Chapter 1: Palm Grove Banquet Wahala

My wrapper na Ankara with yellow rooster pattern, and my beads dey clack as I shift for chair. At the Palm Grove Banquet, sleep catch me and I begin dream again about that man wey I don spend plenty hot nights with.

As I dey for that hall, the palm wine dey flow and the aroma of spicy nkwobi hang for air, but my body no dey here. The sleep wey hook me tight no be small, and my spirit waka enter another place. My heart dey beat small small as I drift go meet the man wey dey trouble my night.

"Husband, I miss you," I talk, biting his lips playfully.

My voice for dream come soft, full of small laughter. My body lean inside him own, the room for my dream warm with our secret. I fit feel the way him chest dey rise and fall as I whisper close to his ear, that deep ache wey dey make my own belly sweet and turn at the same time. My body dey sweet me, but my mind dey fear if anybody go catch me for this kain dream.

Na that exact time, the District Regent wey dey sit for stage—wey sef dey doze—suddenly hiss as pain catch am.

As the Regent shift for him chair, even the red cap chiefs near am notice. Some people look up from their plates, thinking say na one small insect bite the big man. The hall cold small, but that hiss scatter everybody mind.

One old woman cross herself, whisper, "Abeg, make e no be sign of bad thing."

Everywhere scatter, and na so I wake up with shock.

My body jerk like say dem pour cold water on top me. The chatter for hall stop, only the whirr of ceiling fan dey sound. I blink, realize say na real world I dey.

The District Regent, always cold and acting like say women dey worry him, just wipe the blood for him lips gently.

He use white handkerchief, fold am like proper big man, dab the blood like say e no mean anything. Him face no change, eyes sharp under the hall light. Some elders dey whisper, but he bone like stone.

"No wahala," he talk as if nothing happen.

His voice carry that confidence of person wey don see things. He wave one hand, like say make dem no worry, as the hall dey restless.

Na there shame nearly kill me—

I bend my head, heart dey drum for my chest. I fit feel sweat for my back, even though AC dey blow. I dey pray make nobody notice as I dey shift for chair, pretend like say I dey fix my wrapper.

All those hot dreams wey I dey get, e be like say no be only me dey experience am.

Chineke! Na wah o. E fit be say all those my midnight wahala dey leak reach real world? I dey reason say maybe some spirit wahala dey this matter.