Chapter 7: Locust Wood and Lagos Fear

She frown, point the wood. "Where you get that thing? Throway am."

Her voice cold, e be like say harmattan breeze just blow for my face. She no even smile, her eye sharp like person wey dey vex.

I look her, voice low, "No. I no fit throway am."

I talk am with courage wey I no even know I get. For my mind, I dey wonder whether to jump comot, but I remember say I no suppose leave car.

We look each other for long. She just sigh. "Na locust wood."

Her lips dey shake small. For village, dem dey talk say locust wood dey open door for spirits—my heart just cut. I dey look her, dey try make sense.

"Locust wood dey attract ghost. As you put am for car door, na invitation you dey give ghost."

She pause, eye me. Her voice carry anger and small pity, like say I mess up big time. My mind turn.

"You no feel say something dey wrong as you dey drive tonight?"

E be like say she dey ask me riddle, but my body begin cold. I dey remember all the small strange things wey happen that night.

My eyes open, I begin breathe fast.

I dey sweat, but my body cold. I dey recall say breeze blow me from back seat, even when window lock. My body just dey shake, as if spirit dey pass.

If I remember well, back of my head dey cold all night.

E be like say something dey blow cold air from behind, but I think say na AC leak. Now, I dey reason whether na ghost dey play with my head.

I think say na my mind dey play trick on me.

My heart dey race. For inside me, fear don scatter everywhere. I dey beg God say make morning reach quick. Na so my hand begin find my phone, dey look for old man number, but e no dey.

Now, as day dey break, I dey pray say make this Lagos night no swallow me.