Chapter 3: The Scar and the Test

After dem drink wedding wine, Timi talk softly: “You don wait since—your body no tire?”

Him voice get that kain tired sweetness, like person wey just finish running but still wan show say him dey care. For spirit world, my chest twist, jealousy dey rise like pepper for eye.

He begin help Ozioma remove her heavy wedding crown. “Remove am first, if not your neck go pain you.”

Timi hand gentle, no rush. He dey careful like say he dey touch porcelain. The movement slow, but e get meaning. Even Ozioma spirit sef dey enjoy the pampering.

Him voice soft, him eyes dey smile.

The light from candle reflect for him eyeball, make am gentle, almost loving. If no be say I know the real Timi, I for think say na movie I dey watch.

I never see this side of Timi before.

I dey reason am: na me he ever help remove headtie or even help loose my braids before? Never. Timi always dey do like person wey get hand for only him pocket.

Ozioma just happy, dey obey, her eyes no dey leave am at all.

She dey look am like say she wan swallow am with eye, her smile dey spread reach ear. Na so spirit dey behave when dem see wetin dey sweet them.

“You no dey fear me before?” Timi look her, him voice calm.

Even as him talk am, I notice say Timi voice get one deep edge, like say he dey throw question inside well to see how e go echo.

“That time I small,” Ozioma answer gently. “Now you be my husband. How I go fear my own husband?”

Her voice dey like honey for warm pap, soft, dey soak person ear. She look Timi with all her fake innocence.

Timi no talk again, him eyes just dey look Ozioma.

For one moment, I swear say Timi eye flash something strange—like say him dey calculate, dey measure her soul. My spirit fit feel the cold, like breeze from river at midnight.

For one moment, e be like say him eyes pass through her, come dey look me.

My heart jump. For spirit world, I freeze. Wetin? He fit see me?

My body just stiff.

I no fit even move. I dey pray say make he really see me, make he remember the real me.

But I remember quick: I be just small spirit now—he no fit see me.

As the thought enter my head, I feel cold. Only spirit fit see spirit, no be human.

“The necklace wey you wear, e resemble something.”

Timi eye dey shine small as he dey look the bead, voice low but steady. I know say Timi memory sharp—he no dey forget anything.

Ozioma touch am, happy. “Na my husband give me for my birthday. But before our wedding, one house girl break am, one bead fall. This one na replacement. Husband, you no go vex, abi?”

She dey twist the bead for finger, eye dey shine as she dey lie. E shock me how she fit lie with sweet face.

Timi narrow him eyes, but no talk further.

Him lips press together, face no show anything, but I sabi Timi—e dey watch.

Dem talk small—na mostly Ozioma dey talk, Timi just dey listen.

She dey yarn all the small, small things I go talk if na me—about the food, the wedding stress, how my leg dey pain me. Timi just dey answer ‘ehn’, ‘okay’, like person wey dey wait bus for park.

He reply sometimes, maybe small palm wine dey worry am, him mind no dey really there.

I suspect say Timi dey think another thing. Na the only way I fit explain the way him eye dey wander round room.

When moon reach up, Ozioma just blow off candle.

She stretch reach bedside, candle die with small sound. Darkness just cover everywhere, only small moonlight dey leak from window.

For darkness, I hear cloth dey move as Ozioma hug Timi.

The sound soft, like wrapper wey dey slide for bare skin. For my spirit ear, e loud pass drum.

I hear her, with my voice, dey whisper: “Husband, I dey cold. You fit hold me?”

Her tone dey gentle, almost like wetin I go talk if I dey shy. She draw closer, her body dey seek warmth, her arm dey wrap Timi waist like rope.

Soft body, sweet smell, red candle, warm bed—everybody know wetin fit happen next.

This na the part wey girls dey talk for kitchen after wedding. Na here dem dey measure love.

But Timi tell her no.

Him voice come out steady, but gentle. "No vex."

“I don drink too much today, I dey drunk. If we do am now, e no go good for you. Make we rest early.”

He yarn am like say na concern, but spirit eye fit see the wall he dey build.

Even as he refuse, him voice still gentle, like say him no want make she vex.

He rub her back small, whisper say, “Sleep, make you get strength.” My spirit twist—if na me, he no dey ever do even like this.

I no know why, but my chest just heavy.

Spirit no suppose feel pain, but as I dey look Ozioma dey enjoy wetin no be her own, my own spirit dey ache like say na pepper soup dey boil for my inside.

Na because I die, or na because of Timi attitude? I no fit talk.

If to say I dey alive, I go find old mama for village make she run test, because this kain heartbreak dey kill spirit sef.

As soon as Timi comot, Ozioma face change.

Her smile wipe, her eye sharp like knife. She stand for mirror, dey twist the bead wey hold my eyeball, mouth dey form small smile. Person no go know say she fit wicked reach this level.

She smile like innocent person, dey touch the bead wey get my eyeball. “You dey always talk say Timi dey fierce, say na wahala man, but see as he gentle with me. E mean say he really like me.”

She dey brag, dey talk as if na achievement to collect another person husband. The way she dey fondle the necklace, e dey like jazz woman for old tori.

“You too dey fear—how he go like you?”

She turn to my spirit, eyes dey mock me. As if say I dey useless, say na fear no let me enjoy life. The laugh wey she laugh no get joy.

“To be human sweet well well. From today, papa, mama, brother, even my husband, all of them go love me.”

Her voice dey firm, like person wey don swear oath. As she dey talk, the room cold small. I dey fear say her power dey grow.

I look her bright smile, my heart just dey pain me.

Spirit tear dey different, e cold. I just dey float, dey watch her dey enjoy my home, my people, my happiness.

Yes, she be spirit, nobody fit catch her.

She don dey move about like madam, dey command everybody. Even small things, she go form say she sabi pass me.

She go dey live as me.

And me, I go just disappear.

Spirit world dark, no sound, no family. I dey fear make I no turn to wind wey dey blow for nothing.

But I no gree.

I swear by my mother’s grave—this spirit no go chop my life finish. Thunder go fire am if I no get justice.

I think say, after all, she no be me.

No matter how she try copy my way, the real Chika still dey somewhere. My family know my spirit, abi?

Papa, mama, brother… one of them go notice, abi?

Dem gats notice. If not, I go disturb all of them for dream till dem see truth.