Chapter 2: The Scream and the Warning

When I reach office, only half of people show.

I ask our cleaner, mama Bose, she say, "Rain wan fall, na why people no show." But me, I know say na something else dey happen.

Everybody dey talk about one celebrity wey talk something yesterday. Nobody sabi say anything fit dey near Palm Grove.

Na so Naija people dey carry celebrity matter for head, but nobody dey look news wey dey happen for corner. My mind just dey fly.

That scream and gbim! wey I hear for morning still dey echo for my chest, my heart dey beat like talking drum.

I dey try drink water, my hand dey shake. I remember say mama say if your heart dey beat anyhow, drink garri, calm down. But no garri for office, na fear full my chest.

I no fit hold myself, I message one colleague wey dey live for Palm Grove too. She reply sharp sharp: “Abeg, comot from City as you fit.”

I read the message twice. My body cold. My leg dey shake inside office shoe. For Lagos, when person say "comot," e mean wahala don pass your power.

My heart squeeze, fear come double. To type self dey slow me, I just call her.

As I press call, my finger dey slip for screen. My mouth dry. I dey hear my own heart.

She pick after one ring. I hear airport announcement for background. Before I talk, she lower her voice, rush talk: “Dem go lock city by 8 a.m. tomorrow. If you fit run, run. Buy food, buy as much as you fit.”

Na so call end.

She just end am like that. No explanation, no talk. Lagos style—if you know, you know.

She send me video.

The video na St. Joseph Hospital, camera pan from emergency entrance enter inside ER.

As dem enter, I fit see blood for ground, people dey run up and down, nurse dey shout for Igbo: "Hold am! Hold am!" Fear just dey catch everybody.

One man wey wear hospital gown, even as four people dey hold am, break free small, just bite one person arm—blood just splash everywhere.

I nearly drop my phone. You never see that kain wahala. The man wey dem hold just dey shout, but the patient don bite im hand like say na suya.

Thirty seconds later, the man wey dem hold begin shake, collapse. Video cut.

Fear grip me. The scream wey that man shout, e still dey ring for my ear. This no be Nollywood—na real life.

One kind fear wey I never feel before, just land for my chest, like say person dey hammer me with pestle.

Fear no get level like this before. I dey sweat but my hand cold. E be like say na dream.

I no be person wey dey believe everything wey I see online.

Normally, I go say na fake. But this one, blood too real, wahala too much. I dey reason, "God, abeg, protect me."

But that time, one word just dey flash for my mind.

I dey force myself no talk am, but e dey shout for my head. My mouth dry pass harmattan.

I jump stand up from my chair. My colleagues dey look me, I just bow head talk say emergency dey house, I need go.

I no fit look dem eye. My body dey shake. I just grab bag, waka fast like say I dey run away from police.

Oga shock, maybe e dey think say na family wahala, so e tell me make I go, even give me one week off.

I thank am, but for my mind, I dey pray say make everybody find way out. E no go good if person dey here when kasala burst.

I push that unthinkable word comot for my mind, call Bolt. As I dey wait, I call my papa.

Bolt dey come, but I use my second phone call papa. I dey sweat for palm, voice dey tremble.

For call, I tell am make e drive go Makurdi now now, say I dey come house today.

My papa dey work for Jos, almost 400km from Makurdi. Even though na Monday, as papa wey love im pikin, if I say I dey come home, e go rush motor park sharp sharp.

E talk, "My baby, hope no be wahala?" I say, "No wahala, but abeg, just dey ready." Papa sabi me—if I call like that, e know say something dey.

But for phone, e still dey wonder why I wan come back like that.

E say, "You sure say you dey alright? Work no sack you?" I just laugh small, say, "No worry, papa. I go explain later."

Bolt don almost reach. I no get time to explain, I promise to call am once I drop.

For Lagos, you no fit trust traffic. My leg dey shake as I see Bolt number approach.

Today, Ikorodu Road jam pass normal. Even the driver dey mutter, “Ah, wetin dey happen for Lagos today?”

He look back mirror, rub chest, "Madam, you get where you dey rush go? Traffic dey mad o." I just smile, "Bros, abeg, do fast."

Because of that video, my mind dey jump, I dey look back for the car, I no dey feel safe at all.

Everytime I hear siren, my heart dey miss beat. I dey pray say make e just be ambulance, not police dey pursue zombie.

But worry no go solve anything. I breathe deep, with shaky hand, open Travelstart, search direct flight to Makurdi.

My mind dey work like calculator. If flight full now, na wahala be that. My hand dey shake as I dey click.

The earliest flight na 2:40 p.m. from Murtala Muhammed Airport. Only one ticket remain, over 200,000 naira. I no even reason am—I just book am straight.

Normally, I for price or find cheaper flight. But this one, I just buy, no look back.

Then I call my mama.

My heart dey beat as I dey dial. Mama no dey quick answer if she dey market.

Last October, we buy new three-bedroom, two-bath house for Makurdi. Na new estate, so we just collect key for April after dem finish work.

The house dey far from town, dry season still dey finish work for the area. But e dey peaceful, fence high, and neighbors never too full. My mind rest small for that.

But since April, dem don dey get outbreak, so to go back na 14 days isolation, we never even see the house.

Even as dem talk say Makurdi dey safe, this new news don scatter plan. My mama dey always dey complain say she wan see her garden grow. I dey pray make zombie no near her ugu.

As she pick, before she talk, I ask for the new address, tell her make she leave work now, say I dey come today.

Mama voice dey strong, "Wetin happen? You well?" I say, "I dey come. Abeg, just get house ready."

My mama just refuse. She be correct chemist, if I no get good reason, she no dey gree. But as I be her pikin, I tell her say I don buy plenty food, say make she cook for me tonight—especially goat meat wey go spoil if I no come—she begin vex say I dey waste money, but she still take leave go house.

She hiss for phone, "You dey spoil pikin. Na now now you dey come?" But I hear am close shop key, dey rush go house. I smile, my mama dey do like lion, but na she go first run for me.

After the call, the car finally clear traffic, enter Abuja Expressway.

Driver face relax small. "Madam, at least this side dey move. Lagos wahala no go kill person."

Cars still full road, like rush hour. I dey wonder if others hear something, dey try escape like me…

I see some people dey pack bag, children full back seat, mama dey breastfeed for inside car. Lagos don dey move like migration.

Time no dey. I open Jumia app, put new house address, wan order from supermarket.

Network dey mess up, but I no gree. I just dey click refresh like say my life depend on am.