Chapter 6: Earthworm’s Touch

As I lie for bed, I dey look my wife wey dey breathe steady beside me, dey tell myself make I no sleep.

Her face soft, innocent. You no go believe say na the same person wey dey turn my life upside down. For my mind, I dey think: na which day I offend spirit wey enter this kind marriage?

If she really get bad plan, I need dey ready to run any time.

I dey try dey sharp, dey look for clue for her movement. My hand under pillow, dey hold small pen knife wey I dey use open gala.

After all, she be woman. I be man, she no fit strong pass me—na so I dey console myself.

Na so all those men for Nollywood dey talk before dem kpai. But I hold my mind strong.

Everywhere quiet. I dey hear my own heartbeat, e dey loud, dey quick.

Just as I feel say my heart wan jump comot, my wife move for bed.

Her body shift small, wrapper fall from her shoulder. I dey pray make she no catch me dey peep.

I close my eyes, pretend say I sleep, but my body dey ready.

"Honey."

I no answer.

"Honey, you dey awake?"

Her voice soft, e sweet like person wey dey beg for forgiveness. But I no wan talk.

She move close, enter my arms as she talk.

Her body cold, skin dey soft, she wrap hand for my chest. The way she sigh, e be like say she dey search for something.

My fear small, I come dey reason maybe na that person set camera to dey watch me, and my wife just wake normal.

I dey convince myself say maybe na all this tension dey make me dey imagine things.

As I wan hug her, I feel something dey crawl for my neck—cold, wet, slimy.

Just like...

Earthworm.

The way the thing touch my skin, I freeze. My mouth wan shout but nothing come out. My head dey turn. I dey see light wey no dey.

My body just burst cold sweat, then my mind start fade.

Before everything black, I hear my wife voice faint:

"Brother, e don almost finish. E sweat too much—good. You go soon come back to me."

Her voice no be like her own. E deep, e echo. Na so I waka enter blackness.

I dey wonder if I go see next morning, or if na my ghost go dey waka for compound.