Chapter 6: Cellar Secrets

I reach the old house that night.

Streetlight no dey work, only moon dey shine. I hold torch, wear old shirt. I waka slow, avoid stick and broken bottle. If person see me, dem go think say I be thief.

Na old bungalow. I waka for dark, I no wan make neighbors notice anything.

The compound bush don grow, rats dey run for fence. I dey tiptoe, mind dey race.

I reach storeroom, see the cement slab wey dey cover the entrance.

The slab heavy, I use all my strength push am. Sweat full my face, even breeze no dey help.

As I lift the slab, I just feel somehow.

The kind cold wey slap me no be here. E reach bone, my teeth nearly knock.

Cold breeze blow from inside, slap me for face, cold reach bone.

The zinc roof dey rattle small, as if rain wan start—even though sky dry.

Na that kind breeze wey dey follow spirit waka. For my mind, I dey pray.

No be only that o.

My ear dey sharp, heart dey drum.

As I dey lift the slab, I hear "bang".

My hand freeze. The sound like something dey inside dey struggle come out.

The sound dull and heavy.

Na the type wey you go hear for mortuary night time. My head dey buzz.

E be like say something knock the iron wardrobe under ground.

I dey sweat, but I tell myself say na my mind dey play me.

Fear catch me, my flashlight nearly fall.

I manage grab torch for air. If e fall, na wahala.

I hold breath, listen well, but after some minutes, the sound no come again.

Cricket begin sing, but I no fit relax. I look back two times.

I tell myself say maybe na rat dey run for there as e hear person dey come.

I dey try reason logic, but fear still dey my chest.

I think am finish, I go down the steps enter cellar.

Each step heavy. My leg dey shake, but I press on. For Naija, man no suppose show fear, but my mind dey fly.

E still be like how e be twenty years ago.

Cobweb thick, dust everywhere, but na same smell, same cold. I flash light for wall, see my papa old mark for brick.

Empty, dark, only my flashlight dey show the big wardrobe for corner.

Na so darkness gather for there, e be like say light no wan enter that part.

The wardrobe don rust, paint don peel everywhere.

For the torchlight, I see rat hole for side, old spider web for leg. Na real old iron.

Padlock still dey for the door.

E still shine small, but the body rust. I remember how my wife buy that padlock from market, say e go last. Na Aboki market I buy am, dem swear say even juju no fit open am.

I no smell any dead body.

The place just dey smell like old yam and dust. No rotten scent. Na wa o.

After twenty years, Keke body for don turn to dust; any smell for don go since.

I reason say maybe na only bone go remain, or even cloth sef don rot finish.

I sigh, bring out the key wey my wife give me, ready to open the wardrobe.

My hand dey shake, but I tell myself say na for my son I dey do am. I touch my chest, pray small prayer.

"Hee hee."

Small laugh, sharp for ear. Na like when Keke dey play with her brother for Christmas morning. My back cold.

Suddenly, I hear laugh.

Na Keke laugh, I fit swear. The type she dey do when she hide behind curtain. My eyes wide, torch nearly fall again.

My body shake, I turn: "Who dey there?"

I force voice, try act bold. My back dey wall, I shine light everywhere.

I think say maybe person follow me.

For this our area, small thief dey everywhere. But this laugh different.

"Who dey there?"

I ask again.

My throat dry. I look all corner—nothing. Only cold and silence.

No answer.

Na so I begin hear my heartbeat loud for my ear. I dey sweat. Na only ghost fit play this kind hide-and-seek.

I no wan make anybody see my daughter body, so I search everywhere.

I flash light behind bag of cement, old box, everywhere. Nothing. Only dust and rat droppings.

I no see anybody, but I see one dry corpse for corner. I no know if na cat or dog.

The skeleton small, fur dry, bone show. E fit be cat wey die lock inside cellar long ago. My mind no rest.

I go back to the wardrobe, deep breath, try calm myself.

My hand dey shake. I wipe sweat, kneel down. I dey pray say make nothing jump out.

Maybe na my mind dey play tricks.

I tell myself say na guilt dey make me see things. Na only burial I come do, nothing more.

I bring out key again, try open the wardrobe.

Key dey heavy for my hand, but I force am for padlock. My heart dey beat drum.

But suddenly—

The cellar cold pass before, my back tingling. My hand almost fall.

"Bang!" Another heavy sound.

