Chapter 5: For Animal Research Centre

As the cat wake, I carry am go Musa office. Musa office dey smell like disinfectant and animal feed—different from my own house wey dey smell of egusi. E dey work for animal research place, but dem no dey keep pet. As Musa see my cat, e look am from head to toe. The cat notice, e fur stand, e back arch high, like say e see big enemy.

E start dey hiss, tail dey do one kind. For research centre, all the other animals dey quiet, but this one dey make noise.

Musa wear glove, hold the cat for neck. The cat try struggle, but e no fit. Musa look me. “You know why e dey behave like this?”

Musa hand strong, but e gentle. Cat dey struggle, I dey feel small pity.

I nod. “E dey fear people.”

Na the only thing I fit think say dey true.

Musa shake head. “No. If cat just dey fear, e go run or keep distance. But if e fur stand like this, na because e see me as big threat—e believe say I fit harm am.”

As Musa dey talk, I dey remember one time wey my mama carry cutlass pursue chicken—na the same fear I see for chicken eye. But this cat own, na full calculation.

I remember say dem dey talk say people wey get strong killer spirit—like butcher—fit make animal freeze. Maybe because Musa dey do animal experiment every day, the cat dey fear am.

For this Naija, dem dey believe say animal dey sense who don kill before. E get as e be.

I begin worry. “You no go dissect am, abi?”

I dey fear, I no wan lose my pet, no matter e wahala.

Musa roll eye. “Abeg, we dey study animal, we no dey harm dem.”

E tap my shoulder, "No fear."

I still dey confuse. “So why e dey fear you like this?”

I no understand this cat psychology matter.

Musa just smile. “You never try do bad thing when you small, and your papa or mama catch you, you come dey fear say your secret go burst? Na the same face your cat get now.”

True talk. When I break plate that year, na so I go dey hide face. My cat dey shame like pikin.

I look the cat—e really dey vex and shame at the same time.

Tail dey wag small, but e eye dey dodge Musa own.

Musa tell me, “Next, I go run some tests for am. E fit get some ancient wild traits..."

As Musa dey talk, e dey arrange paper, write notes, call small boy to bring syringe. I just dey pray say this cat no go jump window run. But for my mind, I dey reason—if this cat get plan, who go save me for here?