Chapter 3: Rituals, Boundaries, and Warnings

For this our work, people dey think say na just to dey act script. But the truth be say, all those props, all those rituals and incantations, na real boundary wey dey between life and death. One wrong move, you fit offend spirit or even gods.

Many times for set, I don see people wey their mouth twist, dey speak language wey no belong to this world. Some dey vomit feathers, some go faint, wake up dey call ancestor name. All those juju wey we dey use—no be play.

Before any new film, we dey always do serious ritual—'worship the four corners'—to hail the spirits for east, south, west and north, beg them make everything go well. Some crew go kneel, others dey clap, pastor dey spray anointing oil for camera stand. After almost twenty years for this work, I don see things wey no get explanation. Lucky for me, my destiny strong, so wahala dey always pass me by.

The first time wey I follow my master do 'worship four corners', na so harmattan breeze blow, candle fall for sand, e still burn. Master talk say e mean spirit accept us. Since that day, I dey respect all these things. I dey carry kola nut, salt, and bitter leaf for pocket—old habit never die.

Before I join this new crew, I go visit my master—the man wey first see my strong star and carry me enter the industry. Na him tell me say horror films na my calling, but I no suppose pass 49. If I try do more, kasala go burst.

That day, I wear old jeans, slippers don near finish. My master dey outside him compound, dey wash okra leaf. Goat dey bleat for backyard, pepper soup smell dey drift from neighbor house. He look me for eye, no smile, no vex. After small time, he just sigh, call me enter parlour.

When he hear say I wan do number 50, he just quiet. He no talk, like say him don already see am for vision. Instead, he go wardrobe, bring small calabash come give me.

He tap him chest three times, spit small for ground before he pass me the calabash. The calabash small, brown, wey get white marks. I fit smell camphor and bitter leaf from am. Him eye red, but he no cry. He just talk low:

"Take this one. E fit save you from one big trouble."