Chapter 1: Stranger at the Door

When I small, one man waka enter our shop for Iyana Ipaja, the kind wey dey close to big market. My grandpa just smile greet am, say, "Young man, abeg no vex, we dey do wedding party today—every seat don full."

Na so my grandpa voice soft, full of that old man warmth, the kind wey dey make stranger feel at home, even if e get something dey worry the air. He no too like wahala, especially for wedding day. The shop full with laughter, noise, and smell of jollof, moi-moi, goat meat, and cold bottles of Maltina—people dey chop, dey gist, some dey shout over card game for back. But as this man step in, small chill enter. My cousin Sade whisper for my ear, "Who this man be? See as him face strong, like LASTMA wey catch bus."

The man reply with one kind low, heavy voice, "Spirit bride dey inside this shop."

If you hear the way him talk am ehn, you go think say na thunder dey hide for him chest. Some of the women for the shop just pause their chewing, one woman even drop her spoon, all eye am from head to toe. The way he stand, e no look like person wey dey joke. My little brother squeeze my hand tight, fear grip everywhere.

My grandpa shock for like few seconds, then talk, "How spirit bride go dey here for broad daylight? And everybody wey dey here na from our village—I sabi all their faces. No stranger dey among us."

Even the old men wey dey play draught for one corner look up small, their eyes narrow like person wey dey try remember dream. Grandpa no dey fear easy, but this one touch am. His hands dey tremble small as he adjust his cap. Na so the air stand still, only generator dey hum outside.

As grandpa talk finish, the man just dey look the bride well.

You for see as him eye dey burn, e resemble person wey dey try solve riddle. For Naija, you no dey stare woman too long on her wedding day unless you want wahala. Some of the women for the shop dey whisper, their voice low like harmattan breeze.

The bride dey sit for corner, her head cover with red bridal veil.

The red veil na tradition from our side, to protect bride from bad eye, but today e be like say e dey protect all of us from something wey we no sabi. The colour red dey sharp, even candle for altar dey bow for am. Nobody fit see her face, only her fingers dey show, dem painted with henna like river snake.

Grandpa lower him voice, say, "Young man, today na big day for this family—abeg no cause wahala. Our village far, and everybody na family one way or the other. Abeg, just commot quick quick."

Grandpa dey try use wisdom, the way elders for village sabi calm storm. Him voice get that begging wey no be ordinary—na warning and prayer together. Even my aunty, wey dey notorious for sharp mouth, just keep quiet.

The man come dey worry more. "Uncle, I no come cause trouble. True true, spirit bride dey here. Dead people dey fear sunlight. As e never dark, I fit handle am. But if night reach, everybody for this village go die."

The way him talk, e be like say na true. People for our village dey fear night palava, especially anything wey concern dead body or juju. The man voice dey cold, but steady—nobody fit hear am wey no get shiver for belle. My mama draw her wrapper close.

Grandpa pause small, then say, "Okay, young man, you fit check the shop—but abeg, no disturb the guests. Today na wedding day."

As grandpa talk, some elders just dey nod, some dey tap table gently, as if na sign to appease the spirits. Everybody dey reason their own inside. Grandpa no wan disgrace anybody, but the fear don dey spread small small.

The man nod, waka round the shop two times.

As e dey waka, everybody eye dey follow am. Children even stop play, women hold their mouth, food for hand forgotten. He bend close to each table, look everybody one by one, like person wey dey search for missing money. The only sound na the distant rain wey begin fall for zinc roof. But nobody fit move, because all of us dey wait for wetin the man go find.