Chapter 3: Shadow for Door
Musa, from the lower bunk, poke head out: "Femi, you hear any sound for corridor?" His voice low, like person wey dey fear make teacher no hear.
Na Musa bring him babe come some days ago. That Musa sef no dey get wahala, but tonight e face be like person wey see witch for market.
I frown. "Wetin you hear?"
Musa dey panic: "I swear, sound dey! I dey sleep near door, I dey hear am clear. Footsteps for corridor, e don dey happen for days."
The way Musa talk am, you go think say na small pikin wey see masquerade for night. Him eyes wide, hand dey shake.
I say, "Maybe person just dey go toilet. Na normal for people to waka at night."
I try calm everybody. For hostel, people dey waka up and down at night, especially those wey chop beans for dinner. Toilet trip na normal.
Next thing, another roommate sit up, voice full of fear: "No be person dey go toilet."
That one na Tobi. If you see fear for him face, you go pity am. Him voice even dey tremble, like say cold dey catch am.
E don start again o. The way everybody dey look me, I begin wonder whether I carry bad luck enter this room.
Room leader sit up too. The three of them just dey look me with face like say dem see masquerade. Nobody sleep. All of them dey hear the footsteps.
Room leader no dey play with matter like this. See as him face squeeze, e be like say e dey reason wetin to do.
Halima, Musa girlfriend, open curtain, just dey look me anyhow. She clutch her wrapper tight, red lace iro and buba, shifting back small, eyes dey dart up and down like say wahala dey near. My body dey do me one kind.
Halima eye dey red, she no even talk, just dey look me up and down like say she dey see something for my back. I wan ask her wetin dey do her, but my mouth no gree open.
I look all of them, I wan talk say e no too serious, maybe na just person—
Before I finish, I hear footsteps from downstairs.
Clack—
Clack—
Na women shoe dey hit ground, the sound dey come from far, dey climb stairs, from first floor reach second... My breath just hang for throat.
The sound strong, like say dem use microphone. No man fit waka for hostel with that kain high heel. Fear begin dey grip me.
I check time. Exactly 2am.
I for shout, but my voice die for throat. Na this kind time elders go say make you cover your head with cloth. I dey recite Psalm 23 sharp sharp, dey pray say make evil pass over me.
Na this time e dey always happen. Every time, like alarm clock for spirit. Dem go waka that corridor, pass our room, scatter everybody mind.
Footsteps for corridor. Like say dem dey find something, e go stop for every room door.
I remember say Granny go say, if shadow long reach your bed for night, make you no talk anyhow—trouble fit enter. For my mind, I dey pray make nobody waka go check.