Chapter 2: Extra Person Dey House

“Why you dey stand for there? Enter na.” Tunde wave at me.

Im hand dey wave me, but the light dey make im fingers look long. Na so some kain fear just hold me for leg. For my mind, I dey wonder if this na the same Tunde wey I know.

The corridor light dey blink, and the way him smile dey for that dim light just dey somehow.

If na home video, by now person go don shout, “Ayo, run!” The smile dey too wide, like say e dey hide something behind.

I shiver.

My teeth wan chatter, but I clamp am together. I look left and right, check say nobody dey watch me.

“I—I just remember say I forget pick package,” I just talk anyhow. “Make I go collect am.”

I know say the lie no strong, but na wetin come my mouth first. My heart dey beat kpim kpim.

“Dem talk say make you enter before eleven, abi?” Tunde face just stiff for one second, then him force smile again. “No wahala, na just prank message, forget am.”

The smile wey him manage this time no sweet for face at all. If to say na old woman for my village, she for don spit for ground say, “This pikin dey hide something.”

Before him finish, the door just slam shut.

Gbam—

The sound echo for the empty corridor.

The thing shock me. For my mind, I dey pray say na wind. But I know say door wey dey use code no dey slam anyhow. Cold just catch me.

The corridor light dey buzz.

Na only God know wetin dey cause that light wahala. The thing dey flash and blink, as if spirit dey play with am. I try arrange my face make I no show fear.

My palm just dey sweat. I breathe in and out before I fit move.

The sweat just dey drip for my palm. I rub am for trouser, then take deep breath, just dey psych myself: “Nothing dey happen, na Lagos, relax.”

Go find the patrolling security man.

That instruction just dey ring for my ear. I try gather courage, begin dey waka towards the stairwell.

“Hey, you wey dey there, wetin you dey do?” One angry voice shout at me.

My heart jump, but I turn sharp sharp, dey try smile. I no wan make wahala join this matter.

One person wey wear security uniform push open stairwell door, enter the corridor, dey wave torchlight anyhow.

The torchlight nearly blind me. The man face no clear, but e dey walk like person wey no too sure of where him dey go. Na the first time I dey see security for our own corridor at that hour.

Ah, na the patrolling security man be this?

Hope rise for my chest. Maybe this one go help me sort all this confusion.

Thank God o.

I wan talk, but another voice come from the stairwell: “Patrolling security man, na the patrolling security man be that?”

That voice get as e be—high pitch, dey shake small like person wey dey fear. The echo bounce for stairwell.

The person turn back: “Yes.”

I watch as the security turn to respond. I dey try place the accent, e no sound like our normal Hausa security man.

The stairwell door wide open. One girl poke her head out from upstairs: “I come back late, dem send message say after eleven—”

She no fit finish her sentence.

My mouth open, I wan talk, but my tongue just freeze. Wetin I see next make me forget my own wahala.

Next thing, she just disappear from the corridor, like say she no even exist for this world before.

One moment she dey there, next moment—puff—like leaf wey Harmattan dey blow. My leg weak, my phone nearly fall for ground.

My whole body just stand. I remember that second message—

That line: [If you see person wey wear security uniform for corridor, abeg no talk to am.] The warning loud for my ear now. This na real gbege.

[The patrolling security man go only dey downstairs, no go ever come upstairs. If you see person wey wear security uniform for corridor, abeg no talk to am.]

I repeat the message for my head like prayer. My mind dey race. Who dey play this kain dangerous prank?

The person wey wear security uniform look me.

Im eyes dey black, like say im no dey see me, or maybe dey see through me. I try look down, avoid eye contact, dey pray inside my mind.

I force myself calm, pretend say I no see am, press elevator button make I go down.

My finger dey tremble as I press the button. I dey beg say make elevator quick come.

Elevator dey ground floor, but the number for the display no dey move.

I look the red LED, e just dey show 'G'. Na so elevator dey misbehave for my estate, but this night e come get another meaning. I dey curse inside my mind.

I smell something like rotten fish.

Omo! Wetin be this odour? The thing just enter my nose, strong like say person carry dead cat pass. Fear catch me, I almost cough.

“You, why you dey waka about this late?” Him dey come down.

The way him voice sound, e be like old tyre wey puncture. My heart beat increase, I dey reason exit.

No answer, no answer.

I just squeeze face, dey pretend say e no dey talk to me. For this kind situation, na silence be the best answer.

Elevator still no move. Red dot appear for the display, show say person dey hold elevator, so e no fit run now.

