Chapter 5: Where Spirit and Shadow Drag Space

That night, I jump climb roof, dey look the whole Tobi house. Everywhere full with strong luck—the kind wey dey for people wey get better heart. True correct family. From wetin I see, everybody for house, from oga to housegirl, dey gentle, no wahala. So wetin be this thing wey dey worry me about Tobi? Abi na me dey overthink? Maybe make I first meet those two pikin.

As I dey squat for zinc, I dey smell the sweet scent of night flower. The house dey peaceful—no quarrel, no shout, just small radio sound from one window. For night like this, old people dey talk say na only person with clean mind fit sleep well.

Next day for lunch, as special guest, dem arrange party for me with Mama Tobi. Tobi family no too plenty—three generations but only one pikin each time. For this generation, na only Tobi be son. With that kind family, e even make sense say dem no dey rush my sister to born. If Bola and Kemi really no be Tobi own, nothing spoil if dem adopt them. But my mind still dey reason another plan fit dey.

For big family like this, dem dey always protect their own, but if you no get pikin, e fit make people talk. So I dey watch, dey learn the family style.

I just dey chop my food quietly.

I dey listen more than I dey talk. For Naija, na so you go sabi who dey who.

"Yinyin, you like the food for this Abuja?"

Mama Tobi dey look me with soft eye, like say she dey judge if I go make good in-law.

"Thank you, madam. The food sweet well—I like am."

I add, "Especially the jollof—na better hand cook am." The moin-moin dey wrapped for leaf, steam still dey rise, and the jollof rice red like new Ankara. I see her smile wide, she nod like say I pass test.

"Good, as long as you like am."

Her voice steady, but her eye still dey watch me. Na so I know say she dey try draw me inside family circle.

My sister softly put moin-moin for my plate.

She dey do am with love, small whisper for my ear, "Yinyin, make sure you chop well."

"Yinyin, chop moin-moin—na your favourite."

Her voice warm, but as I see the moin-moin, my belle just twist.

I look the moin-moin for my plate, cover my mouth as my belle turn me.

My hand dey shake small as I push the plate. I try form smile, but my mind dey somewhere else.

"Ugh."

I almost choke. The memory of that fish bone still dey my throat, even after many years.

When I small, fish bone almost kill me. Since then, anything wey get fish dey make me wan vomit.

Even for village, Mama go always separate fish from my own plate. Everybody for house sabi say fish no be my friend.

"Yinyin, wetin happen?" my sister ask, worry full her face.

She dey look me like say she no believe wetin she dey see. My sister wey always dey remember small small detail.

I look her, no fit talk, just dey feel bad.

I dey pity her, but inside, my mind dey suspect say something no pure.

"Sister, you no even remember say I no dey fit chop fish again?"

I talk am soft, no want shame her. But I dey hope say she go catch herself.

She freeze, real confusion for her face. "You no dey chop fish?"

Her mouth open small, like person wey dey see ghost. E shock me say she forget.

But Mama Tobi face flash panic before she hide am quick.

Her hand shake as she grab napkin, quick arrange her face back to smile. Na old woman wey sabi hide feeling.

"If Yinyin no fit chop fish, abeg no force am. Housegirl, comot am."

She talk am sharp, like say she no wan make the thing linger. I dey wonder if na fear or na shame dey make her talk fast.

That time, Tobi voice come from door.

The way he take enter, you go know say e dey always alert. He get that kind business man walk—quick, steady, but still friendly.

"Yinyin, dem offend you?"

He enter, hold two small pikin for hand. Mama Tobi face light up.

As the children hold am, you go see say dem love am. The small one even try climb him leg.

"You talk say you no fit come na."

Mama Tobi voice carry small complain, but e get joy inside.

"How I go miss Yinyin party? Bola and Kemi say dem must see their mama, na e make we late."

His voice carry pride, like say the children na him own.

Mama Tobi wave make the children come. "No wahala, come sit."

