Chapter 3: Blood Bath and Secret Dey Smell

As Morayo enter bedroom, I sharply grab my phone.

I even dey tiptoe, make she no hear as I dey operate phone. Na so fear grip me, but curiosity no gree.

"Who you be, abeg?"

My message dey show blue tick, but response no land.

"You sure say you no know my babe? You dey form mysterious, abi?"

I dey try form hard guy, but for inside my mind, I dey shiver like generator wey no get oil.

My phone just dey show: "The other party is typing."

If you see as my leg dey shake. Even NEPA bring light that time, I no notice.

I sit down for parlour, hold my phone tight, dey wait like say I dey expect NEPA to bring light.

The wall clock tick, tick, my heart follow am beat. Sweat dey my palm.

Finally, message land.

Sharp sharp, my eye catch am. My spirit dey alert.

"Make I talk true, you dey craze? You never notice anything strange about your babe? You know say she dey use blood bath sometimes?"

As I see blood bath, my mind fly go back. E be like say cold pass harmattan dey blow for my parlour.

My heart miss one beat.

E catch me off guard. I check phone again to be sure.

E talk am correct.

E be like say person dey look us since. How e take sabi?

Since I know Morayo, she get this habit—every week, she go market or abattoir buy fresh chicken, goat or pig blood, carry am come house, pour am for bathtub, then soak herself inside.

Sometimes, she go even travel go one remote market just because she hear say dem get fresher blood. She go talk say, "Babe, make you no mind. Na this thing dey work for my skin." E come be like normal routine for her.

The first time I see am, fear grip me.

I just stand for bathroom door, dey look am with mouth open. I even wan run go call my mama, but I hold myself. City girl life, I talk.

But she just laugh, say I dey worry too much.

"Na remedy I hear say dey work. If you dey bath with fresh blood, your skin go soft, you go fine well well."

She talk am like joke, but her face serious. I no fit argue.

She too like this thing, e dey even scare me small.

The smell sef no be here. After she bath, e go remain for tiles. Neighbours dey complain sometimes say dem dey smell one kind for corridor, but I dey cover up.

Two years ago, we jam heavy rain, she no fit get blood for bath. Last last, she carry knife, cut both our wrists, squeeze blood, rub for her body.

That day, na so I know say love get limit. As knife dey cut my hand, my eye dey red. But she just dey smile, dey rub the blood. Me, I dey pray say make e no pass this one.

I shock, but she get her explanation:

"If I stop even one time, all my effort go waste. How I go take fine again?"

Her logic no follow, but who I be to argue?

Her beauty method dey mad and e dey scary, but after I don dey with her reach this level, nothing else surprise me again.

Me sef don dey get used to am. If love go kill me, make e do sharp sharp.

Our relationship self dey sweet, so I just bear am.

Even as friends dey tell me say make I run, I just dey follow body. You know Naija boys—if your babe fine, you fit endure anything.

But make we talk true, blood bath no be normal thing.

Sometimes, I dey reason say make I call pastor, but shame no let me. Wetin I go talk?

All these years, Morayo keep am coded. She no dey travel for work, no dey gree follow me waka for more than two days.

She dey always dodge any journey, especially if e go affect her ritual. I notice, but I bone.

So I sure say she never tell anybody.

I know Morayo, she no get many friends. She no too dey open up. Even her family no too visit. How group admin take know? E make sense to reason am.

My mind dey race. E be like say I dey inside Nollywood film.

E be like say e read my mind.

The way e dey type, na like say e dey see my thoughts.

"If you no believe, make we bet. Try am see."

My mind dey shake. I dey reason whether make I involve my area pastor or just run. But curiosity dey push me.

I dey tell myself say na prank—maybe one of her people wey sabi her secret dey run me street.

But the more I think am, the more I fear. Wetin if na real?

But my hand still dey shake as I type:

I wipe sweat from my forehead. My hand dey cold.

"How I go take try am?"

I dey expect say e go laugh me, but e just keep silent for small.