Chapter 2: When Fear Get Uniform

"Everybody go back your seat. We go handle am."

Two railway police come, begin scatter crowd. Dem lock toilet, leave small road pass.

Police dem carry baton, shout 'make una go sit down!' Even people wey no dey hear English understand fear. Na so everywhere slow small.

People wey go back their seat start to dey talk:

"Person dey kill for this train."

Some dey whisper, some dey talk for phone, voice dey tremble.

"This one wicked o. Two people don die."

The news spread like wildfire. Even the okada man for back of the train don hear.

"No way. Next stop, I must come down."

Person voice strong, but na fear dey push am. Others dey nod, some dey even dey pack bag.

Another person disagree, "I no fit come down. After killing, the killer go wan escape. If e come down with us, na more danger."

This one get sense, but fear still dey inside e voice. People dey look am, dey reason whether na truth or not.

Many people reason am.

Dem dey talk, dey argue small small, but nobody really sure the right thing to do.

But some people no send: "Abeg, which time we dey? Killer no fit run. Railway police dey, dem go catch am. Make una relax."

This one dey try form hard man, but e own hand dey shake too. Na so e be for Naija—fear dey, but pride no gree allow person show am.

The talk for train come slow down.

Tension thick, as if everybody dey hold one breath. Even children wey dey cry before, don calm down.

I look Third Uncle. E just dey look everywhere, like person wey dey fear make nobody near am. E make me feel say even railway police no fit handle that thing.

The way e dey watch every face, I begin dey check my own reflection for glass. Who know whether my own face dey change too?

I wan tell people the truth, but I reason am, say e no go help. If everybody panic, e go worse. That thing fit use chance. Now, e dey kill for toilet wey people no plenty. If crowd scatter, e fit start to kill anybody.

I remember say if crowd panic for Nigeria, na stampede go kill pass. So I lock up, hold my mouth.

Still, some people dey reason am. Dem begin whisper:

"You sure say na human do am? See that wound. Even blade no fit cut like that."

Person dey touch chin, dey look side. Fear dey their eyes, but curiosity still dey.

Another person agree, "True. Killer no go do all this show. One cut don do. Which kind beef go make person cut another person into two?"

The way e talk am, e eyes wide. Some people dey nod, dey remember all the Nollywood films wey dem don watch.

People begin discuss. Two things come out:

One, killer no need do all this. To cut person into two, if na human, e go make noise.

Dem dey argue, 'no way person go do am so quietly.' One woman dey shake head, dey pray.

Two, killer no dey craze. To do this kind thing go waste time. Even mad killer no go risk make dem catch am.

Person for back talk, 'Even madman dey fear crowd.'

So, only one thing fit do that wound: Na something wey fit cut person into two with one blow.

Silence. Even fly no gree buzz. If na true, e mean say wetin dey inside train na wetin people no fit fight. Some dey cross themselves, others dey recite Quran under breath.

Everywhere quiet. If na true, e dey fear. People no even know wetin do am. If na killer, dem go still believe police fit catch am. But now…

The fear thick pass ogiri. Even police dey sweat. Everybody dey look each other, dey suspect shadow.

Third Uncle no send all the talk. E just siddon, e face white, dey shake, e eyes dey waka like person wey dey think deep.

E eyes dey red, sweat for face. E never even wipe mouth. I know say e dey reason escape plan for head.

I drag him sleeve. E finally wake up, sigh, "I no expect say that thing go follow us reach here."

E voice sound like regret. E look me for eye, then look away. As if e dey talk to spirit.

As e talk reach there, e close mouth.

E seal mouth sharp, as if e remember something. I dey look am, dey wonder wetin e hide.

I look am, begin wonder if e really be good person. This our trip home just come from nowhere. We leave better security work—never even collect half salary. Last night, Third Uncle find me for night, buy ticket go house sharp sharp, say Mama Nkechi dey sick. But before we enter train, I call Mama Nkechi. She dey fine. Same time, I see news say our company dey suspend work. That company big o, people dey talk say dem get connection for Abuja. We be security, we no know wetin dey inside. For that kind company to just close—e no make sense.

