Chapter 3: Spirit No Dey Forgive

I tell her make she lay the pikin for prayer mat. I scoop small incense ash from burner, touch am for him forehead, both sides of him head, and behind him ear.

As I dey do am, I whisper small prayer—make the God of ancestors join with St. Michael spirit—so that evil go dey afraid.

Then I stand for one side, raise hand for prayer sign, begin dey recite Psalm for mind.

The prayer pass my mouth softly, but my heart dey hot. For every line, I dey call Angel Michael make him sword dey shine for this pikin soul.

As I dey pray, the pikin begin calm down, him cry dey reduce.

E mean say prayer dey work. Ears the cat, sef, come sit for one corner, dey watch, tail dey twitch, as if e dey count every spirit for room.

When I finish, I touch him forehead.

E cold, sweat dey back of ear. For my mind, I thank God.

Fever don commot.

Na evil spirit disturb this pikin—he too small, soul never complete, so sickness no strange. Even adult sef for suffer if dem catch this kind wahala.

Some spirit dey enter body when pikin soul still dey grow, na only grace dey save person.

But the boy get luck with God, so e no too serious.

Na true, shrine no dey lie. The thing wey enter the boy run as prayer reach am.

I remove one bead from my prayer bracelet, put am for red string, tie am for him neck.

This bead na old one, Mad Prophet give me when e dey go. E go protect am, block any wahala for road.

Amaka don kneel for two hours since she come, her sincerity show well.

Even for spirit world, sincerity dey break chain. I see am for her eyes, she ready do anything for her brother.

“Stand up. Make the pikin still rest for mat small.”

I dey talk soft, but my voice strong. For this kind case, e good make body calm.

“Na evil spirit disturb am. I don clean am, fever don go. In few days, he go dey okay. No worry.”

No need rush, patience dey heal person too. I give am small water make she drink.

Amaka just dey look me, mouth open, as if she dey fear hope go run if she talk. She no believe, look her brother, tears full her eyes. She wan cry but she hold am, just bow again.

The relief show for her body, she begin shake. She try talk, voice fail am.

“No need for that. This pikin get angel blessing. Stand up.”

I repeat, my hand dey her shoulder, make she feel small hope.

I talk am again, bring chair for her. Her knee don swell, she struggle stand up.

I fit see say leg dey pain her, but she still smile small, gratitude dey her face.

“Thank you.”

Her voice low, but her eye dey shine. She sit down, wipe face with back of hand.

She collect tissue from me, begin talk the wahala wey she don face for two months. I just dey listen.

She talk well, voice dey shake sometimes. I just dey nod, no interrupt, let am pour her heart.

“Una carry anything wey no pure enter house? Or una do any strange sacrifice?” I ask her gently, as I peel half orange, give her.

I give am orange as sign of peace, make spirit rest. Sometimes small question fit open big secret.

“My mama na Christian. She dey keep Virgin Mary statue, dey pray every day. But after we sell house, we give the statue out. As for things wey no pure... I no sure, maybe something follow us from hospital. People dey talk say hospital full of wandering spirit—if you sleep there, tie white cloth for leg so bad thing no follow you home.”

Hospital spirit dey plenty. For our side, people dey talk say, 'If you sleep for hospital, tie white cloth for leg make bad thing no follow you home.'

After she talk finish, Amaka relax small, the heavy thing for her mind reduce.

She sip water, look up, voice dey calm pass before.

I think small, then pack incense ash for her, plus one wordless wooden plaque wey the Mad Prophet carve, and Psalm book.

The plaque na real power, e dey block anything wey no pure. Psalm book, na for spirit and human together.

“Carry this incense ash go house, mix am with water, make your papa and mama drink. Hang the plaque for door top. Dey read the Psalm morning and night.”

Make e become habit. Spirit dey respect word pass action sometimes.

“From tonight, open all window. Make your papa and mama dey see sun—e dey important.”

For our culture, sun dey cleanse spirit. If you dey hide from sun, wahala fit hide with you.

“Do am for three days, any ordinary spirit or evil thing go run.”

Na old rule—three days for spiritual battle. E dey work since great-grandpa time.

“If e no better, come back.”

I look her well, voice calm. No be pride, na just say shrine dey ready to help again.

Amaka look me, surprise.

Her mouth open small, she dey wonder if na joke or true.

