Chapter 8: Spirit and Survival

Na so he take die—fall for water by mistake as dem dey find location. On the seventh day, spirit dey unstable, but e easy to possess living person body—dem dey call am 'borrow body return soul'. E be like say he wan use my body come back. Fear catch me, I no wan even imagine wetin for happen if I no resist.

My leg dey weak, like say ground dey pull me. I remember all those Nollywood tales, how spirit fit use another person body if ritual no complete. Na so I grab my palm-wood charm tight, begin pray small-small under my breath.

After work, I call my master, yarn am everything. He reason small, then ask:

"How the lighter wey he give you be?"

I describe am: "Long, slim, the flame side be like animal paw—cat or dog, all black. The flame green."

My master sigh:

"Na the thing be that. Na soul-stealing fire, dem make am with black cat forearm bone mix with ash. The flame na ghost fire. Anyone wey use am light candle, the soul go dey drawn by the owner of the ash. After seven days, the spirit fit use person body return life. If you no struggle underwater, na him for come up, no be you."

He add, 'Chijioke, no be everything wey shine for Nollywood set be special effect. E get some juju wey real pass film.' He say make I dey bath with salt water every night till shoot finish.

Because the film get plenty juju, altar dey always for set. Anybody wey see bad thing go there pray. The candle and offering from opening ceremony dey there.

Old mama wey dey cook for set, she dey always drop ogogoro for ground before she enter kitchen. Everybody get their own protection.

After I drop call, I go check. Cleaner dey clean table. When she see me, she point three candle stick for corner:

"Uncle Chijioke, these three candle get power—dem dey burn since days, never quench."

The candle dey short, the wax no dey drop. Na only strange breeze dey blow the flame. My body cold as I pick one, check the base—see my fingerprint for there. Na the one I use, press am hard as I dey fear. I bring the candle near my palm-wood charm—immediately, like say water touch am, all three quench once.

Cleaner shout, drop broom, run go back. For my mind, I dey thank God say my master charm work. The set people dey look me, some dey cross self, some dey whisper, 'E get grace.'

The opening ceremony na noon. Now, na 9 a.m.—just small time remain make e reach seven days. I nearly enter big trouble. But my master say, for this kind thing happen, na only dead person no fit run am. E must get living person join body.

As I dey reason, some young logistics boys shout—the crew don dey trend online!

All of us gather dey look phone. As dem dey show video, I dey see myself for water, dey struggle. My heart dey cut—if my wife see this one nko?

Dem record my underwater struggle for HD. Somebody edit am, post online. E no be the first time the film go viral. Before shoot even start, Baba Fatai don announce my comeback for 50th film for Facebook, that one trend already. Even one 'prophet' dey predict say I go die on the 49th day of shoot. The guy don predict plenty celeb fate, him charge pass my own salary per episode!

People dey call radio stations, dey argue for beer parlour, dey place bet for my head like say na football. Some dey send prayer, some dey curse, some dey just dey find gist.

[Mama Nkechi]: 'Una see as dem dey risk person life?'; [Chief]: 'Na movie, abeg. If e die, e don write am for destiny.'

[The prophet dey involved—this fit be Chijioke last film?]

[Insider gist: Chijioke don die for that scene; the rest na stand-in and AI face!]

[True? I no believe. I don pre-order—I go see am myself!']

Online, story just dey fly. The video clear say na crew person leak am. I remember Baba Fatai—he even dey wish make something happen to me. But since shoot start, I never see am. I no fit let the story spoil everything, so I call am myself.

As I dey dial am, my hand dey shake. My heart dey do kpom-kpom. I dey fear say dem fit cancel the whole thing, money go loss, my son fit suffer.

Baba Fatai arrange make we meet for hotel near set. As we jam, he show me him phone—numbers full everywhere.

"Old Chijioke, you sabi wetin be this?"

I shake head. He smile, show all him teeth, voice dey shake:

"Na our film pre-sale money—already 300 million!"

He raise hand, like say he dey do praise worship. Na so greed dey show for him face, but I no blame am. Na Naija we dey—person go dey find breakthrough by any means.

Because the film too sensitive, e no fit enter cinema. Baba Fatai don do deal with streaming site—pay-per-view, 1,000 naira before release, 2,000 after. People don rush buy ticket.

Him even show me email from one big pastor, say 'I dey pray for you, but abeg, send me sneak peek.'

"So no fear the online wahala. Whether na true or lie, as long as people dey talk, na free promo! The dividend wey I promise you—no loss one kobo. Just focus act."

Apart from the one million wey I collect first, Baba Fatai promise me 1% of online money—already pass one million naira. Money na better thing. Chikamso go need plenty care after surgery. I no argue again.

My mind relax small. I reason say, even if film kill me, my pikin go chop well. Money fit make person forget fear.

Before I go, I ask, "You sabi Musa Iliyasu?"

He raise eyebrow, no deny:

"I sabi am. The poor boy wey drown before shoot start. I arrange prayer for am today. Him family collect compensation—no worry."

He even show me receipt for burial ground. Na so Baba Fatai dey arrange things, make everything go silent.

I tell am wetin I see for water and the candle. His face change from surprise to laugh:

"You dey suspect me? Abeg—if na me, why I go risk make something happen to you for beginning? I for wait till near end! Abi make I really use AI face like dem dey talk online? That one dey cost!"

His laugh loud, like goat for harmattan. But for inside, I fit see small fear—no be everything wey person dey joke with.

As he see my serious face, he stop joke. For now, I no suspect am again. But I still dey worry—danger still dey hide, I no know when e go show.

I just dey pray, dey tell my wife make she pray too. For Naija, na prayer be bulletproof.

On my way back, my master call again. He warn me say the soul-stealing fire don burn for days, my life force don almost finish. My body weak, any small thing, spirit fit enter my body. Make I shine eye.

I go buy salt and bitter leaf, bath for night, dey rub small anointing oil for head. I dey hold my master word for heart like Bible verse.

As I drop call, my wife message me: the donor patient don die, Chikamso surgery dey start.

She add small voice note—'No fear, God dey. I dey your side.' My heart warm, tears push for eye, but I no let am fall.