Chapter 4: Crowd, Gossip, and the Interview

E take me time to recover from shock and fear. I sidon for chair, hand dey tremble. Mind dey wander. I dey reason, "If I no blind, I for don see wetin I no suppose see." Na God really save me.

The young officer name na Officer Lawal, new for police, na him dey take my statement.

His voice dey gentle, get that kain accent wey show say e never too long for force, but e try make me feel safe.

"Make we find quiet place." Officer Lawal tap my shoulder, give me my cane.

As I follow am, cane dey tap ground, sense dey sharp. For this kain crowd, you fit jam wahala if you no dey careful. The way people gather, e resemble when pikin jam accident for street, all area go come out. One woman dey sprinkle salt for ground, dey shout “Blood of Jesus!”

People dey gossip outside police line, I agree—here too noisy.

You go hear all sort of talk: "Chai, see as dem carry dead body o," "Na juju kill am?" Everyone dey yarn like detective.

"Chai, this thing fear person o." One old mama dey pat her chest like say she go faint.

Her voice loud, fit draw attention. For Naija, people dey always ready to shout "Blood of Jesus!" if wahala show.

If e fear you, why you still dey here?

I reason say people like gist pass fear. If police dey, dem go stay till body comot.

"Who die? Who die?" Na one stubborn boy with yellow hair—area pikin, always dey find trouble. Him voice loud, everybody hear am.

No be me, abeg.

I chuckle small for mind. For this kain situation, better make people no call your name.

"I hear say the killer dey craze."

One old man voice, e dey shake but still get energy when talk reach pervert. "Na ritualist, dem say."

"Ehn? How you take know?"

Auntie surprise. Na so market women dey behave, dem go ask, "How you sabi wetin you no see?"

Stubborn boy join mouth: "You no hear? The killer even write something for wall with blood."

Na that kain gist wey go make area people fear to sleep for house that night.

"Abeg, no dey lie."

Another woman shout, voice dey shake. Fear dey everywhere.

"Na true, na the dispatch rider wey call police talk am."

E fit be say the boy exaggerate, but Naija gist dey fly like that.

"Wetin e write?"

People dey push, dey peep wall, no even care say police dey warn them.

Everybody dey fear but still dey curious. Na so Naija people be—gossip fit kill fear. Even old men go come out bench, siddon dey wait for police to talk.

Old man lower voice. After small time, everybody shout. Noise burst everywhere, like fire for bush. I fit hear women clap, men hiss.

As I follow Officer Lawal pass police line, another round of noise burst for crowd. Dem dey point, some dey try snap picture with phone. "No dey snap corpse o!" police dey shout, but nobody hear.

I hear whisper: "Na him be that…?"

I feel their eye dey follow my movement, body dey itch. Blind or not, rumor no dey respect anybody.

"Of course, which other blind person dey here."

I reason say my name go soon enter WhatsApp group for estate. Lagos people sabi spread gist.

"Wahala dey o."

Na so dem dey always talk—if you never hear full story, just say "wahala dey." Gist dey fly for crowd like electric shock. I dey hear, "Na ritualist kill am," "No be him cousin dey Abuja?" Naija people sabi connect story.

Suddenly, person grab my hand—strong grip, like dem wan drag me go TV station. I no fit pull hand.

"Abeg, make we interview you! How e be to dey live with murderer? No dey fear?"

Na woman voice, radio presenter energy. Before I fit answer, another person join. As one start, others gather.

I dey hear different voices, question dey fly like arrow.

"How you feel that time?"

Na so reporter go ask for news: "Were you afraid?"

"You dey fear now, abi?"

Na question people dey always ask like say fear get one answer.

"You sure say you no join hand with killer? You no notice person enter?"

The one pain me pass—how you go ask blind man if e see person enter?

"I feel say na you be murderer, no dey form."

Voice sharp, dem dey try provoke me. I hold tongue, squeeze hand.

"Make you shine eye, dem fit silence you o~"

Some people dey joke for any situation. I for laugh if no be say body dey shake.

Finally, with Officer Lawal help, I escape wahala. E use hand block crowd, guide me waka fast. My cane dey tap ground, I dey follow him shoulder. Even though I no dey see, I fit feel how dem dey look me. That kain stare dey burn skin, especially when you be centre of gist. Ear dey burn from whisper.

