Chapter 3: CCTV No Fit Hide Secret

We reach house, I push the teacher enter him room, put the sunflowers for vase, then come living room ask Halima, "Officer Halima, you go drink juice or water?"

The kitchen dey smell of jollof. Sunflower dey brighten parlour, but my mind still dey think bruise for wrist.

"You get hot water?" Halima ask.

Her voice gentle. For North, dem like hot tea, even for heat. I nod, open pot, boil water.

I nod, go kitchen, pour hot water for cup.

I pour am with careful hand, add small sugar for her, just the way her people dey like am. I balance cup for tray, waka out.

As I come back, Halima don waka enter study.

I hear her footsteps for study. I dey wonder wetin she dey find, but I no talk. Police get way wey dem dey observe, dey collect clue.

I look her, surprise, but she dey check bookshelf, call out, "So many medical books? Na your own and Teacher Ojo own?"

She dey touch the books, check cover, as if clue dey hide inside. For Nigeria, people dey always suspect bookworm people.

I shake head. "No be many my own—na Teacher Ojo get most. You know say he get PhD for medicine, before, he be chief surgeon for Aba General Hospital. After his wife die, he go teach for medical school."

I dey proud to yarn am. Even though life scatter, teacher still get big name. His certificates full wall, framed fine.

"Aba General Hospital ‘Ojo One Blade’." Halima smile. "He be hospital star that time. People from another state dey come for his surgery. If him wife no die for accident for hospital, he for still dey there, no go teach."

She dey nod, memory dey show for her face. I dey remember say old women dey carry their pikin come from Imo State just to see Ojo One Blade.

E don pass.

Even the wall clock for study no dey tick again. Time stand still. I dey remember all the good times, how teacher dey carry smile walk for corridor.

I walk enter study, look the teacher photo for table.

I touch the frame gently. The photo na the last time wey all of us smile together, before wahala start.

Halima look the photo too. "Dem talk say Professor Ojo Adekunle fine and get sense—many female students and teachers dey crush for am."

She dey smile, tease me small. My face dey flush, but na truth she talk.

"Teacher Ojo really fine. Plenty people like am for school that time," I talk soft.

My voice dey low, but my pride dey loud for heart. If to say God give us better chance, this house for dey full of laughter.

Halima look me for eye. "You nko?"

Her voice low, but meaning full ground. My mind dey run. For Nigeria, some questions na trap.

I...

I look up at her.

I dey try talk truth, but mouth dey lock. Halima just smile, no press me.

Halima smile, then quickly talk, "I don talk pass my boundary. I forget say you be him daughter-in-law. No vex. By the way, all these heart surgery books for this study, e be like say person dey stay here. Anybody dey stay for your house again?"

She dey ask as police, but her tone dey soft. I dey remember say Ifeanyi dey always sleep here when wahala too much for bedroom.

"No. Sometimes Ifeanyi dey read here for night. He no wan disturb me, so he dey sleep for study," I reply.

I talk true, no add salt. For this house, lie dey short leg. I dey arrange the books, put back one wey fall.

As we dey talk—

Sound come from teacher room.

For this house, sound dey mean plenty thing. I rush go, dey sure say na teacher need something.

I quickly go there, look the teacher for wheelchair, smile. "Teacher, we get visitor. Rest small, I go come gist with you later."

I dey pet am like small pikin. The sight of him dey always calm my spirit, no matter the wahala for outside.

I close the teacher door, turn, see Halima stand behind me.

She dey look me, her face serious. The air thick, as if rain wan fall.

"Officer Halima, you shock me." I pat my chest, look the cup, talk, "Officer Halima, your water go cold. Abeg drink am."

I dey try break the tension, but my voice still dey tremble small. I hand her the cup, my hand cold.

Halima look the cup, then bring out her phone. "I no go drink am. Time don reach eleven, work dey call me for station. Next time."

Her phone dey vibrate, small red light dey blink. She pack her bag, adjust uniform, ready to face another wahala outside.

No drink?

For my mind, I dey wonder if she suspect anything for house. My heart dey beat, but I just dey smile.

I follow her reach door, ask, "Officer Halima, when that case expert go reach Aba?"

I dey hope say answer go sweet my mind. If better detective land, maybe solution go dey.

"Next week." Halima reply, then tap her forehead. "I almost forget. I see Officer Musa from Palm Grove Police Station two days ago. He say make I tell you: if you get time, go visit your mama for Palm Grove Prison."

As she talk am, my body cold. The mention of my mama dey always change my mood. I just nod, no talk.

"I hear." I reply.

I talk am for formality, no put feeling. My chest dey burn, but I no let am show.

