Chapter 3: Police and Palava

After the wahala of the day, I sleep well that night, until morning when heavy knock wake me.

Na that kain knock wey go shake house. I jump for bed, heart dey beat, dey wonder if NEPA bring light or rain dey fall. Mind no even rest.

"Who dey there? Abeg, no break my door o!"

I dey talk with voice wey dey choke, still dey try come out from sleep. I dey hope say na just neighbor dey borrow salt.

Still dey half sleep, I find my way go door, open room door.

Na so my toe jam chair wey I no shift well, I hiss, manage hold wall. The air wey greet me for corridor cold, like person just off AC for long.

One strange smell just slap me—metallic, no be just blood, but fear dey join. My nose wrinkle, skin dey crawl.

Blind people dey notice new smell sharp-sharp. If body dey alert, e fit mean wahala don land.

Na then I realize say people full outside, dey talk, dey waka, dey move things—parlour full.

I dey hear slippers shuffle, voice dey rise, somebody dey sob. Normal morning peace don scatter.

"Police."

Voice deep, command full am. Badge tap my palm, cold and hard. Today no go end normal.

One rough voice talk. I hear sound as e show me badge. Click follow—dem open jotter, ready for question.

"Police?" I repeat, surprise. "Wetin una dey find for my house?"

I dey reason whether NEPA bill don cause wahala or landlord don finally show.

"Person call police. Who you be? Wetin you dey do here?"

The voice sharp, no play. I answer fast, no wan make dem reason say I dey hide something.

"I dey live here. Na my rented flat."

I talk am with confidence. For Naija, if you show fear, dem fit press you.

I tell am my name, clear so no confusion. I dey expect more question.

Rustle—biro dey write. The officer dey jot, e be like exam.

"You dey here all night…"

As e see say my eye no dey focus, officer pause small. E fit dey wave hand for my face, try confirm say I dey see or not.

"…You blind?"

Voice get small shock. Na so people dey behave—dem dey forget say disability dey everywhere.

As e realize say e talk too direct, e clear throat. Maybe e wan make I no vex. Some officers dey soft when dem see say person get wahala.

"Yes, I no dey see. Who call police? Wetin happen?"

I try sound calm, but for mind, my blood dey run. I confuse. Why police dey here, who call them, wetin happen?

But officer no answer. I dey reason maybe e dey wave hand for my face to check.

I dey feel the tension. Some police fit dey suspect me just because I dey house.

"E dey okay: we check with neighbours, e really blind."

One voice from back—maybe colleague. Softer voice, like person dey clear matter. E show say dem don ask around before dem enter.

I confuse more, my voice rise:

I dey try make dem no think say I dey hide. For Naija, if you dey too quiet, dem fit reason say you get hand for matter.

"Abeg, wetin really happen?"

My hand dey hold door frame, voice dey shake.

Footsteps everywhere. Boots for tile, radio dey buzz, people dey cough, pikin dey cry for corridor.

New person come, leather shoe for floor, stop for front; same voice as before. The shoe dey tap ground steady, like person wey dey used to order.

From height and voice, e short pass first officer, sound young but get authority. I fit sense difference—this one no rush. Naija police young officers dey try show say dem sabi work.

"You dey share this place with another person?"

I nod, still dey confuse. I try remember if dem ask Awei this kain question before, but my head blank.

"Wetin be your roommate name?"

"Awei. Wetin happen?"

I talk sharp, heart dey pound. One kind thought enter my mind. "Abeg God, no let wetin I dey think be true."

"No be say, Awei…"

My voice break small. I dey fear answer.

"Awei don die."

I just freeze; everywhere blank, leg weak, everywhere dey turn.

The word hit me like thunderbolt. For my mind, I dey shout, "No, no, no!" My whole body cold. Suddenly, my mind flash to the last time Awei gist me, the way e laugh say no woman fit resist am. I for never believe say na last time I go hear that his dry joke.

The young officer talk again:

E voice soft but heavy. "Awei girlfriend call am more than ten times this morning but e no pick. She come tell one dispatch rider to use spare key under doormat open door. As the guy open, fear catch am, e call police sharp-sharp. As we and medical people reach, we see am for him bedroom. But your roommate no dey breathe again. From wetin we see, we suspect say na person kill am."

I no even hear the rest. My head dey buzz, like danfo horn for Oshodi—loud, no gree stop. My mind blank, dey struggle to piece everything.

Awei don die? No—dem kill am? For this same house?

Tears wan come, but no water. Leg dey shake, I freeze. Cold run for my body. My teeth dey grind, I dey try hold myself, no break for police front.

Just wall dey separate us. My hand touch wall, cold as ice. I dey imagine only small plaster between me and death last night.

I no fit think straight. I just ask—voice low, almost whisper. "How dem kill am?"

"Dem stab am for chest, one time. We no see the knife. One fruit knife from kitchen knife rack miss."

The officer voice heavy. That fruit knife—na me buy am last week. E pain me say na my own knife dem use do bad thing.

"Na new set I just buy."

I talk am, voice low. I remember how I price am with aboki for market, wey say, "Oga, na original!"

The two officers look each other—like dem confirm weapon. Small silence, like dem dey communicate with eye.

"Una wan arrest me?"

My voice rise, fear dey dance for chest. I no want make dem see me as suspect.

"For procedure, we need make you help us for the investigation."

Officer voice calm, try make me relax. Sometimes dem go say make you follow them go station, but this one dey soft. People dey pity disabled people; maybe na why voice soft.

"But no worry, you no be suspect again."

Ehn?

I shock. I dey expect dem go carry me go station for more question.

That time, I remember last night: the open door, strange breathing, heavy silence.

The young officer say Awei die for him room, door no face entrance. Why dispatch rider fear when e open door? E get as e be. No be only body dem see—something else dey make person run.

Wetin e see?

I imagine: blood for wall? Person stand for corner? Skin dey crawl.

The tall officer sigh, tap my shoulder like old papa: "You lucky well. Na God save you."

I no understand. E talk am like say I just dodge wahala.

Young officer talk again, voice slow: "The killer write something for parlour wall."

Wetin?

My mind dey race. I dey try remember if I notice anything strange last night.

"No faint as I talk am."

I force laugh, "I dey strong." Heart dey jump.

I take deep breath, brace myself. "Talk."

"For the wall, with blood, e write: ‘Lucky say you be blind man, abi.’"

My whole body cold. That kain wickedness! I imagine person use blood write message, hand steady, room cold.

Voice long for my ear as everywhere dey ring. Silence heavy, like church bell for burial.

"—E mean say, as you come back last night, you waka enter where killer dey. E fit dey one corner, dey look you as you dey move…"

My mind picture am: dark parlour, killer hide, me waka pass, God save me.