Chapter 3: Spirit Shadows

As I just talk finish, thunder fire again.

The thunder this time loud well, like say Sango dey play drum for roof. My heart jump, stool shake for ground.

The thunder loud so tey the fan for beam dey shake.

Lantern light blink, and dust fall from ceiling. Everybody inside shop just hold breath.

E be like say the fan wan fall.

The chain wey my grandpapa put dey vibrate, e dey creak. For my mind, I dey pray make e no land for person head.

That fan heavy die. If e fall, e fit kill person.

People for village dey talk say, if fan fall twice, e dey carry spirit come. My mind dey calculate whether make I run commot.

I talk, "Uncle, abeg, no siddon under the fan. E no strong. That time e fall before."

I use all my courage talk am, but my leg dey shake under table. Rain dey increase.

The fan for our shop really heavy and e don fall before, but God save say e never hit person.

Village elders gather that time, pray for shop, say make spirit no use fan find who e go carry.

To buy new one cost, my grandpapa no gree. He just add extra iron chain make e strong.

Money hard that period. I remember how carpenter use four nails join am, then beg grandpapa say, "E don do, no worry."

We no dey use the fan unless heat too much.

Na only during dry season, when sun dey peel skin, dem fit on am. Rain time, na just showpiece.

The man look me with one kind eye, e be like say e dey plan something.

E eyebrow raise, lips curl, like say e dey laugh me for mind. My body cold.

He smile, "No worry, I no fear. Small boy, abeg on the fan for me. My cloth thick, I dey sweat."

E voice low, like snake. He just dey look me deep. I begin dey fidget.

Even as he dey smile, e face still dey fear person.

Smile wey no reach eye, just teeth. Na so my mind begin dey run.

My mind no settle with am, but I no fit talk why.

I dey think whether to shout for my grandpapa, but something hold my tongue.

As I no talk anything, the man stand up.

Chair make small sound, his body move slow, like say e dey measure ground with leg. I shift body.

As he stand, I just shift back two steps. I no know why, but I dey fear am.

Fear grip me, even sweat begin gather for my armpit. My hand dey shake as I grip my shirt.

The man no too tall. Even as he stand, e still dey far from the fan.

He stretch neck small, then move towards the wall. Na so e just dey inspect the shop.

He talk, "If you no wan on am, I go on am myself."

His voice firm, as if e no want argument. My chest tight.

He waka go find the switch.

E bend down for wall, hand tap the switch wey near our old calendar—na there grandpapa dey hide key.

Before I fit talk, he don on am.

For a second, e shadow stretch long for wall, like say e dey drag something follow body.

My mouth open but word no come out. The sound of the fan just scatter my head.

The fan just begin shake anyhow, dey make one kind loud, wicked noise, then e start to turn, the sound be like two rusty iron dey grind.

The blade begin spin, dust dey fly, e dey scream like old witch for bush. E sound just dey drag for my ear.

The thing no sweet ear at all.

Everybody for shop stiff. Me sef, I press back for wall.

After he on the fan, the man smile, come siddon under am, dey mumble, "E too hot."

E fan himself with hand, but no breeze even dey blow. Him voice dry, him eye dey close and open like person wey dey fight sleep.

As he talk that one, cold sweat catch me for back.

My singlet don wet, cold just run all my body.

Na the same thing my grandpapa second son talk two years ago.

The memory just hit me, sharp. E be like film for my mind. My mouth dey dry.

Fear hold me, my leg dey shake, head dey hot.

I dey try balance for stool, but my hand no steady again. I dey pray make grandpapa come out.

The man notice say I dey look am. He ask, "Small boy, wetin do you?"

His voice soft, but threat dey inside. I swallow, heart dey race.

My voice dey shake, "N-nothing..."

Voice break, tears dey try come my eye. I just dey hope make time pass quick.

That time, one heavy lightning shine everywhere.

The whole shop bright like NEPA bring light, shadow dey run for wall.

I look ground, see say the man get two shadow. One shadow get head, the other just blank—like say person no complete.

As my eye land the headless shadow, I bite lip. E be like say ground dey shake.

As the lightning fade, my body dey shake, sweat full my hand.

Palms wet, leg weak, my mind dey shout—'run!' but my body no move.

The old beggar talk true—the second son still dey the shop.

All the stories I hear before, all the fear wey dem plant for my chest, begin grow like weed.

As I dey lost, the man smile for me. Him smile wicked, the way e dey look me, na so my grandpapa second son dey look person.

Na the same sharp cheekbone, the same kind of smile I remember for funeral picture. My heart skip beat.

E be like say na the second son dey under the fan.

Spirit no dey wear name tag, but for my mind, I sabi this one.

The man look me, talk, "Small boy, why you dey look me like that? Wetin you see?"

E lean forward, eye dey shine like cat for dark. I look away.

I answer with fear, "N-nothing..."

Voice almost vanish, mouth dey dry. My hands dey shake.

Old people for our village always talk say: even if you see spirit, no talk am. Just pretend say you no see anything.

My mama tell me say, make I no dey look spirit for eye, make dem no follow me come dream.

If spirit know say you see am, e go follow you.

E fit follow you reach bush, reach house, e go dey disturb you. I just dey pray for my mind, beg God make day break quick.