After all the shock, as I leave crowd, body weak, mouth dry. My throat dry, tongue heavy—na so I ask, "Abeg, water dey?" My body dey hot, sweat dey my forehead.

Officer Lawal carry me go one small buka near. Buka close to road, scent of fried akara and ogi mix with dust. Some people dey chop, dem dey look us as we enter.

"One espresso, abeg. You nko?"

E dey try form civilised, but for Naija, na only few sabi espresso. I chuckle small.

"Just give me water," I answer, still dey shake. I no fit chop, stomach tight. Mind still dey process everything.

"People dey like murder matter—if e no concern them."

Na true talk. For Naija, people dey rush scene, but when police show, dem scatter.

I nod, face still white. I dey sweat, but hand cold. Body dey act like person wey just dodge bullet.

Officer Lawal try calm me, then start question. Voice soft, but e no waste time. E bring out jotter, ready to write.

"How you take know Awei?"

I adjust seat, voice low: "We dey work together. E dey help me sometimes with computer."

"We dey work for same company."

I add: "E dey always code, me I dey test game sound and touch for disabled people."

"Which company?"

I tell am, add: "Na game company."

E pause, surprise. E fit dey wonder how blind person dey work for game company. I just smile, say, "Disability no be inability, Officer."

E look me somehow. I know wetin dey him mind: blind man for game company?

For Naija, people dey doubt person wey get disability, but I don learn to answer with confidence. I explain say I dey help test things for people wey no dey see—sound, touch, all those kind things.

E jot everything. Sometimes, dem use people like us as face for company, show say dem dey do better. But I know say na just to cover face. Company dey enjoy tax benefit if dem employ disabled people; na why dem employ me.

Na so e be for many company for Lagos. Dem go form say dem dey help, but na tax dem dey reason. For work, na like mascot I be—just dey gist with people every day. Sometimes dem call me for photo, but my real work na to test if blind person fit use their game.

Officer Lawal no too believe. E voice get small doubt. I no blame am. Many never see blind person work for IT company.

"Wetin Awei dey do?"

"Programming."

I talk am straight. E sabi code pass anybody.

He change topic, ask make I talk how yesterday be. Voice calm, but e dey try catch me if I lie. For police, na so dem dey check if story dey match.

I talk true: after work, Awei say e invite colleagues come drink, ask if I wan join. I say no, waka for park, return when party suppose finish. As I waka, I dey think about life, wahala wey blind people dey face. For park, breeze blow my face, frog dey croak for gutter.

"You sabi who come?"

"Kunle ‘Fatty’ Adeyemi, Skinny Monkey, Baldy, and… Smoke Guy and Beard."

I call dem nickname, but I quick remember say police need full name.

"Their real names?"

I give Officer Lawal their names one by one. I add, "Dem dey work with us for company. We dey always hang out."

"Continue."

Officer Lawal voice sharp, jot every word.

"I waka outside small. As I reach house, na around 11:20—no pass 11:30."

I talk am clear. Phone alarm always ring by 11, I dey use am measure time. My steps no dey miss.

"You sure?"

I nod, explain about phone alarm and waka time from park. Officer serious, ask me describe which side of park I waka from; I know say dem go check.

I fit tell am the number of gutter I cross, sound of malam suya stand, how cane jam empty can for road.

"As I come back, na…"

I pause. I remember say as I waka enter, everywhere quiet, door no lock, party don finish. That kain silence heavy, I still dey feel am.

Officer Lawal understand, nod: "Most likely, Awei don die, and the killer never comot."

Voice low, but e hit me like slap. Na so close I dey to wahala.

Doctor say e die between 11 and 1; now be like say na around 11:20, so time don short. For Naija, if person die for night, help dey hard. If killer still dey house, I for no dey here.

"Fit be one of those five kill am?"

I no gree. All of us dey see every day for work. E hard to believe any of dem fit do that kind wickedness. But for this world, face no show heart.

"Neighbours say the five comot around 10:30. But maybe one come back later."

Officer Lawal voice dey reason, no dey accuse. For Naija, people fit talk wetin dem no see.

"But when I reach, door no lock. Anybody fit enter, abi?"

I add, "For this compound, people dey waka up and down."

"No sign say dem fight, nothing lost. We dey suspect na person wey know am, but we go check everything."

I dey think say na true. If na thief, dem for scatter house.

My mind dey run: which of my friends fit do this?

