Chapter 3: Bookstore of Deadly Luck

After small talk, we set our next target: bookstore for third floor.

We reason say bookstore no too dangerous. Bashiru dey talk say e sabi book pass suya.

Bashiru talk say na book place him sabi pass.

He smile, dey adjust him glasses. "Book na my padi since secondary school." I laugh small, tension reduce.

We enter the slow escalator go up.

The escalator drag us up, slow like molue for hold up. Scream dey echo from downstairs, but we hold our own.

Scream just dey fly from different corner for the mall, my body dey fear.

As we dey go up, I dey see as one shop dey scatter, people dey run, one man dey shout, "Blood of Jesus!" for back. The wahala never finish.

Compared to the crowd for milk tea shop, bookstore just quiet.

As we enter, na like silent chapel. Only small noise from AC dey blow. The place cool, my mind calm small. The air dey smell like old paper and dust, cold breeze from AC dey mix with small scent of mothball.

As we push the glass door, not even one dead body dey—only eight people dey stand, dey wait.

I dey count heads. Everybody dey look book, but nobody smile. Their eyes dey red, fear dey everywhere.

The shop girl curl up for front desk, dey write something like say tomorrow no dey.

Her hair pack for net, biro dey fly for paper, she no even look up, like those strict NECO invigilators. I dey wonder wetin dey so important.

But books block the view, we no fit see wetin she dey write.

The table high, books pile up. I dey try peep, but nothing show.

Even as she hear door open, she no stop, no even look up, just begin read the rules like say she no send anybody.

Her voice na like cold harmattan wind. She no even raise head, just dey recite like say na exam she dey do.

"E no easy—finally get ten customers. The game fit start now."

The rest of us just dey look, dey reason wetin she mean. One woman for back dey pray. The rules never finish, but everybody dey ready.

"As una see, ten table and chair dey for bookstore, each get one book on top."

The chairs dey shine, book on top each one. Some book big, some small. I dey wonder which one be lucky one.

"Next, abeg make una come out one by one as una enter, choose any of the ten books open am."

Na so I dey count table, dey reason where to pick. Bashiru just dey observe quietly.

"If something dey inside, follow wetin e talk. If you make am, you get receipt. If you fail, na die."

I dey hope say no be juju challenge go dey inside. If na to spell or read, Bashiru go shine.

"If luck shine for you and you pick the only empty book, congrats, you go get receipt sharp sharp."

Na so my heart dey jump. E be like say God fit show mercy for this shop.

"No think say to dey back get advantage. After every pick, books go reshuffle, so you no fit use elimination method."

Everybody dey calculate for head. No shortcut. Na real game be this.

"Una understand?"

We all nod. Some dey whisper, some dey look the books. For Naija, person wey sabi book get small hope for here.

But for this mall, even book fit carry curse. Who go survive? My mind no gree rest.