Chapter 3: No Escape

My heart dey beat gbim gbim.

E be like drum dey play for inside my chest. My palm cold, sweat dey gather for my back. Na so my phone almost drop from hand.

True true, everything just dey too smooth.

E no suppose be like this. Na why e dey suspicious. I dey reason say maybe na jazz or person dey play prank wey don pass boundary.

I look my phone screen. The message wey Aunty Temi send this afternoon still dey there:

[Students, today na New Year’s Eve. Tomorrow na new year. But no holiday—nobody fit go house.]

[How about make I gather una make we spend New Year’s Eve together? Chop for night, then watch show.]

The message still dey shine for my notification. I remember say when e land, I no even question am. I just join like say dem use remote control me.

This kain invite no follow. Which class prefect dey do this kain? Others dey rush go house go meet their boyfriend.

Na so one babe for the room whisper, “Omo, even my sister wey dey campus, she run go meet her guy. Na only here remain full.”

Na only Aunty Temi waka her own way, but still, all of us reply: Received.

I dey try remember who first reply. Na so one boy for corner say, “I swear, I no remember when I press am.”

Me sef join.

I dey check my phone again, try scroll back, but my head dey scatter. "I swear, I fit bet say I no tap anything!"

But I no remember when I open group or reply ‘Received’.

E be like memory dey skip for my head. The kain wahala no get part two.

As I think am, my body just dey do me one kain. Cold sweat just dey drop.

You fit hear my teeth dey knock. Na so fear hold me for neck, I dey reason make I stand run but my leg no gree.

Suddenly, person grab my hand. My body fly.

My body comot chair, heart jump enter throat. I wan shout but voice no come out.

I scream: “Ah!”

The scream loud, echo for room. Everybody eye turn, one babe hold chest like say na heart attack wan land.

“Ahn ahn, na ghost dey here oh!”

Somebody voice tremble, “Blood of Jesus!” Another guy run reach wall, press body, dey cross sign.

My shout shock some people, girls begin cry.

The fine girls dey hug themselves, mascara dey run. “I wan go house! I wan go house!” one dey sob.

The boys just rush go back door, chair dey fall everywhere.

E be like market scatter, noise everywhere. Boys dey push, some dey find window, some dey trip fall.

Dem try open door, twist the knob, e no open.

You fit hear the metal dey shake. “Who lock this thing?” one boy dey shout.

Auwalu stand up, dey shake, voice dey crack: “Who lock this door na?”

Him voice no strong again. You fit see say fear don collect him balls.

Everywhere just quiet.

Silence wey fit break neck. Only the knob dey shake, the rest of us dey freeze.

Everybody dey look the back door, dey see as person dey twist the handle.

E still loose, but e no gree open, like say dem lock am from outside.

One girl raise her hand, voice dey shake: “Class... class rep... we all dey here, nobody waka...”

Her hand dey tremble, face white like chalk. “Abeg, check am well.”

Nobody go outside, nobody lock door.

Everybody dey reason am. E no add up.

So how e take lock?

Somebody whisper, “Maybe e get remote lock for here.” Another person hiss, “Which kind film trick?”

Morayo open her eye well, cover her face, begin cry: “Na ghost oh! Help!”

Her cry na pure fear, the kain wey dey make person body cold. “Mummy!” she sob, “I no do again!”

Her cry make panic rise.

Now wahala don set. People dey jump chair, two people dey drag same spot, everybody dey run like say snake dey room.

Others rush go front door—still lock.

The people wey reach there first dey shout, dey bang. “Open! Abeg!”

Person look window, climb desk, try jump. But window don weld shut.

One boy knock glass, “E strong like bank vault!” Na so dem dey pull and shake, but nothing dey move.

Even if you knock glass, e no shake.

You fit see small crack for window but e no gree open. The iron for the window na heavy duty. E sure me say even Hulk go tire.

Now, everybody don really fear.

Some dey whisper prayer, others dey call parents for mind. The air just dry, e dey hard to breathe.

Aunty Temi sef dey shake, but she try calm herself, cough small, say: “Students.”

Her voice no strong again, but she stand tall. “Abeg, listen to me!”

“Students, abeg make una hear me.”

Her hand dey shake, but she raise am like person wey dey lead assembly. “Calm down, nothing go happen if we reason am well.”

People just dey talk, nobody send her. Na her people blame.

Some dey whisper, “If no be say she drag us here, who go dey suffer this thing?” Another say, “Na her fault, abeg.”

If no be say she drag us come watch show for night, who go dey this wahala?

Some dey nod, others dey cut eye. Nobody wan talk am loud but the blame full everywhere.

Bang, bang.

Auwalu knock table two times. Everywhere quiet.

The noise just stop. All eyes turn face am.

“So, una dey panic now? Dey run like fowl wey dem cut head—e go help?”

He raise hand, voice deep. “We no dey reason well like this. Make we calm down.”

“Aunty Temi na our class prefect. Make we hear her. Teacher go get solution. If we dey panic, e no go help.”

His words get small authority. Some people calm down small, others dey bite lip, still dey vex.

The way him talk vex some boys.

One boy eye sharp, roll up sleeve, him chest dey move like say fight wan start.

One roll up sleeve, wan argue: “Auwalu, who make you oga? Because say you be Aunty Temi boyfriend?”

Some dey laugh, some dey cheer. “No be only boyfriend, na chairman!”

People just dey look each other.

The tension dey rise. Some dey look away, others dey ready for gbas gbos.

Aunty Temi face don red.

You fit see say she wan talk but the thing choke her. Her face dey hot, she try hold am.

Auwalu vex pass, before you know, he jump the boy. Fight start.

Chairs scatter, table shift. Boys dey shout, girls dey scream. The whole place scatter—like when NEPA take light during exam reading.

“You dey mad, dey talk rubbish—if I no finish you today!”

Na real street fight. Slap, punch, kick—nobody wan lose face.

The other boy push back: “Auwalu, you dey form. Everybody sabi say na runs you run get class rep. You no even win half vote—why you be rep?”

Wahala dey. The room don hot pass PHCN transformer.

“You and that your Aunty Temi na the same. Two of una no get better character!”

Noise dey everywhere. People dey push, others dey shout, “Enough! Enough!”

Auwalu shout: “Opeyemi, you be fool!”

Opeyemi wan return the insult but people dey hold am. "Leave am!" one girl beg.