Chapter 2: Night for Big House

Next morning, James go work as usual, the children go school. Only Campbell remain for house. The house dey quiet, even housekeeper say she wan go market early. Campbell alone dey enjoy the AC, dey sip Lipton, dey plan her day. The faint smell of insecticide still dey linger, generator hum from next compound dey mix with her thoughts, but for her, na chance to relax small.

She no wan just dey house dey do nothing, so she plan say she go learn makeup and become online influencer. She get that Instagram spirit, dey follow all those Lagos makeup artist. She say, if dem fit blow, why she no go try? Her own be say make she hustle small, maybe brand go pay her one day.

She siddon for her vanity upstairs, open YouTube, dey follow tutorial dey learn makeup step by step. Na so she balance ring light, set mirror for correct angle, dey blend foundation like pro. Her mind dey calm small, at least she dey distract herself from wahala.

As she dey focus, na so she hear strange sound from downstairs…

She pause her tutorial, ear stand. For big house, any sound dey sound bigger. The way her heart beat, e be like generator dey run for her chest. Two sound: "creak… clunk."

The sound clear, like say person open heavy wardrobe or one of those stubborn door hinge. For Lagos house, all those big door dey always get mind of their own. E sound like say person dey open or close door.

Her heart skip. She remember say only her dey house, so no reason why door go dey jam. For her mind, she dey pray make e be rat or lizard. Because na only her dey house, cold just catch Campbell body instantly. She use hand press her chest, mutter, "Jesus, take control." Her body start dey sweat as if NEPA just bring light. She grab the big pestle from kitchen, the one for pounding yam, hand dey shake as she waka go downstairs, dey follow the sound.

As she tiptoe, one memory flash for her mind—when she small, anytime e get noise for her grandma house, dem go say, "Listen well o, e fit be rat, e fit be something wey pass rat." She remember how she go squeeze for corner, dey listen for rats wey dey scratch ceiling. This one worse, because e be like person dey for the wall.

Big house, everywhere empty. She no hear any other sound again. The silence dey heavy, like say house dey listen to her steps. She dey move slow, every board wey creak na new fear. She grip the pestle till her hand dey sweat, search all the rooms one by one. She push door open, peep inside before she enter. Eye dey sharp, mind dey race. Any small movement, she ready to shout.

Downstairs bedroom, study, parlour, laundry—she check everywhere. Even open wardrobe, look under table. E be like she dey play detective inside her own house. No sign of anybody.

After she sure say nobody dey, she lock all the doors. She make sure kitchen, back door, pantry all dey secure. Even window she try check say lock still dey.

She still dey fear, so she go upstairs search again. Still, nothing. She open her bedroom, bathroom, check inside wardrobe, open even the shoe rack. House just dey empty, but her heart still dey beat fast.

She come back to her vanity, look herself for mirror. Her shirt don soak with sweat. She wipe face, try use powder calm her skin, but hand still dey shake. She dey try remember the exact sound, dey imagine say maybe na her ear dey play trick.

One thing sure: the sound wey she hear, na door dey open or close. Her mind dey replay am again and again. E no be like all those normal house noise, e get weight, e get person behind am. But which door? She no fit talk.

She try remember which door fit make that kind sound. Pantry? Store? Guest toilet? Her mind just dey spin. All the doors for house, even the front door, na the same type of lock. James dey always do over sabi—imported door, special key, same lock everywhere. She dey remember how dem dey brag about security.

"E fit be say person don sneak comot before I reach?" The more she think am, the more she dey reason say maybe person fit dey inside, dey hide, dey watch her, then sneak run as she dey search. That thought just make her fear worse.

Her hand begin shake, she dey look window every two seconds. For her mind, she dey calculate how she go take escape if e happen again. E mean say anybody fit enter anytime—or person fit dey live for house since.

She dey wonder whether na old security man dey use back key, or maybe one of the builders never comot finish. Her body no rest. The more Campbell think am, the more she dey fear. She call her husband make he come house.

She no send whether James dey office or dey important meeting. She just dey dial, voice crack: "James abeg, come home, something dey happen!"

James come back, search everywhere again, but no see anything. The thing even dey vex am. "Abeg, for military, dem no dey just call person anyhow unless e serious. No dey call me for this kind thing."

James open all door, check all window, even use touch to look for footprints. Nothing. But the fact say he no see anything dey vex am—he feel say Campbell dey overreact.

Campbell no happy. "Stranger dey inside house—no be emergency be that?" She dey try explain say for Lagos, once person suspect, e better to overreact than to relax. Even if na small thing, at least make everybody dey alert.

James no get patience. "We both don check. E no possible say person dey hide here." He try reason am logically: no sign of break-in, no sign of forced door. For him, na just noise.

"So how you take explain the door sound?" She dey push am to think outside military logic. For her mind, sound no dey just happen.

"Maybe na breeze." James no send, he just wave hand, dey reason say Lagos breeze sometimes fit jam door if AC dey open window.

Campbell face just change. She feel say her husband no dey take am serious at all. She just dey wonder if na because she no be biological mother to the boys, or if na because she dey stay house dey try build new career. E pain her. She remember how neighbours go gossip if dem hear she dey see things—“This woman no dey normal, maybe na her village people dey follow am.”

At last, dem agree say dem go install CCTV everywhere. She no gree rest until James accept. Dem use phone search online for company, call agent, plan installation. She dey happy say at least something go show proof.

But Ikoyi no be like mainland Lagos—after you order, dem go ship am come, then technician go come fix. E go take at least two weeks. Installer tell am, "Madam, we go rush am, but you know Lagos traffic and light wahala."

After one long day, the family chop, children sleep, but Campbell anxiety just dey grow. She lie down for bed, dey stare ceiling. The hum of AC no fit calm her mind. Every small sound dey make her jump.

She begin notice say food for fridge dey finish quick quick. She dey wonder how meat wey she keep for stew just vanish, or why bread dey finish faster than before. Even juice bottle wey she never open before, e go dey half.

At night, the new house just dey too quiet, everywhere dey somehow, e get as e be. The quietness loud. Even mosquito wey fly pass, she go hear am. Sometimes, she dey reason whether to leave TV on all night.

James dey tired, so he just dey try calm his wife: "Abeg sleep. No dey think too much." He hug her, pat her back, tell her make she relax. But inside him mind, he dey reason say maybe na stress dey disturb her.

Campbell no talk. She just dey wish say her husband go take am serious. She look him face, see say e don sleep. She turn face wall, dey plan say tomorrow she go set small trap for whoever dey do the wahala.

Lucky for her, that night, her wish come true…

Na God dey run things—sometimes e go show you sign. The sign show that night. Another strange thing happen.

For Naija, if you dey look for sign, you go see.