Chapter 4: Puzzles, Plans, and Naija Sense

So I continue to dey ask my friend.

I no wan do like those people wey dey jump conclusion. E better to ask pass to carry fake gist.

Chuka: “Apart from all this, anything else dey wrong with the house?”

For Naija, if person dey suspect juju, sometimes na small thing go expose am.

Friend: “Hmm... not really. Sometimes she dey talk about the good side.”

Even for ‘spirit’ house, people dey see good thing—maybe breeze, maybe cheap rent.

Chuka: “Good side? Like wetin?”

Friend: “When she first move in, e still get small paint smell, like say dem just renovate. She think say na landlord do am, but later she realise say na the former owner run the renovation. And, even though na top floor, the house no dey hot—second floor dey cool even for dry season. Plus, the rent cheap die.”

Paint smell dey always mean say wall don chop fresh coat. But for Naija, paint dey fade quick, so if e dey last, e get why. House wey dey cool for hot season? Omo, na juju? Or maybe na thick wall. But cheap rent? If e too good to be true, e fit get gist.

As I dey hear her, I frown.

For this country, nothing dey too strange, but sometimes, e get as e dey be. If rent dey cheap pass market, na sign say wahala fit dey.

Many times, things wey dey look strange get normal explanation.

Person fit dey reason say juju dey, meanwhile na rat dey chop wire for ceiling.

Maybe the wahala for the house no too deep—maybe na we dey overthink.

But e dey better to check well—shine eye no dey pain person.

I still dey ask.

Chuka: “Your colleague talk to neighbors about the house?”

For Naija, neighbor fit hold key to plenty mystery. Gist dey flow for junction, even security man fit know.

Friend: “I no think so. She dey busy with her pikin wey dey prepare for WAEC, dey wake by six every morning, dey busy till night. She no get time for neighbors.”

Omo, for people wey dey hustle, to do neighbor parley no easy. Especially if your pikin dey do exam, you go dey focused die.

Chuka: “Okay... No go rush rent the house. Give me time make I check well.”

As e be, I no fit rush. I go do my own Sherlock Holmes work.

Friend: “Okay.”

......

From the next day, I begin dig the strange things wey my friend talk.

No time to waste, I dey run small research. For Naija, if your mind dey trouble you, better go root am before e turn nightmare.

From all the stories, I no see any clear connection.

Everything dey scatter for my mind—flies, light, paint, breaker. No link. I dey reason like all those detectives for African Magic series.

As my friend talk, her colleague no really get wahala for the house. Life dey okay, just that sometimes, strange things dey happen.

For Naija, sometimes wahala fit dey, but if pikin no sick, rent no increase, person go just bear small discomfort. We sabi endure for this country.

For people wey dey rent, e dey normal to feel somehow for new house. Maybe na just small discomfort dem dey take think say na spirit.

For Naija, if you dey move enter new house, e dey normal to feel one kain. Light go blink, water go cut, and your mind go dey play trick. E no mean say na juju.

Like when I dey rent before, I dey always see long woman hair for house, until I find out say the last tenant get long hair. Some corners no clean well, broom get hair, e dey drop as I dey sweep. That time, I think say woman hair dey appear for house.

Omo, na there I learn say sometimes, all these ghost stories na human being handwork. If you look well, na dirty dey cause am.

So, I believe say all these strange things get explanation.

For Naija, we dey always reason say everything get answer. Even if dem talk say juju dey, e fit be one kain scientific thing.

At least, I no believe my friend talk say na ‘haunted house’.

Na person wey believe fear go fear. Me, I dey use head first.

With this for mind, I still dey check my notes on the apartment.

No leave any stone unturned, as mama dey talk.

Two days pass, I still no get clue—until I notice one spot for second floor.

I dey look the plan one night with torchlight, dey try connect all the dots. Na then I see one small space wey no add up.

Because I no too sabi floor plan, I no understand wetin e be just by the drawing.

The drawing just dey hook for my eye. E be like say one side dey longer than the other.

So I send the plan give my friend, ask:

Chuka: “You fit send me photo of this place?”

I drop am like that, no add sugar. Na sharp question dey bring sharp answer.

My friend reply after small time.

Friend: “I go ask my colleague. She suppose dey house now.”

Few minutes later, my friend send me photo.

Sharp response—some people sabi deliver.

Friend: “She just send this.”

As I look the photo, I finally understand the structure:

E be like say veil don fall from my eye. Na there I begin dey see the house for my mind like real-life.

That place na extension of the corridor upstairs—the black line na just the stair railing continue.

I fit imagine how the place dey. The handrail just dey run like say e wan continue enter wall. But for plan, e no clear why e dey that side.

As I study the photo, I pick the floor plan again, join am with all the things wey we talk before. The picture begin clear for my mind.

Omo, for Naija, once your mind clear, fear go join body.

I overlap the two floor plans to test my theory.

I dey press ruler, dey measure, dey count block. The calculation dey give me cold.

As I dey look the plan, one scary conclusion land for my mind:

E be like say Naija film—dead body dey hide for plain sight.

Dead body dey inside this house.

My hand begin shake. For Naija, if person reason say body dey hide for house, you go quick run go call pastor or prophet.

But you fit solve am before me?