“Na... na just like that? No need do ritual or call prophet?”

She want big action, but sometimes, na small thing dey carry power.

“No need.”

I smile, show her the wooden plaque, 'Na this one go talk to spirit.'

“Erm... how much I go pay? I...”

She dey squeeze her wrapper, fear of money matter dey worry am.

“No be money matter. If e work, just bring fruit and candle as offering.”

Na so shrine work be. Money no dey enter altar for this kind case.

As she hear am, Amaka nearly cry again.

Her eye red, she cover mouth, tears dey drop again. She look sky, dey thank God and ancestor.

She talk say her family don spend plenty money for prophets and pastors, do prayer, nothing work.

People go waka from town to town, spend all dem get, but sometimes na only small act of faith dey change story.

She wan kneel thank me, but I stop her.

I stretch hand, 'No kneel, you don try. Make God reward your heart.'

“Make you shine eye—plenty fake people full everywhere now. No need kneel for me; na my work I dey do.”

I add, 'E get as shrine dey work. If you believe, e go clear road for you.'

After I talk more, I let her carry her brother go house.

I pray for her, say, 'Go in peace. Na so the world dey heal.'

Time don go already.

Sky don dark, breeze dey cold, cat Ears dey circle my leg, as if e dey watch spirit waka go.

The next two days just pass quietly. The parade leader, after the lesson, redo ritual, bring everybody come dey beat drum and gong, dey beg St. Michael. But the angel still no gree move.

Village people dey talk for whisper, elders dey gather for corner, dey watch as parade refuse to waka. Even masquerade go sit down, cross leg, no fit dance.

Dem try am three times, each time, the statue no gree shift.

People go push, shout, even old men dey sweat, but the palanquin just stand gidigba, like rooted tree.

Last last, the leader kneel resign, burn the fake angel statue, give the work to him son, and remain for shrine, dey observe precepts, dey read Psalm, dey beg for forgiveness.

For spirit matter, humility dey save person. After him son collect leadership, parade begin move small.

I think say Amaka wahala don finish.

I even light candle for her name that night, pray make peace rest for her family.

But early morning on the third day, she call me again.

As I pick phone, I hear only cry. My heart cold.

This time, the news shock me.

Her papa don die.

He drown for their house fish tank.

Spirit matter no dey finish quick.

When I reach there, dem don carry Amaka papa body go. Amaka just sit for door, hold her brother, tears still dey her face. As she see me, she rush stand up.

Her body dey shake, her wrapper dey dirty, the pikin dey cry soft for her chest.

Her mama don go hospital go handle the matter.

Na woman fit get mind for this kind storm. Mama go run here and there, Amaka dey house, dey carry small brother.

As I enter house, my mind no rest. Whether na the land or the place itself, evil spirit full everywhere.

From the entrance, I feel cold. My skin dey rise, goosebumps full my arm.

Na two-bedroom flat, no balcony, na only one small bay window dem dey use dry cloth. The way the house face, sun no too dey enter. The bathroom face the main door directly. The red prayer sticker wey dem suppose paste for main door, dem paste am for bathroom door instead.

For spiritual matter, how you arrange house dey important. Door wey dey open for sun fit block evil, but bathroom to main door dey cause wahala—na old taboo.

Everything just dey somehow.

I feel like spirit dey hide for each shadow. Even the air for parlour heavy, smell of old kerosene and damp cloth full everywhere. You go feel say something dey watch you from wall.

“Wetin happen?”

I talk small, voice low, make Amaka fit talk everything.

I waka go the fish tank. No fish dey inside since, na only stone and plastic plant full am. The tank dey by the door.

The water inside tank green, as if nobody touch am since last rain. For our place, fish tank no dey carry water if nobody get money or spirit dey waka.

I look back. The angel plaque wey I give her no dey hang for main door.

My heart cut. Spirit fit move plaque if dem no want peace.

She wipe tears, breathe deep, begin talk:

She dey stammer, voice dey break. 'Uncle, I wake, go change my brother...' then she swallow spit, hand dey shake.

“Earlier, I wake up go change my brother diaper. As I enter parlour, I see my papa, him head just dey inside fish tank.”

Spirit fit push person for dream, or fit call head into water if door no dey close. The kind way she talk am, I see say she still dey shock.

“I no fit pull am out. I call my mama, when we finally bring am out, he don die.”

