Chapter 4: No Rest for Umuola

Tears full my face. I no fit even clean am. The pain deep, the regret no gree leave my chest. My eye dey red, voice dey hoarse, spirit dey roam.

I slowly open my eyes. I dey surprise, because na outside the well I dey. The bush still dey, but everything change. I dey wonder if na dream or if spirit really dey waka for night.

Sky dark like say dem use ink paint am. The sky black, star no show, moon hide. Everywhere dey silent, only my own breath dey sound for my ear.

I wake up outside the dried-up well, but everything wey happen before na real. The pain for my body, the mark for my hand—everything dey real. The place still get the same cold, the air dey heavy with secrets.

Dem use the same trick again, wan trap me inside the dried-up well. I fit see the stone, the leaves, the way the place dey. Na the same plan, but this time, e no work as dem want.

Only God know wetin I pass to escape from that well. If I begin talk my story, even the elders for Umuola go shiver. I dey wonder if na juju, na grace, or na Chijioke spirit show me road.

Now, I don come back, and I swear, dem go pay for everything! This time, I no go pity anybody. My own heart don turn stone. I dey ready for revenge, whether na spirit or flesh.

That moment, light for Femi house come on. For window, yellow bulb flash. I see shadow waka pass. My hand dey shake, but my mind dey strong. Na Femi own time don reach.

Person dey house. I smile small, go upstairs. I adjust my shirt, hide my wound, carry small smile for mouth. Step dey slow, but each one loud for my ear.

Staircase open, na Femi wife come out. She wear big wrapper, scarf tight for head. Her eye dey sharp, the kind way wey village woman sabi look stranger.

She sense say something dey wrong for door, freeze. Her hand dey press chest, leg dey shift back small. I see fear for her eye, but she still try bold face.

She turn head small small: “Musa, you come see Femi?” Her voice low, eyes dey scan my face. She know say trouble dey, but she dey try act normal.

I hold the hand wey dey hide knife for my chest, smile, nod. I put small fake smile, eyes dey watch her every move. The knife dey press my chest, heartbeat dey speed.

“He drink tire last night, make noise all night, never wake. If e urgent, come inside wait.” She push door open, but her body dey block. The air for house heavy. I dey smell palmwine, sweat, fear. Femi dey inside, na sure.

As she talk finish, door just open with force. Na loud bang, as if wind blow am. My body tense, I dey ready.

Femi stagger out, alcohol smell full everywhere. Him face swell, eye red, clothes dey twist. The smell of ogogoro almost choke me.

“You this woman, which man you dey follow outside again? Make I—” Na the normal quarrel for their house. Femi voice dey loud, but as him see me, e freeze.

Before he fit complete the insult, he see me. Fear grip am like juju hold. Him skin change, leg dey shake. Na ghost e dey see for him own parlour.

“Musa? Musa?” He call my name two times, voice crack, as if e dey dream.

“You be… you be human or ghost?” His hand dey tremble, mouth dey open. The alcohol clear from him eye at once.

I look am coldly. “Wetin you think?” My own voice no carry laugh. Na cold breeze dey follow my words.

“You no fit be…” Him body dey shake. I see as sweat dey roll for him face, hand dey search for anything to hold.

“No be we seal you inside the well?” Him words sharp, as if he dey talk to spirit wey fit vex.

I look am for eye. The stare long, heavy. I dey show am everything inside my chest.

“No possible… That stone no dey open unless three people dey.” He dey shake head, dey count on finger, voice dey high.

“You… you be ghost!” He scream, try slam the door. He drag door, voice loud, eyes wide. Everybody for house fit hear.

One wicked smile show for my face. I bring out the knife wey I hide for chest, jam am for the door wey he wan close. Knife flash for light, wood crack. The fear for Femi face sweet me small. My own revenge don ready.

After all the wickedness dem do me—how I go just leave am? I whisper am for myself. Spirit or man, nobody fit escape wetin dem sow.

He use all him power hold the door, no gree make I enter. Door dey shake, frame dey vibrate. Femi knuckle dey white, he no wan surrender. Sweat dey drip for him face.

I push with everything, but door no open. My own hand dey pain, blood dey show, but my mind dey focus. The knife dey do its own work for crack.

But my knife strong, so even as he push, Femi no fit close the door. Wood dey split, noise dey fill the corridor. The whole house dey tense.

We dey drag am like that. Our leg dey knock, breath dey heavy. My eye dey focus, my spirit dey burn.

Femi wife shock small, then rush come, begin scratch and bite me. She spit small for ground, sign of warning, eyes red like pepper. She dey scream, nails dey dig my skin. She no know the kind wahala wey dey on ground.

“You wan kill my Femi? I go die put!” Her voice high, tears dey fall. She dey wrestle, dey swear, dey fight like lioness.

Her wahala dey vex me, I grab her hand—

Na so I dey ready for anything, even if na all of them. My eye don red, my own heart hard like stone. Tonight, nobody go sleep easy for Umuola.