Chapter 2: Family Rules

My mama na the person wey cover my mouth, she dey pull us comot from window, step by step.

She no even look back, her grip strong like say she dey drag me from road as keke dey speed pass. Her wrapper dey rustle as she tiptoe, eye never leave that window, like say she dey expect glass to scatter any moment.

That black shadow for the rooftop still dey wave at me. If you look the outline, e big pass any person wey I know.

The thing just dey, big pass our landlord, even pass those masquerades for village festival. E tall reach as if e fit touch sky, but e no get face, na just darkness inside darkness.

Na when we don waka reach about two meters from the window, my mama finally free my mouth.

She press her finger for lip, signal make I keep quiet, her breath dey shake. I smell her shea butter for hand—e give me small courage for that kind moment.

She rush go bedside, dey shake my papa, dey try wake am like say she wan wake dead person.

"Wake up, wake up! That thing don find us again."

Her voice break, I see tears wey dey fight to fall as she hold my papa, shake am like say she wan wake dead person.

My papa been dey sleep deep, but once he hear the words, he jump comot from bed.

He no even wear slippers, just spring like person wey hear fire alarm. The way he look, you go know say this kind fear no be new to am.

"Wetin you talk?"

Him voice low, tense, almost like growl. I see say hand dey shake as he try balance himself.

My mama voice dey tremble, eye full of panic.

Her lips dey shake, left hand grab wrapper edge like say she dey find courage. Even though cold dey outside, sweat dey her forehead.

"E don reach here... That thing don find us."

She talk am almost whisper, and for that moment, cold run down my spine, like say the words get power.

For the moonlight, I see my papa face pale immediately.

Even lips lose color, sweat dey gather for him forehead despite cold. He look window, then look me, like person wey dey calculate loss.

"Where? You see am?"

Voice sharp, urgent, like when he lost salary money to pickpocket for Makurdi.

"I see am. For the rooftop across street."

She point, finger dey shake. The fear just dey rise for room, thick like smoke after palm kernel dey burn.

My papa jump from bed go close window.

He nearly stumble, but manage slam window shut. Him breath dey heavy, chest dey move up and down like person wey just run.

As I look again, the thing don disappear.

Just like that—no trace, as if e melt inside darkness. Even moon come dull small.

"After all these years, after we don waka everywhere, e still fit find us."

The words just hang for air, heavy like old clock bell for my grandma sitting room. The sense of wahala almost get weight.

My papa jam the curtain hard, hooks almost break. He dey mutter prayer under breath, the kind elders dey use for burial.

The room dark well, we never on light.

I feel the darkness dey press my face, thick like inside deep village well. Only our breath dey make sound.

"Daddy, Mummy, wetin be that thing?"

My voice small, dey shake, like say I no be the sixteen-year-old boy I dey claim.

My mama quick cover my mouth again.

Her palm smell of onions and soap. Her eye dey look mine, dey beg and dey fear.

"No talk—e fit hear you."

This time the whisper sharp pass before, desperation full am.

My papa hit bed with fist, dey look me with worry.

Bed shake, old wooden frame dey creak. Him face tight, jaw set like person wey dey swallow words by force.

"The boy don dey grow. Him spirit strong now. E go easy for am to find us pass before."

He look me deep, like say he dey search my eye. Him voice crack, the burden heavy for him chest.

My mama clench fist, pain and hatred full her eye.

Knuckles white, she bite lip till e almost bleed. She look ceiling, like say she dey ask God for explanation.

"E don already take one of our children. Wetin else e want? When e go leave us alone?"

Her voice thick with grief. The room cold more, like the shadow from outside don enter inside.