Chapter 5: All of Us Don Die

After hospital, our son no even want go mall. He just waka go house, enter him room, lock door, no answer us.

Morayo knock, beg am, "My pikin, abeg open. Mummy dey here." I dey hear Chijioke footsteps, but no sound from inside.

This one no be how seven-year-old dey behave.

Before, if e dey vex, after small time e go run come parlour, dey ask for snack. But now, silence everywhere.

But Morayo and I no give up. We try everything—carry am go cinema, amusement park, meet friends.

We even invite his best friend, Tunde, from school. But Chijioke just dey look ground, no dey talk. Tunde tire, run go house tell him mama say, "Aunty, Chijioke no well."

But all this time, he no talk again, like say he turn to doll.

Morayo dey pray inside room, dey sing praise. I dey call my uncle for advice, dey ask whether make we go deliverance for church.

E last till third night.

The night heavy. Rain dey fall small, I dey hear thunder for far. Morayo dey snore, I dey try close eye.

He just waka come our bedroom for midnight again.

I hear door open soft. Chijioke waka come close, I dey pretend say I sleep, dey peep.

He put hand under my nose and Morayo own, stay more than ten seconds, then run out like person wey see masquerade.

The hand cold. He stand close to us, I dey fear to move. As he rush out, door slam, Morayo wake.

The noise wake me. As I chase am, he don hide back for him room, no answer me no matter how I call.

I knock, beg, "Chijioke, na Daddy. Abeg open. No be fight."

I no want vex am more, so I no knock, just sit for parlour all night.

I dey look ceiling, dey pray, dey reason if na time to call pastor. My body dey heavy.

That time, I check bedroom camera—the one wey we just install the day before to monitor am. Na then I understand why he dey come our room.

I rewind video. For screen, I see Chijioke dey stand for our bed, dey look us, then put hand under our nose. The fear for him eye na real. I dey weak.

Next morning, Morayo and I decide say after breakfast, we go hospital again.

We plan carry am go see one baba for church after. No time to waste.

But as we dey chop, our son just talk calm, "I no dey breathe again. Una too. All of us don die."

The air heavy. My hand drop spoon, Morayo mouth open. Everywhere just freeze. Even generator for backyard stop. The silence loud like market after rain, and I know say nothing go ever be the same again.

The strange feeling wey dey everywhere these days reach peak with our son talk.

Morayo just vex, throw her bowl at am, the thing break with noise. But our son no even move, e be like say nothing touch am.

The sound loud, but Chijioke just dey look us. My wife dey shake.

"Chijioke, if you no stop this your wahala, no blame me if I handle you!"

Her voice crack, the anger inside pain me. I dey try calm her, but she no hear.

"See wetin you don turn this family to. Even play get limit!"

Morayo dey cry as she dey shout. I dey try hold her hand, but she push me away.

"You need serious beating!"

Her hand dey shake, she dey wipe tears. My mind dey scatter. I no sabi how we reach this point.

I rush check our son body for injury.

I dey fear say the ceramic go wound am bad. My hand dey sweat.

Our bowl na ceramic—if e hit head, e no be joke.

I remember when neighbor pikin chop bowl for head last year, dem rush am emergency. My heart dey pound.

True true, I see small cut for him forehead from the broken pieces.

The cut small, but deep. I dey ready find plaster.

But… no blood. Him body cold like ogi from fridge.

My hand dey tremble, I touch again. The cold surprise me, pass freezer block.

My hand freeze as I hold him face.

My own hand dey shake, sweat dey drip for my eyebrow, but the boy skin cold like ogi from fridge.

I dey shake. My mind dey blank. This one no be ordinary at all.

I no even know wetin I dey think, but I move hand go him nose.

Morayo dey look me, fear for her face. I dey count seconds as I wait for breath.

After more than ten seconds, I no feel any breath from him nose.

I dey check again, nothing. My own breath dey stop small.

Morayo still dey shout at am with tears.

She no even see say something dey wrong. Her voice dey echo, she dey point finger, dey cry.

She don dey worry for am these days, now she just break.

I dey pity her. She dey strong, but this one don break her.

But as all this strange thing dey happen to our son, how I go fit console her?

I dey confuse. My hand dey weak. I wan hold her, but I no fit move.

Fear wey I no fit explain just make me leave our son.

I dey fear myself, dey fear the boy. I dey reason if na dream.

"Daddy, now you believe I no dey lie, abi?"

The voice low, but clear. The way he talk e be like adult. I dey look am, my mouth no fit close.

Our son… or na still my son, Chijioke?

My mind dey spin. I dey see Chijioke face, but something dey off. I dey pray inside, "God, abeg, protect my family."

This thing wey no dey breathe, no dey bleed, but still dey think, dey talk, dey call me ‘Daddy’—e still be the same person so?

I dey doubt my own sense. My head dey hot. I dey sweat, but my hand cold.

"Wetin… wetin dey happen?"

I whisper, voice dey shake. Morayo stop to shout, she dey look both of us.

Chijioke just shake head, talk say he sef no know.

He sit for chair, eyes red, voice low. "Daddy, I no know. I just know say everything don change."

Morayo finally notice say something dey wrong with me. She come ask me wetin dey happen.

She touch my hand, "Ifeanyi, wetin be this? Wetin we go do?"

I no fit talk for long, then I just focus, dey look her eyes.

I dey search for hope, for love. Her eye dey shake, but she try hold tears. We dey lost together.

One second, one minute, two minutes…

Silence dey thick. Morayo hand dey cold inside my own. I dey count her breath, dey pray make everything go back to normal.

Morayo begin uncomfortable, ask me again, wetin dey happen.

Her voice dey break. "Ifeanyi, answer me now. Wetin dey happen to us?"

But she no—