Chapter 4: Thunder and Revelation

Kunle no talk again, just dey do like say nothing concern am.

Baba Auwalu, wey dey main table, talk cold. "Young man, rules dey—the veil no fit comot now, e no good. But since you dey shout say spirit bride dey here, for everybody safety, I go break rule today. But hear am well: if bride na spirit bride, you go save all of us. If no be so, you go leave your two hands before you waka."

When Baba Auwalu talk, even children keep quiet. That threat heavy—everybody know say village justice no dey play. If you mess up, you go pay.

He look Kunle. "Kunle, open your wife veil."

He no even blink. Authority full him body. Some women begin pray, "God abeg, make we no see evil today."

Before Kunle fit talk, grandpa quick enter, "Big Brother, na outsider he be, him no sabi our way. Today na better day—no vex."

Grandpa bend small, use him hands show respect, voice soft. For elders, to beg like this na big thing.

Baba Auwalu snort. "I wan see if this pikin really wan cause wahala. Kunle, open the veil."

His voice na final. Even mosquito dey hide when Baba vex. The room cold, tension thick like pap.

As Baba Auwalu talk finish, thunder just blast outside—so loud the shop glass dey shake.

Everybody freeze, dey look window.

Even mama wey dey always shout, "Who break plate?" just keep quiet. The kind thunder wey land, e be like say Sango dey vex! Sharp sharp, everywhere dark, cloud full sky, breeze dey blow like say spirit dey waka. Rain begin fall heavy. One cold breeze just enter, make all of us get goosebumps.

E be like say rain bring message from spirit land. Everybody just hug body, shiver dey catch some, teeth dey knock teeth. For Naija, when rain start like this for wedding, people dey fear juju.

Fear catch me, e be like say wahala dey come.

My mind dey run up and down, heart dey jump. I remember all the ghost stories grandma dey talk for harmattan night.

Grandpa force smile. "Big Brother, blood for wedding day no pure. Make bride just talk. If she fit talk, no be spirit bride."

Grandpa dey use wisdom beg. He look elders, look guests, try bring peace back. Even Baba Auwalu nod small.

As he finish, thunder flash, light up everywhere. The bride wedding gown just dey shine, the red veil come be like blood, as if na ghost marriage.

The flash dey blind, the red veil dey soak up the light like palm oil. Some women dey murmur, "Abeg, make nothing spoil."

I hide behind grandpa, hold am tight.

My small hands dey shake, sweat dey my palm even though cold dey. I dey peep from behind him agbada, eye wide.

Baba Auwalu grunt. "Good idea."

His voice deep, as if e dey talk to ground itself. Some people just dey nod, others dey hug themselves.

Grandpa turn to the man. "Young man, spirit bride no dey talk. You agree with this?"

Grandpa dey find way make matter no reach blood. Him voice dey strong, but you fit hear worry inside.

The man nod. "I agree."

As he nod, the rain beat harder, like say the roof dey cry. Everybody dey wait for wetin go happen next.

Grandpa nod. "Kunle, tell your wife make she talk."

All eyes dey on Kunle now. The way he waka, you go think say he dey march to battle.

Kunle waka go bride, dey smile. "Wife, abeg talk."

The smile for his face be like person wey dey try use charm on masquerade. Him voice soft, but fear dey hide under am.

As he finish, thunder boom again, the shop wall begin shake. The thunder loud like say na for our head. Light for shop begin blink, dey make zzzzz noise.

The light dey blink, the sound dey scatter everybody brain. Some children cover ear, one baby start cry. The way wall dey shake, e be like say building go collapse.

Everybody dey look up.

All head turn reach ceiling, fear dey all face. Somebody shout, "Jesus!" Another person whisper, "Blood of Jesus cover us."

Grandpa force laugh. "Na just rain—wire don old."

He try laugh, but the laugh dry like harmattan. The shop wire get history—people don always dey complain.

The way light dey blink, grandpa face come bend, look strange.

E look like person wey dey see vision. My aunty just dey watch am, say, "Papa, you dey okay?"

Baba Auwalu vex, "You get shop—stop to dey do like miser. Change wire abeg."

His voice thunder again, but e get small joke inside. People laugh small, tension break a bit.

The wire for shop na since my uncle dey alive. Grandpa never change am before, e dey always talk say e be like uncle still dey around.

People dey talk say na him way to remember uncle. Some say e dey fear if e change am, uncle spirit go vex.

Grandpa smile. "I go change am soon."

He scratch head, voice low. Some of the old men for back dey nod, as if say, "E good as e remember the boy."

As he talk finish, NEPA take light. Everywhere dark, we dey struggle see face.

Na so the whole place just hush, only rain dey knock zinc. People dey look each other, dey fear.

Everybody dey look the bulb.

Na the bulb be hope that time. If e no shine, people heart go cut.

Then, Kemi voice come out: "Kunle."

Her voice still be like normal.

People sigh relief, some clap hand small. Some women dey say, "Thank God, e no be spirit."