Chapter 3: Shadows from the Village

The whole hospital scatter.

Person wey get small voice begin dey shout like market woman for Monday.

People dey shout:

"Wetin happen?"

One woman hold her baby for back, dey use hand cover pikin eye. Another old man just dey shake head, dey pray.

"Na the lift cut person into two like that?"

Na big man wey wear red cap talk. Him voice dey high.

Somebody argue quick:

"No possible! Lift get sensor wey dey stop am."

One young guy wey dey learn work for generator shop, e shake head. "Abeg, this one pass machine wahala."

"See the way dem cut am—too clean."

One sharp nurse wey sabi cut fish for market just shake head: "Even my own cut no dey straight like this."

"Even doctor no fit cut like this."

Dem dey reason am, dey look the blood for ground. Everybody mouth wide.

People begin whisper say maybe na mad killer dey inside hospital.

One woman just dey cry, say, "I talk am! This Makurdi, bad thing dey happen since!"

If not, how person go just divide into two like that?

Na only for horror film wey you go see that kain.

Me, I no get time to dey hear their talk.

I dey eye exit, dey look for mama. For this kain wahala, na family first.

That thing dey always do like this.

I dey remember as the thing dey dance for roof of bus that night. As e cut, e no dey even look back. Dem say ogbanje no dey pity.

Before, when me and my Uncle Ifeanyi dey go house for night bus, people for bus dey cut into two like this.

The memory dey haunt me. Even now, if I dey see shadow for night, my mind go fly go that journey.

Even Uncle Ifeanyi no escape.

I still dey remember how e dey sleep for back seat, dey snore, no know say e own don reach.

When bus stop, dem carry me come hospital.

Na nurse dey shout say, "Pikin dey shake! Pikin no dey bleed!"

But I no really wound—na shock hold me.

Dem try give me malt, pour cold water for my body, but I just dey stare like person wey see ghost.

Now, the hospital dey feel exactly like that night bus that time:

The smell, the panic, the air wey dey heavy. E be like say spirit no dey tire to waka.

Place wey dem lock.

For this country, once door lock, wahala fit start. Na only strong head dey help person.

Killer wey you no fit see.

The invisible wahala na the one wey dey worry heart pass.

People dey fear everywhere.

Even nurses wey dey form strong just dey sweat, dey call God.

I rush come down from third floor.

Staircase full. I push my way, dey dodge people wey dey cry.

My mama dey sit for chair for infusion area for second floor, still dey hold the nylon.

She dey wipe sweat for face, dey talk small prayer for her breath. Her leg dey shake, but she try hold strong.

"You dey okay? Why you dey hospital? I just dey worry you."

She touch my face, check my eye, as if she fit remove all my pain with her hand.

I rush tell am:

"No wahala. Doctor say na just shock catch me. Since dem say make I rest, I dey here for few days."

I try smile, make she no worry. For her mind, as long as I dey talk, e mean say I dey alive.

I wan carry my mama comot when I notice everywhere don block.

Gate dey close, nurse dey push bed, people just dey murmur.

Plenty people wey wear black dey stand for staircase.

Dem arrange like soldiers, their eye sharp. You no go fit talk anyhow.

Their madam na one fine woman wey wear black leather jacket and dark glasses, she just dey command everybody.

Her shoe na heel, but e no make sound. The way she stand, e show say she no dey fear.

She look round, talk for walkie-talkie.

Her English clean, but her accent dey mix with Hausa and Igbo small. You go know say na person wey get power.

Soon, announcement begin echo for hospital:

The speaker dey make noise first, then her voice enter: "Attention, patients. Na me be the hospital director. Because of one public safety wahala, the hospital go close for now. No waka about. If you need anything, ask the people wey wear black for stairway."

E be like say the whole hospital freeze. Everybody just dey look up, dey wait for another gist.

People no happy at all.

Some dey shout, some dey cry. One woman begin call her husband, "Dem no gree make we go! Wetin I go tell our children?"

Some begin shout:

"Wetin dey happen? Why una no gree make we go? I get work!"

One man wey wear mechanic overall, e dey frown, e no get patience.

One big man waka go meet the people for stairway, shout:

He chest dey forward, e dey form hard man.

"Why una no wan make I comot?"

His voice loud, the echo bounce for wall.

One of the men for black just answer with straight face:

The way e talk, e no dey smile. E just talk like robot: "We dey protect you."

The big man just laugh:

E turn, look back, try make people laugh join.

"Abeg, who una be? I go where I wan go. I no need your protection."

He try go down stairs.

People dey whisper, dey watch who go win the fight.

"No move."

The woman for leather jacket carry gun, point am for the man.

The gun black, e long, e shine for light. Na only for film I dey see woman point gun like this for person wey no be thief.

"Here, na Special Operations Team dey in charge. Anybody wey no obey, we go see am as threat. I fit shoot you now."

Her voice no high, but e strong. People just freeze. Na real government power be this.

The big man leg begin shake, he go back sit down.

Even him voice don low. E sit down for bench, begin dey fan himself with cap.

The woman action make people talk more:

One old woman for back just say, "Na wa o! Wetin be this? For hospital?"

"Wetin dey happen for this country?"

Young girl for one side dey cry, her friend dey hold her.

"Which kind place be this, person just bring out gun anyhow?"

One security man just dey look ground, e no wan talk.

Some people face white like chalk:

You go know say dem never see this kind thing before. Na real juju moment.

"Serious thing don happen o. She talk say 'Special Operations Team'—na secret government people be that."

Person for back dey whisper, "Abeg, I no dey again!"

People begin believe say na true.

The crowd just dey hush, dey shift small small. Nobody wan be scapegoat.

Only me, fear just hold me more.

As these people in black don show, e mean say dem don confirm say that thing dey here.

If na before, dem for carry baton, but now na real wahala. Na only top government fit bring gun inside hospital.

This time, dem don drop stun gun, carry real gun.

Even the way dem dey look everywhere, e show say dem no come play.

E mean say after e don kill many people, the thing don get sense pass before.

E fit dey use person mind, dey enter different body. My own leg dey shake.

I rush tell my mama:

I hold her hand, dey whisper low: "Mama, abeg, just dey where crowd dey. That thing dey use smell find person. If plenty people dey, e fit miss us. If anything happen, trust these people for black, dem fit protect you."

I squeeze her hand, look her eye, make she know say na true.

My mama nod.

She hold her wrapper, close her eye, dey pray inside her mind. "God, abeg, cover us."

But the next thing wey she talk nearly make my heart stop:

"Make we call your Uncle Ifeanyi? I just see your Uncle Ifeanyi downstairs."

Her voice small, e get hope, as if Uncle Ifeanyi fit save us.

People dey whisper, "Hope say no be SARS people come again o."