Chapter 2: The Second Rescue

As I just finish my warm-up, I get urgent call. I dey gym dey sweat, dey try clear my mind when my phone begin vibrate like say na generator. For this Lagos, call wey come that kind time dey always get wahala.

"Bros Tayo, you see the news? That Onwudiwe boy try solo dive, now nobody sabi if he dey alive or dead."

The person voice dey shake. The gist already reach every WhatsApp group and Facebook. I just sigh, drop towel for my neck.

Of course, I don hear. The news dey everywhere. Even my younger sister send me voice note: 'Bros, abeg no near that cave again o!'

For diving, e suppose be two people underwater to watch each other’s back. Na basic rule. Even mama for village sabi say you no dey waka alone inside darkness. But na pride dey worry some people for this country.

But That Onwudiwe boy dey chase internet fame, so he no gree hear word, he go alone. The boy just dey form. He think say na everything dey easy because of money. For am, camera dey roll, e believe say if e fit do am, likes go full ground.

Worse still, the cave wey he choose na Oji River Cave—a place wey, apart from me, nobody don ever fit enter come out successfully. People wey dey that side sabi the story. Some elders go even talk say juju dey inside, say spirits dey protect the place. But all na talk, the real thing be say danger full ground.

As the name be, Oji River Cave get sharp, rough corners, e get different levels wey dey twist and turn. The cave long reach almost seven kilometers, and the deepest part reach eighty-two meters. The more you go down, the more wahala.

If person waka anyhow, e go hear 'gbosa!' for head. For night, the place dey cold pass fridge, and na silence full everywhere, only your breath dey echo. If you no get strong mind, you go panic.

Even with my twelve years’ experience, I nearly die for there that time. Talk less of Chijioke, wey just start diving one year ago. Na that time I begin respect the cave. E teach me lesson. But this small boy, because say e get fans, e believe say nothing fit do am. For Nigeria, sometimes na pride dey kill.

The whole internet dey watch him livestream. But five hours ago, he drop him equipment by mistake and get stuck for one bend inside the cave. People for Twitter dey argue: 'Omo, this one don overdo.' All the slay queens wey dey hail am before, don dey type 'chai, God abeg.' Even mama Onwudiwe don start prayer chain online.

All the divers wey the Onwudiwe family send, none fit reach am. Their level no reach. They send oyibo divers from Abuja, some from Port Harcourt. All of them fear. Some even say their spirit no pure for that cave.

They shout, no answer. Na silence greet them. Only the sound of water dey echo. Some people even dey fear say maybe na ghost don hold am.

Desperate, Mr. Onwudiwe find me, offer five million naira make I rescue am. As I see am, the man no even wear shoe, im tie wrapper like person wey dey go night vigil. The money sweet me, but I remember last time wahala.

I ask am calmly, "If your son don die already, or if anything happen for road, na me go answer?" My voice steady, but I dey look the man eye to eye. I no wan fall again.

From the last image for the livestream, I see say na the most dangerous part he dey—where only one person fit pass at once. People wey sabi the cave know say, that place na 'One Chance.' If you jam person for there, two of you fit jam body, nothing fit pass.

I no fit promise say I go fit bring am out alive. Na so e be. I no dey do juju, na only God fit guarantee life.

Mr. Onwudiwe quiet for long, then sigh, tell me make I try. The way e talk, e voice crack small, like person wey don tire to beg.

I quickly arrange my gear with my teammate, ready to dive. Me and Musa dey look each other, we dey nod. For this kind mission, na trust you need. I call my mama, tell am say make she pray.

By that time, evening don near. Underwater visibility dey drop, wahala dey increase. But to save life na the main thing. Mosquito dey bite, breeze don stop, but my mind dey only for rescue. You know as e dey be when matter reach life and death—everybody dey serious.

From the oxygen tank Chijioke carry, he no go fit last till morning. Na calculation be this. I run mental math. If we waste one hour, the boy fit just kpeme there.

With my memory, I dodge some difficult routes. As I dey waka for inside water, the smell of damp earth dey enter my nose, and the echo of water drops dey bounce for my ear. My mind dey replay every move. The way the stones dey, the sharpness, the small spaces—one mistake, and na story.

After more than two hours, I finally reach where Chijioke dey stuck. My body dey sweat inside cold water. I dey hear my heart beat for my ear. As I see the boy, e face pale like person wey see masquerade for night.

As I tie rope for him waist, I dey pray—this one wey I dey save am again, who go save me?