Chapter 9: The Last Red Shoe
As she see I no dey joke, she wipe eye: "After we leave room that day, he quarrel with me. Later, phone no dey go. I never see am since."
Halima voice small, she dey look ground. The night breeze blow her hair, but she no even notice.
I talk: "Okay, I go help you find am. Make him reach you."
I promise, even though my chest dey tight. If anything happen to Musa, e go pain me.
She nod: "Okay, I go wait." She try smile, but e no reach her eye.
As she wan go, I remember: "Those shoes—that red high heel you wear from room?" The matter still dey worry my spirit. I gats ask, make sure say no be that shoe dey cause wahala.
"Me wear am?" Halima, wey just dey sad, turn face, her eye small. I notice her face white like chalk, stiff. Her movement slow, the way she dey blink, e get as e be. My mind dey suspect something.
My body cold. Goosebumps full my hand. I dey reason whether to run.
"No be ugly?" She raise leg, na the same red high heel. The red still dey shine. The shoe look fresh, like dem use palm oil and sorrow clean am. The sight no pure at all.
"You talk say the shoe old, abeg throw am," I tell am. I dey beg with soft voice, fear dey my throat. If to say mama dey here, she for pour anointing oil for ground.
Halima no answer, just look me, ask: "You sabi how Auwalu take die?" The way she talk, e be like say voice dey echo for night. My spirit dey shiver.
"No be sudden death?" I frown. My own voice low, like person wey dey hide for shrine.
She shake head: "No, he be..." Her mouth dey move, I no hear anything. I lean closer, fear dey my mind, but curiosity dey push me.
"Be wetin?" I no hear, I wan bend listen—
Her lips dey tremble, eyes no dey blink. I dey expect answer.
"Femi," room leader just appear, slap my back. The slap shock me, I nearly fall. If na another thing, maybe I for faint.
I turn. Before I talk, I notice something off. Room leader face serious, e dey look me with big eye, like say I do bad thing.
People full everywhere, dey look me somehow. Even upstairs, people open window, dey point. Crowd dey whisper, dey look my side. Some dey press phone, others dey laugh. I confuse.
"Femi, who you dey talk to?" Room leader face strong. E be like say everybody dey look me as mumu. My body dey sweat.
"Halima," I talk. I point the spot wey she dey just now. I dey expect make she answer.
Room leader just bone: "No Halima here." Him voice cold, him eyes no dey smile. I dey reason say maybe na joke.
I think say she dey behind me, but as I turn, nobody dey. No shadow, no perfume, nothing. Even the red shoe no dey ground again.
I just stand there, lost. My leg dey shake, I dey wonder whether to pray or to run. For my mind, I dey recite Psalm 23 sharp sharp, dey pray say make evil pass over me. The wind blow, my teeth dey shake, and for my mind, I dey beg God make this hostel wahala no follow me reach home.