Chapter 3: Spirit Laughter, Living Pain

She fumble, dey shake for long before she finally bring out two cold puff-puff.

Her hands nor steady, but she dey try her best. Puff-puff cold, oil dey shine for wrapper, e smell like yesterday market.

Very disappointing.

Puff-puff wey cold na as good as stone. But wetin I go do?

"You dey take beggar do me? I wan smell better food. Like that one."

If na old days, my mouth no go even near such food. But now, even puff-puff be luxury.

I stretch my long tongue, point the kilishi wey one small servant and the driver dey hold.

Na the aroma dey make my ghost belly rumble. E sweet reach for air, my tongue just dey stretch like snake own.

She look there, shame catch her, face red, her eyelashes drop, her voice low like mosquito:

This Morayo ehn, if shame be disease, she for don die. E fit show for her skin, like tattoo.

"I never recognize my family yet. Olorun Compound no dey feed person wey no get work. Na only this food I carry come."

The struggle for this house pass waiting you fit talk. If dem no accept you, even food you go beg.

My tongue freeze, then I slowly draw am back.

Even as ghost, shame fit catch me. This pikin dey suffer, and I dey disturb her for more.

Chief’s house get money; even the puff-puff wey dem dey give dog better pass wetin dey her hand.

House like palace, yet e get people wey dey chop like beggar. E pain me.

More than ten years ago, I see that adopted daughter for village festival—gold and coral full her body, like heaven pikin, even the princess no reach her.

Na so everybody dey look her that day, like say she be goddess wey waka enter market.

That time, when the chief’s madam talk about her lost daughter, she even cry for public.

She kneel for ground, dey beg spirit to bring her pikin back. Now, see as she dey treat her.

"Na only the enjoyment wey I dey see dey make me fit survive each day."

The girl talk with voice wey dey break. E pain me reach spirit bone.

But just ten years pass, she don forget her own daughter reach this level.

Human being forget things, especially when pepper rest for their hand.

For person wey nobody love, even to come back house na wahala.

Nobody go open door for you if your name no get weight for compound.

I lie for top tree, dey reason how life dey change, na then Morayo heart soft.

Sometimes, the spirit world dey look like this one—everybody dey find who go pity them.

"Take am."

She gather courage, beg the driver give her half-chewed kilishi, raise am up, no fit look me:

I see small strength for this pikin. Life never kill her finish.

"No cry again."

She fit try smile, but her eye still red like pepper.

"I don get one idea for you."

Maybe hope dey, even if na small.

I shock, na that time I notice say my empty eye sockets dey bleed again.

I never cry for years, but this one choke me.

"No be—"

Gbosa—

Sound of cane na true alarm clock for this house.

Before I fit talk finish, the old maid cane knock pass my head, land for her hand.

Thunder for cane ehn, na so the whole place quiet small. Nobody wan collect am.

"Which kind nonsense? You dey disgrace chief house, chop anyhow like stray goat. You need better flogging."

Their voice na blade, cutting through her pride, small as e be.

The kilishi fall for ground, dust full am.

Even for ghost world, e pain me to see good meat waste.

The small servant and driver step on am, hand for waist, stand with the old maid, dey laugh:

Their mouth sharp pass razor. For this house, na survival of the sharpest tongue.

"See as she be, even the bamboo for young lady courtyard better pass her, yet she dey call herself lady."

Dem go compare you to stick, stone, even goat, just to put you down.

"If no be say dem need her marry person, who go want am? Five years ago, chief and madam see her, say she no get sense, no fine, so dem leave her."

In their eyes, money and face na everything. If you no get am, na only God fit help you.

"She dey do like lady, but she no know where she from. Orphan wey dem raise dey wash toilet, forever dey smell like gutter."

Shame, hot like stew, cover her skin.

Morayo grip her sleeve, head down, shame full her body, no fit look up.

She curl up, like pikin wey cold dey beat. I wish I fit carry all her pain, but spirit hand no reach living person.

The three people happy, their mouth sharp, dey mock her anyhow.

As they dey laugh, the world dey turn small. Their joy na another person tears.

The old maid cane dey knock rules, the driver and servant dey laugh, everywhere noisy.

Noise dey the house like market day. Rules and insult fly everywhere.

I remember those days wey I dey fight.

Those days I dey flex muscle, no be today. My blood dey hot.

"Una don ever see person dey swing?"

Ghost fit still entertain. If life dey show you pepper, show am ogbanje.

Morayo wey dey cry freeze.

The air chill small. Everybody stop, even bird for tree pause.

"Today, you go see am."

Time to remind people say spirit no dey smile with wicked people.

I stretch my long tongue, use am wrap the old maid, drag her enter mango tree. The forked branch hold her neck, I blow cold breeze, she begin swing.

Her scream scatter the birds. Even wind dey fear me for that moment.

"You wan make am fast?"

I ask as if na joke, but the old maid dey see her life flash for her face.

Morayo shock.

Her mouth open, but no sound come out. Na only her eyes dey talk.

The old maid nearly die.

She hang there, dey wriggle like goat wey dem dey take go market.

The driver and servant rush come help.

Dem wan play hero, but I get other plan.

I laugh cold:

"Una wan see wind-fire wheel?"

That laugh cold reach for bone. Even goat run from that sound.

The driver and servant join her for branch, begin spin anyhow.

Dem turn like suya for fire, shout like mad people.

Dem scream, dirty things dey fly everywhere.

Toilet wahala, spit, even shame, everything scatter for air.

As dem dey shout for their mama, their eyes don roll white.

Dem never see this kind spirit drama before.

The small girl, fear first catch her, then she begin laugh.

Morayo mouth wide, laugh mix with tears. Sometimes, na only spirit wahala dey sweet person.

After small time, the three people faint for ground.

Dem collapse like wrapper wey no get rope.

"See as dem dirty, who fine now?"

Me and Morayo chop the kilishi. She laugh, I dey feel human again. For spirit world, laughter na medicine.