Chapter 2: Video Call Madness

I dey look the sleep companion doll for my hand, dey suspect say maybe na hallucination dey worry me. How e go be say I dey hear Musa Ifedolapo voice? E be like say this my crush don too pass level, e don dey make me dey hear things. The thing even dey somehow scary. No, make I check am well.

My eye dey shine torchlight for every corner, dey confirm say na real life I dey. E no be like say spirit enter room; my mama old wall clock for parlour still dey tick dey go, and generator for next compound dey hum small. The sleep companion doll na cat, e long reach one and half meter, soft and fine well-well. I just order am two days ago. I too like as e soft, e dey sweet me to dey rua am—na so we dey call am when person dey press and pet something soft. But that moment, I just brace myself, come knock the cat head for e belle.

I even reason say maybe if I press am well, the voice go commot. For Naija, dem go say make you pour salt or pray small if anything dey behave somehow, but me, I just believe say if na spiritual, e go pass. I knock am, dey hope say na only me dey craze for midnight.

Na so Musa Ifedolapo WhatsApp video call just pop up for my phone, sharp-sharp. My eyes open like torch. This one na 2am o! Wetin dey make am dey video call me? We just add ourselves for WhatsApp by chance, and since then, na just hello-hello we dey do.

This kain timing no dey normal, especially for person wey dey always form hard guy for campus. Na only strong reason fit make person like am wake by this time. I sidon up, dey pray make e no be say wahala dey.

I shock, but I still pick the call. Na so Musa Ifedolapo fine face just full my screen.

If to say na village, by now my mama for don shout, "Kamsi, you dey chat with spirit?" But I steady myself, dey look screen. My own crush, live and direct.

When I first enter university, na love at first sight I catch for am—because of that e fine face. But the guy na Umuola University popular untouchable flower. You fit only dey look am from far, you no fit near. So na secret crush I dey do since.

E dey always dey waka like person wey breeze no dey touch, e white shirt always neat, shoe dey shine like say na only am get water for school. But na only for inside my mind I dey do all my loving; outside, na coded levels.

I swallow spit, ask one mumu question: “Na… Musa Ifedolapo be this?”

My voice even shake small as I talk, but I package am. My hand dey tremble, but I no let am show. For that moment, I dey feel like all the gist for hostel dey run through my head.

Musa Ifedolapo eyes dey red, all those e cold-cold way don waka. E look like person wey dem just bully finish. Even e voice sef don change—hoarse and tight, like person wey dey hold pain: “Mm.”

If na Lagos, dem for talk say e carry traffic for face. That kain stress dey show for person eye, even if e try hide am.

“Wetin you dey do?”

Na midnight, wetin else e wan dey do?

“Sleep, na,” I form say I dey calm.

I even try arrange my wrapper well, make e no see say sleep catch me with hairnet shift one side. Na so Naija babes dey package.

Musa Ifedolapo jaw come tight, e look like say e wan talk but e hold am back. Everywhere just quiet.

But for that moment, even as e mouth no move, I still hear e voice for my ear:

[Make Kamsi no know say I dey share sense with her sleep companion doll.]

[If she know, she no go gree cuddle me sleep again.]

Me: …

My mind scatter. Who dey play this kind jazz for my head? For my mind, na only me dey hear am. I bite my lip small, dey try form say nothing dey happen.