Chapter 3: Judgment No Dey Sweet, Even for King

Some spirits for there dey regret say dem no talk for Nnenna matter earlier—dem for use am curry Priestess favour.

Na so Naija people dey do—if dem smell opportunity, dem go rush. Now dem dey wish say dem stand for Nnenna side, maybe dem for chop promotion.

Musa twist mouth, "At this point, I no fit hide again. I be son of the Elder Spirit Lord for mortal world. If anything do me, my papa no go gree."

E try form heavy background, drop family connection. You know as people for Naija dey do—once wahala start, everybody dey call uncle for Abuja.

When spirits go mortal world for trial, dem body go turn mortal, so dem pikin na mortal too.

Na real wahala. You fit be spirit for here, go human world, carry new body, come born pikin—na mixture everywhere.

Musa and Nnenna still be spirit-mortal couple.

E mean say dem fit waka both worlds. Their love be like egusi soup with too much pepper—sweet but if e pass limit, e go pain everybody.

This their background, the drama no even show am before. Elder Spirit Lord hide am well.

Sharp old man. He cover family secret pass Yoruba baba wey dey hide money for ground.

Na so I just reduce my power.

I no want wahala. I calm down, try let everybody reason say e no be by force.

Nnenna and Musa look each other, smile like say dem don win.

You know as Naija pikin dey do—just small mercy, dem go dey form champion. The two of them dey shine teeth.

Dem sure say I no go fit kill dem.

Dem dey reason say dem get connection. Dem believe nothing fit touch dem, say na Oba go fear.

I just sigh. "Okay. Since una stubborn like this, and get big background, I go leave una."

I drop the matter for ground like old slippers. My voice calm, but everybody sabi say storm fit still blow.

Nnenna and Musa stand up, happy.

Dem jump up, hug. Nnenna even turn, do small dance. Musa dey shine teeth, dey wave hand.

Dem believe say I don gree make dem dey together.

Some spirits rush go greet them, dey try arrange for Priestess side.

Sharp people dey everywhere. Dem rush go hail Nnenna, dey try find favour. You go think say na wedding reception.

Nnenna dey salute dem back.

She dey do like celebrity—just dey wave, dey smile. Na so Naija spirit dey behave when favour blow.

That time, I just raise hand for air.

I no talk, I just raise hand gently, like Baba Ijebu dey call winning number.

Boom!

Thunder blast, everywhere shake. Lightning draw design for ceiling. People jump, some fall for ground.

The smell of burnt palm oil and old incense choke the air, thunder dey vibrate for wall. Ten thousand thunder just land, Demon Judgment Platform appear.

Platform land for palace centre—red flame dey burn under am, big big chain dey dance for air. Palace guards scatter for corners.

Everybody shock.

Some spirits shout, some wan faint. E be like when police raid party—everybody dey look for exit.

The platform dey shine red, plenty heavenly law dey on top, chains dey everywhere—just to look am fit make person soul shake.

Gold letters dey float for air, law dey vibrate. If you near am, your heart go skip beat. Na only strong spirit fit stand.

"Demon Judgment Platform!"

Some elder spirits shout, dey shake. Dem know wetin fit happen. If your hand no clean, na that platform go finish your matter.

All the spirits and gods fear.

Na so everybody forget pride. Even warrior gods bend head, dey whisper prayer.

Na this thing dem dey use finish demon—body and soul, all go end.

For spirit world, na last bus stop. If dem call your name, just begin write your will.

One spirit official ask, "Your Majesty, why you summon Demon Judgment Platform? As I know, no demon suppose die today."

E dey try use grammar beg, sweat dey his face. Na only bold person dey question king for open.

I look Musa and Nnenna. "You go climb am by yourself, or make I help you?"

I talk am slow, but my eyes red. Na as if thunder dey dance for my tongue.

Musa laugh, "This one no be joke now."

E try form cruise, but voice dey shake. You go hear fear behind the fake laughter.

Nnenna put hand for waist, vex, "If na before you wan kill me, e for make sense. But now, I be Priestess pikin. You get mind kill me?"

She snap, face dey bold. But sweat dey her forehead. You go know say the boldness no reach bone.

For her mind, she dey form cuteness.

Na that pikin wey sabi say she fine—she dey hope say smile go save her. But palace no dey run like that.

She dey mistake ignorance for innocence, dey talk anyhow dey call am honesty.

If you look well, for Naija, dem dey mix stubbornness with courage—sometimes na just head wey no dey hear word.

Person wey don live for hundreds or thousands of years, still dey behave like small pikin.

I come dey wonder if na spell dey worry her. Person wey suppose don wise pass, still dey do like ajebutter.

I point her hair bead. "You sabi wetin be this?"

I raise finger, show her the bead for her hair. Everybody eyes follow my hand.

Nnenna shock, no understand, shake head. "How I go know wetin be this one?"

She blink, face blank. E be like you ask Lagos babe how to pound yam.

I laugh small, my face just dey mock her.

My laugh get as e be—dry and cold. For inside, I dey pity her small, but mouth no gree show am.

If na modern person no know, e dey okay. But spirit girl self no sabi? Na wah.

You dey see am? Modern pikin no sabi culture. But spirit wey old pass everybody, still dey act novice—na real wahala.

This thing na hair bead—hair ornament wey make person waka well. If you dey waka, make your body dey gentle, no dey jump anyhow. If not, e go look rough.

In olden days, na only big woman fit wear am. E dey teach person to behave, to walk with grace. You jump upandan, you go disgrace yourself. Now, everybody dey behave anyhow.

Before, even the most stubborn noble lady get manners. Dem fit wicked, but dem no dey rough or disgraceful.

Old time, stubbornness get level. Dem no dey show for public. Now, even market girl sabi more manners pass palace princess.

