Chapter 5: Pear for Midnight, Truth for Night

I jump back, fear catch me, I take two steps back.

My leg nearly knock stool. My heart dey hammer for chest.

Cold sweat full my face as I rush talk the lie wey I prepare:

I dey find words, but mouth no gree cooperate.

"I think say you dey cough, so I wan peel pear for you."

I raise pear for my left hand.

Na the only thing wey my hand fit grab for kitchen before I come. Thank God say e dey there.

Morayo just frown.

Her face squeeze, eyebrow join together. She look me with side eye.

"Midnight pear? You dey craze? Abeg go sleep jor."

She sound like person wey dey drag for BRT queue. Her suspicion dey show.

"I just wan make up with you."

I smile small, but the thing no reach my eye. I dey pray say make she no catch my lie.

I force smile, my hand dey shake as I dey peel the pear.

I nearly cut my hand. I dey form busy, but mind dey fly.

Morayo hiss, shift body: "Abeg, drop that pear, come sleep. But make you no ever bite that place again—e dey disrespect me."

She hiss long, roll eyes. I just dey nod like mumu.

I nod like lizard, for my mind I wan swear oath.

I dey tell myself, no try am again o. You fit jam waiting you no fit handle.

As I lie down, I try ask small:

I wan use style probe am, maybe she go talk something.

"You dey sleep like person wey nothing fit wake, but as I carry knife, you just wake. You dey pretend sleep?"

I dey talk soft, make she no vex.

Morayo look me, vex small.

Her eyes sharp, mouth squeeze. She no too like the question.

"Person get instinct, you no know? If knife dey near you, you go wake too."

Her reply strong. E get small Yoruba accent, like when she dey vex.

Her reaction too normal, I almost believe her.

I wan relax, say e be like say I dey think too much.

But small sense remind me of group admin warning, so I peep her chest.

I use corner eye, check the tattoo. I no wan make am obvious.

Wetin I see nearly make me fall from bed.

I rub my eye, dey check again. E no look normal.

The small tattoo for her chest before dey smile—I remember that happy face.

That face wey dey like cartoon character, always dey shine teeth.

Now, the smile don vanish.

Nothing, just empty face. Like person erase am with eraser.

The face blank, nothing dey there.

No eye, no mouth—just plain. The thing dey strange well.

That moment, Morayo stand up, off light.

She no even talk again, just reach switch, light off, everywhere dark.

"Sleep, abeg. E don late. Tomorrow I go cook better food for you."

She talk am with soft voice, but e carry warning. I just bone, pretend say nothing dey worry me.

I lie down, body dey shake. If no be say I dey fear make she no catch me, I for don shout.

I press pillow, cover my face, dey pray inside. My leg dey shake.

After her breathing steady, I sneak go bathroom.

I tiptoe like thief, dey avoid any sound. My mind dey do me anyhow.

I rush carry my phone, open group admin chat.

I even lock door, put bucket for back, make she no fit open by mistake.

"Omo, something no pure. That small figure for her chest, the face don disappear. Wetin dey happen?"

I type fast, hand dey shake. I dey expect reply.

But the group admin profile don grey, no reply again.

No online, no blue tick. E just off. I begin dey fear say maybe na ghost dey message me.

I just sit down for toilet, mind blank, dey look everywhere.

I close eye, rest back, dey pray say make morning reach quick.

Suddenly, I see one black wooden block for corner.

I sure say I never see anything like that for my house before. Wetin be this?

The thing dey for behind mop stick, e cover with dust. I bend pick am, dey observe.

Curiosity carry me go check am. As I pick am, my mind talk make I throw am quick.

E get one strange coldness wey pass ordinary. As I hold am, my hand begin dey tingle.

Simple reason: the pattern for the block na the same thing wey dey Morayo chest.

As I rotate am, the image clear: small figure dey hold swastika, exactly like tattoo.

Small figure dey hold swastika.

E resemble wood wey dem use for shrine, or those fetish juju items dem dey display for market side.

The wood black, swastika red like blood, and one kind smell dey come out—all for night, na so my body begin get goosebumps.

The smell strong, e be like burnt palm oil mixed with ogogoro and something else wey I no sabi. My skin stand.

I hold the block, wan throw am from window.

My mind dey shout say, "Throw am, throw am!" I open window, ready to fling.

Suddenly, cold voice land for my back.

Voice cold like harmattan. I freeze. My leg no move again.

I whisper small prayer—"God abeg, cover me with your blood." My mama voice dey my head.

"Wetin you dey do?"

Her voice low, calm, but e get power. E choke.