Chapter 6: Park Spirits and Market Clues

I spend the whole morning for study, dey try design the humanoid wahala.

The wall clock tick, generator dey hum for background, but my own wahala na how to crack this story.

Since no visible wahala, I try reason from another angle.

My leg dey shake, my head dey sweat, but I no gree give up.

"Make the humanoid alien? No, that one too far."

I rub my eye, try imagine green men for old Naija bush. My mind no gree.

"Give am different body inside? But early person no get X-ray eye, so that one no work."

I laugh small. My cousin go call me comedian if I talk that one.

I write different ideas, but reject all.

Na so my note full with wahala wey no fit work: extra spirit, snake tongue, four eyes—dem all too obvious.

Frustration catch me, I realise say to dey think alone for notes no go help. To dey look two lifeless dolls no go help either.

I hiss, pack my books, stand up, stretch neck. E be like say I need fresh air.

I just decide to go out, see real people for street—maybe inspiration go show.

I wear my jacket, take keke go amusement park. Na the biggest entertainment place for city—park, small zoo, science center, exhibition hall—everywhere big, people full ground.

The keke man dey play fuji music, children dey laugh, market women dey shout price. The city dey alive.

Today na weekend afternoon, so crowd full everywhere. Big Ferris wheel dey for center, under am, hundreds of people—tourists, sellers, everybody dey waka up and down.

Sun dey shine, puff-puff dey fry for air, even small boys dey run round with kite. One boli seller dey shout for corner, "Hot boli! Groundnut dey!" The sweet smell of suya and pepper just dey mix with breeze. My own nose dey pick scent of popcorn and roast corn. E dey make my belle rumble small.

For my left, clown wey wear heavy makeup dey sell balloon. Small children full ground—dem no even fear, just dey play, dey laugh.

I watch as one pikin drag balloon from clown hand, run go meet e mama. The clown wave, face stiff, but e try smile.

I shake head. The clown face too much—no concern humanoids.

If na film, na clown go be the suspect, but today, e just dey do e work.

For my right, one middle-aged woman just dey, her face no show emotion, neck just stiff, movement somehow.

She stand still, her market bag hang for elbow, e look like say she dey think deep. Her eye dey far, like person wey dey count memory.

I look her small. E get small meaning. Then I laugh myself—maybe she just dey vex, or neck pain dey worry am.

I remember how my aunty dey act like that after long day for market. Na normal thing.

As I dey look, voice just talk near me.

The sound soft, like breeze. I turn, see who dey.

"Oga, make I run small spirit gist for you? Only hundred naira, e no go take time."

The pikin no tall, maybe eleven or twelve, but the way she dey talk, you go think say she senior me.

I turn. One small girl with two puffs, wear long black gown, dey look me. Small table dey her front, with some kind cards wey I never see before.

Her table get signboard: "Spirit Gist: Past, Present, Future—#100 Only." I smile.

I just laugh. "No need."

I wave hand, but the girl no move. Her eye sharp, e dey follow me like cat.

I come here to find inspiration for humanoids—fortune-telling no go help.

But the girl no gree. "Try am now. I sabi am—love, work, even spiritual matter, I fit tell."

She shuffle her cards, grin wide. Her friends dey giggle for back.

I look her, talk, "Na person I dey find."

I lean forward, voice low, as if I dey confess for church.

"Who?"

She blink, eye wide like egret.

"Person wey look human, but no be human."

I watch her face, expect laughter or confusion.

I think say she go see me as craze person, but she reason am well.

She frown small, tap her lip, then purse mouth.

Then, with small doubt, she ask,

Her head tilt, eyebrow high.

"Look human? How?"

She try imagine wetin I mean, eyes dey move like she dey calculate.

"For outside, dem look exactly the same."

I point to myself, then point to her. "Like me and you now."

She just laugh cover mouth.

Her laughter light, but her eyes still dey serious.

"E no possible. Even twins no dey ever be the same."

She snap finger, shake head, her friends nod.

Whoosh—

Na that time, the baobab tree above us just shake, two leaves fall for my front.

The breeze blow, both leaves land gently, one touch my shoe, the other dance for air before e land.

My heart jump. I quickly pick the two leaves.

I hold am up, look the veins, compare the colour. Truly, no two get the same pattern.

"Wetin you just talk?"

My voice low, I fit feel goosebumps for my arm.

"I say, two people no dey ever be exactly the same for this world."

She smile, like person wey sabi secret wey pass her age. For my mind, I dey reason say maybe the wahala for humanoid story na small thing—something wey only sharp spirit fit notice, just like how no two leaves for baobab tree fit ever be carbon copy. My own wahala be say, I still no sure if the answer dey inside me—or na only for dream person fit see am.

Maybe the wahala no dey for face or spirit—maybe na for the way person shadow dey move. I close my eyes, but sleep no gree come.