This one loud, like thunder. Na for my front e happen, no lie.

This time, I hear am clear; the sound come from the iron wardrobe wey dey my front.

No way say na rat. This one na force.

The space inside big, e be like say something rush go hit the door strong.

I fit feel the vibration for my foot. Na so goosebumps full my body.

The noise loud reach, the wardrobe door even dey shake.

Padlock dey dance, dust dey fall. My spirit nearly leave body.

My hand dey shake, flashlight roll far.

E roll enter corner, torchlight dey flash up, make the whole place look like shrine.

Abeg, apart from my daughter corpse, e fit get something wey dey alive inside?

I dey ask myself, which kind animal fit survive there? Maybe na snake?

Wetin e go be?

I dey sweat. I dey pray make e no be spirit. This one pass normal.

"Daddy."

My heart stop. I fit feel blood drain from my face.

"Daddy, na you so?"

Voice clear. Na Keke own, as e be that year. My leg dey weak.

Suddenly, person talk.

I no believe my ear. This one real. I dey sweat, my mouth open, but word no come out.

"I don dey wait you since. I dey here inside the wardrobe."

Her voice get that pikin echo, like when she dey sing for bathroom. For my mind, I dey beg God say make this one no be real.

Familiar voice, the kind tone wey I don miss.

Even the way she call "daddy" na only Keke fit call me like that. My chest dey tight.

Why e sound like... Keke voice?

I dey remember how she dey call me when thunder dey fall. The memory heavy for my mind.

As I realize am, my body just cold.

My hand dey numb. I dey feel like I wan faint.

"Hee hee, daddy finally find me. E mean say I hide well this time."

The laugh soft, sweet, but e dey make hair for my hand stand. Na so my heart dey drum.

Na Keke voice, no doubt.

I swear, na only she dey do that kind laugh. My leg dey shake.

I fall back, fear nearly kill me.

My back jam wall, I slide down. My teeth dey clatter, my mind blank.

Wetin dey happen?

I dey ask myself, na dream? Abi na punishment? I close eye, open am, but sound still dey.

Keke no die since?

I dey reason say maybe I dey mad. But the voice still dey echo.

"Bang bang bang."

Knocking dey increase. Na so my blood cold.

"Bang bang bang."

The sound dey roll for the cellar, e be like church bell wey refuse quiet. I dey sweat, eye red.

The wardrobe door dey shake again. "Daddy? Why you no answer? Open the door quick."

The voice dey beg, but e dey dark, like rain wey no gree stop.

My daughter voice still be like small pikin.

The echo get sorrow, pain. My heart dey break. But fear dey choke me.

How e take be so?

I dey try reason, but my brain no fit process. For Naija, spirit dey, but this one pass my power.

Locked for iron wardrobe for twenty years, even if she no suffocate, hunger for don finish am.

My head dey spin. Spirit or no spirit, this one no get explanation.

So wetin dey inside the wardrobe?

Maybe na my sin dey haunt me. Maybe na real juju. But I no fit open.

"Daddy. Open the door, abeg."

Her voice dey pain, but e still soft. My eye dey wet, but I dey freeze.

Keke dey knock the door, the sound of metal and her scream just dey ring for my ear.

Each knock loud pass the last one. The scream dey make my heart bleed. For my mind, I dey beg God say make e stop.

I never hear this kind scary sound before.

Even during burial for village, I never hear this kind wailing. E dey chase away all boldness for my body.

My leg dey shake, I no fit talk.

Na only fear dey control me. My teeth dey knock.

"Open the door. I wan comot."

She dey beg, like when she small dey beg for biscuit. The pain dey cut me.

"Daddy. I no wan play hide-and-seek again. I wan comot."

I dey cry inside, but my mouth still dey lock. My mind dey shout, but my body no move.

"Open the door..."

Her voice dey fade, banging dey increase. I fit feel the sorrow, the pain, the spirit wey dey suffer.

The banging just dey loud, e be like say monster wan burst come out from inside.

Na so I take know say no be only pikin dey knock. Something big, something old, something angry.

I no fit take am again, I run commot from cellar, nearly roll for ground.

I tumble for steps, scratch elbow, but I no look back. I just dey shout inside my mind, "Blood of Jesus! Blood of Jesus!"

I even forget the key, fear no let me go back.

As I dey run, key fall for ground. I jump fence, enter bush, I no look back.