Chapter 4: Seven Lives Remain

When I open my eye again, no be underworld I see. Na light dey shine, sun dey hot, people dey waka pass like normal Lagos day.

I stand for Palm Grove Avenue, right in front of the billionaire. The place dey as I remember, but everything get small new shine, like say I just wake from long sleep.

I… come back to life? I dey ask myself, "Abi na juju dey work for me so?"

I shock, touch myself. The pain from accident don go, wound no dey, only tiredness remain. I even try jump small, to be sure say I no be ghost.

I look the coin, surprise. The shine never reduce, but e get new mark.

If I remember well, e get one strange idol wey get seven open eyes. E resemble those old Benin bronze art wey you dey see for museum.

Now, one eye don close. E be like say one eye don close, like NEPA take light for half street. Juju get meter, dey count my life.

Na so? The idol eyes mean how many life remain? I dey reason, dey pray make no be lie.

My confusion turn joy—so I get six more life? Six more life—abi na six more wahala? For this Lagos, even juju dey get small print.

I remember the wahala for cliff, I sharply call Musa. My hand dey shake, but I must hear wetin the guy dey up to.

"Hello, wetyn dey happen?"

From im voice, Musa dey relax for parlour, dey watch babe for Facebook Live for im other phone. E dey chop gala, dey laugh, dey post comment like say nothing dey happen for life.

As I hear am, anger just catch me. My blood dey hot. Person dey plan my downfall, dey play loyal friend.

Last time, when I dey run for my life, im just dey house, dey watch livestream, abi? E no even send me small alert.

Im just dey there, move finger, block my escape. If to say I no dey wise, by now, na me for dey mortuary.

I nearly bite my tongue, try hold my voice: "Musa, abeg, big client wan see magic show A13."

"Big client? How big e go be?" Musa no send, livestream dey loud. The guy sabi play street.

I quickly send twenty thousand to am: "Na the client deposit be that. If you do am well, another thirty thousand dey, plus bonus." Money dey move man heart.

As im hear alert, Musa eye open, jump up. The ginger enter body, the guy dey move like fresh battery.

Nobody dey like magic again—you fit no see five, six thousand for one month. Even with family help, we dey broke. Money dey sweet, na so everybody dey survive.

I press am: "The client want show in ten minutes. If you no fit come, I go find another person." I dey use business tone—no time for play.

"I dey come, I dey come, Chinedu bro, you be my guy—always dey help me. I dey come now." E dey run go bedroom, dey find shoe, dey curse traffic under breath.

Musa smile, grab key, run comot. Na so the hustle go.