Chapter 2: The Man with Two Shadows

My surname na Okoro, just like my grandpapa own.

Dem say Okoro family dey see things wey other people no fit see. Even when I still small, dem go point finger say, 'See the pikin wey sabi spirit road.' Me sef dey fear sometimes, but grandpapa dey always tell me make I no run from my gift.

When my grandpapa still dey this world, e dey carry me waka everywhere. We no dey stay one place. Anywhere we land, na to set up vision-seeing and fate-reading table we dey do to survive.

Some days, we go sleep for people verandah, some days for shrine compound. My grandpapa sabi plenty story—e go dey tell me about how ancestors dey use kolanut see future. Na so I learn say everywhere na home if your spirit strong.

Later, my grandpapa teach me most of the work, and now, na this same thing I dey use hold body.

I remember the day e give me my first cowrie. E draw white chalk for my forehead, pour small gin for ground—say make ancestors guide me. E rub palm oil for my head, talk say, 'Okoro, na you go carry this name go far.' The weight heavy, but na my own burden.

Grandpapa always talk say: every work get price. If you face different people, or different palava, the price no dey ever be the same.

E go look me, nod, then yarn, 'If your hand clean, your work go dey pure.'

If na chief or politician, charge am well—dem sabi dash extra. If na poor man, collect less. But no ever do am for free.

No matter how the person beg, even if na tears dem dey cry, always collect small something—even if na kolanut or bitterleaf.

But one kind person dey wey I fit refuse to collect money from—person wey death dey smell near. If you see their shadow short for afternoon sun, or hear dog dey bark for their side anyhow, abeg, no collect. Spirit wahala dey their body. Person wey still dey alive no suppose chop the money of person wey don dey ready to cross—na so the rule be. If you try am, na you dey find your own trouble. My grandpapa hammer am for my ear till I hear am even for dream.

Since my grandpapa waka go, I don dey follow these rules well. Until one evening, when one man wey look like say serious wahala don jam am come my stall.

Na harmattan dey blow small that day, dusk dey fall. I dey arrange my things pack go house as the man show, like breeze blow am come.

The man dress well, hair arrange correct. E skin fresh, wristwatch dey shine—like person wey dey chop nkwobi for big bar. E resemble person wey dey around thirty-something, just like all those wey don hammer for life.

You go see am, you go know say e dey collect respect for him street. Shoe shine, belt correct, perfume even follow am enter my stall. I look up—see say e no be from here.

These days, na old mamas and papas dey come for vision-seeing. Dem no too get money—na just small I dey collect to manage. So when person like this show, e quick catch my eye.

I dey reason say maybe na new type customer, maybe e get one kin business plan or family matter e wan settle.

E look like better customer.

As I balance for chair, I clear my throat, ready myself to collect better money today. You know say if you see big man, you suppose prepare.

But as e just sit down for my front, my face change. I see some dark mark flash for the middle of him forehead, cross-cross—na sign say burial bell dey ring soon.

The mark get as e be—like charcoal wey dem draw with finger. Na only me dey see am. I shift small for my stool, heartbeat dey speed up.

Meaning say, e don dey near e own end. Within three days, gbege go land, and the death go rough.

Spirit world dey talk with sign. If you see am, abeg, make you no pretend say you no notice. I dey look the man, dey calculate the days.

But the thing wey surprise me be say, him face still get sign of long life: cheekbones high and full, nose round and strong. I begin wonder—maybe e don jam something wey no pure?

I start dey suspect say wahala pass ordinary hand for here. If person suppose live long, but death dey near, maybe another hand dey inside.

"I wan make you read my wife fate," e talk.

The voice calm, but I hear crack for inside. E dey try hide something—maybe pain, maybe fear.

"Wetin be the reason?" I ask am.

My voice low, but steady. Na for moments like this, you go see as people dey try dodge the real reason.

"For... confusion," the man pause small, then answer.

The way e pause, I fit sense say e dey hide bigger wahala. As e talk, e look ground, rub finger for table edge.

I nod, come ask am for her birth details. Even though e no ask for himself, I no talk anything about wetin I see.

I dey watch am, dey collect every sign—voice, eye, the way e dey shift for chair. Na so I take sabi real from lie.

If the person no ask, I no fit talk—na another rule be that.

No matter how spirit dey push me, I no fit break am. If you talk wetin dem no ask, na your mouth wahala go jam.

As I collect the birth details, shock catch me. I run quick calculation, vex just dey my face. I drop my hand, look the man straight, my eyes sharp like razor.

My mind dey race—numbers no dey tally. I check and recheck, still e no clear. I dey try calm myself, but my voice begin rise small.

"You dey find wahala? She don die already, why you dey use her birth details do vision-seeing?"

I dey look am like say e wan use me do jazz. My tone no soft again—spirit no dey joke with such thing.

Sharp sharp, I tell am make e dey go. The man shock first, then him face change. Him mouth open small—e look surprise and like say e get small hope.

The air tight like palm oil for market, as if even the ancestors dey wait to hear how e go reply.

E no gree go. Instead, e start beg me, talk say make I no vex, then begin explain why e carry him late wife birth details come.

The way e voice dey shake, even person wey get stone for heart go pity. E bend head, talk soft, 'Oga, abeg, no vex, I beg you.'