Chapter 7: Fox Dreams and Spiritual Debt

See ehn, if you too dey do anyhow, karma dey quick!

Na so my mind dey run. Before I fit sleep, I dey think about all the elders wey talk say karma fast for bush.

After I thief all the offering, I just sleep!

Sleep catch me strong. The mountain cold, but the cloth warm.

Immortals no dey dream!

For heaven, dream na waste. But now, na earth wahala I dey face.

But humans dey!

And true true, my dream strong!

Without my power, I join dreamers!

I no fit control am. Sleep carry me go.

I see as the fox church turn to palace of marble and gold. The statue for high platform begin get colour, soon turn to living being!

Palace bright, lights everywhere. I dey float. The statue stretch, paint dey turn to skin.

The fox spirit raise fair hand, lift the red cloth I put for him head, then look me with eyes wey dey shine like water!

Him eye long, face fine. E dey smile, but the smile get danger.

Even as I know say na dream, I no fit wake!

I try struggle, but no way. The dream dey hold me tight like wrapper.

So I just dey there as the fox spirit dey waka come me!

The step dey slow, but every movement dey pull me in.

He carry me from ground, next thing, big bed appear!

Bed soft pass anything I ever touch before. Na spirit bed be that.

The fox spirit, face no clear, throw me for soft bed, press me down, gentle but no dey take no for answer!

I feel small fear, but my body dey betray me. The hand soft, but e get power.

"You chop my offering, you must pay me back!"

Na so shrine dey collect debt, no receipt, no witness. Him voice sweet, but e get that misty feel, like say e far!

Sound dey echo, but the heat real. My skin dey prickle.

I wan talk, but he block my mouth!

I dey try protest, but e no work. Fox hand dey everywhere.

"Shh, your mouth dey lie too much, I no wan hear you again!"

Na so. For once, I just quiet, eye dey search escape.

After that, I no fit talk full sentence again!

Na only small sounds dey come out.

No wonder this fox church dey remote, because this fox spirit na real wahala!

No be every spirit you fit play with. This one no dey joke.

Even the pleasure god for upper heaven no reach this fox spirit level!

I dey reason if na my sin dey cause am.

Sometimes, the arm for my waist go turn back to stone, e come dey weird. I turn my face, but he grab my chin, force me look am!

His hand cold, but his eye dey burn. E dey search my soul.

"As long as e dey help cultivation, statue self good, abi? Why you no wan look me, you dey look down on me, this bush fox wey dey form god?"

He dey tease me, but e pain small. Na old wound e dey scratch.

He ask question!

But block my mouth, no let me answer!

E be like say e dey fear my answer, or e just dey enjoy power.

I no know how long e last, but as I dey uncomfortable, I just kick am!

Na instinct. Fox spirits sabi stubborn, but I too get my own wahala.

The fox spirit laugh somehow: "You still no fit handle small wahala, why I go dey pamper you?"

The laugh deep, like thunder for dry season.

He just pick me up, carry the red velvet cloth I put on the statue, wrap me inside!

I dey struggle, but the cloth soft, dey smell like camphor and small palm wine.

The empty fruit plate for table fall for ground, now na me, wrapped in red cloth, dey on the table!

Spirit turn human offering. The thing funny and scary.

Up, na mural of spirits and ancestors; back, na empty altar. As everything dey shake, I just close eye sleep!

The mural dey look me, ancestors dey judge me. I just surrender.

I sleep inside dream because I tire!

Na sleep save me from shame. I let go.

When I wake, I still dey ground, na the straw wey I gather dey under me!

Body dey pain, but spirit still dey whole.

The fox church still be the same, statue still dey altar!

Na only red cloth change place, now na my body e dey cover.

Just that red velvet cloth!

I hold am tight, dey check if mark dey for my skin.

E dey cover me well well!

I no wan catch cold. The mountain breeze fit slap person.

...

E be like na breeze!

For mountain like this, na breeze dey judge thief and sinner.

The breeze for this mountain strong no be small, haha!

I laugh, but my eye dey shine. I go respect shrine next time.