Now, these so-called noble ladies dey waka dey jump, hair bead dey slap their face, still dey feel say dem fine.

Everybody dey lose home training. If to say grandma dey here, she for flog person spirit comot.

Musa talk, "My papa na Elder Spirit Lord."

He try use mouth beg again. Family name dey sweet for him tongue.

"You sabi law, still break am—na double wahala."

I talk am plain. For this palace, if you sabi better, you go follow law. If not, your matter go spoil.

"Carry dem go execute."

I no dey waste time. I snap finger, signal guards make dem move.

I wave hand.

As my hand move, palace wind blow, guard spirits rush enter with chain wey dey shine blue like river for rainy season.

Heavenly guards and warriors rush, drag Nnenna and Musa go Demon Judgment Platform.

Dem no dey use leg again—na dragging. Guards no send person status. As dem hold Musa, he try shout, but guards mouth am: "No noise."

No fear for their face.

Dem still dey form hard. You go think say dem dey go buffet, not execution ground.

Dem no believe say I go fit kill dem.

Dem dey reason say na movie, say last minute hero go show. But for this palace, na only one Oba.

Too many people don go mortal world because of love. You no fit kill everybody.

If to say I dey follow law like that, na empty palace go remain. But today, e don reach.

Plus, one be Priestess pikin, the other na Elder Spirit Lord pikin—dem believe say dem dey untouchable.

E dey sweet dem, family get weight. But for palace, everybody be pikin when wahala reach.

But dem no know.

Today no be their lucky day. Even small goat dey chop cane once in a while.

Me, wey don suffer all these spirit love dramas, I no fit endure again.

My patience don finish. E no get where you go push man reach, e no go bark.

I must end this spirit romance wahala, bring back real ancient spirit matter—make sense return.

Na so tradition suppose be. Spirit world no be dating show. E get reason for law.

Person life fit get love, but e no suppose be everything. Love na just small pepper for the food.

You no go pour all pepper for soup, call am stew. Love dey sweet, but if e pass level, e go burn mouth.

All these spirits wey dey talk say dem go mortal world for trial—na woman or man dem dey chase.

Instead of to learn, dem dey follow love. Spirit school don turn to love market.

Spirits long life, but within few years, everywhere full of spirit pikin. Dem get better chance pass people wey don suffer for centuries.

Old spirit dey look new couples, dey shake head. "We dey here since, yet na dem dey get promotion."

Mortals go soon lose space to survive.

If dem no take time, spirit pikin go full everywhere, mortals go pack go village.

"Execute!"

I pause, staff heavy for my hand. For small second, I remember when I self dey fight for love. But law na law.

I shout am, voice thick like thunder. Palace cold, everybody freeze.

Na so I just talk am cold.

My chest no shake, my face no move. Judgment na judgment.

Everywhere change.

Palace floor turn red, cloud for ceiling scatter, even moon for window dull. E be like say sky dey mourn.

Demon Judgment Platform roar.

Chains dey dance, blade dey rise. You go feel the power from ground reach your bone.

Big big law just dey dance.

Gold line dey spin, magic symbol dey float. Na old magic—spirit king style.

Heavenly law for platform shine gold, everybody dey shake.

E dey hot, e dey burn, even for eye. Some people start dey pray for their own matter.

This judgment platform get power.

If you be strong spirit, e fit wound your mind. If you be weak, na nosebleed go finish you.

Some spirits wey no strong, just to look the blade, blood and tears dey come out from their eyes.

One small spirit for corner just collapse, dem carry am comot. Even my palace guards dey hold chair for support.

Nnenna try beg for help—but the platform block all magic. She be like ordinary person now.

She open mouth, wan call Priestess, but air no come out. Her power block, na only her heart dey beat fast.

Nnenna face full of regret, she shout, "Oba of the Heavens, spirit and demon love no new thing. You fit kill everybody?"

Her voice crack, but her eyes red. Na last card she dey play.

Musa join, "True talk! If you get mind, kill all. If not, free us."

He voice loud, but leg dey shake. Pride no dey last for judgment day.

I look both of them, just shake head, reply, "No worry, others go soon join una. Wait—my mistake. Una go vanish completely, no chance to go anywhere."

I talk am with finality. For this world, spirit wey no learn, na vanish go vanish. No reincarnation, no second chance.

As I talk finish, blade fall.

Thunder bite my ear, heart dey drum for chest—judgment no dey sweet, even for king. Time slow, air heavy. Some spirits close eye. No prayer fit save them now.

Clang—

The sound heavy, echo reach outside palace gate. Birds for sky scatter.

Big blade land with thunder sound.

Chain cut air, red light fly. Power blow, window shake. Even ancestors fit hear that sound.

Both of them head drop, roll for main palace.

Blood no too flow, na white mist and small lightning—spirit dey fade like harmattan dew. The head roll reach my foot, I just sidestep, make e no touch my shoe.

As for last minute beg?

Nothing like that.

This one na final. No actor to jump in, no magic twist.

Nnenna body fade, turn back to cloud.

She melt gently, cloud float go ceiling. For that brief moment, na only small sigh escape.

I look all the spirits.

My eye sweep hall. Everybody bend head, nobody fit talk. Fear and respect dey everywhere.

"If this kind thing happen again, I go clear all of una, no mercy."

My voice thunder, echo. Even palace wall tremble. Spirit children begin shift leg.

"I no believe say this craze for mortal world no fit stop."

E be like warning for all spirit wey dey plan rubbish. I rest my staff, face window. Everybody know say law don return.

Everybody life get stage:

As silence swallowed the hall, I felt the weight of old law settle on my shoulders—heavy, lonely, unbreakable. But who go judge the Oba when night reach?