Chapter 14: Searching the Graves

"You sabi the name?" I park for stair foot, carry my tools come down. Ngozi just dey hide for Aunty Li hand, shake head after long time. "I ask am, but e no ever tell me."

I check the girl face—her eyes dey wander, like person wey dey lost for inside market. The spirit wahala don hold her tight. I sigh, drop tools for ground.

Aunty Li worry. "How we go do now? Grave plenty here. Ngozi, try remember—any other sign?"

Aunty Li voice dey shake, like person wey dey beg for landlord mercy. She dey touch her pikin head, dey rub her back.

Ngozi no fit even look window. She don tire so tey her mind no fit focus. She look, think for long before she talk, "I see mourning cloth, native pot, and white chalk mark for ground. He carry me go him house. I remember two big lanterns, stage for front, and fish..."

The way she talk am, e be like say the picture dey blur for her mind. I dey reason, lanterns no common for this area. I bend, dey listen well.

"Ngozi, no be those things. Try remember him name, or even surname?"

Aunty Li dey press am, her voice dey high. For this kind matter, sometimes, spirit dey block memory.

"No worry, time still dey," I cut Aunty Li short as she dey panic. "I go check first. Make una wait here."

I dey always like do things myself. I carry shovel, dey check tombstone. Most don old so tey writing don wipe. The bushy grave for back, some tombstone don break finish. I look everywhere, no grave stand out, and time dey reach noon. I dey reason whether make I just dig anyone—maybe e go help Ngozi rest, her nightmare go stop.

For my mind, I dey talk, "Chukwudi, na today we go know if all these juju story na true." The sun dey hot, sweat dey drip for my back, but I no stop.

To talk true, I still no too believe say na spirit lover dey disturb here.

I dey think say maybe all na sickness, or wahala from plenty wahala. But something for my mind dey push me, say make I try.