Chapter 3: The Eyes That Haunt Me

Uncle Bala’s story.

(1)

My name na Bala Garba, 65 years old. I teach for one university near here before I retire.

This case don old, e don reach almost twenty-five years now.

The case no too complicated or get as e be. Everything clear, evidence dey, and dem don catch the killer since that time, case don close.

Na murder case.

The person wey die na one small pikin wey just enter secondary school, e name na Sade.

Sade disappear one evening when e go waka. Him family find am tire, but nothing.

Na after one week dem find am. Dem see the body for hill, inside small valley by stream.

I no see am with my eye, na my colleague wey house near there tell me. The scene bad no be small;

The way my guy describe am, my body cold. That time na late rainy season, weather no too hot, no too cold.

That time, rain dey fall anyhow, gutter dey overflow, mosquito dey bite like say dem get meeting.

Dem wrap the pikin body inside woven bag. When dem open am, the body don already dey decompose.

Even if you stand meters away from police line, you go still smell the thing—na mixture of rotten flesh, stream water, rain, and that chemical smell wey dead body dey bring.

For Naija, e get one kind way dead body dey smell, e dey hunt you for days. If you chop beans, the aroma go still remind you, na so e be that time. Na that kain smell wey fit make you lose appetite for one week.

My friend think well before e describe am:

“I never smell anything bad like that before, like say goat meat wey don spoil for days, e get one kind sour smell... I no fit talk, but I no pray make I smell am again for my life...”

When dem remove the woven bag, you go see am:

Na girl, about sixteen or seventeen, body get plenty wounds, after days outside, e don spoil well, e even dey scary.

The flies wey gather for there no be here, dem just dey buzz, dey land for every open part.

When doctor from general hospital put am inside body bag, the pikin hand just fall down, dey shake small for breeze.

But the eyes, as if e no rest well, just dey look everybody wey stand there.

Like say e dey try remember all our faces, dey wait to come find us for night.

For this kind scene, old women fit cover their face, some go kneel, pray soft prayer for ground.

The pikin family cry so tey dem faint, police come carry them go.

Na after the health team finish and carry body go, na him some officers stay guard the place.

Later, some brave people waka go check, but nothing remain except pressed grass and some stains, maybe blood or body fluid, soak for ground, turn yellow or dark brown...

Even days after, people dey use stick point the place, children dey fear pass there.

“......”

When I hear this gist, my mind no rest for days.

I go dey sleep, body go dey cold, for dream I go see the pikin eyes.

Especially when my friend talk about the pikin eyes, my body just dey shake.

Since small, I no like wahala, never see anything scary like that before.

For days, sleep no gree me.

My wife sef notice, dey ask if dem pursue me for dream.

“......”

(2)

This kind wicked case scatter our small city.

That year na 2000. News no dey spread fast like now, people dey rely on mouth to mouth.

Still, before two weeks finish, everybody for city don hear am.

Because the case bad, police pressure full ground, dem come decide to use town crier and radio, beg people to bring clue.

If you dey inside bus or you waka for road, na the matter everybody dey discuss. For junction, people go dey point finger, dey talk in low voice, dey fear make spirit no hear.

E work sharp sharp.

Within some days, people begin drop any small thing wey dem see or hear for police. Letters full station, talk no even end.

Some people go carry anonymous note, put for police station box, others go send their pikin with info.

With police work and all the info, dem soon piece everything together.

Finally, dem find the killer——

One 32-year-old man, Musa Danladi, local person, but e dey run...

You see, power of community talk strong.

But as e strong, e get bad side too——

One matter, once e reach everybody ear, people go get different versions.

Some go say the killer be tall like palm tree, another go say he short like yam stick.

One murder case, but different people go feel and act differently;

Some go run station, wan help.

Some go lie say dem see the killer, just to collect reward.

Some, especially parents, go fear say the killer fit still do more.

Some go just dey add their own story join wetin police talk, dey gist others.

Before you know, dem don cook another tale—say the man be spirit or say he fit disappear.

“......”

See as people imagination dey fly?

Different people, different wahala, everything tie to wetin go favour them.

Within some days, everywhere scatter.

Our small city just dey noisy, people dey fear, everywhere dey hot——

Soon, Musa Danladi wanted poster full everywhere.

