Chapter 2: Fire Brigade, Betrayal, and Dream Meetings

That night, fire brigade burst enter Musa villa for Palm Grove Estate.

Everywhere scatter like festival. Siren dey wail, firemen dey run with hose, neighbours dey form crowd, dey snap with phone. Rain of wahala. The Lagos rain just dey threaten, but firemen no send.

Dem manage stop the wahala.

Na so dem pour water, block everywhere. Smoke full house, but fire no get chance.

The place full everywhere.

If you see crowd—Aunty Blessing carry wrapper for chest, dey shout, “E don happen o!” Baba Sule dey wipe sweat, dey blame PHCN. Even small children dey run upandan, dey ask if Musa don turn ghost.

One oga for the team, face be like life don flog am:

The fireman oga, na big man, face serious like principal. E get voice wey dey scatter silence.

"Mr. Musa, na maid forget to off gas? No worry, I go punish—"

E talk like person wey don tire for Lagos wahala. E dey expect Musa to point finger, as per oga for villa.

"Yes, yes, abeg, for my hard work sake, just forgive me."

Musa, dey inside blanket, sit down for sofa.

E wrap self like patient for hospital, face no show joy, no show pain. E resemble ghost wey dey try blend with living.

Him just bend head, quiet.

E mouth no move, e eye dey ground. Neighbours dey look am, dey whisper gist.

Me, I just lie for him expensive sofa, dey yawn. Boredom wan kill me.

Spirit life no easy. Person fit dey wait for action, na so so wahala dey come. I dey count ceiling, dey think of semovita and egusi soup.

See person.

See as Musa reduce from correct guy to shadow. All this one na because of small fire. E no fit talk, no fit shout.

After I kpai, nobody dey fit talk anyhow to Musa again.

That day wey I waka go, people start to respect Musa. Fear and pity join, so everybody dey tiptoe round am, like say e go break.

Before, anytime we jam, I fit always provoke am till e shout, “Miss Ifeoma.”

If I just show, na so e dey shout my name—cold voice, but sweet. Na fight, na play. Sometimes I go laugh, sometimes I go vex. But the wahala dey ginger me.

The way e dey talk am—cold but sweet for ear.

I miss am small. The way Musa dey drag my name, na only him sabi. Na the small things dey pain pass.

I dey enjoy am, no lie.

Who no go enjoy free drama? Our fight na like football match. Even neighbours dey bet on who go win.

I think say e go hate me till e die.

I swear, I believe say hatred no dey finish. If person get mind, e fit carry beef go grave.

But since I stop to dey disturb Musa for dream, the guy just dey behave somehow.

Since I leave am alone, e just dey act like pikin wey lose toy. E no talk, e no smile, sometimes e go dey look wall for hours.

For meeting, e go just dey look window like say him soul don waka.

Sometimes, people go dey call am, e no go answer. Like say e dey talk to spirit. For boardroom, e just dey float, no dey touch ground.

Cross road, e go stand dey look danfo driver like say e dey find death.

Once, danfo nearly jam am, but e no even shake. People dey beg am to cross, e go still dey look like say e dey listen to music for head.

As if e never do reach, e buy sleeping pill reach chemist level.

Person wey no dey sleep before, now e buy sleeping pill like biscuit. Everybody dey worry—doctor, driver, neighbour.

If na before, I for dey support am.

As my enemy, I for dance if e want die. But now, wahala get as e be.

But last month, I just get promotion for Underworld Bureau.

Na new badge, new file, I get small office for afterlife. Sade dey hail me every morning: "Boss, how market?"

Na me dey handle death census for my area now.

Anything wey concern who die, na me dey tick the register. If I miss one, dem go query me.

Everyday, na field work, plus overtime dey update computer records.

Spirit work no be beans. I dey waka from Oshodi to Yaba for dream, dey count who die, dey sign forms, dey quarrel with IT department.

If person like Musa—young, rich—die for my side, Chief of Underworld fit finish me with insult.

If e die, e go cause big wahala. Chief fit carry cane, chase me upandan. Underworld no get mercy for worker wey miss target.

Omo. Wahala no dey finish.

As dem dey talk for Lagos—problem no dey finish, na person dey rest.

That night, I vex, waka enter Musa dream.

If I no do something, e fit kpai before morning. I change face, wear my dream waka cloth.

I change to desktop cleaner, scatter everywhere for front am.

I turn to spirit cleaner—old school one with dirty rag. I begin dey scrub table, dey knock paper, dey do like cleaner for office.

E just sit for desk, shock first, then begin look me like e no wan blink.

E mouth open, eye stretch. For one moment, e dey confuse.

I just laugh from anger:

I dey para for spirit—anger plus small enjoyment. "Mr. Musa, long time no see. I hear say you wan kpai, na why I come congratulate you."

Musa slowly look down. "Miss Ifeoma, you care for me reach like this?"

E voice come back—deep, soft, the one wey dey make person heart misbehave. I feel small chill for back.

See the voice wey I sabi.

E dey sound the same as when we dey quarrel for real life. Cold, but e get one hidden smile for inside.

I just grin, bend near am. "I just dey pray make you kpai quick, so you fit show for underworld help my work stats."

I talk am with full chest, but my eye dey peep e face, dey check if pain dey e heart.

If I sabi anything for this life, na say Musa no dey ever let me win mouth.

The guy stubborn—mouth sharp pass blade. Even for dream, e no dey carry last.

E raise face, dey look me like say e wan carve my face for memory.

You know when person dey observe you, dey store all your wahala inside brain. Na so Musa dey look me, eye like artist.

"No wahala."

The thing shock me. E no even argue. Like say e dey agree.

"Ehn?"

I pause small.

E be like say I hear rubbish. Musa dey surrender?

"I mean, I go come down, boost your stats."

This one na reverse psychology. E dey use my mouth finish me. Musa sabi play mind game pass anybody.

I vex: "Shameless! Who need you?"

I squeeze face, mouth twist. I no go let am win.

Musa raise eyebrow, lips bend small. "You sure say you no wan make I die? If I die, e go worry you, abi?"

Na true. E dey read me like book. For heart, I dey worry, but for mouth, I go deny till tomorrow.

Na wetin dey vex me for am—e dey see through person like say e get third eye.

Musa sabi read person pass prophet. Even when I dey try hide my mind, e go decode am sharp.

"Musa!"

I squeeze face. "Abeg, stop to dey find death."

I fit beg small, but I go still form hard. My voice low, but e get strong warning inside.

Musa just laugh small. "So I guess right. Na to stop me you come."

E don catch me. I bone face, but inside, e dey pain me say e dey see through me.

I bone, dey eye am.

I no wan show am say I care, but e dey see am clear.

E no send me. "If you no wan make I die, fine. From today, I wan dey see you for dream every night. If you miss am once, I no go mind come underworld come scatter your side."

Imagine, threat from person wey dey alive. My own enemy dey use me play.

Bell ring for my back.

Underworld meeting dey call. My time for dream don finish.

Time don finish.

Na spirit alarm. Once e ring, if I no move, dem fit punish me for Bureau.

I hold am, then sharply give Musa one strong kiss. As e still dey shock, I shoot am wicked eye:

Quick, I grab e collar, land one gbosa kiss for e mouth—spirit kiss dey hot o! E shock, mouth wide. Before e recover, I point finger: "If you no mind disgrace, just dey wait."

If you no mind disgrace, just dey wait.

Let dem hear for underworld say na you run come meet me. Make spirit people know say Ifeoma dey in charge.