Chapter 5: Confession, Ghosts, and Mama’s Spirit

That moment, all the pain I dey hold burst out.

I shout for am, “You no get right to call my mama name! Just wait—one day I go personally send who kill her go chief’s court!”

My voice loud, my body dey shake. If to say na elders dey here, dem for say na stubbornness, but na only my spirit dey defend me today.

Since stepmother enter this house, na today be first time I vex like this.

For my mind, I dey thank God say courage enter me. Even if na slap I go collect, I no care again.

Na first time I show say I go find out truth about Mama death.

Tears dey roll my cheek. My voice dey crack. I just dey hope say my mama spirit dey hear me.

Papa and stepmother shock. For their face, I see fear. Na so everybody freeze, like say cold breeze just blow from mortuary.

Papa just land me another slap. Blood rush for my mouth, my teeth cut lip. I no fit talk again, but my mind dey scream.

My stepsister dey side, dey laugh me. Her laugh sharp. She dey clap hand like say she win prize for evil.

Her next words freeze my body. She say, “You too dull. Na my mama push your mama, so wetin?” Her mouth just vomit poison. Everywhere cold. For Naija, even witch for film no go talk reach this girl.

Stepmother rush cover her mouth. Her eye big. She dey fear say secret don cast. Na so her hand dey shake.

Papa frown, shout, “Which kind rubbish you dey talk!” His face red, voice sharp like whip. I never see am shout for stepsister before. Everybody surprise.

He never shout for stepsister before. As he shout, she just burst. The girl just dey cry, dey shout. For my mind, I dey wonder if na guilt or fear dey do her.

She scream, “Na Mama push her! I no fit talk truth?” Her voice high. Neighbours fit hear am for corridor. My spirit just dey hang.

“You sef dey there!”

Na so I shock. My mind dey turn. Na big wahala this one.

Everywhere quiet. Even wall clock pause, like say time fear the secret. Only my heartbeat dey loud. For Naija, if secret drop like this, e fit scatter family forever.

I look Papa, dey hope say he go explain. My eyes dey beg am. For my mind, I dey beg say make he talk truth.

But he just turn face another side, no gree look me. E pain me. My chest just dey break. For my mind, I dey curse the day I call am papa. My heart just break.

Tears dey flow. I no fit breathe well. I dey remember Mama face, the way she dey hug me, her smile. All don vanish.

“So all this while, you dey protect this wicked woman? Na so you take pay Mama back for all she do for you?” My chest dey burn. My voice dey shake. My spirit dey cry.

My voice crack, tears full my face. I no fit wipe tears again. My body don weak. For this house, na me dey alone.

I grab my phone. My hand dey shake. My finger dey fumble. But I no care again.

“You two na evil—I go send una enter prison!” My voice rise. I no fear anybody again. Even if na slap I go chop, I ready.

Before I fit call, Papa snatch my phone, break am for ground. The sound loud. My only hope scatter for ground like suya for gutter.

He pull belt. Na so my body dey run cold. I dey beg, but my voice no come out.

He talk with wicked voice, “If I no beat you well today, make I no be your papa!” For Naija, person fit call police, but who go hear my cry? For my mind, I dey plan my own justice.

He no hold back. Na so the beating strong. My skin dey hot, tears dey my eye. No place pain remain for body.

At first, I fit struggle small, but last last, he and stepmother beat me till I no fit stand.

Their own beating no be small pikin play. Even my stepsister join, dey poke me with broom. For my mind, I dey say, "Thunder fire all of una!"

My stepsister squat for front, dey smile: “You see am? Even if you know, you no fit do anything.” She dey talk like person wey win fight. Her face just dey shine wickedness. I dey wish say God go use angel slap her now-now.

She wink: “Talk anything outside, Papa go cut your tongue.”

My heart dey race. E be like say I dey live for Nollywood. No evidence, no witness, only pain.

Bullet comments shock.

[ I think say na haunted house I dey watch, e don turn to family wahala! ]

[True o, this family wicked—kill mama, dey bully pikin. God, make ghost show now, scatter all of them!]

Even the spirits dey tire for this house matter. For my mind, I dey beg say make God just show face, make everybody collect.

As dem mention ghost, my body freeze. My mind sharp. E be like cold water pour my body. I dey look clock, dey remember say midnight dey come.

I sharply look wall clock. 11:52. Only eight minutes to go. My heart just dey jump. If to say na person dey see my chest, e go think say drum dey inside.

My heart just squeeze. I dey remember all the stories. My mouth dey bitter. My legs dey shake.

All this anger make me forget say I suppose hide for storage room before midnight.

Regret dey my face. I dey wish say I fit fly enter storage room like mosquito.

Only eight minutes remain. For this life, na now or never.

Even bullet comments stop. Everywhere dey quiet. Na my own destiny remain. Whether the comments dey true or not, I dey ready. If na lie, I go still live. If na truth, make ghost carry my enemies.

I must enter storage room.

I dey use last strength, dey crawl like soldier wey dem wound for battle. My leg dey shake, my hand dey bleed, but I drag myself—if na die, make I die reach the door.

If na true… My hope na only prayer and last ginger.

I look Papa and stepmother wey dey laugh and cook for kitchen. Dem dey act like nothing happen. I dey wish say thunder go strike gas cooker.

Make the ghosts revenge for my mama.

For my mind, I dey hail all the spirits wey dey near. "Abeg, make una help me punish wicked people!"

If na lie, I go still jail them one day by myself.

I dey vow. Even if today na my last, I no go give up.

But my body pain me too much. Every joint dey ache. My eye dey close. Tears still dey run cheek.

I just lie for ground, dey crawl, pain make me faint. For my mind, I dey beg my mama spirit, "Make you no leave me."

Before I pass out, I see one comment: [She don bleed finish, she die?]

The words dey float. I dey pray say make I no die yet. I wan see justice reach the end.

Inside the wahala, I see Mama dey smile, dey wave me.

Her face dey shine, she wear white lace, gele balance for head. She fine pass as I remember her. My spirit dey sweet, I wan run go hug am.

She still fine, wear her white lace dress wey she like. The lace na the one wey she wear for church anniversary. I dey remember am clearly, like say yesterday.

Breeze dey blow her cloth and hair. The scent of her body dey smell like rose water and cassava flakes. The way her wrapper dey flow, I fit see say na spirit world I dey.

I run go meet her, happy. I dey cry, I dey laugh. My chest dey burst. I dey pray say make she carry me go.

But before I reach, she push me away strong. Her hand cold, but her eyes serious. For her face, I see say she dey beg me to survive, to fight.

Her strong face wake me up. My mind clear. I hear as if she dey say, "My pikin, no let enemy win."

Tears blind my eye, but her voice for my head strong: "Fight, my pikin, fight."

Comments sigh relief.

[Better, she never die.]

[Sister, run o—na 11:57 already, time no dey again!]

Even the spirits dey support me. For my mind, I dey shout, "God abeg!"

I sharply check wall clock. Three minutes to midnight. My spirit rise. I dey use all energy left dey crawl.

See the time, I just begin crawl go storage room. Even if na only hand remain, I go reach that door. I dey drag my leg, my chest, everything.

I must survive. I dey pray say make juju work, make bullet comments no dey lie. Even if na fake, I go still try.

I promise Mama, I go fight—

For my mind, I dey vow: this story no go end for here. Tomorrow, if I survive, my voice go loud for this world. Make justice reach every ear wey dey for this compound.