Chapter 1
Past midnight, I changed position by turning over when I started hearing a sound—“Turruuuu, turruuuu.” What a strange sound! It came at intervals. Who would I call? Absolutely nobody. Fear gripped me.
Oh, I forgot to mention that I just moved into the apartment about two weeks ago. Thoughts ran through my mind, and I couldn’t sleep until daybreak. The one question I kept asking myself was, “Does this happen every day, and what exactly is that sound?” I couldn’t call or message anyone. I sat quietly on the bed with my legs crossed, my palms resting on my cheeks.
Suddenly, I heard a knock on my door. “Ahhhh… knock ke?” I jumped up like a chased dog, shivering, and reached for my phone. I checked the time—it was 6:45 a.m. I tiptoed to the living room. Mind you, the knocking persisted.
With my last bit of courage, I shouted, “Who is it?” I heard my friend Debby’s voice faintly from the door. Relief washed over me as I opened the door, though I was slightly annoyed.
“Why didn’t you say anything? You were just knocking,” I asked.
She entered without saying a word. I asked again as I walked toward my room to brush my teeth, “Why are you here this morning? Besides, you scared me.” Still, no response.
I turned back and saw Debby standing still, on the verge of tears. Ahhh… after everything I went through, I hadn’t even said anything, and this one had already started crying—palava jam palava.
I walked toward her, took her hands, and she said, “I caught Jerry cheating on me."
The first thing that came out of my mouth was, “Is that all?” That was harsh. I quickly whispered to myself, “Ohhh, sorry.”
“How did it happen? Did you go to his house?” I asked
She couldn’t say a word—just crying.
I’ve known Debby for about four years now. We met at the university, and she has been a good friend. One thing about Debby is that she gets angry easily, and whenever she’s angry, tears come naturally. She also doesn’t talk while crying; otherwise, the tears won’t stop.
My friend was crying because of a man. Anyway, the color of her problem is yellow, while mine is red. Not her fault, sha.
I consoled her and reminded her that we had work to do. We needed to get ready. I told her to take a shower while I dressed up so we could both head to our workplaces.
Debby is a successful fashion designer. She started learning the trade while we were still in school. As for me, I learned makeup, but I wasn’t really interested in it. I only learned it for personal use—I like to look good every morning.
Oops… I wasn’t serious about it because I believed a good job was waiting for me. No one reminded me that I’m in Nigeria. Nawa o!
I was still struggling with my own problem when Debby showed up. Her heartbreak didn’t allow me to share what I experienced overnight. On the other hand, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to tell her yet.
I’m glad she came, though. Otherwise, I might have remained on my bed like a statue and forgotten about work. Work is a must-go for me. If I don’t go, my boss—chai—is like a hungry lion, especially for a ₦45,000 salary. Person must chop, sha.
Before I knew it, the day was over. After dinner, fear crept in again. I sat on my bed, exhausted, dozing off.
Suddenly, I heard the sound again.
I woke up, eyes wide open.
“Ahhhhhhh!”
