Chapter 1: The Secret Unleashed

For the reunion hall, the class prefect Musa Lawal just siddon with eye don red, mouth dey smell burukutu—local drink wey dey scatter head. E lower him voice, like person wey wan drop big secret for market square:

"Make I tell una something. That year, Hajara no kill herself o. Na person push am from that rooftop, I see am clear-clear, no be say dem tell me."

My heart jump like NEPA shock wire.

The way him drop that talk, e be like breeze from grave just waka pass everybody neck. Sweat begin gather for my palm. Even with the AC wey dey blow for inside hall, the kind heat wey rise for my chest no gree come down.

Before I sabi, I don look my old seatmate across the table. He dey look me too.

I shift for my chair, rub my sweaty palm for trouser, try look away but im eye hook me. Na so we eye jam for air, like two goats wey jam for narrow road. As I look am, I see the same thing wey dey burn inside me—fear wey grip me like masquerade for village square, no get mouth, no fit shout, just dey hide for corner.

As our eyes jam, we both see am—fear wey nobody fit talk, dey inside our eyes. I shift, him shift, but the matter no gree leave.

I remember as we dey secondary, na only we two get the kind mind to plan matter. Now, the ghosts of that day come stand for middle of the table, dey look us back.

The people wey push Hajara that year... na the two of us.

The smell of fried fish and stale perfume mix for air as people shift for their chair, but for my body, na only the memory of that night dey hot me.