Chapter 8: Wait for Morning

I breathe deep, realize say this video na from up—probably from 602 balcony.

Na high angle, so e fit be say e record from top floor. I dey thank God say e send me, but my fear no gree reduce.

E mean say na now-now e dey happen.

Na live action. Not be old film. My leg dey weak. I dey count my luck say I never open door since.

No wonder that officer wey come before no send me, just dey rush.

All of dem dey act as if dem dey wait for time to ripe. Maybe na my turn remain. I dey shiver.

Dem dey wait make dem cut me scatter, carry me go parade for fire?

I dey imagine my own body part dey hang for pole. Fear grip me. I dey pray say God go intervene.

My body dey shake.

I dey try hold myself, but tears wan drop. For Naija, man dey fear but no dey cry. Tonight, I near break. Tears dey my eye, but I swallow am like bitterleaf.

But then I think—

If I just stay house, no be still die I dey wait?

My mind dey reason—if I wait, dem go still come. If I run, I go meet ritualist. Either way, wahala full ground.

602 message: "No fear. Dem no fit break enter your house by force. Believe me, I don study this thing. Wait small—I fit find way comot."

That one give me small hope. Maybe if I endure, morning go break. For Naija, anything fit happen if you wait reach 6am. I dey pray say time go fly.

For a while, I no know wetin to believe. 602 talk make sense, and the video na real wahala.

My mind dey toss like jollof rice. I dey reason escape plan, but also dey pray say 602 go find solution.

But all still dey like dream—na true all this dey happen outside?

I dey pinch myself, dey slap face, hope say I go wake up. But everything dey real. My phone dey hot for hand.

I try look outside from balcony and window, but from second floor, trees block everywhere. I no fit see plaza for Block A at all.

I tiptoe reach my curtain, peep small. Na only shadow, no movement. The silence dey heavy. I dey wish say I get CCTV access.

602 fit really get way to escape?

I dey pray say e no just dey form James Bond. For this estate, only God fit save person sometimes.

I just hope say e dey try save himself too. E never talk why e wan help me…

I dey think say maybe e dey use me as distraction, or maybe e really get pure mind. My mind dey open, dey watch both front and back.

Just then, 302 message again:

"Main door lock, but you fit try another thing: call police again. When dem come, attack the officer. Assaulting police na crime, but e better pass die here, abi?"

The message weak me. For Naija, to attack police na big wahala. But if na ritual dey wait, e fit even better. My mind dey toss between two evil.

I shock.

As I dey read am, my head dey spin. Na the same thing wey I dey reason. Maybe 302 dey try set me up. Maybe e wan use me as sacrifice. I no know again.

Na exactly the plan wey I think before.

As I dey see am for chat, e be like say everybody dey play chess with my life. No escape, no rest.

But 602 don warn me say if I comot, na die sure pass, so I no do am.

I dey hold myself, dey remember the video. If I open door, na straight to bonfire.

If 302 really wan harm me, why e go suggest wetin fit help me survive?

Na question wey dey my mind. Maybe e wan test me, or maybe e dey desperate.

E fit be say e really wan make I survive?

For Lagos, if person help you too fast, e get as e be. E fit be helper, e fit be set-up.

Nothing clear again. For this estate, everybody fit be suspect.

I dey pray say morning go reach before dem reach me.