If you waka for road, you go see im face for transformer pole, for mama put shop, even for church notice board.

Parents dey beg school for leave, police cancel holiday, shop people dey close early.

Even me wey no know anything, police come question me, say I get connection with the victim.

But later, dem check say I dey travel that period, go seminar, so dem free me.

For my area, na so so whisper people dey whisper when I pass that time, but later the matter die down.

“......”

For my mind, the whole drama no end until end of rainy season.

If I remember well, e last pass half month.

(3)

Plenty people think say Musa Danladi don run go another city.

Musa parents die early, wife leave am some years back, pikin die by accident last year. E just get one sister wey no dey well, dem don carry am go special home.

So, Musa no get anything to lose.

Back then, ID control no tight, real name system no dey.

If you get money, you fit find fake ID, buy ticket, waka commot.

Even police relax small.

But na that time, one station get report: person see Musa for city, dey waka near one secondary school.

The city itself, you fit waka for evening, blend with students, nobody go know.

“......”

(4)

That day, I no fit forget am.

Everywhere cloudy, small rain dey fall.

The kind rain wey no strong, but if e touch you, your body go chill.

I buy book for Unity Bookshop, then buy one bottle Fura for small shop.

That time, Fura no be all these plastic or sachet ones, na glass bottle, you go return after you drink.

As I stand for shop, never even open am, I notice crowd dey gather for one school not far, noise just dey increase.

Children dey run, some dey shout, traders dey peep from their stall.

I waka go ask wetin happen—na then I hear one loud sound.

"Bang!"

The sound loud, like thunder, everywhere quiet.

Even the old men wey dey play draughts for gutter stand up, look up. After some birds fly commot, people begin shout.

Somebody shout: "Police don shoot the killer!"

Noise start again.

I squeeze enter crowd, finally hear wetin happen——

From far, I see:

One small pikin dey cry, police dey try calm am.

Another police hold gun, still dey point am at man wey lie down for ground, like say e dey fear the man fit get up again.

Blood just dey flow from him head, form pool.

Musa eyes open, like the pikin wey e kill, dey look everybody wey stand there...

I just freeze, Fura for my hand fall, bottle break.

For that moment, my leg no gree move. That kind day, spirit dey waka for street.

(5)

Later, na from my colleague I hear the full gist.

E get relative wey be police, read Musa file;

Musa na local, work as welder for factory, parents die early.

Sister no dey well, dem put am for special home.

Five years ago, wife run leave am, say dem no match, leave pikin for am.

Last year, Musa pikin fall from building, die immediately. Police say na accident.

So, if you look Musa life, e no easy at all.

People wey know am talk say e no get friends, no dey talk to family, just work and go house.

Since the pikin die, e change, always dey talk to himself, dey claim say e know who kill him pikin.

If you ask am who, e go just say:

"Na the moon, the moon, the moon."

Sometimes, when e dey shout for night, neighbors go call landlord. The thing pain everybody.

Later, two, three months before the killing, Musa resign, talk say e dey go village, then disappear.

But truly, nobody care where e go.

Now, if you think well, Musa resign sef get as e be; e no get village, family dey here.

Police just believe say Musa don dey mad that time.

Yes, once person brain don scatter, anything fit happen.

Later, the murder happen, e show face again.

Musa kill Sade, dump body, then hide for city, dey waka near another school, dey sleep outside for half month.

One day, e enter shop, the owner see say e resemble wanted poster.

The man just behave normal, after Musa commot, e call police, na so everything burst.

After school, Musa resist arrest, grab one student as hostage, try run, police shoot am for there.

People gather quick, some dey shout, some dey pray. Children wey see am that day still dey fear dark.

Dead don waka, police no fit trace why e kill Sade or why e dey waka near school.

No answer.

At last, dem just say Musa mind don spoil because of all the wahala wey e see, so e turn to society enemy.

Na so e end, quick and rough. Na end of Musa life be that.

Neighbours dey gather for compound that day, dey shake head, some dey say, "Na so madness dey spoil person."

Dem even talk say, "When head don knock, na only God fit reset am."

“......”

But even after Musa die, the pikin eyes no gree leave my mind—every night, I dey see am for dream, dey ask me question.