Chapter 2: Spirit Market Wahala

Early the next morning, I no hear cock crow. I rush go the coop, some servant boys dey laugh me.

"Heh, see Seyi—hunger never catch am, e dey run go feed chicken."

"No get connection but dey dream to become elder. No be our level."

"Maybe if e work tire, one elder go pity am."

The way dem dey talk na like people wey never chop real struggle. I ignore dem, hold my peace. For this temple, mouth sharp but hand dry.

I no answer dem. After all, I just use my prayer stone feed that chicken.

Before I talk, Uncle Musa from labour hall shout for them:

"Una don do. Na so Oke-Odo boy suppose dey—sharp, get ginger, sabi work."

E voice strong, e face hard, but dem just laugh small, no talk back, but dem no really respect Uncle Musa. All of them get connection. Uncle Musa know say labour hall na just stepping stone for people wey sabi person. Chief priest always dey talk: everybody start as servant boy, no short cut. Everybody climb ladder one by one.

I greet Uncle Musa, rush enter chicken coop. As I enter, the chicken dey look me with fire for e eye.

"Guy, you don come. You get another prayer stone?"

E eye dey shine like person wey see hope. My own heart just freeze. I no get anything again. E dey take six months to get one prayer stone—the next one still far.

I just dey pray say make e no vex. The way e dey look me, e fit attack me if hunger hold am.

I look am. E look me back. E just use one claw kick one hen commot, dey curse: "Wetin dey worry all these hens? Dem dey craze? Dem just dey jump on top me. Abeg shift, we no be the same kind! If dem no set me up, I no go dey this nonsense place."

Omo! The chicken dey talk! I think say e power don finish?

Then I see two black feather wey dey shine for e neck—no be ordinary chicken be this. E resemble the spirit beast dem describe for temple record. Spirit beast na better thing from head reach toe. This chicken really na spirit chicken.

My hand dey shake small. For my mind, I dey ask, "Na which kain wahala I carry come so?" But the way the feathers dey glow, my eye dey shine join. If na village, I go run go call my mama. But this one na secret for temple.

I swallow spit, waka near am. "You don chop my prayer stone—no suppose drop at least one feather for me?"

The chicken move back two steps, look me one kind. E shout, "Guy, abeg! Just dey look, no touch. No wound me!"

E—e call me guy?

Na that time I realize say, e get street sense join. Fear catch me, I no touch am again. Who know wetin e fit do? As I dey feed the chicken, I talk, "If I wan do you bad, I for don report you to the chief priest since."

"Abeg! I go give you feather, no vex. You fit bring more prayer stone?"

I reason am. "E depend how much your feather dey worth."

When I first carry the black feather go outer market, I meet one market woman with gold tooth and gele tight like police beret. I show her the feather, she shout, "Kai! This feather get power o!" Her eyes big, she even do small dance. I know say I fit cash out.

Last last, we agree: I go dey bring prayer stone, e go dey give me feather, then we go share the money thirty-seventy—I go collect thirty, e go collect seventy. But e must remain secret. No wahala, I sabi how to sell things for outer market.

I just dey thank God say chicken dey reason like businessman.

For the next few months, I dey waka from chicken coop go market, dey use the profit boost my spiritual training reach peak of first level. All the old feather wey the chicken get don fall, na only the black shiny ones remain. But e say make e lowkey, say e get enemy for Oke-Odo Temple, so e go dey form ordinary fat rooster.

If dem catch us, na serious wahala. Even for temple, every spirit beast get enemy. E dey form dull chicken—sometimes e go drag leg, sometimes e go pretend say e sick.

Uncle Musa treat me well, recommend me for outer group. Dem promote me to outer disciple of Oke-Odo Temple.

Before I go, e ask if I wan carry anything. As e dey look me with surprise, I say, "I go carry chicken."

"Good, good! E mean say you no dey forget where you start from."

Uncle Musa smile, e pat my back, say make I no forget am when my own better. E even pray for me, "May your road dey open like Lagos traffic for Sunday."

Me: ...

I enter outer group, dem quick give me nickname—Chicken Boy.

I just waka jeje with the chicken under my arm, like say na ordinary pet. Na so everybody begin look me like I be comedian.

As I dey hear the outer boys dey joke, my mind mix.

Chicken Boy... E mean say I just be the guy wey dey raise chicken for labour hall? No be better name, but e no pain me. I know my level. Dem dey laugh me, but inside their mind, dem dey jealous small—say I get better luck. Even with my average talent, I be first for my set to reach peak of first level.

Na true dem talk—every journey start small. I remember wetin my mama always dey talk: "Na who first buy bicycle, dey carry passenger."

That chicken help me no be small. My quick progress even make elders notice me. Dem come check me, but last last, dem just shake head go.

Their verdict: this boy no get special talent—na luck just dey help am.

At first, the outer boys treat me well, think say maybe I get strong person for back. But if you climb too fast, wahala fit follow you, abi?

Dem dey watch me, dem dey whisper. For this place, dem believe say to get power, you need elder or juju for back. I just dey do my own, dey mind business.

As I arrange chicken coop for my compound, some senior brothers come find my trouble. Dem say e no good to dey raise chicken for outer group—especially this kind fat, ugly one. Dem order me make I scatter the coop, even say make I cook the chicken for them chop.

Scatter coop na one thing, but kill the chicken? Who ask the chicken? Even if e gree, the spirit birds for beast garden no go gree.

My chest dey rise, but I dey form cool. "Abeg, make una leave the chicken, e no do una anything," I talk, but dem no hear. Senior Brother Ayo just draw cutlass, na so white crane shout come burst everywhere. Plenty strong spirit birds rush land, begin peck e head till e head swell like bread. Other boys chop bird shit join.

The noise loud pass generator wey spoil muffler. People for compound dey peep window, some dey shout, "Yepa! Wetin dey happen?" For my mind, I dey pray say make elder no show, but elder too get long ear.

Dem no fit fight the spirit birds, dem no even try. Then elder from spirit beast garden show, the way e look me, my mind cut. I don enter wahala. This matter don pass my power.

Senior Brother Ayo, with face like yam, kneel down dey beg. "Elder, abeg, no be our fault! Na them attack us first..."

Everybody dey shake. Since na me cause am, dem think say punishment go reach me too.

But to everybody surprise, the elder rush hug me. "Good, good! These sacred cranes nearly die finish, but see as dem escape beast garden come meet you—now dem don recover finish!"

The elder look me one kind. "This chicken na your own?"

My leg dey shake, my hand dey sweat. I turn, see plenty white cranes dey circle the chicken like say dem dey worship am.

Wahala dey. E be like say secret go soon burst.

The elder waka come, face serious. "Why all of them dey circle this fat chicken?"

Me: ...

Outer boys: ...

Nobody know. For our eye, na just ordinary chicken. Well, maybe e fat pass normal.

But which kind chicken be this, really?

I dey look the chicken, the chicken dey look me. E just blink, pretend like say e no know wetin dey happen. As the sacred cranes bow for my chicken, I know say my wahala just dey start.