Chapter 4: Everybody Eye Dey Your Body

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Time: afternoon [5:45]

"No let dem know say you fit see."

As the voice sound again, you hit your table. Frustration choke you, you dey vex like Danfo driver wey police stop for road.

"Chai."

This na your fifth death. You dey count, dey wonder whether you go ever tire.

Maybe you don dey used to dying. Anger no last, you just calm down. You begin reason like street boy, dey plan your next move.

This death show you say window escape no go work. Even if you turn Spiderman, dem go still catch you for wall.

Of course, you begin reason more—like why the young woman dey house. Remember as your parents dey stand for door when dem suppose dey work, one idea flash: maybe, dem never even comot since. Na there your mind begin dey turn, spirit dey warn you.

You slump for chair, dey look the old poster. Your eye dey follow the lines, but your mind dey fly everywhere.

You no sure if na your eye dey play trick, but e be like say the person for poster move small. E be like say Rashidi Yekini wink you, na there you gats stop dey look.

This death make you extra careful. You dey act like tortoise, dey watch every step, no dey rush anything.

You no comot from bedroom, just dey there till [6:30] when your parents return. After dinner, as usual, you on radio, listen to stand-up gist, audiobooks, last last sleep with online class. Na routine you dey use hold your mind, make fear no chop you finish.

Night pass well, you wake up early. You dey thank God, dey hope say today go better.

As you dey dress, door open. Your mama enter, hold carnation. She waka go bedside, remove old flower, put new one. All the while, you no look her face. You dey pretend dey arrange your shirt, but you dey feel her eye for your back.

Same way, she no remove eye from you. Her body just stiff, she dey watch every move like cat dey look rat.

She dey watch me? you reason, but your face still dey normal. You no wan give yourself away, you dey act cool.

Morning [7:30], time for your parents to go work. After quick breakfast, dem tell you bye bye. Their voice carry normal cheer, but e get as e be—like say dem dey practice.

You sit down, say, "Make una dey careful as una dey go." You even add small smile, dey try act like good pikin.

As you hear door close, you drop your spoon and fork, ready to go your room. But as you turn, cold sweat just soak your back. The kain fear wey grab you, na only people wey see masquerade for bush sabi am.

Dem still stand for door like statue, dey look you. No movement, no greeting, just eye dey follow you waka.

You no talk, just hold white cane, hand dey sweat like say na fish you dey hold. Your knuckles white, you dey try steady your breath.

Wetin I go do? Wetin I go do? Wetin I go do?

Your mind dey run. Thoughts dey jump like frog inside rainy gutter.

Last last, you just do as usual, go room carry key, prepare go downstairs go listen to audiobook with Baba Musa. You dey plan your waka, dey hope say nothing go spoil.

Na one of your normal things be that. Your spirit dey rest small when you dey around people wey dey normal.

For the estate, basketball court dey, but nobody dey play ball, so old people dey gather there to play draught, gist, and sun themselves. Compared to house, you like there pass, because people dey, life dey. Sometimes, small pikin go throw ball, everybody go shout, laugh, you go feel small joy.

You comot easy. Your parents no stop you, even clear road for you. Na so dem just dey follow, no talk, no sign.

Dem follow for back like shadow, no talk. Their leg no dey make sound, their eye still dey your back.

The more you waka, the more cold you feel. Cold wey no be from harmattan, na cold wey dey come from inside bone.

For the old, dark corridor, people stand for every door, for every floor, dey hide for shadow, dey look you with dead eyes. E be like say na only you waka come, everybody else dey form statue.

E be like say you waka enter bat cave, dey go hell small small. You dey pray say make you reach outside before anything go catch you.

Back dey full of shadow, but no light dey front. You dey move like person wey dey find way for dark bush.

Time: morning [9:00]

You and Baba Musa sit for bench near basketball court, radio dey play with that their rough sound. The radio na old one, sometimes the wahala sound dey sweet pass the real program.

Ali Baba voice—na the stand-up king for Naija—begin break for radio. He dey talk about wahala for Lagos, everybody dey laugh—except you, your laugh dey stuck for throat. Baba Musa dey chew groundnut, throw shell for side.

You and Baba Musa dey gist, sometimes una go laugh. Baba Musa go shake head, say, "This country ehn!" You go nod, dey fake smile.

Cloud cover sun, everywhere dark. E suppose be normal morning—sun, harmattan breeze, people voice everywhere. You for no feel lonely. But for your mind, na only you dey this world, na shadow full everywhere.

But your smile stiff. For your eye, your parents and people for your building just stand under tree, no move. Old people sit for chair, dey gist, sometimes dey look your side. Early harmattan air still get small heat from dry season, but cold sweat dey run for your back. Na only your body dey betray you.

You no fit take the staring. You lean back for bench, raise head, dey watch cloud. You dey pretend say you dey relax, but your spirit dey shout.

Maybe na only the moving cloud fit help you relax. You dey follow am with eye, dey imagine say if you turn cloud, maybe wahala no go reach you.

Small small, you begin calm down, dey think your next step. You dey plot, dey gather courage, dey tell yourself, "You go survive this thing."

Even though you no too understand, e be like say as long as nobody know say you fit see, you dey safe. You dey plan to dey play blind till better plan show.

Time dey go. First light break cloud, shine for your face. You raise hand block your eye. The light warm, but e still dey remind you say danger dey.

That moment, everywhere just quiet. No sound from radio, no shout from pikin, no laughter, nothing.

Plenty faces turn look you at once. Na like horror film, everybody eye just dey your body, you dey feel like goat wey dem wan use for sacrifice. E be like say all the compound people dey act film, nobody blink, nobody smile.

For that silence, na only radio dey make noise. E dey crackle, dey talk like person wey dey run from dream.

Your heart dey beat, e be like say fear wan land. You rush tell Baba Musa bye, waka go house quick. No look anybody, just dey waka fast, dey pray for mind.

Na when you close door, you calm small. Your hand dey shake as you lock door, you whisper, "God, abeg, make today pass." You rest back, sigh, dey thank God say you escape, even if na small.

After that, you just dey fear, no try any other thing till night. You dey stay low, dey keep to yourself, dey plan next move.

You think say the day don end, mind tire, sleep carry you. Your dream full of shadow, but you dey fight to wake up each time.

Early morning [2:00]

Half asleep, you hear small sound, wake up sharp, and