Chapter 9: Showdown

Baba Musa fight landlord, come house vex, shout with door wide open, "Dem say ten years no rent increase, now after three years, dem wan double am, rubbish!"

His voice thunder for corridor, neighbors dey peep window, dey gossip. Lagos landlord no dey ever tire for drama.

"Calm down, honey, you get skill, anywhere you go, you go make money." Amaka pour water, give Baba Musa, he throw am aside.

She try pacify am, voice soft, but the man no dey hear. The water splash floor, cup roll under bed.

"Nonsense! I no go rent again. I go buy my own shop! Bring all our savings, I dey go buy shop now—make dem try me!"

He dey shout, chest dey rise. Amaka no move, she dey reason wetin to do.

Amaka no move.

She stand for one corner, her eyes dey shine, but her body dey shake. The world just dey crash for her head.

"Go bring am!"

His voice loud, he point bedroom. Amaka nod, waka go room, but her leg dey slow.

Amaka close door, after a while, I hear things dey break.

Sound of chair fall, drawer jam, bag tear. Baba Musa dey vex, Amaka dey shout 'abeg, abeg!'

I peep through the hole, see Baba Musa press Amaka for ground, slap her.

His hand loud, Amaka face red. She dey cry, dey beg. For that moment, na only violence dey rule.

"You dey mad! Where the money? I spend money carry you comot from street—where the money?"

He dey bark, veins for neck dey show. Amaka dey shiver, mouth dey bleed small.

Amaka hair scatter, she no fit fight back. Baba Musa carry kitchen knife, press am for her neck.

He hold knife, the blade dey shine. Amaka dey cry, beg, her voice weak. The air cold, tension fit cut with blade.

One swipe!

Knife flash, land for mattress. Amaka scream loud, eyes wide like torch.

Amaka scream, freeze like person wey shock. Knife land for bed, miss her.

She dey shake, breath dey rush. Her body still for ground, Baba Musa dey pant.

After some seconds, I see water dey flow from Amaka leg.

Her skirt wet, urine dey spread for floor. Fear grip her bone.

Baba Musa raise knife again.

Knife up, his hand dey shake. Amaka close eye, dey whisper prayer. 'God, abeg, no let me die for another man house.' For my mind, I dey pray make miracle happen.

Fear catch me, I rush back my room, on my computer, begin play game. My body just dey shake, screen dey shake with me. I dey think how I fit rent house wey person dey almost kill person next door—self I dey fear myself.

I try block ear, but shout still dey come. My own hand dey shake, I type nonsense for keyboard. Na so Lagos dey show person him real self.

"Ah!" I hear Amaka shout, then everywhere quiet.

Na deep silence. My own heart dey knock. I fit hear my own breath, like say time stop.

Time dey go. I no fit move or breathe; the place just dead like grave.

The house cold. Even fan stop. E be like say spirit waka pass.

Bang bang bang...

Bang bang bang...

Person dey knock door.

The knock loud, sharp. My own soul jump. I freeze for chair, no fit move.

My heart almost jump comot.

E dey beat like generator for rainy season.

Bang bang bang...

The knock no stop.

I dey sweat, dey pray say no be police.

"Who dey?" I ask.

Voice low, I try form man. My throat dry.

"Na your neighbour, Baba Musa."

His tone dey steady, no joy inside.

"Wait small."

I try calm myself, wear headphones, open door.

I wipe face, breathe deep. I lock game, put smile for face.

"Oga Musa? You no dey shop this time?"

His eye dey red, but him dey force smile. I dey watch every move.

"I disturb you? Wetin you dey do?"

He stand for door, arms folded. I try laugh.

"I dey play game, headphone dey. If you no knock, I no go hear. See my big headphone."

I show am my fake big headphones, try distract am. My heart dey pound.

"Just wan check on you. Enter, come sit small."

He talk soft, but e dey scan my room. I shift chair, pretend say place dey fine.

I let am in, pretend say I dey friendly. "Come in, come in. Na only me dey here—place no too clean."

My voice dey shake, but I dey act cool. I clear table, shift dirty plate.

Baba Musa waka round, go balcony, hold railing, pull am. Railing no move.

He check rail, eye dey scan. I dey wonder if him dey look for escape or evidence.

"My balcony get plenty load. E no disturb you?" Baba Musa ask me.

He dey look me, like say he dey test my answer. I smile, act normal.

"Balcony? I no dey go there—the smell downstairs too much. I dey plan buy weatherstrip seal window."

I smile, try act casual. Na true—buka smell dey enter my room, na only thick seal dey save person.

This old building north side dey face Musa's Kitchen, south side na dustbin. Smell of dirty water dey everywhere, so everybody for building seal their south balconies. Our two balconies, just railing separate am, dem close.

He nod, dey reason. "Area get as e be, but e better pass village." For my mind, I dey agree.

"As long as e no disturb you, e good." Baba Musa return inside, look my computer. The game show: [This game lasted 26 minutes.]

He read am, nod. E be like say him dey check my alibi.

"Oga Musa, wetin happen?"

I try sound concern, but my voice dey tremble small.

"Nothing. Na neighbour dey pass brother—I wan invite you drink."

He force smile, but e no reach him eye. For my mind, alarm dey ring.

"Now?" I check phone. "Just after five, your shop no dey busy?"

I act surprised, but my mind dey fly.

"Staff dey. Make we go drink for outside, come."

He no dey take no. I gree, my mind dey sharp.

"Okay... thanks, make I change cloth." Na then I notice say Baba Musa don change cloth too.

He wear native, clean shoe. E clear say e get plan. My own heart dey knock as I prepare follow am.

I follow am downstairs, leave fast food street, enter barbecue spot small distance away.

We waka for street, breeze dey blow, people dey shout 'Baba Musa!' E act like everything normal, but tension dey my body.