Chapter 5: Nesting Dolls and Baobab Leaves

Na there the story stop. Clearly, Morayo never finish. Plenty question still dey: That face for cave—na the humanoid? If yes, na the guest, the leader, or dem be the same?

I scratch head, roll for bed, even the neighbour cockerel no fit distract me. My brain dey run shift night and day.

Most important—wetin exactly be the humanoid wahala?

I no gree, so I decide to analyse am myself.

I pour garri for cup, add cold water, reason as I dey soak, then I carry my notebook come study.

I go study, carry that uncanny valley book, begin turn page as I dey reason.

Dust dey cover some of the pages, I sneeze, but I no stop. The book full of pictures—robots, mannequins, even some horror film people wey get empty eye.

I don watch uncanny valley videos before—mostly about robots, dolls, or people wey dey try look scary. But those wahala dey obvious—you fit spot am sharp.

Like that Japan robot wey e smile too wide or those dolls wey eye dey follow person for room. My skin dey crawl when I see dem.

But for Morayo story, e clear: humanoids resemble humans well. That one strange.

The tension dey real, because if dem look like us, how person wan sabi?

"If humanoids look just like humans, dem no be human?"

I talk am aloud, like say I dey expect answer from thin air.

I just dey complain to myself. My cousin story be like riddle—how person go guess am?

I tap my biro for table, brain dey scatter, but the suspense dey sweet me like honey.

But na that one dey make me more curious. I too like suspense and scary stories—na why my cousin dey come brainstorm with me.

Na so we dey share ghost stories for village compound, under full moon, when generator noise don sleep.

"No two leaves dey exactly the same for this world." There must be difference between humanoid and human.

The proverb dey my mind strong, like mantra. E fit mean anything, but today, e be like key wey I need.

I make up my mind: before my cousin finish her story, I go find the wahala and tell her. Make we see who get better idea.

I bet myself small money, say I go find answer before Morayo post part two.

Next, I stand, carry something from bookshelf—set of nesting dolls wey my friend give me.

Na colourful Russian nesting dolls—each one dey enter inside another, like small dolls wey dey hide inside bigger one. I never really play with them since dem dash me.

Nesting dolls na mass production, so apart from size, no real difference dey.

Dem all dey shine, design na hand-painted, but truly, na only size different. Shape, colour, all the same.

I carry two wey get same size, put dem side by side, face to face, dey observe.

I close one eye, check the smile, even measure eyebrow with ruler, but e no help.

Assume say these two dolls—one na human, one na humanoid. Dem look same for outside, so where the wahala?

For my mind, I create scenario—one doll get human soul, the other na empty shell. But which be which?

I look dem long, still no see anything. I turn dem, check well, but last last, apart from size, no difference dey at all.

Dem just dey shine, dey reflect bulb light, still dey mock me.

The dolls just dey smile anyhow, like say dem dey mock me.

Na real mockery—the way dem eye dey shine, na so my frustration dey grow.

Frustration catch me, I just throw dem one side.

The sound loud, na so one pikin for compound shout, "Who dey break plate?" I just hiss.

"Even early person from million years ago fit spot the wahala. E no suppose hard like this. I no go gree say I no fit figure am."

I beat chest, set jaw, like say I dey ready for fight.

Wait.

My hand freeze for air, as if spirit touch me.

Suddenly, I realise—since the sharp early person fit spot the wahala two times, e suppose be something wey eye fit see.

Like say flashbulb for my mind, everything just clear. The clue dey for something physical.

I pull out my phone, reread Morayo story, sure say she drop clue somewhere.

I scroll back and forth, pen ready to jot any small detail. The tension dey real.

Soon, I see one: the early person first recognise the humanoid for dream.

I pause, reread. The dream aspect dey somehow mystical—like ancestors dey whisper answer.

For dream? That one no pure—faces for dream dey always blur. Even if e clear, e no go ever reach real life.

In my own dream, sometimes face dey change to animal, sometimes na real person but the mouth dey bend.

Plus, the early person and humanoid never meet before, so e no fit remember the face.

That mean say the wahala dey pass face recognition—na more like intuition.

"That one dey suspicious." I talk with joy.

I tap table, feel small pride say I notice the loophole.

This plot mean the early person no catch the wahala by looking well, but by intuition and sense.

Na like when mama see bad friend and just say, "My spirit no take am."

And when the early person meet the strange leader, e still catch the wahala sharp—and fear kill am.

The second time, na real life, e see the leader face-to-face, and still the wahala dey strong.

"Maybe na me dey reason am wrong from beginning. The wahala no dey for their face."

My own spirit begin rest small, as I realise say physical difference no dey important.

I nod, happy with my logic. The appearance na distraction. The humanoid secret dey somewhere else.

I write for paper: "True wahala fit dey inside spirit, not outside skin."

I read the story again, dey look well, finally pick some points.

This time I focus on dialogue, not action. Sometimes answer dey hide inside word wey person talk.

I carry paper and pen, write the clues wey I reason:

I draw line, make list like detective wey dey solve case for film.

First: Humanoids and humans no get difference for face. At least, you no fit see the wahala from outside.

I underline am, add question mark.

Second: The humanoid talk say even the ancestors no sabi say e dey. That one fit mean two things: either e come from far place—outside universe—or e na native wey hide from all life for earth.

I circle "outside universe" for emphasis, add arrow point to "spirit world".

Third: The cheetah no smell any human scent for the cave. So, maybe humanoids no get human body odour. But that one na just theory for now.

I tap my biro, think of all the scents wey mama dey use for festival—palm oil, camphor, even ogogoro. If humanoid no smell, na big wahala.