Chapter 1: The Eleven O’Clock Rule

After working late into the night, I drag my tired body, finally reach the door of our shared flat.

As I dey pass the cracked walls for our estate, I fit smell burnt suya from junction—Lagos no dey sleep. Omo, as I dey climb those last flight of stairs, my legs just dey heavy like block. My shirt even dey stick to my back from all the waka. Na only the thought of my soft bed dey push me forward, as if say breeze wan just carry me enter inside.

My phone suddenly buzzed with a message.

That sound just jolt me, loud for the silence. My hand dey shake so till phone almost drop for tile as I bring the phone out. My mind dey already jump, dey reason who fit dey message me this kind odd hour.

[Please make sure to return home before eleven o’clock at night. After returning, please lock the door.]

I just look the screen, wonder who dey send all these coded message. This one resemble all those WhatsApp broadcast wey our parents dey forward, but e come dey get one kind serious undertone. My heart just beat one kpa-kpa.

All these WhatsApp broadcast messages nowadays just dey get stranger by the day.

For this Lagos, even message wey go say "danger dey road, abeg take another route" no dey shock me again. But this one get one kind coldness wey my skin no gree accept. Who send am? I no even fit trace the number.

I checked the time: 10:53 PM.

Omo! Seven minutes remain before eleven. If na my mama house, she for don dey para. But here, na different kind curfew be this. I press phone to my chest, try breathe in, breathe out.

The corridor was empty. Outside the window, everywhere was pitch black, covered with small mist.

Even the usual sound of generator wey dey disturb this estate don die down finish. Everywhere just dey like say spirit dey waka. My mind begin dey play trick; I dey see shadow wey no dey.

The whole estate was just too quiet—not even a single sound.

Na wah o, even frog no croak, nothing. I for even prefer if one person dey shout for one corner. This kind silence get weight. For my village, dem go say this kain silence mean witch don pass.

Something for my mind no just settle well. I quickly tried to punch in the password to enter inside.

My hand just dey shake, I type the digits, but the green light no blink. I tap the lock again, hiss under my breath—Lagos wahala no dey ever finish. My mind dey reason say if I no fit enter before eleven, wetin go happen?

But the electronic door lock no gree answer me. E be like say the battery don die.

Ah, wahala! Of all days, na today battery decide to off. I curse small for my mind, tap the lock like say na human being.

I knocked on the door, but nobody answer.

I knock soft at first, then try harder. My knuckles dey pain me, still, everywhere remain like graveyard. I even bend head, try listen if anybody dey near the door.

My phone vibrated again. Another message don land:

[If you never enter house after eleven o’clock, abeg contact the patrolling security man.]

[The patrolling security man go dey downstairs for the building, wear uniform and hold walkie-talkie. The patrolling security man no dey go upstairs by himself. If you jam anybody wey wear security uniform for corridor, abeg no talk to am.]

Ehn? This one don pass normal o. Which one be security man wey no dey come upstairs? My mind dey ask plenty question. For this our estate, security sef na part-time work. Since when dem dey patrol like say na big man estate?

When did our estate start to dey get patrolling security men?

Na so I begin dey reason am, try remember the old Mallam wey dey guard before. Him never even wear uniform before, na only big belly and cap he get. This one talk say security man dey with walkie-talkie—e get as e be.

Before I fit reason am well, I hear voice behind me:

"Ayo, why you never enter?"

Na Tunde. He stand for stairwell entrance, the harsh white corridor light dey shine for him head, cast shadow for him face. My heart rest small, but the way him shadow long for wall, e still dey somehow.

Tunde own be say, him always dey waka like cat for night. That light from the corridor dey make im skin look pale. The way im face dey serious, I just dey hope say no wahala dey follow am.

Tunde na my roommate. The two of us plus two other people dey rent this three-bedroom flat together. Tunde get him own room, me too, then the other two dey share one.

From the first day wey we jam for house, Tunde dey always arrange im things proper. E go dey whistle small, dey arrange remote for center table, dey form big brother. But that night, him face dey look like say e no get joy.

"The door lock don die," I talk, pointing at the electronic lock. "I no carry power bank."

I look am, my eyes dey beg for help. If to say na better day, I for laugh join. But now, wahala dey chase me.

"No wahala, I get one." Tunde start to find am for him bag, as he dey search, he ask, "What’s the time now?"

He dey rummage inside him faded backpack, the one wey im mama sew for him. The zip dey make small noise as im hand dey inside. E clear say im self dey rush.

"Ten fifty-six."

I raise phone, show am the time. My throat just dry. E be like person wey dey count down for NYSC parade.

"Four minutes remain. I dey wonder if we go make am." He chuckle small.

But the laugh no reach im eyes. E be like say he dey try hide small fear wey dey his body. I smile back weakly, my own fear dey do press up for my chest.

"Wait, which four minutes?" Cold just catch my body. "No tell me say... you sef get that message?"

I dey look am, dey pray say e go talk say na play. But Tunde eyes just blink twice, im hand still dey shake as e dey plug power bank.

As we dey talk, Tunde don already find him power bank, plug am for the electronic lock.

Im hand dey quick, e just plug am like say na professional for this thing. For inside that tension, I just dey imagine say na juju e dey do.

He look the lock and talk, "That message about coming back before eleven? Everybody get am. Check the group chat."

Him voice dey serious, e no even dey look me directly. For im tone, e clear say e don read the message tire.

I rush check the group chat.

True true, both our roommate group and estate owners’ group dey talk about am.

As I scroll, I see different people dey type "Done" or "Received". Some dey even ask if na estate prank. But nobody get answer. My hand dey shake as I dey scroll.

Just as I wan look the chat well, my phone start to shake like say e wan scatter:

[You are the father. No matter if you be man or woman, young or old, you be the father.]

[You get wife and three children: elder brother, elder sister, and younger sister. You dey live for Flat 502.]

[No trust the elder brother]

Omo! The "No trust the elder brother" just dey red like danger sign for Oshodi. My skin just crawl.

That last one dem even use red color highlight am, make e stand out.

The red fit mean wahala. For my place, if dem use red chalk write for your wall, just know say trouble dey.

"Done." Tunde talk.

He quickly enter the password, open the door, glance at him phone: "Ten fifty-nine. We make am."

I for clap for joy, but my hand weak. I just manage nod, carry my bag enter.

"Tunde, which role dem give you?" My voice dey shake.

The words just dey stumble from my mouth. As I ask, my mind dey pray say im own no go too strange.

Just now, as my phone vibrate, him own self ring.

We both pause. Na that type of silence wey everybody dey wait for judgement.

"Role?" He open the new message, pause small. "I be the elder brother."

No trust the elder brother.

Na so my body just cold from head reach toe. Wetin I go do like this?

He no notice as my body dey shake, just waka enter the flat: "Abeg, make we enter first, then talk."

I wan stop am, but the way im voice dey, e be like say im just dey struggle to hold im own fear.

I look my phone.

Time don reach exactly eleven o’clock.