The Forgotten Child Beneath the Palm Tree
Chapter 5: Battle for Yinyin
The spirit wear red, she scary no be small.
Her face long, eye hollow, wrapper tie like person wey dey go native doctor house. She waka for air, no dey touch ground. Her laugh dey cold, like morning dew for tomb.
But fear no let me rest, I rush grab her.
“You… Why you dey follow her?”
The spirit look me strong eye:
“Which small spirit be this, dey put mouth for another person matter?”
Her voice sharp, like razor blade for barber hand—e fit cut ear.
My hand dey shake, but I no gree let go. “No be say I dey put mouth—na my small sister she be.”
My grip weak, but my chest stubborn. I dey pray for inside make any ancestor near to help me. Chukwu, biko, no let evil reach my sister. (God, please, don’t let evil touch my sister.)
“Small sister?”
The spirit laugh.
“But the way dem dey look you, na like say you be enemy.”
Her teeth white, her laugh na like thunder wey no get rain. I feel cold, but I stand my ground.
“Na because dem no understand. Dem think say na me dey follow my small sister, na why she dey sick.”
I vex explain.
My spirit chest dey drum, I no wan make wahala touch Yinyin. I dey ready fight if e need.
“Then why dem go think so? You be bad pikin?”
The spirit look me anyhow.
“I… I no be bad pikin.”
My voice crack, but I stand. Wetin I do, na to love my family, even as spirit.
She hiss, “Leave me, or I go swallow you now now, small spirit.”
Her mouth big, her tongue like pepper. My spirit leg wan run, but my mind hold me for ground.
But I still hold her tight.
No matter how she beat or kick me, I no let go.
My spirit dey pain me, but I close eye, dey call God for mind.
She vex. “No use say you dey protect her. Even if I no use her as substitute, she no go pass seven years.”
“She carry heavy wahala. If dem no settle am, she no go survive reach seven.”
Her voice cold, like harmattan breeze wey enter bone. E dey scatter my hope.
“Which kind wahala?”
I ask.
I dey pray make she talk true, make I fit help my small sister.
The spirit just smile, wicked smile. “I no go tell you.”
Her teeth sharp, her shadow dey long. I just stand, dey shake, but I no ready let go my sister.
