Chapter 5: English Na Another Juju

No time to even pity Elder Brother Tunde—second senior sister, Aunty Morayo, na the next person.

Morayo dey adjust im head tie, wipe sweat for face. E eyes sharp, but e mouth dey quiver small. I dey pray make e no go forget her line.

Her opponent na girl from Riverlight Sect.

The girl fine, skin dark, eye bright, voice sweet like suya for night. E dey bounce leg, confidence full body.

The two of them just start, dey throw addition, subtraction, multiplication, division—like say na maths war. For a while, dem dey equal.

Numbers dey fly for air, like abacus display. Some people dey try count, dey lose track. E sweet me to see my own person dey hold ground.

After Aunty Morayo block the girl attack again, the girl step back, deep breathe, begin mumble something.

I see the girl draw breath, close eye, then open, her voice change—deep, almost like song.

Next thing, to my shock, the girl just shout: "Hello, how are you."

The English fly for air, the words float like butterfly. The letters dey glow yellow. E be like NEPA light come back, everybody eye dey shine.

Na so strange characters appear for air, dey rush go meet Aunty Morayo.

E be like charm. The letters dey form chain, dey dance towards Morayo.

Aunty Morayo freeze, try manage reply:

E try talk, but her voice shake. E face dey confuse.

"I love rice, thank you, and you."

Morayo dey talk wetin e know. E dey try save face, but everybody know say e no follow.

"I love rice, too."

The Riverlight girl just smile, no stress, e reply sharp.

E take me small time before I understand—na English dem dey speak so.

Na wa o. English magic. For my mind, I dey think say maybe I go start dey read Oxford dictionary for here.

The girl first attack no work, she just throw another one:

Her eye shine, e twist hand, talk again.

"What’s your name?"

This time, the pronunciation correct well. The strange characters begin shine, turn to English letters.

The letters big, e dey turn, e dey form rope.

Aunty Morayo no understand the meaning, the letters come wrap her body like chain. The girl use the chance, finish her sharp sharp.

The chain hold Morayo, e try break, but no way. The Riverlight girl throw last spell, Morayo fall for ground.

"See as she dey use English spells—Riverlight Sect really get better pikin."

People dey hail the girl. Some elders dey clap slow, dey nod.

As people dey talk, I just hold my head. This cultivation world sef—na so una dey use English do magic?

I no fit shout. I just dey look ground, dey think of all the English test wey I dodge for school. E be like say dem go use am catch me here.