Chapter 3: Nnenna The River Woman

Next morning, as I wake, my sister-in-law no dey.

The bed cold, her wrapper dey ground. My mind dey race, I jump up quick.

I remember all wey happen last night, jump up, wear my cloth, rush outside.

Sun dey rise, but my body still dey cold. The village quiet, only fowl dey crow.

I wan use daylight go Uncle Rafiu house see wetin dey happen.

I dey look left and right, dey count my steps. Spirit fit dey anywhere.

For road, I jam my padi since childhood, Bala.

Bala dey carry basket of yam. When he see me, e shout, "Ah, Idowu! My guy!" I try smile.

After all these years, Bala happy see me. He wave, ask where I dey go.

He no dey ever mind him business. That na Bala—gossip for village dey flow through am.

I reason am, no wan talk true, just tell am say my mama send me go carry my sister-in-law come chop.

I try talk am casual, but my voice dey shake. My eye dey ground.

As I talk am, na so Bala face white like chalk. “You no be only child?”

He stare me long, eye wide. Him basket nearly fall from hand.

“You no even get brother—how you take get sister-in-law?”

His tone sharp, almost like fear dey fight with laughter.

“Guy, abeg, I dey fear. No dey use me play.”

His body dey move back small, like say e wan run.

“Wetin you dey talk? My brother—”

My throat dry. I wan talk, but words no dey come.

Halfway as I dey talk, I stop.

I freeze. My mind blank, like say person pour ogogoro for my head.

My brother… True true, how far my brother?

I dey search memory, but na only empty gourd dey my head.

Why I no fit remember anything about am?

I dey sweat. My eye dey look Bala like say he be stranger.

Bala face just white, e pat my shoulder. “Guy, you dey see things. Go meet Uncle Rafiu.”

His hand cold, his face straight. I fit see true fear for him eye.

Na so cold just enter my body. My body just dey sweat. E too strange.

The sun high, but na only shadow I dey see. The village feel empty.

True talk… Where I get brother from?

My mind dey shout, but mouth quiet.

Where I get sister-in-law?

The question heavy, my chest dey drum like talking drum for festival.

After Bala go, I waka go Uncle Rafiu house.

His compound still get dat big pawpaw tree. The leaf dey shake, but nobody dey.

The house no far. As I wan open the door, na two hands just drag me back.

My heart jump, I wan shout, but mouth no gree open.

Na my sister-in-law. Fear catch me.

Her grip strong. The way she dey look me, I see something like pity inside her eye.

She sharply cover my mouth, drag me go inside cassava farm.

Her hand cold, her steps fast. Cassava leaf dey brush my face, I dey try catch my breath.

I try struggle, but her hand strong like iron—I try tire, I no fit free.

Her strength pass her body size. E be like spirit dey help her.

Deep for the cassava, she release me, sigh.

She look me from head to toe, sweat for her brow. Her wrapper tear small for the run.

My throat dey hot, breath dey short, but her grip no dey like ordinary woman. Anger and fear dey my body, I shout, “Who you be? Why you lie give me?”

My voice loud, birds scatter from tree. My hands dey shake.

She look me well before she talk. “Truth be say, I no be human.”

Her voice low, almost like breeze. For village, if you hear that kind confession, you go run.

“My name na Nnenna. I get snake fate—I fit come and go as I like. Your grandpapa treat my people well, so I no fit harm you.”

She kneel down, touch ground with two fingers—ancient greeting from river people. My grandpapa once tell me, if you see that greeting, respect am well—na sign say spirit dey talk true.

“Idowu.” Nnenna soft hand touch my forehead. “Idowu, wake up. Think well.”

Her touch cold, but gentle. I feel my mind dey float.

“For this village, you sure say any living person remain?”

Her eye sharp, mouth set. The question hang for air.

I look Nnenna, fear catch me. “Wetin you mean?”

My body dey shake, voice thin. I dey fear the truth.

She shake head. “I no fit talk am. Na you suppose find out by yourself.”

Her eye no blink. The forest silent, even bird no sing.

“But I no go harm you.”

She touch her chest, swear with her life. Her face soft.

As my mind wan scatter, I shout, “You dey beg me to trust you, but you no dey tell me anything. Why I go believe you?”

I stagger back, nearly drop to my knees before I stamp foot for ground, anger dey rise. My voice loud, echo for cassava.

“All this your ghost story, I no buy am. I dey go find Uncle Rafiu, make I clear everything!”

I turn, my feet heavy. Head dey hot, anger dey cover fear.

As I wan waka go, Nnenna sharply grab my neck.

Her grip strong, her breath dey hot for my ear. I stiff.

She come close, whisper for my ear, “Idowu, you see? If I wan kill you, e for easy.”

Her voice cold, but no evil for am. Na warning.

“But na you I wan save.”

She release small, her eyes dey beg.

The way I dey choke, my head dey turn—I nearly faint.

My eyes dey roll, hand dey weak. I dey pray for inside mind.

Then, as if breeze blow, memory just hit me…

My head spark. Old picture flash—village square empty, silence for everywhere, only dead people I dey see.

E be like say, everybody for our village don die true true.

I remember as we gather for burial, all of us dey cry, but na silence everywhere.

Na me even gather their dead body.

My hand dey shake, tears for my eye. How I forget all this?

Just as I feel say I go die now now, Nnenna release me.

She hold my back so I no fall too hard. She dey watch me, eye full with worry.

I fall for ground, dey gasp for breath.

The ground cold, cassava leaf dey brush my face. I dey cough, my chest dey burn.

After I recover, I talk, “Na true. E be like say everybody for village don die.”

My voice low, but sure. The words taste bitter for my mouth.

“I believe you. Abeg, tell me—wetin I go do?”

I look Nnenna, hope and fear dey fight for my face. She look back, her smile soft, full of sadness but also small peace. Her eye shine like morning sun after heavy rain. I feel say, for the first time, I fit trust her spirit—even if I no fit trust the world again.

Nnenna hear as I talk, she just smile.

Her smile gentle, like river wey dey flow quiet after big storm. She bend small, wipe my face. "You go sabi wetin to do. Just let spirit guide you. I no go leave you alone."

The breeze blow for cassava, birds begin sing small. For my heart, I feel say the ancestors dey watch, waiting for wetin I go do next. For this world wey spirit and human dey mix, my own story just dey start.