Chapter 2: Enter Ifedike—Master Carpenter

My name na Ifedike. I dey do furniture work for Makurdi. I don finish the new bed.

I open the switch wey dey for the foot of the bed, then lift the wooden board. I don already put gala and pure water inside the compartment. As I crawl enter the bed, the air inside dey smell like new wood and small sweat, but na my own small palace. I close the switch, just disappear from the world.

Inside, I press the air pump, the air mattress come inflate. The wooden board wey I dey lie on top begin rise small small until I fill the hollow space for inside the mattress wey I don prepare since. Back then, to convince that woman make she buy foam mattress no be small wahala. If to say na spring mattress, e for hard well well. But as my body soft and fat, e dey easy to blend with foam, nobody go notice say person dey there.

Once everything set, I just dey wait, my heart dey beat gbagam gbagam. Soon, the compound come dey noisy. I hear the movers dey complain say this bed heavy die.

Omo, dem no know say na me dey cause the wahala. Dem dey struggle, dey sweat under sun, dey talk for pidgin, 'Oga, you sure say na only wood dey inside this bed?' Another reply: 'Abi na juju Ifedike put for here?' Na from my hiding place I dey laugh small. For Makurdi, people no dey mind their business but this kain secret, dem no fit ever imagine.