Chapter 9: Hide and Seek with Spirits

Cold sweat dey my face as my wife open every app for my phone.

My heart dey beat anyhow. I dey sweat for armpit, dey pray say make she no see chat with that baba.

Luckily, I don delete chat with that guy.

But as she scroll, her face change. She show me phone:

"Wetin be this?"

My heart jump.

Na the group chat log from last night—I forget delete am.

My head blank. I dey find story to talk.

"People just too get time, dey form story. You sef, dey follow dem play."

My wife no even take am serious.

She just hiss, drop phone for bed. I dey watch her hand to see if she go act strange.

"Haha, I just dey whine. I wan see how far the guy go yarn."

I laugh, try act normal.

I dey clean sweat for forehead, dey pray say make she no press me with another question.

"I tire for you," she roll eye, give me phone back, then waka go fridge, dey complain say she hungry.

I finally breathe out.

My leg dey shake. I just dey thank God for small mercy. I dey plan how I go move all my chat to secure folder.

But na that time, mysterious guy message me:

"Wetin you do? Why she wan act quick? I just check—today na your death day."

The message make my stomach twist. I dey reason how stranger dey fit know all this.

I look around the parlour, fear grip me.

I dey peep window, dey check corridor, dey try see if anything dey follow me.

"Nothing o. My wife just dey chop."

I dey hope say maybe e go believe.

"You believe say if you try comot now, she go appear for your back?"

As I remember wetin happen that morning, fear catch me.

"So wetin I go do?"

My hand dey shake, my throat dry.

"Find high place hide. You go soon see wetin go shock you."

"How you mean?"

I dey peep everywhere, dey search for high place for house. My mind dey remember all those stories about witches and their midnight waka.

He go quiet again.

I look the kitchen, everywhere still. Make I just do as he talk.

No too many high place for house. After I check, I choose the wardrobe for second room.

Two empty compartments dey up, nobody dey use am.

I open wardrobe, climb bed, hold the edge tight.

I dey feel like pikin wey dey hide from cane. I dey pray say the bed no go make noise.

With one strong push, I manage climb up—thank God say I dey gym.

As I settle, my wife voice ring for house:

"Honey, where you dey?"

Her voice dey sharp, like person dey search for missing goat.

"Honey."

"Come out."

The way her voice dey echo, e get as e be. E dey carry small thunder wey dey shake person heart.

"I dey see you."

I hear her voice for passage, e sound close, then far. My breath dey hold. My body dey vibrate, my hand dey cover mouth.

"Come out! Come out!"

As I no answer, her voice dey sharp, dey mad, no be human voice again.

The sound change, e deep, e dark. E be like say na many people dey talk at once. My head dey swell.

I hold my breath for wardrobe.

Even the small light from my phone dey make my heart race.

I check say e dey silent, then read message from the mysterious guy:

"How far? You don see am?"

"You see many of them?"

I dey squeeze myself for wardrobe, dey pray say rat no go join me for here. For my mind, na only God fit save me for this kain wahala now.

I remember old Mama Uzo say, "If you see woman with red line, no let am near your blood."