Omo! Person dey block elevator for ground floor. My mind begin dey panic.

Of all times...

All these times, when person need elevator, e go dey break. Now, my life dey depend on am, and e dey mess up.

I just dey curse for my mind, turn enter stairwell. The security uniform person follow me enter.

Wetin! The man follow me enter, steps heavy for the concrete. My heart dey knock for my chest, I dey wish say I fit disappear.

For the narrow stairwell, na only two of us dey waka, footsteps dey echo for everywhere.

Every step sound loud like drum. The corridor just dey vibrate with the echo. I dey wish say other tenants go come out.

Dong, dong, dong...

Buzz buzz—

My phone alert ring again:

[Between eleven for night and six for morning, abeg no make noise.]

The way the message land, e be like final warning. I try mute my phone sharp, before e go attract more attention.

As I reach second floor, I hear corridor door open behind me.

The thing shock me, I turn back but my feet dey ready run. For my mind, I dey repeat Psalm 23.

The so-called "patrolling security man" enter second floor but no follow me again.

My heart relax small, but I no slow down. I dey thank God say e don change route, but I still dey check back as I descend.

I find the real patrolling security man for downstairs, e wear proper security uniform and dey hold walkie-talkie. The walkie-talkie dey crackle—

This one na our normal estate guard, the one wey dey greet everybody with 'Good evening sir'. E no dey rush, e just dey stand for gate, dey look him walkie-talkie like say e dey try fix radio.

“Zzz... Block C, Flat 1501... dem dey hammer nail zzz... neighbor report, make dem stop the noise.”

I hear the static for the walkie-talkie. The man just dey nod, dey write for small jotter.

“Zzz... dey try reach caretaker.”

Another voice join from the walkie-talkie, e sound tired, like person wey just wake up from sleep.

“Contact no work.”

Omo, for this estate, caretaker number na always problem. Even if transformer blow, you go dey pray make caretaker pick.

Block C dey directly opposite me.

I dey look outside glass door, see the sign for Block C. Na there dem dey hammer nail? For this hour?

I see the light for Flat 1501 flicker, then suddenly off. Then, one kind red light start to shine for the room, e be like juju.

My heart skip. This red light na serious matter. Back for my village, red light for room na sign of juju or something spiritual. I no dey like am at all.

The patrolling security man just hang the walkie-talkie for him waist, no talk anything.

Him eyes dey heavy, but e no show fear. E just dey do im work like say nothing dey worry am. E fit be say na experience.

I swallow, then talk: “Oga... E don reach eleven, I never fit enter house...”

My voice low, almost like whisper. I dey try show respect, make e no vex.

“I know. Make I carry you go through emergency passage.”

E no even reason am. E just step aside, make sign for me to follow. For here, when security man dey talk like this, na better make you cooperate.

Him face serious, cold, but e make me calm small.

Something about the way e carry imself dey give me small confidence. Na true say when ogbon dey body, fear go reduce.

He lead me go one small door by the building. Na fire exit, but elevator dey inside now.

For my mind, I dey surprise say elevator dey for fire exit. But I no talk, just follow am jeje.

“Which flat?” The patrolling security man tap for electronic screen.

Im finger dey light up the blue screen, e look me with that serious eye.

“502.”

My mouth dey dry as I talk am. I just dey wish say this elevator go land me safely.

“Okay, when elevator open, your house dey straight ahead. No look back, no look around, just waka go inside.”

For my village, if person talk this kain instruction, just obey. I nod, dey repeat am for my mind, “No look back, no look around.”

“Okay, I hear.”

I try smile, but my lips just dry. I dey hold my bag tight.

All this wey just happen too strange. I don know say this no be ordinary prank.

E get the kind way this estate dey carry matter, but today own pass. I dey suspect say something spiritual dey happen.

Elevator door open, the patrolling security man signal make I enter alone.

He just point, im face still straight. I swallow spit, waka enter, press myself for one corner.

I use the last chance: “Oga... any other advice?”

E pause, look me well, like say e dey check if I fit survive this thing.

He pause small: “Follow the real rules wey dem give you, and play your role well.”

E talk am slow, like say e dey give me secret code. I nod, thank am with small bow.

Elevator door close for my front.

As e close, my mind dey run up and down. I dey try remember every single rule. My hand grip my phone like say na Bible.

I check all the messages wey I don receive before.

The words just dey shine for my screen, like say dem dey burn my eye.

[You be the father. No matter if you be man or woman, young or old, you be the father.]