Chapter 6: The Car Key

After that, I carry my sister, try escape through back door. Before we go, I scatter all the lights for house.

I break small bulbs, step on wire, make everywhere dark well. I lead my sister hold hand, we waka for shadow.

“Brother, wetin you dey do? Where we dey go?”

Her voice low, like person wey dey fear. Her teeth dey knock, she dey grip my hand like say she go drown. I squeeze her palm, make she know say I dey there.

“From now, no ask me anything, no talk, just follow me.”

I no fit explain everything now. My face serious like soldier, my voice sharp. For my mind, na only escape matter.

As my face serious, my sister no talk again—she just nod. But as we wan open back door, voice shout behind us.

Heavy step for corridor, door bang—na Musa Garba voice sharp pass others.

“Who dey off all the lights? E never late!”

I freeze, use back block my sister, my eyes dey search for weapon.

Na Musa Garba. Everywhere dark—he no fit see me, but if I open door, he go hear am.

His voice dey near, breath strong. I dey ready to fight or run, anything way go save my sister.

“Brother, bulb don spoil. I dey check am.”

I use soft voice reply, try calm am down. For darkness, lie dey save life.

“Who you be?”

He dey try recognize voice. I hear his footstep slow down. My heart dey drum.

“Bridesmaid’s brother. We meet just now.”

I use friendly tone, as if nothing dey happen. For this kind village, to call yourself brother fit save your head.

“Oh, na you. Why you never sleep? E don late.”

He wan monitor my movement. For my mind, I dey curse am. If I slip, my sister finish.

Musa Garba dey come close, he just dey rush me make I sleep so he fit go after my sister. If he see her now, everything go spoil.

He dey move for dark, I hear his belt jingle. I dey use my body block my sister.

I quick talk, “I dey check wire. Brother, you don drink—no come, e fit shock you.”

I try sound like electrician, make him relax. The way I talk, I dey hope say he no get any sense left for head.

“Heh, e no matter. I don be electrician for ten years. I fit know if current dey. I go help you fix am quick so you fit rest. By the way, brother, our sister... she dey next room?”

Musa Garba dey suspect. He wan use eye see who dey where, but na darkness dey help me.

I just bite teeth, hold myself. “Yes, she don sleep.”

My voice flat, I force smile for mouth, but sweat dey my hand. For my mind, I dey pray make he no insist.

“Heh, sleep sharp. Make I go check.”

He dey boast, dey waka go room. I dey sweat, dey plan escape route.

Musa Garba laugh, dey go next room for dark. My mind dey jump. I quick pull my sister, try open door run. But he just peep inside, come back.

He push curtain, look inside. I hold breath. As he see Halima for bed, he hiss, laugh, come out.

“She really dey sleep. Hic~ Come, make I help you.”

He pat me for back, smell of ogogoro full his body. I dey pretend say I appreciate am, but for mind, na enemy I dey hold.

Musa Garba no even know say na the bride dey the bed. God catch am. He burp, still dey come my side. I quick hide my sister behind me, tell her squat, hide for dark. I waka go meet am, carry am enter the room Halima arrange for me. I pretend check around, say nothing spoil, talk, “Darkness too much. Make we leave am for tomorrow. I don tire.”

I open window small, let breeze enter, talk like say I dey exhausted. Musa nod, he no sabi say na my plan.

Musa Garba happy. “Heh, okay. Brother, sleep early. Make sure you rest well.”

He stagger commot, his voice loud, he dey sing wedding song. As he waka go, I peep for window, confirm say road clear.

I just bone, see am comot, watch as he waka go back party tent. I relief, quick carry my sister go back door.

I no waste time. I drag my sister for hand, whisper for her ear. We waka soft, leg no make sound. For this kind night, na only grace fit help us.

My sister sharp. She don notice say something dey wrong. As we comot, she ask me, voice dey shake, “Brother, wetin happen?”

Her eyes wide, her mouth dey tremble. She hold my hand tight, like say she no wan let go again.

I tell her everything. My sister fear catch her, face just white. “How she fit do this kind thing!”

She cover mouth, tears begin gather for her eye. Her trust for her friend just scatter like old calabash. Her voice shake as she dey talk, "Halima... my friend?"

“People heart bad. Make we quick go.”

I no fit stay explain, I just squeeze her shoulder. For this world, if you see evil, you run. My leg dey move fast.

No time to talk plenty—we gats run. For car, I ask my sister for the keys from her bag. I no too like carry bag, and my cloth pocket shallow, so I put key for her handbag earlier.

I dey search car with eye, everywhere dark. I touch her hand, signal am to hurry. We gats move before Musa and others return.

My sister search her bag, fear dey show for her face. “Brother, she talk say e go hard for me to carry bag as bridesmaid, say make I leave am with her... Now, only car key no dey inside. She don carry am.”

She turn bag upside down, nothing dey fall. The key disappear. I hold my head, my leg begin shake. Her voice dey break, "Brother, I swear, I leave am with her for safe keeping."

My head just dey ring. No need ask—since we enter village, that woman no want make we go. Now, to go back for the key na wahala. If we go, we fit no see am, dem fit catch us. If we no go, for this bush village, far from road, no car, we no fit waka far for night. To escape alive go hard.

Mosquito begin bite, night dey cold, but fear dey make my skin hot. My mind dey run up and down. If I leave my sister, she go dey exposed. If I go alone, na risk. But for this life, family first.

“Brother, I go get am.”

She dey ready to follow me die, but I no go allow.

“No, you wait. I go.”

I speak am with final voice. She wan argue, but she see say my face don change. For our culture, if elder brother talk like that, you gree. I wipe sweat, prepare myself.

I no fit allow my sister risk am, so I go myself. Before I go, I pick strong brick for ground, hold am tight. All of them dey drunk. If fight start, we go die together. This life, even if I die, I go carry some people follow me.

As I pick the brick, I remember my mama prayer: "God, cover my pikin with your blood." I grip the brick like my papa old amulet, swear for my mind say anybody wey try me tonight go collect.