Chapter 5: Knock for Midnight
Our hot-tempered room leader just vex, knock him bed: "Who dey craze for this hostel? If I catch am, I go deal with am!" The guy voice loud, but e still quiver. I sure say na fear dey make am talk plenty. E for kuku sleep.
As he talk am, he jump down from bed, waka go door, wan open am. If you see as him chest dey up, you go pity am. But room leader head strong, dem no dey tell am to calm down.
Just as he wan turn the knob—
Musa hold am: "No try am! Wetin if na hostel supervisor? Halima dey here, if dem catch us, wahala go dey..." Musa hand dey shake as e hold room leader. You go know say the fear real.
Room leader just bone face, no send. If you know am, you go sabi say stubbornness na him second name. The way e bone, you go think say e wan fight.
Next thing:
Bang bang bang! Heavy knock for door, corridor light come on again. The knock loud, like say dem wan break door. My heart jump, I nearly shout Jesus.
Room leader freeze. He look us. Even room leader fear that moment. If you see as him neck stiff, you go know say e dey use strong face cover him own shaking.
"Who be that? Wetin dey worry you, you dey knock for night?" I just shout, make my mind strong. For my mind, I dey talk say na spirit no go reply. But anyhow, I no go dull.
"Na me, Auwalu."
I hear the voice, my heart cool small. If to say na another thing answer, I for faint. As we hear Auwalu voice, everybody relax small.
Na Auwalu dey send me those messages from next room. I jump down, open door. Room leader just dey vex: "You no go sleep for night? You dey waka up and down?"
As I open door, small breeze enter, carry small relief come. But I still dey eye the corridor for any strange movement.
Auwalu: "I just come out go toilet."
Auwalu face look tired, eyes red, like person wey no sleep. Na so e dey when gist dey sweet for night.
"Why you dey knock, wetin happen?" I ask. I dey look Auwalu leg, dey check if e wear shoe, but na bare leg e get. E still dey breathe heavy.
Auwalu look inside our room, like say him dey hide something: "How many girls una hide for here? The noise too much just now. Tell them make dem calm down, before hostel supervisor catch una."
Na wah, na so e dey repeat the same talk. My mind dey jump, e be like say wahala dey ground wey nobody sabi.
Then—
Auwalu shift, show us one old red patent leather high heel for door, the type wey women dey wear with red lace iro and buba for old owambe days for Lagos Island. The thing old well well, heel na iron, colour na blood red, e shine anyhow, even for darkness.