Chapter 4: Three Eyes and Two Mouths

"Mama, that one no be Uncle Ifeanyi. Uncle Ifeanyi don die for that night bus. Na that thing cut am into two."

I talk am slow, make she hear the warning. The pain for my chest na real.

I look my mama well.

Her mouth open small, her hand cover her chest. Tears nearly drop from her eye.

She shock.

E be like say cold pass her bone. She hold my hand tight, dey squeeze am like say she fit protect me from spirit.

I tell am: na Uncle Ifeanyi carry that thing come. He thief the egg, na so the thing begin chase us.

The egg na from old shrine for village, dem say make nobody touch am. But Uncle Ifeanyi, as him stubborn reach, e no gree hear.

Last last, to save himself, Uncle Ifeanyi even hide the egg for my body, wan push the wahala give me.

If no be say I jump out that night, na me for don go join ancestors.

But he fall for him own trap, na so e die for the night bus.

The village people talk say, "Person wey carry evil, e go use him own leg waka enter trouble."

My mama voice dey shake:

She dey whisper, "Jesu, Jesu, Jesu..." her eyes dey red. "But... your Uncle Ifeanyi dey stand for back of the glass door."

I sharply look the glass door for nurse station.

For that second, the cold for my body double. I see the reflection clear, the whole room just freeze for my eye.

I see face for glass—na Uncle Ifeanyi.

E dey smile, e dey wave, but something just dey off about the face.

But... that face no be human own.

The skin too smooth, the mouth too wide, the teeth dey shine like animal wey never chop for three days.

For middle of the two eyes, another eye dey.

That third eye red, e dey shine. For our place, dem dey talk say anybody wey get extra eye no be human. Na evil spirit sign be that.

Fear catch me, body cold.

E be like say my blood freeze. I try talk, but my tongue just heavy.

The face just give one kind strange smile, then disappear quick.

Na smile wey be like say person wey wan eat you dey greet you first. Before I fit blink, the face vanish.

Na then I realise:

My mind just open, e be like say light bulb shine for my head.

No be say Uncle Ifeanyi dey behind glass door, na him dey project him face for there from another place.

For olden days, dem go say na spirit dey use mirror waka. Na so e dey take confuse person, dey appear for window, for river, for anywhere light dey reflect.

I look round, no see anybody.

I dey turn 360, dey check all corner, even nurse wey dey arrange file dey frown, no see anybody pass.

The people for black start to share small book give everybody—na survival guide. The rules be like this:

The book na small pamphlet, the paper yellow, the cover get that government eagle. People dey rush collect, some dey whisper, "Wetin we go do with this?"

1. Human face dey normal. If you see person wey get face wey no pure, tell people for black sharp sharp.

Some people dey look their neighbour, dey eye face. One small boy even dey cry, say, "Mummy, I no want two nose!"

2. Human being dey waka with two leg. If you see anybody dey waka anyhow, no be human.

People dey look floor, dey check their own leg, dey check shadow.

3. Every fifteen minutes, snap yourself selfie—if you see your face bend or eye double, raise alarm.

One girl dey snap selfie every two minute, dey look, dey frown.

4. No trust any message wey enter your phone, no try call anybody. E fit kill you.

One old man just talk, "Ehen! I talk am! All this WhatsApp, e no dey ever end well."

5. You fit trust people for black anyhow. Na only them fit protect you.

Everybody dey eye people in black. Na so we dey take believe government for Nigeria when wahala too much.

I just open mouth.

The fear dey heavy. I dey remember as village people dey say, "If juju pass you, call person wey sabi pass juju."

That thing don upgrade.

Before, e no dey do like this. E dey copy face, but no dey hide extra parts. Now, na real magician e turn.

For night bus, e fit only copy one person face. Sometimes e go make mistake, two mouth or three eyes go show.

Even for that bus, na only sharp eye save me. If to say e fit balance face, all of us for don go.

But even for that bus, only one and half people escape. I still remember the bald police officer wey leg dem cut comot.

The scream that night still dey ring for my ear. Na only half police uniform I see for ground that time.

But now, with these new rules, e mean say e don get new power—fit confuse people more.

If spirit dey learn work, na this kain upgrade e dey try get. E dey use phone, face, even message confuse everybody.

E... don turn more scary.

E no get pity, no get brake. For my mind, I dey beg God, make today no be my last.

I look everywhere. For second floor alone, like hundred people dey. With all the patients, nurses, and clinics for up...

The noise plenty. Some dey pray, some dey call relatives, others just dey look window.

If that thing kill all these people...

Na news go fly reach Abuja. Our village elders go say, "Na curse dem curse hospital."

Gun fit really work so?

For spirit matter, na only bullet wey get charm fit stop am. But these people in black, e be like say dem get another plan.

I just dey pray make dem find am quick.

I hold my mama hand, dey recite Psalm 23 for my mind. "The Lord is my shepherd..."

One red countdown show for screen for infusion area: five minutes remain.

The clock big, digital. E dey tick loud for my head. Everybody dey watch, dey wait.

E don reach ten minutes since that half-body show—na exactly fifteen minutes.

The hospital dey count time like say na bomb fit explode. My mouth dry.

When countdown finish, everybody must bring out phone, check their face.

Some dey clean phone camera, others dey borrow phone from neighbour. One woman dey cry, "My phone no get front camera o!"

My mama face dey worry:

She dey look me, her mouth dey twist. "Hope say I no do mistake?"

"I throw my phone for dustbin by the lift for fifth floor..."

I nod, dey think say maybe that one fit save us.

My heart jump.

E beat like talking drum. My hand cold, but I try form strong for mama sake.

So, for that lift, the thing no dey find me—na my mama e dey follow. Na by mistake e see me, dey follow phone signal.

The thing dey use phone smell trace her. Na only God fit scatter this plan.

I think say e don already catch me. Maybe my mama still fit escape.

Na hope be that, but I no sure. For Nigeria, na hope we dey manage when wahala big pass us.

But now, e mean say e no go let anybody go.

If this thing get sense, e go just dey hide dey pick people one by one.

I no fit tell my mama now.

If I talk, she fit faint. Na only faith dey hold her leg steady.

I reason small:

I dey calculate escape plan for my mind. My eye dey sharp, dey check window, dey check crowd.

"Mama, you get mirror for your bag?"

I say am low, make only her hear.

She nod.

She show me one small round mirror, the one wey she dey use check face before church.

I talk, "We go use the mirror—na the same thing."

I try smile, rub her back. For her mind, na pikin wey dey clever she dey see.

Time dey crawl pass, second by second.

The air tight. People dey count, dey look phone, some dey pray, some dey shake leg.

When countdown finish, people for black begin tell everybody make dem bring out phone, use front camera check their face.

Dem dey move row by row, dey scan everybody. If person cry, dem calm am down. One man dey shout, "My battery don die o!"

Suddenly, one woman shout scatter everywhere.

Her voice crack, like person wey dey see devil: "T-t-two mouth..."

Everybody freeze—fear tie leg, as if juju enter hospital for broad daylight.