Chapter 2: Who Be the Spirit Bride?

Grandpa whisper, "So, you see the spirit bride?"

Grandpa voice shake, but e still try hide am under smile. He look at the man as if he dey beg God say make everything end there.

The man shake head. "No."

Some people just sigh relief, others still dey look the bride, their mind no sure.

Grandpa just release one big sigh and smile. "You see am? I tell you before—how spirit bride go dey waka for broad daylight?"

He even use his hand wipe imaginary sweat for him head. People begin murmur, say maybe the stranger just dey find attention. My uncle for back hiss, "Nonsense!"

But the man come ask, "Uncle, how the bride take enter the shop?"

As e ask, all attention shift again. For our village, how bride enter wedding dey very important—na sign say blessing or wahala go follow marriage. Even the pastor wey dey prepare for prayer just pause to hear answer.

Grandpa frown, "Normally, na the groom go carry the bride enter, her leg no dey touch ground. But Kunle twist him back, so four young men carry her enter."

The way grandpa talk am, you go feel say he dey justify himself to the ancestors. For our side, if bride leg touch ground anyhow, e fit spoil blessing.

The man face come change. "Four people to carry one bride? She heavy well well."

Some women begin whisper, talk say, "Hope say no be ogbanje wahala o!" For Naija, anything wey heavy pass normal dey get people suspicious. Some dey do sign of the cross.

Him just dey look the bride strong.

He bend neck like person wey dey check for masquerade under veil. Even the drummers for outside slow down, as if them too dey watch.

Grandpa voice come sharp. "Wetin you dey talk?"

Grandpa no like the look for the man eye, so him voice rise, try warn am make e no overstep. For elders, na disrespect to dey doubt wedding ritual.

The man narrow him eyes, whisper, "I dey suspect... na the bride be the spirit bride."

That whisper heavy. The kind silence wey land so, even cockroach for floor stop run. My cousin choke on zobo, start cough small.

Grandpa burst laugh. "Young man, when I small, I see real spirit bride. Dem no get sense—if dem see living person, dem go jump pounce, suck blood. How one go dey sit down quietly among people?"

He laugh with chest, but if you look well, you go see say the laugh dey shaky. He wan use story chase away fear. People dey nod, some dey say, "True talk, Baba."

The man no remove eye from the bride. "But if dem paste prayer paper for her forehead nko?"

People gasp. Prayer paper na old Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo remedy—mix of scripture and native chalk. Everybody know say if wahala dey, na so dem go paste am for pikin head, even fowl no dey cross am. The idea say dem fit use am for bride shake everybody.

As grandpa hear this one, him eyes open wide, fear flash for him face. Him voice dey shake. "No be possible... abi? All of us na from the same village. If spirit bride dey here, nobody go survive."

Some people cross themselves. Others dey whisper prayer under breath. My grandma just dey mumble Psalm 23, her hand dey shake.

The man no talk again, just dey look the bride, dey waka go meet her.

E take boldness to step near bride for wedding day, but the man just dey go. Him steps slow, like person wey dey approach shrine. My heart begin beat fast.

He never reach one meter before Kunle block am.

Kunle fit dey drink, but that day, as he stand, e get muscle like village wrestler. E be like person wey fit uproot palm tree.

Kunle, wey don drink, just point am. "Who you be sef? Since, you just dey waka up and down, dey look my wife. Wetin you want, you wan thief bride?"

The way Kunle shout, the bottle for his hand shake. Some boys for his back already dey roll sleeve, ready for gbege. The women for kitchen don pause, dey peep from curtain.

As he talk am, all the people for table stand up, ready to tear the man.

Noise just scatter—somebody shout, "Carry am go outside!" Even small pikin begin cry. Na so you go know say wedding dey turn to commotion. Some women clap hand over head, shouting, "Abomination!"

The man stand gidigba. "I no come thief bride. Spirit bride dey this shop—I suspect na the bride."

His voice no even shake, even as crowd dey close on am. The confidence wey dey him face na only person wey see things fit get.

Kunle just point him finger for the man face, dey curse, "Your own wife na spirit! You just come here to find trouble. I go beat you die!"

Kunle voice dey thunder, saliva dey fly. Him chest dey move up and down. Some of the men dey shout, "Beat am!" Women dey beg make fight no spoil wedding.