Chapter 4: Temptation and Small Gist

Back house, Femi still dey watch financial news.

Legs stretch, one hand just relax for sofa.

E dey look calm, but if you peep small, you go see muscle for im thigh through im shorts, disappear enter darkness…

I shake my head, think of better way to flex for this kind spirit.

Some days ago, I for wear black stockings, put leg for im front!

But after I see my bestie own fox spirit, my mind no dey the game again.

Lonely life sha.

I look my old sofa, think about all the gist I dey miss for group chat. This Lagos dey lonely sometimes, especially when person dey try do big girl alone.

Thank God, tomorrow the seven days go finish!

I dey count hour, dey pray make e no change mind.

E promise to help me hammer—if e no do am, I go chop am myself. No fit lose man plus money.

My mama go call am double wahala for dead body.

Just one more night, make I hold myself!

Na only strong head dey help person for this Lagos. I wrap myself well, no even look im direction.

I no send am, I baff, wear my oldest (but warmest) wrapper, enter bed.

No makeup, no perfume—abeg, I dey dodge temptation. If e like, make e go hug cold breeze for parlour.

But e come dey knock door up and down:

“You go chop fruit?”

I dey wonder whether na apple for temptation e dey bring.

“You go drink milk?”

This one na sign! I no wan gree, but my belly dey rumble small.

“Amara, you don sleep?”

The third knock, my patience don finish.

I no fit take am again. I open door, point finger for im face. “If you knock again, I go kiss you! Try me!”

E just reply calm, “Try am na. Make I see.”

E talk am with bold face—na so I know say this one na spirit of stubbornness.

Which kain threat be that? Like say you dey threaten cotton wool!

I slam door, roll for bed, sleep no gree come.

I try play music, but all my playlist na love songs. I hiss, off am, turn for bed, dey count ceiling.

By 2 a.m., I hear one kind noise for balcony.

I think say na rat, but when I peep—na Femi dey do exercise with only boxers.

I nearly shout, but I hold myself. I dey look through curtain like small witch.

Which kind midnight workout be this?

That time, my bestie send me voice note: “Babe, you reach house?”

Her voice husky die!

I don reach house since—dem just finish…?

I reply, “Your own fox spirit dey do exercise for night too?”

She reply with two voice notes:

“Oga for shop talk say fox spirits get strong desire. If dem no fit do, dem go dey workout for night!”

“Maybe just use your own fox spirit… mm!”

...Na so kiss start again!

The sound wey dey her side dey make my ear hot!

As she dey gasp, my body dey charge. Plus, as I dey look Femi back muscle… I wan craze!

I waka go meet Femi, form like say I dey normal: “Mr. Femi, wetin you dey do?”

E shock small, but quickly form hard guy. “Exercise.”

“Oh… exercise. Why you no sleep?”

I come near am, tiptoe, blow breeze for im ear.

I dey find small wahala, but I still dey maintain distance.

E talk say make I no touch am, but I no touch am!

I dey form fine girl, dey measure my steps. E no move, but I see im Adam’s apple jump.

I lean again, blow breeze for im Adam’s apple. “Abi you no fit sleep? Mr. Femi, you dey find something?”

E stiff, finally step back small, im ear don red. “Amara, you…”

Im voice don change, e quick close mouth, but im eye dey shame and vex!

I raise hand, smile. “I no touch you.”

E sharply carry clothes, run go im room!

For light, I see sweat full im body!

I just shake head, smile, carry myself go inside. I dey count how many fox spirits dey for Lagos wey dey run from madam.

Morning reach—seven days don finish.

Early morning, I burst enter Femi room, shout, “Hammer me!”

I no even greet, I just burst. If na old woman, e for use broom chase me out.

E open eye slow, small vex for im face.

E look tired, like say e no sleep all night.

E carry phone show me news—one big man for Abuja dey find im lost dog, dey offer millions.

“Contact am today. I go find the dog.”

E stretch, get up from bed.

E talk with confidence—na so I know say jazz dey work for spirit world.

I no believe. “You fit really find the dog?”

I dey reason say how fox spirit go find dog for Abuja—na spiritual GPS?

E give me one kain eye.

Im look fit freeze pure water. I nod, go my room go dey pray make e no disgrace me.

