Chapter 2: Cousins and Questions

Click.

For my study for house, my cousin Morayo type the last word for her computer, then look up at me.

Light from the window shine for her glasses, but her face still dey show that sly smile. The aroma of ginger tea mix with faint scent of rain for outside.

"So wetin come happen next? Wetin that sharp apeman discover?" I ask, curious die.

I no fit hide my anticipation, eyes dey shine, hand dey tap table.

My cousin close her laptop, carry her tea, then mumble as she sip, "Na just story I dey write. I never even decide wetin the secret be."

She swirl the mug small, blow the tea, e steam rise for air like small spirit.

As I hear am, disappointment hold me. "Ah ah, I dey watch you dey write, dey expect big reveal, and you—the author—no even know the answer?"

I throw my hand for air, slump back for chair, eyebrow high.

Morayo look me one kind. "Tunde, no be you dey get mad ideas every time? Abeg, help me reason wetin the secret fit be."

She put the tea down, tap her fingers for laptop lid, dey watch my face.

I just weak. "Serious? Na you be horror writer, na me you dey ask for answer?"

I shake head, then smile. For this house, na so we dey argue stories.

She slap my shoulder, no send me. "Na brainstorming I dey do! My first draft na to make the stranger be monster, but that one don too common—e no get suspense."

Her hand heavy, but e get playfulness inside. I rub my shoulder, still dey smile.

"If your story na about uncanny valley, you no fit just make am monster…"

As I dey talk, I stand up, pull one book from shelf—na foreign anthology of world horror writers, with some theory about fear join.

I dust the cover, wave am like trophy, then open to chapter mark with receipt.

I turn go one page, give my cousin. I sit down back, talk say, "See, the earliest uncanny valley theory na about robots and things wey no be human."

My voice dey mix pride and mischief, as if I get one hidden clue for inside book.

Morayo twist her mouth. "I sabi all those ones already."

But she still look the book well.

Her finger dey tap for margin, eyes dey jump line to line. E clear say she dey reason something deeper.

I just laugh. "Your story start with early people, so robot no fit enter—e go dey somehow."

I shrug, throw feet for center table. Rain start to tap window small.

She no even look up. "Exactly. So from beginning, I just set the thing as—something wey resemble human, but get one fatal wahala. Once person spot am, dem go know."

She sigh, fingers trace laptop keys, then look ceiling like say she dey ask ancestors for idea.

I come ginger. "E make sense. So, wetin be the wahala?"

I lean forward, eye dey shine, ready for gist.

She just vex, "I talk am before na! I never reason am reach."

She rub her forehead, like say she dey fight headache.

As I see as she dey think, I cross my leg, begin tease her, "Martians? Lizard people? Mole people?"

I wave my hand for air, voice dey playful, but I dey watch her face for reaction.

She wave me away. "Abeg, boring."

She hiss, then turn eye for me. Our banter dey normal for this family.

After small time, she point her laptop. "But I don give dem name already."

She tap the screen like say she wan reveal secret.

"Which name?"

My own curiosity high, I fit almost bite my tongue.

"We be humans, so dem go be—Eneke (Humanoids)."

She talk am with pride, as if she dey announce new invention.

"Ah, abeg…" I just fall for sofa. "Why you dey do anyhow? Wetin if reader go hear am as ‘Eneke’ (Bird People)? E go dey funny."

I put hand for head, laugh small. For Naija, everybody sabi that Eneke bird proverb.

She just eye me, go back to her book.

Her look sharp like knife, but I know say na play.

Suddenly, one thought land for my head. "Wait, why that sharp apeman first notice say the humanoid get wahala?"

I turn body, serious small, eyebrow raised.

She look me well, face serious, then ask me one kind question: "Tunde, you dey ever fear when you look me?"

She steady eye me, no blink. Silence full the room for one tick.

"Ehn?" The question just surprise me. "Wetin you mean?"

I try laugh am off, but my own heart beat one kind.

As she see say I confuse, her face just break into wicked smile. She talk,

Her lips twist, eyes narrow, like say she plan something.

"One thing about humanoids be say, before people catch their wahala, some people fit still notice them—and fear go catch dem."

Her voice low, e carry meaning, e echo for my ear.

"But fear need reason na. If person never find the wahala, why fear go dey?" My curiosity just dey increase.

I shift for chair, head tilt, mouth slightly open.

She drop the book, quiet all of a sudden, just dey look me, her face no get any emotion.

Her body calm, eye steady, like person wey dey try read my mind.

"Sister, why you dey look me like that?"

I try play am, but my smile stiff small.

Her silence dey make my body somehow.

The air for room thick, I begin feel like say harmattan dey blow for inside house.

She tilt her head small, half-smile, then talk,

Her teeth show, but the smile crooked, eyes no blink.

"How you sure say the person wey come your house today really be your cousin?"

Her voice low, the way she talk am, e be like wind wey blow for night and carry cold follow body.