Chapter 2: Death No Dey Tire Me

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You open your eye suddenly, dey gasp for air, hand dey hold your throat, heart dey beat anyhow. Sweat dey your body like person wey run marathon under sun.

The way your chest dey pound, you know say you never calm at all. Your mind dey do press-up, memory dey rush back.

That voice sound for your head again: "No let dem know say you fit see." This time, the voice slow, like old man wey dey warn pikin for village.

Fear catch you, you check the alarm clock. E still show afternoon [5:45]. Your hand dey shake as you touch the clock, na so you know say wahala dey serious.

This na your second death. Na real pain, no be dream pain—your neck still dey pain you, like say person really squeeze am.

The real pain make you no doubt say you dey die and come back, so you begin reason some things. Na there your sense begin sharp—Naija survival mode.

First, who kill you? Na your papa, your mama, or another person? You dey replay scene for your head like Super Story.

Second, why dem wan kill you? You dey try piece the puzzle, but answer no dey show.

Third, wetin dey cause all this death wahala and strange things? E dey scatter your brain, but you dey try hold ground.

Last-last, and most important: wetin you go do? How you go use street sense survive for this kain matter?

You no fit start with the first ones, so you begin with the last one—how you go take survive. Survival first, answer go show later.

First, you try call the voice for your head, but no answer. You even whisper, beg, but na only your own breath you dey hear. Then you decide to follow the voice talk—make you still dey act blind, no do anyhow. For Naija, sometimes na to hide your shine be the real smart.

You spend some minutes arrange your face, carry the white cane, ready to comot before your parents go come. You dey arrange your eye like person wey dey act for church drama, dey prepare for the real show. You dey count steps for head, dey tap cane for ground, just like all those blind drama for church.

You waka reach door, wan peep through the hole. Your heart dey pound, you dey fear make dem no catch you dey look.

Living room quiet, na only clock dey tick—tick, tick, tick—every sound dey hit your heart. Na the kind silence wey dey follow after quarrel for family meeting.

You hold breath, everywhere too quiet, heart dey race. Your body dey sweat like Christmas goat for butchering day.

You move eye near peephole, swallow spit. You dey pray make nothing funny dey for the other side.

Through that small lens, you see two people wey no get expression stand for door like wood. Dem stand like say dem dey do night vigil for your matter.

Na your papa and mama. But their face no soft, their eye empty, like say dem no remember you again.

You try act normal, but the man for door just move, begin smile one kind. E be like say dem dey see you through the door.

Suddenly, one eye appear for the peephole, dey look you straight. You feel chill run from your head to your leg, body stiff like wood.

You jump, heart nearly stop. E shock you well, na only God hand fit hold you that moment.

You gather courage, stand well, open door. Your leg dey shake small, but you brace up, carry Naija boldness for face.

Your papa and mama stand there, no talk, no move, like say dem never do anything. Their silence heavy like government wahala.

You use your cane dey waka, dey pretend say you no dey see them. Your acting sharp, you dey try put blindness for eye, dey tap ground small small.

But as you dey waka, for your back, dem turn their head slowly, dey look you. You feel the weight for your back, like when elder dey judge your matter for family compound.

You touch stair railing, relief catch you, think say you go fit go downstairs. For your mind, you dey thank God say you don escape small.

But next thing, you feel strong hand push you from back. No be small push, na the kain push wey dey send person go village meeting.

You roll fall down stairs, everywhere dark before pain fit even reach you. Your head knock step, body turn for air, na darkness just cover your mind.

You dey fall, darkness swallow you, but fear no wan let you rest—even for death.