Chapter 2: The Footsteps Begin
The curtain for Musa lower bunk tight well, like say dem wan block all spirit—no single light dey enter. I dey wonder wetin dem dey hide for there. Halima get wahala, she no dey talk much, but she sabi form madam.
Bed dey shake kpa kpa kpa, I just dey count the noise. Sometimes, e go be like say masquerade dey rehearse bata dance for midnight. If na village, dem go say make we check if masquerade enter room.
Another message land for my phone:
[Abeg, enough na.]
[This thing don dey happen for some days now.]
[Every night, four or five girls go dey, dey cry, dey laugh. E no dey finish.]
My mind dey turn yam. Four or five girls? For this small room? If na lie, e too big. If na true, e don pass my power.
I vex reply am: Which four or five? Na only one, Musa girlfriend dey lower bunk. She no dey cry or laugh sef.
I even add small angry emoji, make the guy know say I no dey happy. Dem wan spoil my name for hostel because of Musa matter?
The guy reply sharp:
[You still dey pretend, abi?]
[Use your ear listen, all that noise na wetin?]
I just hiss for bed, as if the guy fit hear me. See wahala wey person dey face for Naija life—another person matter dey on your head.
Then he send voice note. Inside the audio, I hear women dey laugh, some dey cry, the noise mix together. I even hear shoe dey hit ground—like say four or five people dey there, maybe more. Person still dey knock door, dey try enter.
My hand cold, phone nearly fall from my hand. My mind dey race—how I no hear all this wahala? The voice note be like party for graveyard. My body begin cold. How I no dey hear these things live? Abi na my spirit dey waka when I dey sleep?
I shock. Na our room the guy record from, no doubt. But with all that noise, how I no hear anything?
My chest dey beat gbu gbu gbu, the voice note dey float for my ear, but the room quiet like mortuary. I hold my breath, heart pounding—who dey stand for our door this dead hour?
When our room get many girls? Abi person sneak bring them when I no dey?
I even dey reason, maybe na girls from Block C dey use our corridor as their express, but the voice note clear—na our room e come from.
I ask: [When you record am?]
Guy: [Na just some days ago. Every night after 2am, una go start again. Abeg, I don remind una many times. Stop to pretend say you no know.]
Omo, my brain dey turn yam. Person dey accuse me of midnight party I no even attend. I even tap my head small, dey pray say make madness no dey start like this.
Remind me many times?
I quick reply: [I no remember anything like that.]
I type am small small, because I dey fear maybe na me dey craze.
Guy: [No good o. Last night after 2, I come your side. Na you open door. You say okay, you go control am next time. You forget?]
Wait, me? I open door for who? If na dream, I for remember. No be me.
My head just dey turn. Last night I spend all night for game centre. That one clear for my mind. I dey with Tobi and Musa, dey play ball for PlayStation, till dem off gen by 4am. Even if na ghost, I no fit waka come back that time.
I ask: [You sure say na us? All four of us dey game centre last night. Who open door for you?]
I dey wait make he talk say na mistake, but instead—
The guy just send speechless emoji: [No wahala. Those girls for your room don start to laugh again. The noise too much. Abeg, make dem no make me craze.]
E don start again. My heart dey beat. I just dey look my phone, dey wonder if na prank or boys dey use my head for hostel WhatsApp group.
I just sit up for bed. As I sit up, my back dey sweat, even though small breeze dey enter from broken window. This kain fear no be normal one.
I look around. Everywhere dark, quiet, no single laugh or noise. I listen well, even press my ear for wall. Nothing. Even NEPA sef no dey hum. Pure silence.
I wan ask the guy wetin exactly him dey hear. My hand dey shake as I dey type. Na so person dey run mad?