Chapter 2: Silence Get Voice

After 404 send that message, everywhere just quiet for the group. Silence.

Na the kain silence wey dey heavy, as if person mute all the phones for the compound at once. Even the rats for ceiling freeze—everywhere just still, like when NEPA take light for church crusade. E be like say all of us dey wait to hear the next sound—either the pikin cry again, or something worse.

Because, somehow, the baby really stop to cry immediately.

E be like say them off the sound with remote. The sudden peace even loud pass the cry.

After some minutes, people start to talk again:

302 say: [Abeg, no dey joke like that for this kind midnight—e dey fear person.]

The text come with that angry emoji, the one wey dey show red face. E fit be say the person dey roll for bed since, sleep don run from im eye.

504 add: [True talk, just try calm the pikin, no vex for am.]

504 sabi reason—e drop am like person wey don raise pikin before. Even add small prayer hand emoji.

601 come dey worried: [@404 Neighbour, you dey alright? You need help?]

You know say wahala dey when person wey never greet you for stairs before, dey ask if you need help for WhatsApp.

402 sef dey panick small: [E really quiet all of a sudden, I no dey hear anything again… Hope say nothing happen o? How baby go just stop cry like that?]

E type another message, even add eye emoji, as if e dey peep from window. Somebody just add that sticker wey person dey peep with one eye and hand for chin. Everybody dey reason am—no baby dey ever stop cry sharp like that unless dem use juju.

After 402 drop this one, everywhere quiet again.

Na that kain tension wey dey float for air—you fit hear rat waka for corridor. Some people go even dey cover demself with wrapper, dey look phone torch.

Me, I don wake finish by that time, because I dey stay for 401—na the same floor with 404.

Sleep don lose guard for my eye. I just dey scroll phone, dey read gist as if na football match.