Water for our tradition dey carry power. If evil spirit enter water, e dey easy to drag person.

“Uncle, why e happen like this? Yesterday night, as we dey chop, he dey happy—he even joke with us, plan say we go waka today.”

I remember how my papa go dey laugh, dey eat, then wahala go land the next day. Na so spirit dey work—no warning.

“But now... now...”

She just weak, voice break, hand fall for leg. I see say she dey almost faint.

Amaka burst cry again. Suddenly, as if she remember something, she look me, desperation full her eyes.

She grab my hand, voice low: 'Uncle, you sure say spirit no dey disturb our family?'

“Uncle, e be like say something dey disturb our family?”

Her eyes dey roll, as if fear wan carry her go. She dey look window, door, everywhere.

“I do everything you talk: dey read Psalm every day, give them incense ash water, and the angel plaque...”

She dey count with finger, try remember each step. Spirit matter dey make mind dey scatter.

She point main door, then her face just change. Fear grip am. She rush stand, run go door.

I jump follow am, make sure say nothing dey push her.

“I really hang am here! Uncle, I swear, as I reach house, I hang am for door...”

Her voice dey shake as she search everywhere for the plaque, panic full her face.

She dey pull curtain, check window, look under chair. Tears dey drop, panic dey show.

I look the fish tank well. I see small red colour for inside stone. My mind cut. I put hand inside, begin search.

The red colour na from the plaque wey I give her, spirit fit drag am enter water, break am if e vex.

“No need find,” Amaka talk, rush come. As she see the angel plaque wey I bring out from the water—break into three pieces—she cover her mouth, fear catch am. She start dey tremble, voice no fit come out, as if her own spirit wan leave body.

She kneel, voice low, 'Uncle, wetin we do?' I dey see say she wan faint.

The plaque, na wood wey thunder strike, the Mad Prophet carve am, full of sun energy, plus e don dey altar for years. E no be big spiritual weapon, but e suppose fit chase ordinary evil.

Plaque wey survive rain and sun for altar, spirit still break am like broom stick. E mean say this wahala na serious matter.

But as e be so, wetin dey disturb Amaka family no be ordinary spirit. To kill person and break angel plaque join, na at least hundred-year-old spirit, wicked ghost, or evil masquerade.

For our village, people dey call am 'aja mmuo'—spirit wey refuse to die, wey dey cause trouble till person do correct ritual.

And Amaka no even know.

Her face show say she never understand the danger wey dey their house. For this kind spirit, ordinary prayer no fit work.

This matter don strong.

I fit feel cold for my chest, as if old ancestor dey warn me. I look Amaka, make she no panic.

“When your mama go come back?”

This one don pass play. Person wey dey in charge for house suppose dey before I fit continue.

I wan wait, make I see if mama fit join us for second prayer. For this kind matter, na family head dey break spirit chain.

Hmm?

The air thick, the house dey quiet. I no hear answer, I turn, no see Amaka. I look parlor, I look kitchen, she vanish.

Fluorescent light begin blink. The pikin for sofa start to cry loud. Rain begin fall outside, cold breeze enter house.

Spirit dey enter house, e dey use light as sign. The pikin dey cry, rain dey fall, my heart dey race.

Crack.

I hear the sound, sharp, as if glass break. My prayer beads cold for hand. I dey ready for anything.

Bathroom light flash on, then all the light for house go off.

Darkness swallow everywhere, only thunder dey give flash small. The prayer sticker for bathroom glass shine red, the type wey old prophet dey use chase spirit for village market.

The red prayer sticker wey dem paste for bathroom glass begin shine for small light, everywhere just dey somehow, fear dey catch person.

I dey breathe slow, every muscle for my body dey ready. I whisper Psalm 91, make my spirit no shake.

I narrow my eyes, slowly remove my prayer beads.

I dey step slow, prayer beads for right hand, eyes dey shine for dark. Na so old Mad Prophet train me—never fear spirit, even if e wear masquerade face.

Bathroom door open.

The door creak, as if wind dey push am, but no wind fit open that door before. The type of fear wey dey come from inside bone.

Amaka waka come out, head down, hair cover her face.

I just dey look am, as the pikin cry dey ring for my ear.

Spirit dey waka for this house. My heart dey hot, but my mind steady. I hold my prayer beads tight. Tonight, shrine work no get back door—either you get spirit, or spirit go get you.