Chapter 2: Amarachi Disappear

Before seven the next morning, I hear knock for door.

The knock loud, stubborn, as if police dey come raid. I open eye, see say time never reach seven, head still dey pain me from drink.

“Ikenna! Ikenna! Open door!”

I hear Amarachi papa voice, e dey rush. My spirit just dey tire. I drag leg, go open.

I open am, Amarachi parents rush enter, begin search the house anyhow.

Dem rush enter, push chair, check room. Her mama dey shake, her papa dey frown. E resemble police search.

Her mama dey shout as she search, “Amarachi! Amarachi!”

She dey scatter bed, open wardrobe, even check bathroom. Her voice dey tremble. As she step into the hotel room, her mama dey whisper, “God abeg, cover my pikin with your blood.”

I just tell her, “She no dey here.”

I talk am plain, my voice hoarse. I no fit fake smile.

But her papa talk, “Ikenna, I don tell your aunty many times, before marriage una no suppose dey stay together. Our Amarachi na correct girl, she pure, she dey protected since.”

He adjust glasses, face me. I just sigh. For Naija, parent pride strong, dem no wan hear story.

Her mama still dey find. “We go Amarachi house, she no dey. If she no dey here, where she dey? Amarachi, stop hide! Come out!”

She dey shake, face red. She dey call Amarachi like say she fit appear. The tension heavy.

I just tire. “Why I go lie give una?”

My voice soft, my body dey weak. I no fit dey argue, my head full.

“So where she dey?”

Her papa cross arm, face me. I swallow spit, dey search my brain.

I pause small, then talk, “We go market yesterday, then... we quarrel, so I come house first.”

I no fit tell dem say na fight reach police wahala. I just talk am cool.

“Ehn!” Both of them shout, “We call Amarachi last night, she no answer! Ikenna, you be man, after quarrel you just leave her for outside alone!”

Dem voice high, neighbours fit hear. I rub face, dey try form calm.

Dem really dey worried, e no be fake, so I try clear my head.

I see say na true panic. Her mama dey shake, papa dey pace. I know say na only God fit help now.

I call Amarachi, but her phone off.

The line no go. I try again, nothing. I dey sweat. My chest dey pound.

I ask her friends and colleagues, nobody know where she dey.

I run through my WhatsApp, Instagram, even call Chika her bestie. Nobody see Amarachi since yesterday.

By now, her parents don dey panic. I just talk, “She be adult, no be pikin. Besides, when we part yesterday, she go chop with two men.”

Her mama hold head, papa dey shiver. My voice shake, but I no fit hide am.

“Men? Which men?”

Her papa voice thunder for room. Her mama dey look me with fear. I no fit answer straight.

I just shake head, show say I no know.

I rub face, voice low. "Na oyibo, strangers. I no sabi them."

Amarachi mama curse, “Ikenna, you dey mad? Amarachi na your babe! Outside no safe! Bad people full everywhere! If anything happen to my pikin, you fit bear am?”

Her voice dey tremble, almost cry. I feel guilt bite my chest. I look down.

Before I talk more, her mama pull her papa.

She drag am, whisper. "No time, call police!" Her voice sharp.

“Call police! Quick, call police!”

Her papa pull out phone, fingers dey shake. For Naija, once parent panic reach this level, e don pass be careful.

Even though Amarachi wound me yesterday and I talk say break up sure, as e come be safety matter, I no fit ignore.

Na so love dey be. Even if person break your heart, you go still feel say you get duty. I begin dey pray for inside mind.

Three of us go nearest police station, explain wetin happen, give Amarachi info.

The road rough, traffic plenty. For police station, people dey full, but officer see our panic, tell us make we talk everything. I dey sweat, voice low.

The officer check, come find clue.

He dey look computer, dey reason our story. We dey wait, mama dey shake leg, papa dey wipe face.

“This ID card wey belong to Amarachi, dem use am check in for City Lodge for Palm Grove Road, 11:30 last night.”

As he talk am, my leg weak. Amarachi own ID for hotel, midnight? My head dey buzz.

Check in for hotel.

The officer repeat, "City Lodge, Palm Grove Road, 11:30." My heart dey cut, papa and mama Amarachi dey shout, "No be possible!"

My heart just miss one beat. I just dey fear.

Sweat full my back, my mouth dry. The officer dey try calm us. I dey pray say make nothing bad happen.

Amarachi mama nearly cry. “Officer, e fit be say my daughter...”

Her voice low, her face white. She dey shake, hand dey cover mouth.

Her papa shout, “No talk rubbish, e no possible.”

He glare her, voice high. He dey try package, but I fit see say fear dey catch am.

The officer sharp, drive us go hotel, tell front desk make dem show us the room.

He pick patrol van, we jump inside. Mama dey pray, papa dey silent. For my mind, na Psalm 23 dey ring.

Receptionist swipe card, open door, signal us to enter.

Her face serious, her hand no dey shake. She look us, wave hand, "Go inside."

Her parents no even greet, just burst enter like say na police raid. Mama dey whisper, “God abeg, cover my pikin with your blood.”

Dem no dey reason anything. Mama rush enter, papa follow. Me, I just dey hope say Amarachi dey okay.

Me, I just follow, mind dey heavy.

My feet slow, heart dey pound. I dey beg God make we no see bad thing.

First thing I see na everywhere scatter: wine bottle, men and women cloth, tissue paper...

Room smell of perfume mix with alcohol. Bed rough, pillow for ground. I freeze for door, my heart drop. Mama Amarachi hold chest, tears full her eyes. Papa dey stand like statue. For my mind, I just dey pray say make she dey safe, but the fear inside me no be here.

My heart drop. E be like say ground wan swallow me.

For my mind, only one thing dey ring—how I go fit face tomorrow?