Chapter 1: Blood, Shadow, and Suya

Accident jam me for Benue expressway, body scatter, blood everywhere—I no even sure say my leg go survive.

The road wey I jam accident na that Benue expressway, where dem dey always talk say juju dey roam for night. As I dey hospital bed, na only God I dey call, dey beg say make my leg no spoil.

My mama carry bus from our village, Umuola, come check on me for Makurdi General Hospital.

She no even sleep that night. Na from farm she rush come, tie her wrapper well, carry small Ghana-must-go bag wey she use hold all the things wey she wan bring give me, including one ripe pawpaw, my favorite groundnut, and small bottle of holy water wey she collect from parish.

As she come down from keke napep, she snap my picture with her small Tecno phone.

She just dey smile as she dey arrange the wrapper for her waist, the hospital sun dey shine for her face. You go just know say her mind dey heavy, but she dey try make me happy.

"My pikin, see suya and dodo wey I carry for you—make your body strong quick quick."

She even dey drag nylon for hand, the suya paper dey soak oil, that one na her way to show love. She no too get money, but anything for her pikin.

But as I open the picture, my face squeeze well well.

As I look the picture, e be like say pepper enter my eye. My hand dey shake like generator wey no get fuel. My chest just tight. The whole background dey somehow dark, e be like say shadow dey follow us from village come.

For one corner of the photo, I see one strange human shape, e dey crawl for ground like say na big spider.

I rub my eye, think say na my mind dey play trick, but the thing dey there, black-black, e get hand like person but e bend like animal. For village, dem dey talk say na ogbanje dey waka like that for bush, but this one too big.

I rush send my mama WhatsApp message:

"Mama, person face no dey change anyhow."

My hand dey shake as I type am, the phone even nearly fall for my hand. For my mind, na that old woman for village dey talk: "No look spirit for eye, no answer if e call you."

"And... e dey come..."

My head dey hot, the hospital light begin dey flicker small. The ward smell like spirit, Dettol, and hot pepper soup wey nurse dey chop for break. Fear just dey hold me for throat. I just dey pray inside me: "God, abeg, cover us."