Chapter 5: Night of Spirits

Grandpa talk, "Make una no fear. Bulb don blow—I go change am."

He climb stool, change bulb. Shop bright again.

Some boys for back dey hail, "Grandpa na electrician!" People begin smile small, relief dey body.

Kunle just dey laugh, dey eye the man. "You hear am, fool? My wife don talk. Oya, commot from here."

Kunle voice get pride, him chest dey come out. He dey use laugh drive fear go.

The man face come hard. "No be the bride talk."

The way he talk am, everybody freeze. Some look at him like person wey dey see spirit, others dey frown, say e don overdo.

Kunle just point am, dey curse, "You dey craze! Na my wife talk—everybody hear am! Try cause wahala again, I go finish you!"

Kunle voice get warning, as if e dey talk to stubborn goat.

Grandpa look the man strong. "Young man, na Kemi voice we hear. If you no stop this your wahala, I no go fit help you. Abeg, commot now."

His voice firm, like stone. For Naija, once elder talk like this, you suppose gree.

The man frown. "Uncle, my ear sharp well. When NEPA take light, the voice come from southwest, but bride dey sit for north. No be she talk. Person dey plan something—wan use spirit bride kill people."

People hiss, some dey argue. "Which kind ear sharp reach like that?" But fear still dey the air, even if people dey pretend.

Thunder blast again, my ear begin ring.

The thunder too near, as if spirit dey answer him. Some women hold their ear, others dey call God.

Everybody dey look each other, dey whisper.

The whisper dey sharp—"You believe am?" "Maybe na ogbanje dey do this girl." Rumour dey fly like mosquito.

Grandpa don vex. "Young man, abeg go. No come scatter everywhere. If you vex villagers, you no go fit commot."

Grandpa voice don reach that point wey even pikin know say e mean am. Him face hard, eye dey red.

He try push the man go door, but the man no gree move.

E stand for ground, like tree. The courage surprise even the elders. Some boys dey push am small, but e no budge.

The man dey beg, "Uncle, if we no destroy spirit bride, nobody for hundred miles go survive."

The way him voice dey crack, e resemble person wey get last warning from spirit. Some old women dey cry, "Abeg, make una hear am o!"

Grandpa shout, "Face your own! Commot!"

For village, once elder raise voice like this, na final. Even masquerade dey fear am.

He push the man outside, close door. Rain dey fall scatter, everywhere don dark.

People dey adjust their seat, some dey whisper prayer. The atmosphere heavy like market before Sallah.

The man dey knock door, voice dey shake. "Uncle, something dey wrong with the bride! Since I enter, she never move, like person wey dem nail for ground. She no look alive at all!"

For our side, bride dey shy, but no be like dead person. The knock dey loud, the rain join am, as if ancestors dey protest. Some people begin shift chair far from bride.

Thunder crack again, everybody skin just dey pepper. "Sango dey vex!" someone shout, hands raised to heaven.

Na so goosebumps full everybody hand, the children all run go hide behind their mothers. You fit hear pin drop inside shop.

Villagers dey whisper, all eyes turn face the bride.

Nobody dey talk again, only eye dey do waka waka. People dey wait, like say something big wan happen.

Kunle shout, "Why una dey look my wife? She talk just now—una all hear am! Why una wan believe that mad man?"

Kunle voice dey tremble, but he try cover am with anger. He dey look people like say dem betray am.

Na that time, the bride hand just shake small.

Her fingers twitch, the henna catching the lantern light, like snake wey just wake. The movement small, but everybody see am. Some women grab their beads, start to pray.

Kunle smile, "You see am? My wife hand move!"

He smile with relief, try use am convince the crowd. Some people nod, others still dey fear.

That moment, the man voice come from outside, dey panic, "E go soon dark! The prayer paper no fit hold again—abeg open, make I destroy am!"

His voice dey desperate, rain dey wash am enter shop. The elders dey whisper, "Wahala dey o!" The tension for air thick reach to cut with knife. Night don land. And for our side, na that time spirit dey show true colour.