Chapter 4: The Visitor’s True Face

The man face change, he rub him neck, dey mutter, "Why my neck dey pain me like this?"

E voice low, scratchy, as if e dey talk to himself. He press side of neck, frown deep.

Na that time my grandpapa come inside, carry food. He look the fan, him face change. He talk, "Young man, abeg no siddon under the fan. E no strong. Come siddon for here."

He shout small, his hand wave for air, sign say he no wan argue. Plate of noodles dey hot, steam dey rise.

He put food for window side, off the fan.

Quick, quick, he waka go wall, off the switch, wipe hand for wrapper, then face the man.

The man just stand, look confused small, like person wey no sure wetin e just do.

E rub eye, shift stool, dey look fan, then look window, as if e dey wake from sleep.

He waka come siddon near window.

Him movement slow, as if e dey find new balance for body. For Yoruba custom, na window spot be safest for spirit wahala.

My grandpapa smile, "I no wan make your noodles cold, so I cook one bowl first. When your wife reach, I go cook the other one."

He wink small, like say he dey joke, but I fit see say sweat dey his forehead.

The man nod, talk, "Uncle, this your fan no strong. Why you no fix am? If e fall nko?"

He point mouth to ceiling, face serious. Maybe na spirit still dey talk inside am.

My grandpapa answer, "For this side, cold too much. We no too dey use fan, so I no bother change am."

He cross leg, wipe face with white handkerchief, eyes soft now, voice calm.

The man look up the fan, look the black bag wey dey hang near am. He ask, "Uncle, wetin dey inside that black bag? I see am two years ago."

His eye sharp, he point directly. Everybody quiet. Even my grandma stop for door, dey listen.

Na that time thunder fire again.

Thunder tear sky like Sango dey vex, zinc roof jump, even goat for backyard shout. Roof vibrate, nail for window shake. My mind jump again, but I keep face straight.

Plaster for wall begin fall.

Small powder land for noodles, but grandpapa just blow am commot.

Anytime e thunder, I no dey fit look under the fan—I dey fear say I go see second son shadow.

Sometimes shadow dey walk on its own, na so people dey talk for our side. Me, I no dey joke with such.

My grandpapa just laugh, "Nothing dey there, na some useless herbs. I no get strength pack am."

He wave hand, try dismiss am, but e voice too sharp. Even customer no gree believe.

But na lie. My grandpapa dey hide something for inside.

That bag na secret, only him and grandma sabi the truth. I don catch am tie red cloth inside one night, then pray small prayer join.

Our ogogoro dey smell good well. Any time we dey make am, my grandpapa go bring down the black bag. When the ogogoro finish, he go hang am back. Nobody know wetin dey inside.

The way he carry bag, e always bow small, whisper something before e open am. I don peep once, see white chalk and one bottle with black liquid.

As my grandpapa talk finish, we hear movement for door.

Na heavy footstep, water splash for entrance. I grip my stool tighter.

I turn look, see one woman carry small girl enter.

The woman wear old buba and wrapper, but her face fine, skin light. The small girl cling to her back before she drop her, wrapper dey shift as they enter.

The woman pale die, her eye red. Rain dey fall outside, but she no even wet—na only her shoe and trouser bottom dey soak.

E surprise me, because if rain dey, even umbrella no dey save person from head to toe. The two just dey shine, as if water dey fear them.

The small girl wey she carry look like three, four years, wear red dress, get two small plaits.

Her plaits dey tight, red beads dey for end, her skin yellow small, shoe pink, but mud dey for sole.

As she enter, the small girl point the black bag for beam, talk, "Sister."

Her finger steady, eye no blink, like say she dey see what we no fit see.

She come laugh, "Gegege."

The laugh be like pigeon wey no well, but sharp, high. All the women for shop begin murmur, one even cover face with scarf. The rain outside pause small.

She fine, but the laugh get as e be, especially her eye, the black inside too much, no white.

Na the first time I see such, like say she dey look inside person spirit.

The woman rub the girl head, smile, "Dupe fit see sister. Wetin sister dey do?"

Her voice light, almost like song, but cold inside.

The small girl smile, "Sister dey play with uncle. Uncle no gree raise head."

She tap her cheek, giggle. But I see say her eye no dey here, e dey far, like say she dey see another world.

As she talk finish, lightning fire one tree outside, break am into two.

Noise loud, even the wooden bench for entrance shift small. Smell of burning wood enter shop.

Fire catch the tree, but rain quench am quick.

Flame flash orange, then die, smoke smell quick enter through window, mix with ogogoro scent.

My grandpapa face change, he laugh small, "I dey go cook noodles. Make una siddon."

He wipe sweat, voice tremble small, but he try keep face straight. He move to kitchen sharp-sharp, as if e dey run from wahala.

The small girl look my grandpapa, laugh again. The laugh harsh, e dey fear person.

People for shop begin murmur, some dey peep for window, one woman cross leg, dey whisper prayer for under breath.

The woman siddon near the man, still hold the small girl. She look my grandpapa, ask, "Uncle, that red paper for beam, wetin e mean?"

Her voice cold, but polite. Her hand dey rub Dupe back. Rain don calm small, but tension dey shop.

My grandpapa laugh, "Na one beggar give me. He say the shop no pure. Say make I paste am, everything go clear. I no even know if na true."

He shake hand, voice light, but e dey look the woman with one eye. For Yoruba land, spirit matter na serious thing, but to expose fear, shame dey join.

As he talk finish, the woman face change. She look the corner by the stairs, like say she see something.

Her eyes narrow, she hiss small, then shake head. Her face strong, jaw tight. My skin just cold as I see her reaction.

The woman talk for one kind cold voice, "Uncle, that thing na spirit paper. That beggar don use you play. Quick, tear am comot!"

Her voice cut through the air like razor. Everybody for shop hold breath. The smell of rain, ogogoro, and burning tree mix together. Nobody fit breathe well—because for that moment, even rain dey fear to fall.