Chapter 8: Questions and Spirits

Ifunanya eyes full with tears as she reach this point.

Her face dey red, her voice dey low. She dey grip her bag like person wey dey hold float for river.

I talk, "That story touch me—and e really strange."

I pass small handkerchief give her. She smile, clean her face. For my mind, I dey reason the whole matter.

But as I remember, my colleague never mention any explosion accident for this case.

I dey try recall all the summary wey Uchenna give me. No mention of warehouse, no fireworks, no Nnamdi. The accused for our file no get that kind background.

Since wetin Ifunanya talk happen for 1996, years before the case, I no argue.

But make I sure, I gats check the case file.

You know as lawyer dey, e no good to jump conclusion. File wey dey office fit hide story wey go change everything.

I waka go door, tell intern to bring file.

Intern, one small boy from Okigwe, just run go strong room. I sit back, hand for chin, dey look Ifunanya.

Ifunanya dey look me. "Barrister Musa, you think say my papa do bad thing?"

Her voice small, but e get weight. You go know say she dey search for hope.

I return sit, talk, "No matter wetin I think. Na only your side I hear, so I dey feel for you, I believe your papa no do bad. But if you reason am, something no balance."

I adjust my glasses, look her for eye. "For law, feeling no be fact. But your papa story get comma."

"Which one no balance?"

She shift, dey brace herself. I see say she dey fear the answer.

The main question be: Why your papa go warehouse for midnight?

I rub my chin, voice soft. "No be normal thing for responsible man."

"You dey hope say your papa go thief fireworks for you. Even if e pain you, at least e pure. But if you check am, e no really add up. That time, anything special dey happen for your family?"

She shake head, eye wide. "No."

"No celebration, Christmas still far. So why go thief that time? Maybe you fit say he dey prepare early—that one no too clear, but leave that. If he thief fireworks for you, you fit use am? The town small, everybody sabi say your family no fit buy fireworks, and fireworks no be like puff-puff—you no fit use am hide. If you fire fireworks, people go ask, especially those workers wey no like your papa. From your talk, your papa get sense—he go know say e no make sense to do am.

Na true. If e even bring am home, people go see. My papa no be mumu.

So, if your papa really thief fireworks, e no be for you, maybe na for something else. The workers talk make sense: as quality inspector, your papa fit mark good ones as bad, store am, then find way sell am for outside. If na true, then he do bad.

But if your papa no thief fireworks, then maybe no bad marking. But if no be to thief, why he go warehouse late? If na better thing, why no do am for day?"

Ifunanya say, "Barrister Musa, I think the same thing that time. Because this world, things fit pass wetin person fit imagine."

Her voice low, but her eye stubborn. For that moment, I see woman wey don suffer, but still dey find answer.

"Okay, continue."

I relax for chair, pen ready. As Ifunanya open her mouth to talk, I fit swear say spirit dey stand with us for that small office—because after today, nothing go remain the same.