Chapter 5: Government Trick

Some people wey stand for window push Big Tunde, wan follow run go outside.

Wahala no dey finish for Naija. As dem push Tunde, e nearly fall. Everybody dey run for their own life, nobody dey look back.

Thank God, he slow small.

If no be say Tunde get strong leg, e for don follow enter gas. E hold table, drag body back inside. The way e dey breathe loud, e be like runner wey finish Lagos marathon.

As he try run back inside, big, dark red patches just full him skin, he collapse, dey struggle to breathe.

Na so poison dey work. The patches spread quick, e eye dey roll. Two boys try drag am, but dem dey fear make e no reach their body.

People wey remain for classroom begin cry, dey shout.

One girl roll for ground, dey hit leg. Another shout, "Mummy!" Boys dey curse, girls dey pray. I just cover my ear, dey hum song.

I too busy dey choose side, I think say Kemi still dey with me—now I realise say she don follow run. I dey call her name inside my mind, but my mouth no gree open.

I dey reason, "When Kemi waka?" The way I dey shake, I nearly fall. I dey search the crowd, but I no see her face.

When she take waka go join them?

My heart dey pain me. I dey remember how we share gala for last term. Now, e don leave me for wahala.

E be like say voice from another world dey mock us—inside my head, I dey hear...

[Barrage]

“Chai, see as half of them just finish one time.”

“Dem no sabi say if dem stay here dem dey safe. If dem commot, dem go die for gas.”

[End of barrage]

People dey reason plenty for back, but nobody really get answer. I dey pray say make my leg no fail me.

I shrink go the corner where two walls meet, dey check everybody. Including me, na 28 people remain for classroom.

I count heads, just dey tap my finger. The room empty small now, but the fear don double.

Somebody suggest make we jump window.

One boy say, "If wahala too much, I go jump." Everybody look am like e dey craze. The window high, iron bar dey for front.

But four boys try together, the thing no open.

Dem gather, push, but nothing move. Na old building, but window strong like prison.

Dem take turn use chair break am, e no gree break.

The chair leg break instead. The sound na like thunder for the room. Boys dey curse, girls dey cry more.

“Try harder, abeg!”

One stubborn guy shout. The rest dey pant, some dey try, some just dey watch.

The big guy kick Small Seyi.

Small Seyi fall for ground, no fit talk. Big guy vex, e dey shout, "Na you make us lose time!"

Small Seyi squat for ground, cover head.

"Bros, I try. This window no dey hear word."

The boy voice small, e face dirty, but nobody answer am. People just dey look away.

Big Tunde try calm everybody.

E raise hand, say, "Abeg, no fight. We need each other." But e own voice weak. Even the girls no gree listen.

Big guy know say e no go work, but everybody nerves just dey scatter.

He lean for wall, dey breathe heavy. E mutter, "God, abeg." Nobody fit control the crowd.

E be like say voice from another world dey mock us—inside my head, I dey hear...

[Barrage]

“See mumu.”

“See mumu.”

“See mumu.”

[End of barrage]

The voice for back just dey mock us. I dey reason say wahala never finish.

Musa voice for loudspeaker come vexed.

E sound like thunder. "Enough!" Everybody freeze. E pain dey the voice, like person wey don lose patience.

“I go give una last chance. Who go talk wetin really happen that year?”

E pause. I dey hear my own breath, na only my chest dey rise and fall.

“Musa, you dey mad! Because of one girl wey just transfer less than six months, you wan kill the whole class? You still be human so?”

Big guy shout, voice crack. Some people dey nod, others dey hiss. One girl cover her face, dey sob quietly.

The big guy fling beaker go loudspeaker for ceiling.

The beaker burst, scatter glass everywhere. The loudspeaker no stop. Some people dodge, one boy shout, "Mad man!"

“She just knack you, dem say na your family sef. You wan throw away all our friendship because of her? You dey kill people now! You hear am so—killing!”

His voice break, as if e wan cry. Everybody dey silent, the pain just dey hang for air.

“People!”

The echo make people look ground. Nobody wan answer, nobody fit talk.

Maybe Musa dey laugh too much, na so e cough long before e stop.

The cough na from deep chest. I dey imagine say Musa don dey lose mind. The sound long, some people dey look speaker with fear.

Suddenly, music begin play from loudspeaker, the volume dey go up and down, the thing just dey make everywhere fear catch us.

Na old school song, the kind wey teachers dey use for morning assembly. But now, the tune dey sound like burial hymn. Some people dey cover ear, others dey close eye.

The rest of us gather in groups, dey comfort each other.

Some girls dey hug, others dey pray. One guy dey hum gospel song, another dey mumble, "Abeg, God, save me." The air dey hot, but everybody cold for heart.

When the music stop, Musa tap table: “Since una no wan talk...”

The tap sound na like gunshot. E loud, e sharp. Everybody look up, wait for next wahala.

“Make we play one game.”

The word 'game' sweet for mouth, but for here, e sound like curse. Some people dey mutter, "Ah, wahala dey."

