Chapter 6: Red Stone Necklace and Oats for Two

I turn sharp. Morayo wey suppose dey sleep for room, just stand for my back, no make sound.

She dey look me with eye wey no blink. Her wrapper don shift small, I see her tattoo.

That time, my phone vibrate for my hand.

My hand dey shake. I quickly press power button, hide screen.

I quickly hide both hands behind me, force smile.

I dey sweat, but I smile like say nothing dey happen. "Nothing, I just dey check something."

"Why you no sleep? You suppose dey rest."

I dey form concern, but my mind dey work overtime.

Morayo just calm. "Nightmare wake me. I no see you for bed, so I come find you."

She talk am soft. Her voice get calmness wey dey scare me more.

She look behind me, dey wonder.

She stretch neck, try see wetin I dey hide.

"Ehn? No be that wooden carving I bring from before? Where you see am?"

She dey happy.

Her eye light up small, like say she see old friend. She collect am from my hand sharp sharp.

As she see say I dey confuse, she explain:

She dey talk with gist, her face dey soft. "No be my colleague travel go Jos? She meet one old woodcarver, e carve this thing for me. I bring am home but I no see am again. I no expect say I go see am tonight."

She talk like say she dey grateful. I just dey nod, dey watch her.

E make sense, and even as I dey suspect her, I no fit talk say anything no pure.

I dey tell myself say maybe I just dey overthink. Maybe na real gift.

She collect the carving, then give me small box.

I dey look the box, heart still dey beat.

"Na gift I buy for you. I plan give you for your birthday, but since you dey act somehow tonight, I go surprise you now."

Her smile wide, she push box reach my hand. I open am slowly.

I open the box. Inside na necklace.

The pendant shine under bathroom light. Na red stone, the same small figure.

The pendant na the same thing as her tattoo—small figure hold swastika, this one na red stone.

The stone dey cold, e be like say dem soak am for freezer. I dey reason whether make I wear am or just keep am.

I force smile, try hide my fear. "Why you wan give me this one now?"

I dey try dey normal, but my voice small.

Morayo smile wide. "No be romantic? Now both of us get the same thing for chest. E mean say we match well well."

She talk am with pride. She even wink. My mind dey race.

She rush hug me, pretend say she wan help me wear the necklace.

Her body cold, but I no fit push am. I just stand as she dey touch my neck.

After all the wahala tonight, my brain just blank. I just sit down, let her do her thing.

Na so I surrender, dey pray say morning go reach quick.

But I notice say her hand dey shake.

Her finger dey vibrate as she dey try fix clasp. Sweat dey her forehead.

Morayo struggle for long before she finally put the necklace for my neck.

Her hand cold like stone. I dey shiver small.

"I dey hungry small, make I go prepare Quaker oats. You want?"

She dey ask, but her mind dey elsewhere. I nod, but I dey fear.

I shake head. "You go chop, I go wait you for bedroom."

I dey form tired. My stomach dey turn.

But Morayo no gree, she grab my phone.

She dey hold my hand, dey drag me. Her grip strong.

"Abeg, follow me. The house too dark, I dey fear go kitchen alone."

I reason say make I no find trouble. I follow am, dey look back sometimes.

No choice, I follow her go kitchen, watch as she prepare oats with milk.

The oats dey bubble for pot, milk dey smell sweet, but my mind no gree relax. Even the sound of spoon for cup dey loud for my ear. She dey stir pot, face serious. E be like say she dey think deep.

Morayo drink half, then say she don belleful, push the cup give me.

She just push cup come my side, dey watch as I dey drink.

Anybody wey get babe know as e dey be—girls go talk say dem fit chop cow, but when food land, dem no fit finish tail.

I smile, remember how she dey always do like say she go finish pot, but she go just drop am for me. Na love be that.

I don used to Morayo dey give me leftover to finish.

I just chop, dey form big boy. Na so Naija boys dey do.

Tonight no different.

I no suspect, I just dey carry spoon dey chop, dey look her face.

I carry the cup, finish the oats and milk.

The thing sweet small, but my body dey tingle. I no too trust am.

Morayo stand dey look me as I dey chop. As I finish, she sigh deep.

Her sigh long, like person wey just finish marathon. E loud for kitchen.

I notice, my mind talk say she dey act somehow.

She dey look me with eye wey dey search something. My skin crawl.

But tonight no be time to find trouble—especially as I no fit reach group admin.

No plan, no helper. I just lock up, dey watch her movement.

I just bone, follow her go bedroom.

As I pick my phone, I see say the vibration wey I feel before na message from group admin.

My hand shake, I open chat. My heart dey beat fast.

"You don already make her suspect you with your actions tonight. She fit do anything to you now. Abeg, no chop anything wey she give you, and no wear anything wey her hand touch."

As I read am, my chest freeze. I look Morayo, she dey smile, but for my mind, wahala don set. Na so I carry myself go corner, dey plan escape. As I lock door, the necklace cold for my chest—my eye wide, sleep no even near my compound.