Waiter bring drink. Officer Lawal put sugar, push my water give me. I thank am, sip small. Water cold, hand still dey shake.

"Who sabi spare key under doormat?"

Most of Awei close friends fit know. We never lock with padlock before.

"Awei close friends fit know, but I no sure who. House old, near office, so friends dey come after work. If Awei dey work late, dem use spare key, return am after."

Na so life dey for Lagos. Everybody sabi everybody secret.

"Any of those five get wahala with Awei?"

I pause. I remember Beard dey always complain about promotion. That one pain am, but e still dey drink with us.

"Beard—Emeka Okafor." I talk quick. "E dey always talk say Awei collect him promotion. Two months ago."

I remember the day Beard vex, pour beer for table, talk say e go show Awei say e no be small boy. Beard don complain before. E dey talk am like joke, but sometimes face go hard, voice go shake.

"Still dey drink together if dem get wahala?"

I no know, maybe dem don settle. E just be…

I dey try find words. For Naija, friends fit fight, still chop together.

"Wetin?" Officer Lawal stop to write, look me. Voice low, expect big secret.

"Why you no suspect me? I no want make una suspect me o, but e dey somehow."

I talk am, voice low. I dey reason, "If na me, una for don carry me go station."

"We reason am say you fit kill am, then write that thing for wall to make e look like another person dey when you come back."

Officer Lawal voice steady. E dey try talk say dem no dey bias. The killer use towel from Awei room take wrap finger, write the thing to hide handwriting. For my mind, I dey reason say na smart move. No fingerprint, no trace.

Even though I no dey see, as far as I sabi house, I fit do am. But e no go easy. The way the place neat, only person wey dey see well fit clean everywhere.

"So why una no suspect me?"

"Because the place too neat."

Officer Lawal voice strong, like e dey read from book. For crime scene, small mistake fit expose killer.

Officer Lawal sit well, voice strong, make me fear. E dey talk like person wey don see many case before.

"No sign say dem fight. Awei die as e dey sleep, one knife finish am. Killer need see well to aim. E carry weapon comot, clean everywhere—no fingerprint. That one need person wey dey calm, get sense, and dey see. Same way, Kunle ‘Fatty’ Adeyemi no fit do am."

I dey reason say true talk. Me wey dey blind, I fit miss step, talk less of clean blood.

"Why?"

I press, want hear detail.

"People talk say Kunle drink pass everybody—dem nearly carry am enter taxi. If na him kill Awei, everywhere for scatter. Taxi driver talk am too."

Na so Fatty dey behave—once e don drink, e dey sleep anywhere.

"So na from the other four…"

I dey calculate for mind.

"Three. Seyi ‘Smoke Guy’—get alibi. After e leave, e go chop suya. The suya man remember am. E stay till midnight, no time to kill person."

For Naija, suya man sabi everybody for night. Dem dey watch face.

Three people remain.

Skinny Monkey, Baldy, and Beard—any fit do am, but which one get mind?

My mind: Skinny Monkey with sharp eye, Baldy with hard face, Beard with sly smile. I recall the kain laugh each one get. Skinny Monkey dey sharp, Baldy no too talk, Beard dey smile like person wey dey hide something.

Which one stand for house last night, hold knife, dey watch me?

My hand cold. Mind dey play scenario. Killer dey corner, me waka pass, blood dey drop, knife dey hand.

Two red eyes for dark. One shadow. Breathing wey e dey hide.

I dey picture the way corridor light no reach parlour. If person stand for edge, even person wey get eye no go see am.

Suddenly I remember something.

I press hand for table, say, "Wait, I remember…"

I swallow, wan wet lips, but throat still dry. Tongue stick for mouth, I sip water before I talk.

"Officer… una see any liquid for ground or any mark?"

I dey talk slow, make sure I no forget anything.

"You mean blood? Yes, for door of victim room. Doctor say killer stand there with weapon, blood dey drop."

The detail pain me. The way blood dey drip, e paint one kain picture.

Officer Lawal surprise. Voice get edge, e dey look me like person wey dey hide something.

"How you take know?"

I just smile small. I reason say, "If no be my ear, I for no fit survive for this Lagos."

How I take know?

The answer simple, but weighty. I talk am slow, voice low.

"Because I hear am last night."

Drip. Drip. The sound of blood dey drop for ground.

As I talk am, everywhere quiet. Officer Lawal just dey look me, pen stop for air.