Chapter 4: Searching for Wahala

Three days pass, but I never still forget. Every night I dey struggle to sleep, fear say I go dream of those early people—and that humanoid.

Mosquito bite no let me rest, plus harmattan breeze dey enter through window. For my mind, the story no wan die.

I open my phone, see say my cousin Morayo don update her writing blog. Na that same humanoid story she post.

I rub my eye, try focus. Na her blog be the first I dey read every time.

"She finally write the humanoid wahala?" I happy, click enter. I wan know the secret by force.

My finger dey tap fast, heart dey race. I dey ready for revelation.

See as she write am:

When another tribe find the sharp early person, e don mad finish. Dirt and wound full body, e look like person wey suffer well.

Dem gather round am for village square, some dey whisper, elders dey frown. Dust dey for everywhere, flies dey disturb am.

That time, ancient people no even get sense of madness. As dem see am like that, dem think say evil spirit enter am. Dem tie am, surround am, kneel down dey pray.

One old woman begin sprinkle water, another dey call ancestors, some young men dey rub palm oil for e head.

"E don reach here. E dey among us!"

The sharp early person just dey shout, repeat the words again and again.

E voice no fit rest, e hand dey shake, e eyes red, like say e see something from spirit world.

That one make everybody fear more—nobody wan near am.

Pikin hide for back mother, even dog wey dey compound no gree bark.

"I go tell you the secret."

E voice crack, but e chest rise with courage, like person wey wan deliver last message.

As leader hear, e stand up, waka go meet am.

E staff for hand, beads for wrist. E eyes sharp like hawk, but e step gentle.

"Who be am? Which secret you wan talk?"

The sharp early person dey struggle, dey shout,

E spit dey fly, e body dey tense, even rope for e hand dey cut small.

"Somebody enter our tribe. No, no be person. E resemble us, but…"

Before e finish, the leader just bend, face-to-face.

E breath dey close, eyes no dey blink. Some elders draw back, others hold am down tight.

"Look me well. Try talk am—how you go describe am?"

The leader voice deep, e dey beg but e get command.

"You…" The sharp early person eyes just dey shake as e look leader. E heart just stop.

E open mouth, nothing come out. Only fear dey his eye. E spirit don waka.

That time, death no be big deal. Nobody know wetin happen. Dem just throw the early person body for bush.

No ceremony, no song, only silence. Some people drop sand for e body, others just waka go.

Maybe the leader get wahala—maybe na the humanoid. But as the sharp early person die, truth lost forever.

For bush, when secret die with person, na only gods fit reveal am again.

A million years ago, animals full earth. One day, cheetah wey dey chase food enter one cave.

Cheetah nose dey sharp, ear dey pick every movement. For inside cave, the air cold, smell of old bones dey everywhere.

Na that same cave where the humanoid stay.

Darkness deep, but e eye dey see small for night. The ground full footprints, some new, some old, but cheetah no fear.

The cheetah just dey waka round inside, dey look.

E move slow, e tail dey sweep sand, every step get purpose. For roof, bats hang upside down, dey watch.

Make you note:

Animals dey avoid where human don pass—they dey smell am. But this cheetah no smell anything human for there.

E nostril flare, sniff everywhere, but nothing. E mind dey try connect dots, tail wag small small.

For cave wall, animal bone and stone tool full ground.

E see marks for bone, old fire ashes, but e no smell the usual human sweat or palm oil scent.

The cheetah reason say something dey somehow. E mind dey try put things together:

E tongue lick teeth, e whiskers tremble, as if e dey calculate spiritual matter.

Humans suppose dey here, but I no see anybody, I no smell anybody.

Cheetah heart dey beat faster, but e hunger strong pass fear.

The cheetah no fit understand, so e just decide to chop the meat. As e wan start—

The light shift, sand move. Something dey for back of cave, shadow dey stretch.

One human face just stretch out from darkness.

E mouth no talk, but the eye dey look cheetah like say e sabi am before.

"You dey find me?"

The voice no loud, but e shake the whole cave, echo like drum for burial.