Halima enter stairs, look me again, talk, "If anything happen for house, call me anytime."

She look me from up, her face soft. I dey see small pity for her eye. She nod, go down, her steps steady.

"Thank you." I watch the stairs close, then go back inside, my mind just dey heavy.

As I lock door, I feel breeze for back. I sit for chair, sigh, my whole body weak. If to say prayer fit change things sharp sharp...

I open teacher room door.

The air inside cold. Sunflower for vase still dey shine. I drag chair, sit down.

"My mama dey call me go see am." I sit down beside the teacher, vex. "She kill my papa, kill Uncle Sola, still dey call me come? I no go see am again for this life."

As I talk, my voice shake. I fit feel old wound dey open. For this land, family matter no dey ever finish.

As I talk, tears just dey flow.

The tears dey fall for my lap, I no even wipe am. Na so my heart dey talk, water dey answer.

I lay my head for teacher lap, dey cry. "Teacher, Uncle Sola na good man, just like you—he be doctor too, very nice. I miss am die."

I dey sob, nose dey block. Teacher no fit move, but I fit feel small warmth from him body. The house dey quiet, only fan dey hum.

Even if na me arrange the hand for my head, e dey give small peace. I dey think say if Uncle Sola dey alive, maybe all this wahala for no dey.

"Papa don go. Uncle Sola don go. Teacher, I no go let you leave me join them," I talk low for am.

I whisper am like promise. If e mean I go fight the whole world to protect teacher, I ready.

That night, Ifeanyi come back.

I hear him footsteps, heavy for corridor. I quick clean face, arrange room, try smile. My heart dey beat, dey think wetin this night go bring.

To stop Ifeanyi from carrying the teacher go old people home, I try please am, cook plenty food, open red wine.

I set table, arrange wine glass, use my best wrapper. I even put small candle, make house dey like restaurant. I dey hope say food go calm Ifeanyi spirit.

After we drink—

The wine dey sweet, but my mind dey bitter. Ifeanyi laugh small, but e still dey watch me like person wey suspect poison for food.

Ifeanyi happy, carry me enter bedroom.

For small moment, e be like say peace dey. I follow am, my own mind dey pray say nothing go spoil.

For bed, I lean for his shoulder, talk, "Husband, in some days na Uncle Sola death anniversary. I wan go see am. And about teacher—I don think am. You no need carry am go old people home. We get another flat for up, abi? Teacher fit stay there, we fit hire nanny..."

I talk am soft, dey try beg, my hand dey stroke im chest. I dey find way make Ifeanyi heart calm.

Maybe Ifeanyi don drunk. Before I finish, he slap me for face.

The slap loud, my ear dey ring. I touch my cheek, my eyes dey wide. Even the lizard for window freeze.

"Uncle Sola... teacher..." Ifeanyi eyes red, dey look me, then slap me again and again, dey shout: "One na your father-in-law, one na your stepfather! You no get shame? You no get shame! No think say I no know why your mama kill your stepfather! You and am get something? Talk am! You get?"

Him spit dey fly for my face. The anger inside am fit burn house. I dey shake, tears just dey drop.

I look Ifeanyi, shock.

I no believe say na the same man wey I marry dey do me like this. My mouth dey open, but no word come out.

He grab my neck, dey look me with anger, no gree leave till I nearly suffocate.

My breath dey short, my eyes dey roll. I dey pray for rescue, but only God dey answer.

"No talk about Uncle Sola..." I cough, dey gasp. "No insult am."

My voice low, like whisper. Ifeanyi hand dey tight, but finally he loosen am small.

Ifeanyi raise hand, I think say he go hit me again, but he just drop the hand, come down from bed, walk commot bedroom.

Na so e waka go, the door slam. My body dey shake, like say I get malaria. I cover myself, dey weep.

I curl for bed, dey cry in pain, my throat dey burn, I dey cough. After long time, my breath come normal. I use tissue wipe tears, then hear door close for living room.

Na only fan dey spin. I dey count the ceiling lines, dey hope say sleep go carry me forget all the pain for body.

Ifeanyi don commot.

The silence heavy, na only the ticking of my old wall clock I dey hear. I check phone—time don reach one in the morning. Night no dey rush for my house.

Moon dey shine small for window. The street dey empty. I stand up, my leg dey weak, but I push myself go parlour.

I come down from bed, enter living room. Study door dey half open, light dey shine, laptop for table still on.

Na only laptop dey on. All the books wey Ifeanyi scatter for floor, I sidestep dem. I call Ifeanyi name, hope say maybe him dey hide.

"Ifeanyi?"

I call, but nobody dey study.

My voice echo for room, no answer. My heart dey beat quick.

I check bathroom—nobody. Ifeanyi don really go out.

