Chapter 4: Ritual in the Compound

I quick ask 302: "How you mean, collect by themselves?"

I no gree believe am. I press the matter. Ordinary people wey dey hustle 8 to 5, dey shout PHCN, now dey do this kain thing?

E reply: "Six neighbors go kill the person, then carry the body parts go their own house."

Na so fear catch me.

I nearly drop phone. My whole body dey cold. I begin sweat, even with the fan wey no dey blow well. For my mind, na all those old men for street dey do juju, no be young neighbor wey dey wear jeans and polo.

How ordinary people go just turn killer like that?

I dey reason am. This one pass money wahala or food scarcity. For Naija, even when things hard, people no dey just turn killer like say e easy.

But maybe na why police dey vex—

E make sense. Even police sef no fit understand wetin dey happen. Maybe dem dey confuse, just like us. My mind dey race. Who be the real killer?

Dem too dey confuse.

I dey think say, maybe na why that officer just dey shout up and down, no get patience. If dem never see this kind case before, na wahala for everybody.

E no make sense: neighbors, normal people, just waka go kill person, cut am, carry the parts go house?

Na question I dey ask myself. Ordinary Mr. Sola wey dey fix light for people, or Madam Ifeoma wey dey fry akara for junction—e possible? My skin dey pepper me.

I dey imagine Madam Ifeoma, wey dey sell akara, with blood for her hand. My belle turn.

Wetin dey really happen?

My mind dey wonder if juju dey involved, or if people just craze. Maybe na something spiritual? I dey reason whether to start pray or call pastor.

No—wetin suppose dey worry me pass be—

I fit be the next one? My own neighbors fit kill me too?

I dey remember how everybody for this estate dey avoid one another. But tonight, all man dey suspect all man. My heart dey shake.

So, e get one killer at all?

Or e be say the group-buy people dey do am?

As I dey think, new message land for group-buy chat: "Police don comot. Main door for ground floor don lock. Nobody fit comot."

As I see am, my stomach turn. Na wah. Na 101 wey dey downstairs send am. For him to dey drop update, e mean say e dey watch gate well. Everybody dey on edge, dey monitor movement.

Na 101 downstairs send am.

I dey try remember who be 101. Na that old man wey dey play ayo for balcony? Or the new couple wey just move in last week? My mind dey mix faces.

First look, e be like update.

I dey try calm myself—maybe e just dey give information, nothing more.

But if you reason am well—

E fit dey tell the rest say time don reach to come for me?

As I reason the message, my mind begin race. E be like say e dey give signal to others: now na the turn of 202. Cold dey catch me.