As I dey remember all this, my mind dey hot. E get as e be.

The one wey shock me pass be say Third Uncle dey check my phone steady, dey confirm news. This our travel fit get reason wey concern company? I no fit decode am.

I even dey reason whether dem wan use us do sacrifice. Na only God know.

Third Uncle look me, talk: "No dey think am. You no go understand. If I no tell you, na for your own good."

E voice low, but e eye no blink. I see pain for am, but e still dey protect me. I remember how e dey fight for me when papa and mama die.

I reason am, come trust am. Since my mama and papa die, Third Uncle treat me like e own pikin. I no suppose doubt am.

E dey always find my trouble, but e love me. For this kind wahala, I gats trust am.

But na that time, I hear engine noise for outside train window. Some men wey wear black coat rush enter. Their boots knock ground kpom-kpom, silence land for train like police checkpoint for night. The bald one for front look everybody, shout: "Make nobody move. Prepare for inspection."

Dem move like soldiers wey dey guard oil well. All eyes face front, even stubborn boys calm down.

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3

The bald man check everywhere, make sure everybody siddon, then e nod.

E face strong, voice loud, e no dey smile. As e move, the men for black follow am, their shoe dey knock ground like police parade for Okokomaiko barracks.

The men in black waka reach everybody, drop one questionnaire for our front.

Dem drop the form sharp sharp, like say time dey pursue dem. The paper even get government logo—e mean say dem no be ordinary.

Somebody vex, "Why I go answer questionnaire?"

The way e shout, na like say e fit fight police. But e eye dey look ground. Fear still dey.

The bald man talk with heavy voice, "Na for your safety. Something don enter here."

Him chest rise, the way e talk, e no get time for story. E look everybody with warning eye.

Many people no happy:

Some dey mumble, others dey knock table. E dey obvious say people dey vex but fear no let dem show am finish.

"Which thing? Talk am well. If not, we no go answer."

Another person ask, "Who una be? Wetin give una right to monitor us? Why we go fill una form?"

One woman wey dey chew kola nut add, 'Abi una be DSS?' Everybody dey suspect government wahala.

The bald man just talk, "No comment."

E eyes strong, voice cold like NEPA office. Even police inside train dey respect dem.

After dem share questionnaire finish, all the men in black just stand gidigba, dey watch everybody.

Dem stand like rock, no dey talk, no dey smile. You go know say e no go better for person wey try nonsense.

One person tire, try waka go. Man in black block am, face strong: "Abeg, answer the questionnaire."

E voice dey soft, but e muscle dey show. The man try shift, but e know say e no go fit win.

The man no send, try waka pass. The man in black just punch am for belle, the guy bend like shrimp.

Everybody shock. E fall, roll for ground, dey hold belle. No be small cry come out e mouth.

Old man near us try calm matter: "Young man, no try fight these people. See as dem stand—dem sabi work."

E voice low, like elder wey dey beg pikin. Na so the young man sit up, hold him pain.

I look well. True, dem stand like people wey dey ready support each other—tactical formation. This one pass my old security team. Na special force dem be. Maybe even...

I dey suspect say dem fit be army wey government no wan make people know.

Everybody understand say we no get choice but to answer questionnaire.

Person wey stubborn before don calm. Nobody wan chop extra blow.

But soon, the form itself bring wahala:

The paper get question wey dey baffle mind. Some people dey scratch head, others dey look side.

"Which kind question be this? These questions dey somehow. How person go answer?"

One woman dey fan herself with questionnaire, dey shake head. 'Na juju?'

I look my own. The question really funny.

Question one: Which of these pictures look most delicious to you?

A. Fine young woman.

B. Baby wey dey smile sweetly.

C. Old man wey bend.

D. One small orange cat.

I look the options, my body cold. Na so everybody dey look their own paper, dey wonder whether na prank. But for my mind, I know say this na serious matter. I look Third Uncle, e no talk—e just dey write quick, sweat dey roll for e face.