Chapter 3: Shadows and Old Fights

Even though I never stay for this world too long, I don chop at least eight thousand evil spirits and demonic things.

I fit still remember taste of every spirit—some bitter, some sweet, some wey go make person forget him own name. Some taste like burnt yam, others like kpomo wey pass three market days. The world get all kinds of wahala.

Plenty of them like to dey steal children.

Children spirit dey shine, na why bad thing dey target dem. Old spirit like children matter, e dey easy to trick and swallow.

Just last year, one shadow puppet group come town, dey perform for bridge every night.

Everybody for area go watch. Market women, traders, even thiefs join crowd. The puppet dem fine, e get as e be.

Who go believe say one of the puppet skin don turn spirit, call herself "Shadow Granny", her work na to dey pluck children eye wey dey watch show.

Na old gist, but people still dey talk am for beer parlour till today. If person talk say spirit no dey, e never see Shadow Granny work.

For one period, everywhere scatter.

Parents no dey sleep, children dey hide, chief call town meeting, even vigilante no gree rest. Everybody dey fear.

Dem dey check everybody.

If pikin cry, dem go check lamp. If breeze blow curtain, women go shout. Town dey on edge.

But who go think say na shadow puppet dey do am?

Spirit dey hide for ordinary place, na so e dey be. Ordinary puppet, but na old demon dey inside.

That night, hunger wan finish me, I squat under bridge dey wait for river monkey, na so I see am slip enter the puppet screen, ready to snatch pikin eye for front row.

The air cold, the shadow wey move get smell like burnt cloth. I bend ear, the sound be like pikin cry mix with frog.

How I go describe am? The taste no good at all. That old thing taste like old rubber slipper.

Since that day, I dey fear anything wey get puppet skin. My mouth dey twist when I remember am.

No talk of the time wey lampwick turn spirit.

That one worse. Lamp dey burn, wick long, but for midnight, e go dey stretch. Old woman go talk say e dey normal, but no be so.

For midnight, if pikin no sleep, the lamp shadow go dey grow, swallow the pikin own shadow.

Once shadow swallow pikin shadow finish, the pikin go begin sick, no get strength. Some dey forget their name.

Children wey no get shadow go dey fear light and breeze, go dey hide for dark, closed store room.

Na wahala to find am that time.

Old men bring alligator pepper, try burn incense, but until spirit move commot, peace no come back.

"Great Immortal, Great Immortal, abeg talk something..."

I dey inside my mind, dey remember all the old fights, no know say Uncle Okafor dey near tears. The man dey tremble, e dey grab my tail small small.

Uncle Okafor see say I quiet, e think say I no wan help, e almost begin cry again.

E voice begin shake, eyes red. One of the old women begin beg, "Abeg, no leave us. If you run, who go help us?"

I almost forget. Since I chop him chicken, by the way of sworn kinship, I don join their family.

Once person eat ritual food, spirit law bind am. If I run now, my own wahala go heavy pass their own.

Uncle Okafor still dey wipe tears: "That old woman don disappear. How we go take bring Ngozi soul back?"

E grip handkerchief, dey wipe sweat. Him wife dey kneel, dey pray under breath.

I jump go altar, still dey chop the remaining chicken as I talk:

I grab last piece of gizzard, munch am slow. For this work, you need strength.

"No wahala. People get three souls and seven spirits. The Heavenly Soul, Fetal Light, na the root of life; Earth Soul, Dark Essence, na the one wey dey control desire; Human Soul, Bright Spirit, na the one for wisdom. Ngozi don lose her Human and Earth soul, na why she dey like this."

I draw diagram for ground with my claw, show dem how the three soul dey balance each other. Some elders nod head, say na true talk.

"But the soul-hooking chain, I don break am. As long as the small Heavenly Soul still dey, Ngozi no go die now."

I look the girl, the faint light still dey shine for her chest. Her breath soft, but e dey go.

"But..."

I pause, let my words settle for air. Everybody heart dey beat, silence full compound.

Uncle Okafor just wan relax when I add:

E body relax, then I see am tense back, fear grip am again. Spirit matter no be play.

"With three souls no complete and seven spirits dey shake—especially as the Corpse Dog spirit wey dey protect am don lost—"

I draw small picture of dog for ground, show say na that one dey guard spirit door.

"This time, person be like house wey all door open, gold and jewel dey inside—anybody fit just enter take am."

Everybody imagine thief enter house, nobody fit sleep with eye closed. That na Ngozi situation.

"If I commot, any evil spirit fit disturb her anytime. You need something wey go replace the Corpse Dog spirit to guard Ngozi."

I look Uncle Okafor, my eye sharp. The man nod, e don understand.