Chapter 2: Halima Musa Don Show

Aunty Temi shock as she hear that one.

Her mouth hang, eyes wide. She steady herself with one hand on the table, as if she wan confirm say na dream.

“That one no fit happen. I don commot her from the group since. How she take enter again?”

Her voice crack, small fear dey inside. She scroll through her phone, dey tap screen fast. You go see for her face say she dey try remember if she make mistake. One guy for the side whisper, “Maybe na MTN spirit dey help am sneak enter.”

We check well well—still thirty-four people, nobody miss.

Somebody count everybody, name by name, as if e dey do roll call. Like say we dey do morning assembly for primary school. “Thirty-four, I count am reach,” he talk. The list still balance. Everybody eye dey red.

When Halima Musa take enter?

You fit see the confusion for people face. The room dey silent, except for one girl wey dey bite her finger, fear dey catch am.

Everybody dey look themselves, fear dey catch us, sweat dey drop for body.

Even boys wey dey form hard guy, you fit see small trembling. Na so one guy use wrapper wipe sweat, another dey fan himself with cardboard.

Na all of us agree that time make dem commot Halima Musa.

Nobody dey reason another thing that time. “E fit be admin error,” one babe suggest. Another person shake head, “Abeg, delete am again. Block number join.”

So wetin dey happen now?

The question just hang for air. You fit hear one or two people dey murmur prayer under breath. “Holy Ghost fire…”

One bold guy stand up, knock table: “Who dey run this kind rubbish for here? On top New Year, you wan curse all of us?”

He wear face like agbero, voice loud. Some people clap, others just dey eye am, as if make e no attract more wahala.

“Halima Musa don die already. How she go dey group? Na person use her WhatsApp dey do us scare, abeg.”

He side-eye the corner where Halima dey always sit before. One girl say, “Na why I no dey share my password.”

Plenty people nod, e make sense reach.

But me, as I hear am, my mind no settle. Cold just enter my belle.

I dey remember Halima smile that last week. I dey remember the way her laugh be like bell, now e just dey ring for my ear like warning. For my mind, I dey reason if na jazz or na only prank.

When I see Halima Musa name, I think say na my eye dey pain me. My heart just cut, I dey fear but somehow, e sweet me small.

Na strange feeling. E be like when person watch horror film for midnight. You dey fear but you no wan miss any part. E con be like real life na movie for my eye.

Suddenly, Morayo jump up, body dey shake, her fine face don white.

She no even remember her makeup again. Her eyelashes fall small, she grip her phone tight, like say she wan break am.

She rush meet Aunty Temi, begin cry and shout:

Tears dey rush from her eye, voice high. "Abeg, Aunty Temi! I no wan die!"

“Which kind game be this? I don read am for novel before—e fit be true?”

She dey talk as if na book come turn real life. You fit see say her fear no be acting.

“The first person wey go play dey always die worst. Na warning for others. I no wan die! Abeg, Aunty Temi, help me!”

She begin recite Psalm 23 under her breath, voice dey shake.

Her hand dey shake, she kneel down. Others dey nod, some dey even whisper, "Dem say na all those Nollywood films dey do this kind thing, but this one pass movie."

As Morayo talk am, panic grip everybody.

All the small laughter wey dey room before just disappear. Everybody dey look one kind. Even the loudest guy keep quiet, fear dey shine for him eye.

Our mind just squeeze.

People dey rub chest, person dey use hand hold mouth. The atmosphere heavy like rain wan fall.

Everybody just dey look Aunty Temi.

She dey try steady herself, eyes dey blink fast. If you watch her mouth, e dey move small as if she dey pray inside.

Na she even suggest make we all stay for hostel for New Year’s Eve, watch show together.

Some dey look her with small suspicion, others dey pity her say she na leader wey dey lost for inside problem.

Morayo just pause, her face confuse.

E be like she dey reason something deep. She just dey look Aunty Temi head to toe.

She come frown, dey look Aunty Temi anyhow.

Her eyebrow high, lips twist, as if she dey try catch lie from Aunty Temi mouth.

“Aunty Temi, I dey reason something. Others dey outside dey celebrate New Year, why you carry us come here for night to watch show?”

Her tone don change, suspicion full am. You know Naija girl, she no dey fear call out person when matter serious.

“You dey craze?”

The way she drop the insult, e loud. Everybody shock. Some dey cover mouth, “Chei! Morayo don vex.”

But as the countdown begin, everybody dey reason—who go survive this Naija horror?