I no ever think say I go turn guinea pig for real-life like say dem dey use us do government trick, test our loyalty like NEPA meter.

For university, we dey learn am for psychology, but nobody think say real life go turn to test. I dey look people face, some dey reason maths, others dey pray.

Musa divide the 28 people into four classrooms, seven for each group.

The movement slow. Some people dey hold hand, others dey drag leg. The corridor dark, the smell of blood and disinfectant mix—like hospital wey no get light. Blood stain everywhere. One babe dey sob as dem lead her away.

Each group fit talk among themselves whether dem go talk true about that year.

Na only inside group, you fit decide. Everybody dey eye each other, as if person fit betray.

If any group talk true, the other three groups go die for poison gas.

As Musa talk this one, my stomach turn. Na wicked game. Some people dey curse, others dey whisper, "Na only God fit judge this matter."

If the whole four groups—the 28 wey remain—keep quiet, Musa go free us.

Everybody dey reason say maybe na trap. But if e true, na miracle. Some dey nod, others dey shake head.

As I leave biology lab, I see dead body full corridor, the smell of blood just full air.

The floor red, some shoe and bag scatter for ground. The corridor dark, bulb dey flicker. My heart dey jump, my eye dey sharp.

Some dey face ground, some face up, their face no fit recognise again.

The face swell, mouth open. I cover my own face with handkerchief. The thing pain me, I nearly vomit.

Some girls no fit hold am, dem vomit for top red flesh.

The sound of vomiting loud, the smell worse. I shift, hold wall, dey beg God make I no faint.

I force myself look the faces, dey find my seatmate Kemi.

My mind dey shout, "Kemi! Where you dey?" As I look, my leg dey shake. But I no see her face.

But fear catch me, I just look clothes—her red dress no dey among.

I thank God small, but fear still dey my chest. I dey pray say maybe she survive.

Class prefect voice come from loudspeaker, e sound ‘friendly’: “Classmates, una get only one hour. Heh~ heh~”

The laugh na dry one. The ‘friendly’ tone dey mock us. I dey wonder when Musa turn like this.

I follow big guy, Big Tunde, Small Seyi, Li Garba, Ifeoma, and Halima enter another classroom.

As we waka, everybody dey look ground. No smile, no talk. Big guy dey limp, Tunde dey squeeze handkerchief. Halima dey pray for Hausa. Li Garba dey carry one small Quran for hand.

Even if big guy survive, that him arm don spoil.

The arm swell, black like e dey rot. E dey groan, teeth dey grind. I dey pity am, but nobody fit help.

He kick empty bottle, the thing scatter for window base.

The sound loud, but nobody talk. Small Seyi bend, dey pick bottle pieces. Ifeoma dey hold her stomach, dey sigh.

“Na soft mind carry me come this useless reunion. We all don fall for Musa wahala. ‘Only one left,’ my foot...”

E curse, voice deep. Everybody just dey listen. The room quiet, the air heavy.

I remember the message wey Musa send me; na the same thing e talk. E don dey plan this Amaka revenge since.

As I dey remember, my chest dey tight. I dey think, "Who really do Amaka?" The pain wey Musa dey show, e reach bone.

Li Garba bend, whisper to big guy: “Big bro, I go follow your lead. Make we talk or keep mouth?”

Li Garba voice na northern accent, soft. The beard for him chin dey shake as e talk. Everybody dey look big guy for answer.

Li Garba get curly hair, beard like say e old pass him age—na so dem dey call am for school.

He always dey form old man, dey yarn proverb wey nobody dey understand. Today, e quiet pass mouse.

“Abeg, shift. You dey vex me.”

Big guy bark, but e own voice get weakness. I dey see say e dey fear, but pride no let am show.

Li Garba face am, eye red.

E look like person wey fit fight, but now e just shake head, move go corner. Ifeoma tap am for shoulder, whisper something.

Everywhere quiet small.

Na only our breathing you fit hear. The tension dey strong. Even clock for wall no dey tick again.

I waka go window, my mind just dey fly.

I look outside, see moon for sky, e round, but light dey dull. The harmattan breeze cold, but my body dey sweat.

The day Amaka jump, before I hear, she don already jump from rooftop.

That day clear for my mind. Some people dey shout, some dey run. Teacher dey cry, principal dey call police. Amaka body lie for ground, people dey circle am.

Na graduation day—everybody don collect their certificate and file.

E suppose be happy day, but sadness just full air. Even photographer no fit snap picture again.

Na Amaka share am give everybody.

She walk table to table, hand over file, smile small smile. I remember say her hand dey shake that day.

I remember say she no too happy that day.

Her eye red, but e no be from cry. E be like say something dey worry her mind. She dey look ground as she dey waka.

Some boys dey talk nonsense, dey laugh.

They dey yarn rubbish—“See as Amaka fine, she no dey greet person.” Dem dey laugh, dey push each other. The thing pain me that time.

That time, where Musa dey?

I no see Musa for hall. Some people say e go principal office, others say e waka lost. But nobody really know.