I reason am, fear catch me—if e no fit, if the big man vex, blacklist me nko?

Na we wey dey hustle dey always fear risk!

But na empty fear o!

Femi bring the dog come back!

E even snap selfie with the dog—na so Instagram dey hot that day. The big man happy die, hug im dog, transfer ten million naira to my account straight!

I check my balance like ten times—eight digits!

I jump, do small dance—na so happiness dey catch person.

Femi no dey lie.

Forget fox spirit—na real God of Wealth I carry come house!

My mama for village go say make I dey fast, but me I dey fry plantain dey praise God.

I swear, I no go disrespect am again, I dey treat am like lucky charm now.

I dey shine am like new car, dey cook better soup, even dey give am soft bread.

But e still dey do like say e wan outshine me!

E go dey flex muscle, dey walk upandan like say na gym instructor. After e baff, e go leave im shirt where I go see am well.

I go iron am, hang am for closet.

My mind dey tell me say na show-off e dey do.

E look my old wrapper, frown small. “Why you no dey wear my shirt again?”

I just blink, dey look am—e dey jealous or e dey pretend?

“You… want make I wear am?”

“…No!”

See as e form hard guy, but I see small smile for corner im mouth.

Na so e suppose be.

Person no suppose dey use spirit cloth anyhow, na my mama talk am.

“Anything Mr. Femi no want, I no go do.”

“You dey try.”

“Na so!”

Na so we dey exchange small shade. I dey feel like say this one fit become Nollywood love story.

E turn face TV, dey change channel, but nothing dey catch im eye.

I dey peep, dey wonder wetin dey im mind.

E still like to dey waka without shirt—I just dey fear cold for am, I dey increase fan!

Sometimes I carry wrapper come cover am, e go push am, say "No need." I just dey look am, dey laugh for mind.

E still dey run with grey sweatpants—I go follow am, hand towel, clean im sweat, even dey turn down babes wey dey ask for im WhatsApp: “Sorry, person don already collect am!”

Sometimes I go snap screenshot, send give group chat—make dem see my own fox spirit dey loyal! '😂😂😂 Babe, you no go believe! See as e dey form one-woman spirit!'

E be like say e dey happy anytime I talk am!

I see am smile one day, my heart sweet me. E quick adjust face, but I sabi say na me cause am.

E still dey do ab crunches every morning, but instead of join am, I don dey learn new recipe for kitchen.

I dey do like say I dey ignore am, but na lie—my eye dey count every crunch!

This God of Wealth deserve better!

Na so I dey watch food network, dey jot recipe, dey Google ‘fox spirit special diet’ for phone.

“Wetin fox spirits dey chop? Rabbit? Chicken? No be all those vegetables, abi?”

My mind dey tell me say, make I just cook all, e go choose. I dey reason whether to ask pastor for prayer point for fox spirit.

But as I dey cut chicken, knife cut my finger!

I shout, Femi rush come, hold my hand.

I sharply pull hand. “I no mean to touch you, so you no fit—”

Before I finish, e hold my injured finger, put am for im mouth.

E… dey lick my wound!

With that im cold, holy face!

As e lick my finger, my body do me like NEPA shock—sweet, sharp, quick. I shock, open mouth, but no sound come out. Na so I just dey look am like mumu.

One kind current run my body—the pain just vanish!

I no fit explain—my belle sweet, my hand dey tingle, my head dey blank.

My head dey turn. Na excitement be this or na another excitement?

I shrink, but e don already carry plaster, put for my finger gently.

E handle me like say na egg I be. I dey wonder if na jazz or na love e dey do so.

My heart dey drum. I breathe deep. “Mr. Femi, na you dey seduce me so?”

I wan catch am, but e no send me.

E just push me commot kitchen. “Hu clan saliva dey heal wound fast. No think nonsense.”

I peep under plaster—wound don small, e no even pain again!

I wan call my bestie tell am the gist, but my phone fall for ground, so I just dey nod, dey reason.

Na fox magic be this?

I dey hope say e no be side effect for body o. But as e dey sweet me, I no even care again.

As I dey enter bed that night, I make another vow: If this spirit bobo fit dey my house, na only strong woman go survive. Lagos, abeg, hold me!