Chapter 4: Knife for Night, Face Don Vanish

1am, I take two deep breaths, open bedroom door.

Na that kind deep breath wey you go take before you enter NEPA office for bill issue. I pray say make Morayo no wake.

Morayo dey sleep like log, no even know say I don dey waka for corridor since.

She dey snore soft-soft, her hand cover chest. Mosquito dey hum for window, but na her sleep dey heavy pass.

She always dey sleep deep, nothing dey wake her.

Sometimes, thunder go strike, she go just turn, continue dey sleep. Me, small sound I go jump.

Even as I open door now, she no move.

I open door small, peep inside, then enter. The room dark, but I sabi the arrangement well.

I waka go bed, my body stiff.

E be like say na old soldier I be, the way I dey tiptoe.

I don waka this distance many times before, but tonight, e be like say road no dey end.

My leg dey heavy, my chest dey pump. Na so fear dey work for person body.

As I dey remember group admin words, my heart dey beat anyhow.

My mind dey play film—what if Morayo catch me? What if that mark bite me?

Fear make my head dey spin, like say my spirit comot from body, dey watch myself dey waka go Morayo side.

E be like I dey do out-of-body experience, my mind dey float. E funny, but na true.

Morayo no dey wear cloth sleep—na only thin, transparent material she dey wear sometimes.

Even this night, she just tie wrapper for waist, but e short. Na breeze dey touch everywhere.

She dey always talk say naked sleep dey help am relax.

She dey say body go breathe well, no heat, no wahala. All these Instagram health tip wey girls dey follow.

But group admin get another explanation:

When I read that one, na shiver catch me.

"I fit bet say your babe no dey like wear cloth sleep, abi? That thing for her body need air for night—cloth dey disturb am."

I pause. I dey reason—how this person take know all these things?

As I dey look Morayo, I begin doubt myself.

I dey ask myself, you sure say you dey safe for here?

How I go let stranger words make me suspect my babe?

I dey feel like Judas, but my mind no gree rest.

I hesitate.

Na so I pause for door, dey reason whether to just close am go back parlour. But curiosity dey win me.

My right hand hold fruit knife tight, e heavy for my hand like block.

I hold am so tight, my palm dey pain me. I no even know why I carry knife, but fear dey make person do anything.

I swallow spit, tell myself: just try am this once. After today, I go block group admin, no let am disturb me again.

I dey swear for my mind say, after tonight, I go delete WhatsApp, join Telegram instead.

I raise fruit knife.

I feel like thief wey wan break safe. My hand dey shake.

That moment, the red mole for Morayo chest just shine for dark.

E bright like brake light for danfo. The thing just dey glow for low light.

Na that time, Morayo—wey I think say dey sleep—open eye, look me straight.

Her eye sharp, no sleep inside. E be like say she don dey watch me since. My body cold.

"Wetin you dey do?"

Her voice low, but serious. Na so fear catch me.