Chapter 3: Village People No Dey Sleep

……

Time: afternoon [5:45]

You breathe deep to calm yourself. This time, you no waste time, just go door straight. You dey ready for anything, your mind dey strong, no more fear.

After you see that eye for peephole again, something flash for your mind, but you still open door. You dey reason say maybe na to face your fear be the answer.

……

Time: afternoon [5:45]

You open your eye, dey reason. Two deaths back-to-back make you see something. You dey feel like old man wey life don teach lesson, you dey wise up.

You look through window, dey watch the never-ending dusk. The sky just dey orange, no dey dark finish, no dey bright, like say time no wan pass.

"No let dem know say you fit see." The voice sound again, slow. This time, na warning wey carry weight, like advice from grandpapa wey no dey joke.

This na your third and fourth death. You dey count your death like beans for kitchen, each one dey bitter for mouth.

Your parents no go let you comot, and e no get anything to do with time. Your deaths don already prove am. You dey calculate every move, dey suspect everybody.

You even dey reason if dem be your real parents at all. Your mind dey wonder if na masquerade dey wear their face, if na something from evil forest don enter your house.

As [6:00] bell ring, you try think deeper, but any time you try remember before, your head go just dey pain you. E heavy like say person dey beat drum inside your skull.

E be like say your body no want make you remember, na pain go warn you. You dey try force memory, but na only wahala you dey get.

You no even remember how long you don blind, or why. Your mind blank, like empty exercise book for new term.

You just give up on thinking, but the whole matter dey make you more curious. You swear say you go find the answer. E pain you, you gats know wetin dey happen before body go rest.

Since door na wahala, you gats try another way: window. Your sense dey tell you say maybe na to use another road be the answer, like pikin wey dey dodge cane.

Your house dey sixth floor—not too high for the area. Every floor get balcony, so if you tie rope, you fit climb down. You dey measure the gap with your eye, dey calculate like person wey wan thief mango.

You use half hour twist bedsheet, wrapper, all join, make strong rope, tie am for wall, arrange everything well. Your hand dey pain, sweat dey your body, but you no send—survival na the only thing for your mind.

Time: [6:30]

As before, your parents come back that time, begin cook. Mama dey turn stew for pot, pepper aroma choke everywhere, papa dey hum old Ebenezer Obey song. You hear their voice for kitchen, sound of pot knock, aroma of oil and pepper dey fly reach your nose.

You shout through bedroom door say you no hungry, make dem no call you. Your voice dey shake, but you dey force confidence, like pikin wey dey fake malaria.

After dem answer, you relax small. You hear their footsteps waka pass, you dey pray say make dem no suspect.

You tiptoe climb desk, reach window, hold rope, begin come down small small. Your heart dey pound, leg dey shake, but you dey steady your breath.

That yellow evening sun dey shine for your body. For that height, freedom sweet you pass fear. You dey smile, dey imagine fresh air for ground level, e dey sweet you. Downstairs, you fit hear okada horn and suya man dey shout price.

You strong pass as you think. After some minutes, you nearly reach fifth floor. You dey praise yourself, dey plan how you go waka reach ground, maybe even buy gala and La Casera for junction.

Next step, just jump enter fifth floor balcony, go inside, open door, waka go downstairs. For your mind, plan dey tight, escape sure.

One young woman dey live for fifth floor. She dey do night shift, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Una don talk before, you sabi her work time. She no go dey house now, so you fit move without wahala. Na nurse she be for government hospital, always dey complain say night duty dey tire am.

You close eye, whisper, "God abeg, no let village people catch me today." You calm your breath, ready for the last drop. Your hand dey sweat, but you dey encourage yourself, "Guy, no fear, you fit do am."

But next thing, you see hand from below balcony grab the rope. The hand cold, black like charcoal, fingers long like okro.

Cold pass harmattan enter your bone, you wan shout but mouth no gree. You feel heavy shake. As you dey fall, you see one dead face. E hollow, eyes no dey, mouth wide like gutter, na there you know say this na village people work.

Bang—

With heavy sound, everywhere turn blood, darkness follow. Your scream die for throat, na only silence you carry enter darkness.

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