Chapter 5: The Skin That Walks

As Okey Nwachukwu see as things dey, he no talk again. We follow the crowd go about hundred meters, then stop. For front of the giant bronze pillar, half of one red tongue, like catfish wey dey struggle, dey shake inside blood.

The smell hit me first—raw iron, like abattoir for market. Flies never gather yet, but the thing heavy for nose.

"Ugh ugh..."

One dying groan come from behind the pillar. Musa move first, Okey Nwachukwu pick shovel from ground, follow am rush. I slow small, as I reach, both of them stand dey look.

Musa get mind, e no fear blood. As I dey near, I dey recite Psalm 23 for my mind.

As I look where dem dey look, fear just grip me. One man upper body dey lean for the bronze pillar, but the lower body don join with the pillar. The part wey remain for outside twist anyhow, like abstract painting. Two eyes line up straight, dey waka for the neck, the eyebrows join together, both ears join like butterfly, the lips twist like flower, dey make muffled sound:

The sight make my stomach turn, e be like say the pillar dey suck the man, or e be say spirit dey blend him body with bronze.

"No look for Oduduwa... I... we no be humans again..."

The voice come out like air dey pass inside gourd, thin, but pain full am.

Before he finish, he just freeze.

The silence stretch long, everybody mouth open. Some people kneel down, others dey look up, as if help fit drop from sky.

Wetin be the meaning? We no be humans?

My mind dey race—if we no be human, who we be? I dey sweat, even though cold dey for the air.

I wan near am, but Musa hold my shoulder pull me back. "Make I go."

His face strong, but I see say hand dey shake. True true, this Musa get heart like lion.

I no argue; Musa sabi pass me for this kind matter. As he check am, the team member na only skin remain, if you touch am small, e go turn ash.

One archaeologist, small girl from Jos, begin pray for Tiv. I just close my eye, dey beg make this one pass.

Na then I notice say Okey Nwachukwu don fall for ground. He curl up, face dey twist, he faint. Doctor check am, say na just shock, nothing do am. He wake up soon, but I no sure, I feel say something change for am. Since then, he just dey camp, no gree enter the underground palace again.

Okey stay for tent, no talk, just dey stare ceiling, sometimes dey scratch chest as if something dey crawl under him skin.

For the days wey follow, nothing strange happen, and research for the underground palace begin see new results. For the top of the palace, where the bronze pillars reach, archaeologists find big empty space for the soil. After dem check, dem confirm—

Everybody celebrate small, but nobody wan talk too loud. Even small jollof wey cook for camp that day, nobody eat reach half plate.

Na secret colonial military base wey remain from last century.

Some old men from nearby village say dem remember when oyibo dey build strange place for bush, but no one ever near am since independence.