chicken commot, run back as far as my leg fit carry me. For this Nigeria wey spirit and masquerade matter no dey finish, anything fit happen—abi na chicken spirit I jam so?

I mean, before e land, that chicken do backward somersault with tuck, spin three and half times. E resemble feather gymnast.

My mouth open, I dey look am with corner eye. Wetin concern chicken and gymnastics? This one na wahala. If to say na village, elders for don talk say make I find babalawo.

This chicken spirit fit chop person? I just dey ordinary servant boy level, I no sabi any defense prayer—truth be say, I never even cross the line of spiritual training. My body dey shake, I point the feed give am, my voice dey tremble as I try form friendly: "Cluck, cluck cluck, cluck cluck cluck..."

The chicken even roll e eye for me.

"This small boy head no correct, but e get better mind."

"As I see say you no get power, I go find way help you small."

Opportunity don show face!

My heart begin beat kpom-kpom, hope dey shine small inside me, but I never even finish dey happy when the chicken run mouth for my head again:

"Wetin dey make you dey grin like mumu?"

"If to say I fit just dey absorb prayer stone dey train—see as everywhere be. This place na pure rubbish. Nonsense, nonsense, nonsense!"

"Barrier dey, I no fit commot, prayer stone no dey, and dem still dey dream to raise spirit pet. E better make I die sef."

Prayer stone... and spirit pet?

Na so I pause. I nearly lose guard. E no even know say e just be ordinary meat chicken?

Since I join Oke-Odo Temple, e never even reach half year. Plenty servant boys join with me, but most get connection, so dem waka go better place. For temple, na who get person for back dey get better work. Me, na chicken and goat shit be my portion.

But wetin if this chicken na spirit chicken? I fit don hammer!

Ehen! If I hammer, I go show those boys wey dey form. My own don better be that. The way the elders dey talk for night about spirit beast, my ear dey always stand, but I never see one before.

Servant boys dey collect pay every three months: one low-grade prayer stone and ten naira bundle. I just collect my prayer stone, dey plan use am bribe Uncle Musa for labour hall so I fit get better work. Now, e be like say this chicken fit change my story.

I reason am. Make I give am prayer stone chop? I no really know wetin e be. If na evil spirit nko? I hear say evil spirit wicked, e no dey get joy. If e be evil spirit, e fit get plan for Oke-Odo Temple. If e know say I dey hear e mind, my own don finish.

Meanwhile, e still dey mumble: "Life hard, e better make I die... wetin be the point to dey live..."

I dey pity am small—e sound like those people wey wahala too much don break them, like say na only suffering dem know. Spirit or not, this one get real pain for e mind.

I decide to risk am. But my hand must clean.

As I carry prayer stone, my mind flash back to my mama warning me: "No dey give spirit anything wey you no fit collect back." I pause, dey reason—if I give this thing prayer stone, e fit tie my destiny? I dey look the chicken, dey look the stone, sweat dey gather for my palm. But as I see the chicken dull, my heart soft small.

I carry prayer stone, put worried face: "Abeg, no vex for that neck twist wey I give you. I no know if this prayer stone fit help you."

As I talk am, my mind clear. The chicken raise head, e eye dey shine like say e win Baba Ijebu. The happiness for e body no get part two.

I just dey hope say I no go enter wahala, but true true, I dey do am as if na my younger brother I dey pity. Person wey get power fit use am against you, but sometimes, na mercy dey touch heart.

Sharp sharp, I turn back, throw the prayer stone inside feed trough, form as if I no send: "Na half of my salary for six months just go so."

Small rustle dey behind me, but the voice for my head dey jubilate.

"You be my real papa—finally, I don see help!"

"Chai, System, abeg show! Baba don get money again!"

"Jehovah, abeg bless me!"

I just dey wonder who be Jehovah. Na so chicken dey call God too? This spirit chicken get wahala for mouth. Na my prayer stone e chop, and e still dey pray join.

Jehovah? Na which kind big oga for spiritual people be that?

I still dey back the chicken, I no even wan look. Some matter better make you no know am.

I just dey form busy, dey check my slippers as if e get gold for inside, but my mind dey calculate—if person catch me, wetin I go talk?