She pull chair for them, rub their head. The whole scene soft, family love full ground.

Housegirl serve them, put extra moin-moin for Kemi. The two pikin fine well, you see say dem dey pamper them. The small girl shout, "Moin-moin sweet die!"

Her mouth full, but she still shout. Everybody for table laugh. For Naija, if pikin dey happy, e mean house dey happy.

No be only Kemi—Bola too dey rush moin-moin. As I dey look them chop, then look my own untouched moin-moin, something click for my mind.

I dey watch as Kemi break moin-moin, share small for Bola. The two of them dey behave like brother and sister wey don stay together long.

Mama Tobi notice my face, rush explain my sister mistake.

Her voice quick, she dey try smooth the matter make e no cause wahala.

"Yinyin, Nnenna dey care for Bola and Kemi well, maybe na why she mix up their favourite food with your own."

She dey laugh small, like say e be simple mistake. But I fit sense say e dey try hide another thing.

I nod, act like say I understand.

I smile, say, "No wahala, na so family dey forget small small." But I dey mark am inside.

"My sister always dey soft, dey kind. The children dey behave well—if dem dey chop fish, dem go sharp for head."

I talk am with praise, but also dey throw small shade—make dem know say I dey notice everything.

Mama Tobi eyes shine with joy.

She dey proud as if na her pikin dem dey talk about. For old women like her, if pikin dey happy, na blessing.

"Your papa and mama no dey come Abuja often, Yinyin. Now wey you dey here, we get something to talk. When you go back, tell your parents."

Her voice steady, she dey prepare ground for important family matter. I adjust my wrapper, ready to listen.

I drop my spoon, listen.

I put both hand for lap, look her eye to eye, make she know say I dey take her serious.

"Nnenna never get belle for three years. We wan adopt Bola and Kemi for her hand, so she go get person to lean on for future."

Her voice soft, but the meaning heavy. For our place, if you no get pikin after three years, family go begin suggest adoption or new wife. But the way she talk am, e get respect and care.

I don already check—these two pikin no get blood tie with Tobi. So no be him children. If my sister never born, to adopt or make Tobi carry another wife na normal for big family. House like this need pikin to continue name. But the pikin wey I see for Tobi destiny, I still wan find the real story. When time reach, my sister go decide wetin she want.

For Naija, name and lineage matter pass money. I dey respect say dem dey consider my sister happiness too.

I shine teeth.

I show big smile, let the matter rest for now.

"Bai family dey support anything my sister want."

My voice loud, make dem know say na our decision, no be only Tobi family own.

My sister eyes open small. "I gree make I adopt Bola and Kemi."

She talk am with calm, but I dey see something new for her eyes. Like say she get new hope, even if na small.

Her reaction surprise me. Yesterday night, she dey worry about am; today, she dey happy. The rest for table dey smile—even Tobi wey no dey show emotion, him face dey shine. But me, I no fit smile. I dey look my sister face, again and again.

Inside my heart, I dey ask, 'Na true happiness be this?' I dey look for that small twinkle wey my sister always get when she dey happy.

Na her face be this, but she no dey act like herself. My sister always dey think, dey feel things. Now, she dey like person wey no get soul. No soul?

For our place, dem go say, 'If person dey forget who e be, spirit don waka small.' I dey shiver inside.

My heart jump. The way she dey forget things just be like person wey part of her spirit don comot. Somebody fit try that kind thing? But I shake the thought—my sister body still get the full three souls and seven spirits.

*Footnote: For our belief, person get three souls and seven spirits, na them be different part of your mind and life force.

For our elders, if you get all your souls and spirits, na good sign. If e miss, wahala fit dey come. But my spirit dey tell me say matter still dey deep.

So wetin dey cause all this?

I dey reason, dey pray, dey plan. My mind no go rest until I find the real answer.

For this house, spirit and shadow dey drag space. I no go let any strange hand touch my blood.