Chapter 3: Strange Tools and the Five Heads

The girl name na Halima. As her name be, her skin really soft and smooth, like say if you touch am, e go bounce—perfect for tattoo.

Halima get that kind northern beauty—slim, tall, skin like fresh milk, with small gap for teeth wey dey show when she smile. Her hair dey packed neat under scarf, but her eye dey sharp, like person wey sabi book well. Na this kind girl mama go dey warn say make you no near, but na still the one wey fit give you sleepless night.

After I prep her skin, her lower abdomen come fair and clear, like fine white cloth. Person fit just dey look am dey wonder.

As I clean am, I dey careful like say I dey handle egg. No be everyday you dey work on big man pikin. Even the light for shop, I reduce am small so e go cool her body, make she no too feel exposed.

As we agree, all the materials and tools na Yusuf supply, but the ones wey he bring no be normal at all.

Even me, I get small pride for my tools, but the ones wey Yusuf bring—omo, na correct thing, but e get as e be—like juju man box wey dem hide for shrine. The bag wey he carry get symbol wey I no sabi. As I open am, my nose catch one kind scent wey resemble agbalumo mix with something foreign. My spirit just dey turn small.

First, the tools get one kind foreign look—like juju man box wey dem hide for shrine. The materials sef, I no even sabi wetin dem be, but as I touch am, e dey correct.

Even the machine, e too dey smooth for hand, like German or Japanese import. The inking bottles get foreign writing, but the liquid inside dey black like coal, thick pass normal ink. Even the things wey dem dey use finish—transfer paste, ink, even ordinary Vaseline—all of them get one kind fishy-sweet smell wey I no fit explain.

E get as e be, but money na money, abi? I just dey reason say this job go enter story for my tattoo group later.

The deity get five heads. Each head resemble the other small, but dem different—some old, some young, some fine, some ugly—but all of them close eye.

To draw am, I gats focus well, so I use ruler, compass—everything wey go make am fine. As I dey draw the lines, my hand dey steady, but my heart dey jump. Tattoo people dey talk say: "No tattoo lion wey dey jump fence, no tattoo python wey dey cross back, If the angel close eye, e no fit save person, and if Ogun open eye, e go strike."

This na the kind proverb wey elders dey use warn young tattoo artists, especially when e concern mystical things. I just thank God say this deity still close eye—if to say the eyes open, wahala for dey.

As I dey work, the girl no suppose talk at all. Sometimes, she go just dey look Yusuf with one kind sad eye. Any time she look am like that, Yusuf go pet her, rub her head, talk to her soft soft. Dem two really look like dem love each other well.

E shock me, because most Abuja boys no dey send their babe like this. The love dey show for face, but small small, something for Halima eye dey like fear or sadness. Even though e dey somehow, I reason say as Yusuf love this girl like this, e no go harm am. I just forget my fear, focus on the tattoo.

I dey recite small prayer for my mind: "Jehovah, abeg cover me." My mama dey always talk say before you do job for stranger, pray make your hand no carry another person wahala.

The design no too big, but the colours plenty work. Each of the five heads get different colour. I work from afternoon reach evening before I finish.

Na real handwork—yellow, red, blue, green, and black. Each head need special shading. My back dey pain me, my eye dey see double. Last last, I put healing film, explain wetin she go do to take care of the tattoo and wetin she no suppose chop.

I warn her say, "No chop pepper, abeg, and if dem offer you ogogoro or suya, just tell dem say doctor talk no." For Naija, if you no tell person, dem go go drink kai kai or eat suya, spoil your work.

Yusuf check am, nod him head, happy.

He tip me extra two k for transport. Na so rich people dey do—dem go tip you, then tell you say make you no talk. As I watch them waka commot, hand for each other body, I just breathe out long.

For my mind, I dey thank God say the job don finish. But as I dey clean table, small fear still dey my chest. I think say na the end be that, but wetin happen later pass my imagination.