Chapter 3: The Fear Grows

Now e be like say the way my son dey act no really join with the Iyi Nwanyi wahala.

As I dey think am, Morayo dey look my face, dey ask if I sure say nothing touch Chijioke for bush. Me, I dey remember as he dey laugh that night.

So why he believe say Morayo and me no dey blink?

I dey try connect the dots, but e no clear. The boy too young to dey play this kind deep prank.

Morayo rub our son back, dey pet am. When he calm down, she pull am come out from her chest.

She use her scarf clean him sweat for forehead, then give am water. "Drink small, my pikin. E go dey alright."

She wipe him tears gently, then ask, "Chijioke, when you first notice say Daddy and Mummy no dey blink?"

Morayo voice soft pass velvet, she dey bend head to catch his eye. Chijioke sniff, rub nose, him voice low, "Wednesday."

Wednesday na two days after we come back from my village. Today na Saturday.

I try count for my finger, dey reason how long the boy dey carry this thing for chest. Morayo dey look me with worry for her eye.

That means our son dey look Morayo and me for four days now, dey believe say we never blink for almost hundred hours.

I remember how he dey waka follow us everywhere since then, dey look us like person wey dey find secret.

To say we no dey blink no too correct, because he also say we dey sleep with eyes open. Na like say we never close eyes at all.

This one pass pikin play. E resemble those ghost story wey my uncle dey yarn for village compound at night.

Blinking na something wey body dey do on its own—you no fit just stop am. E dey help keep eye wet, clean, and protect am.

I remember biology lesson for secondary school, the way teacher explain say eye go dry if you no dey blink. Me sef, I no fit imagine am.

If person no blink for two minutes, eye go dry, go pain, talk less of say you no blink for many hours. E no possible for human being.

I dey think, maybe na spirit dey worry am, or na stress from travel. Morayo dey tap my leg under table.

No wonder our son dey fear like this.

I rub my hand for his back, try pet am, but the boy body just dey stiff. I dey pray make this wahala no big pass us.

Morayo carry him hand, put am for her left eyelid, then blink strong.

She even close her eye tight, open am again, dey show am say everything dey okay. She dey smile small, even though worry still dey for her face.

Her eyelashes long and thick, so as she blink, the lash brush well for his palm.

Chijioke giggle small, but the worry never clear for him eye. He dey look Morayo face with one kind frown, like mathematician wey never solve equation.

But our son just dey look am, confusion full him face. "Mummy, na only your left eye move?"

Morayo look me, we both dey confuse. She blink both eyes again, slow.

But Morayo blink both eyes together.

I come near, talk soft, "You sure say you dey see well, Chijioke?"

For am to ask this kind question mean say, his hand feel the left eye move, but his own eye no see the right eye blink.

I fit see the confusion dey make him face wrinkle like old wrapper. I dey pity the boy.

"Make him use hand cover right eye try am," I talk.

Morayo do am again.

She blink slow, then fast, dey try all style. I dey watch Chijioke face for sign say the wahala don finish.

Our son still behave the same: he fit feel am, but no dey see am.

He look him own finger, look us. The boy dey shake head, tears dey gather for corner of eye.

Me and Morayo look each other.

The air just dry for parlour. Morayo mouth tight, I dey bite my tongue, dey fear to talk wetin dey my mind.

First thing we think na say maybe na prank. Chijioke na sharp, playful seven-year-old—him don prank us before, like pretend say food choke am or fake fall down.

I remember last December when he pour water for bathroom, lie down, dey pretend say e faint. But this one different.

But after we correct am, he no dey do those things again.

Since that day I beat am small, he promise say he no go prank again. This one no be play.

And this one wey he dey do now—waka come our bed for 2am or 3am, just stand dey look us—no be play at all.

Even Morayo talk say, "If pikin fit wake for night, no sleep, dey watch us, e mean say something dey worry am."

For seven-year-old pikin wey get energy, to dey wake up for night no easy.

I dey wonder how e take dey get up by himself. Na only serious wahala fit do this kind thing.

"Chijioke, blink your eye."

I dey try test am. I look him straight, dey wait.

As I talk am, he begin blink hard, wrinkle face join.

He dey blink like goat wey dey dodge rain. Tears dey come out from him eye, e dey shake small.

He dey blink anyhow, "Daddy, you see am?"

I rush tell am, "I see am, I see am. You fit stop."

I try smile, show am say nothing dey wrong, but my hand dey shake small.

He begin cry again, "But I no dey see am. I no dey see myself blink for mirror."

He hold my hand, him voice dey shake. "Daddy, why? Why my own eye no dey work?"

That one normal—nobody fit see themselves blink for mirror.

Morayo try explain, "No worry, Chijioke. If you dey look mirror, na so e dey be for everybody."

We explain am well, even record video of him as he blink, show am.

I even hold phone, show am replay, slow motion, normal speed, everything. I talk, "See, you dey blink, see your eye close."

But as he watch the video, he just break down, cry loud, point the phone dey shout, "I no blink! I go die! Daddy and Mummy go die too!"

The cry shock Morayo, she rush carry am. I dey freeze, dey watch the video, no sabi wetin to talk.