The air cold, I touch towel, check everywhere. No sign of Ifeanyi. My mind dey wonder wetin carry am go out for this kain time.

One in the morning—where e go?

I dey count how many times Ifeanyi don waka out for night. My mind dey run, suspect every shadow.

I think small, then enter study.

I rub my hand for chest, dey pray make nothing bad show. As I enter, I see laptop screen still dey shine.

Laptop still dey on. As I reach, see wetin dey for screen, my head nearly burst. I nearly faint.

I hold table, steady myself. The picture for screen dey move—no be ordinary file. My leg dey shake.

For screen, na CCTV footage, dey show teacher room.

I open mouth. I never know say Ifeanyi install camera for there. My head dey spin. Who he dey watch—teacher or me?

Ifeanyi dey monitor him own papa—or na me and teacher he dey monitor.

My mind dey jump from one fear to another. I dey wonder how long this thing don dey.

Ah...

The pain for my chest dey rise. I dey imagine all the private things wey Ifeanyi fit don see.

My belle turn. Na so cold sweat catch me, I dey wish say ground go open swallow me.

I carry the metal statue for desk, wan break the laptop, but I hold myself. I waka back bedroom, curl for bed, hug my legs, my mind just dey run wild about wetin that CCTV fit don see. I dey cry, hold my head, sob, till I hear door open again for living room.

As I dey bed, my whole body cold. I no fit rest. My mind dey scatter, na so tears dey flow again. Suddenly, I hear the door creak.

I hold my voice, off bedside lamp, turn my back to door, curl for darkness.

I use wrapper cover my mouth, no let cry loud. I dey beg God make Ifeanyi no near me this night.

Creak—

The door move slow. My heart dey pound. Ifeanyi shadow dey for wall, the light from corridor dey form one long demon.

Bedroom door open.

The way door open slow ehn, fear catch me. My body stiff, like say cold dey everywhere.

Light from living room enter, Ifeanyi shadow dey for balcony glass. I no see him face, but he just stand for door, quiet like animal wey dey hunt.

He no move, just dey look me. The air thick. My breath dey hang. Even cockroach no fit run for floor.

Fear.

My heart dey beat fast, my body cold reach bone. I no fit move, dey fear say he go jump come break me.

Sweat dey my palm, I dey shiver. The room cold pass freezer. Fear dey my throat.

After long time—

The air still dey hang. I dey count the seconds, dey wish say morning go show face quick.

Ifeanyi waka back, close bedroom door.

The relief I feel nearly weak me. I breathe in small. Everywhere just freeze. I dey sure say evil pass me for corridor.

Everywhere just quiet.

I count my breath. Even my own heart dey sound like drum for my ear.

So quiet, I dey hear my own heart.

I dey pray make morning break quick. I hug my pillow, my mind dey turn. I dey fear say Ifeanyi still dey outside the door.

I curl for bed, my head just dey scatter, e be like say Ifeanyi still dey stand for door, never go.

The fear dey chase sleep from my eye. My body dey ache, my heart dey bleed. Tears no wan dry.

Morning.

Sun enter bedroom.

Na cock crow and muezzin call wake me. Sun scatter for curtain, wash my face. I force myself get up, my waist dey pain me.

I gather courage come down from bed.

I put leg for floor, rub neck, tell myself say today go better. I force small smile as I waka go parlour.

For living room, Ifeanyi dey adjust him tie. He look me, him voice hoarse: "I don decide for the old people home matter. I go come back for afternoon carry papa go. If anything dey pack, do am this morning. Nkechi, I no dey ask you. After papa go, I want make you be proper wife."

He dey talk with finality. His eyes red, but he no blink. Na like say he don make up his mind, no looking back.

As I hear am, my heart just dey pain me.

I feel sharp pain for my chest. All my effort to save teacher dey waste. I wan talk, but words choke for my throat.

Decision don set. I no fit change Ifeanyi mind.

For this our place, once man make decision like that, only prayer and senior elders fit change am. My mind dey blank.

I just waka go, hug am from back, talk low: "Sorry."

I hold am for waist, my face press for him back. I dey beg with the little strength wey remain for my spirit.

Ifeanyi pause, turn, look me, pull me for him chest, kiss me. He hold me tight; my breath dey hard, my belle even dey turn like say I wan vomit.

His hand cold, but he dey try show love. I no know if na love or power e dey use hug me.

Finally—

Ifeanyi release me, use him thumb wipe the saliva for my mouth, talk with small stubborn gentleness: "Stay house, wait for me. This afternoon, after we carry papa go old people home, we go your favorite..."

But inside me, hope don pack bag. Only God know which road my heart go follow next.