Those that murdered sleep should be ready for
sleepless nights."
The door to Gbenga's house was open as I
had anticipated. He was abrace of what was
going to happen. The day I knew I was going
to be murdered, I had gone to inform him,
being a friend, a next gate neighbor and a
man I had come to respect. He was there with
his wife Abimbola as I entered.
"They have murdered me," I announced.
"So you're now dead?" Gbenga asked with a
suppressed smile.
"Yes, dead but not burried."
He took a glass of water that was on the table
and began to sprinkle some water on me.
"Hey! What are you doing?" I exclaimed.
"To see if you will disappear. I heard that
ghosts disappears if you sprinkle water on
them."
Gbenga has a great sense of humour. Our
friendship wasn't instantaneous, it began after
the day we had a heated arguement during a
meeting of Landlords in the close we lived at
Ajao Estate. It was over who was better suited
to be security operatives of our close; vigilante
group or two Abokis. Few weeks later we
became close friends. I called him Onye Ofe
Mmanu and he called me Omo Ajalaokuta.
"I'm now a ghost," I said and made a move
like the zombies in Michaek Jackson's Thriller
music video.
He laughed hard with his wife."We're laughing
but this is not a laughing matter. How could
that woman be so wicked?" Abimbola said.
"Is it because I'm a strong man? You for don
kill me tete," Gbenga teased her, "see as
landladies full all over Lagos."
"Oriodaa," Abimbola gave him a little push.
Abimbola was a very robust woman, so
overweight she could hadly get up from a
seat. She spoke english with a deep Yoruba
ascent, but a very nice woman.
Now that I'm a ghost I have to start acting
like one. How do ghosts act? There are two
types of ghosts, gentle ghosts and angry
ghosts. I'm an angry ghost with one sole
mission....to torment.
Abimbola rubbed a white powder all over my
head and face. I put on a white jalabia and a
white hand gloves, and stood against a white
wall. To act like a ghost, you have to look like
a ghost.
"You look like a ghost from Imo state;"
Gbenga said, laughing.
"I know, I am."
"Are you ready?"
"I'm ready, let's do this."
Gbenga called Chioma's number on whatsapp
video call and stood before me. She picked
and starred on the image on her screen.
Confussion was all over her face. My hands
were in the air moving like a zombie. Well, I
think zombies and ghosts are closely related.
"Chioma, Chioma-a," I began to speak, "why
did you kill me?"
Her mouth dropped, her face panick striken
and even more confused. I was enjoying the
moment. It could be fun being a ghost.
"I loved you Chioma-a, but you killed me," I
continued, "Why? Why? Chioma why?"
FLASH BACK:
The first day I met Chioma was a coincidence
I will never forget. It was a hurt hot afternoon
in the busy streets of Lagos, I had gone to
FHA office in Festac Town to make enquiries
about a land I wanted to buy at Festac
Extension. On my way going back to Ajao
Estate, I noticed a girl at the back of a danfo
commercial vehicle. She was putting on a sun
shade, she was beautiful and she was crying.
The tears of a woman can melt an ice, but the
tears of a beautiful woman can melt an iron. I
drove after the bus.
Don't get me wrong. I was used to beautiful
girls, I had some at my beck and call. Like
Iniedo, Genevieve, Chika, Aisha, Jumai....to
mention but a few. But there was something
different about this girl. The girl stopped at
Ijesha, I parked my car and followed her.
"Hey young lady," I called after her.
She looked at me but continued walking.
"It's you I'm calling," we were now shoulder to
shoulder.
She looked at me.
"How may I help you?" She asked.
"I saw you crying in the bus," I went straight
to the point, " and I want to know why."
"I was'nt crying."
"I know the difference between tears and rain.
And today is a sunny day.."
"Even if I was, it's not your business."
"Well, I want to make it mine now."
She began to walk away, I followed.
"Stop following me or I will shout that you
want to kidnap me."
"And you know what will happen afterwards?
People will mob me, hang tyre on my neck
and set me ablaze. My blood will be in your
hand."
She thought about it and began to walk again.
I followed.
"My life is about to be messed up," she began.
"How?"
"I'm supposed to be having my final exams
soon, but I can't without paying my school
fees. I'm from a poor home."
"And?"
"I told a distant uncle who is rich, he promised
to help and asked me to come. Getting to his
house at Satelite Town he showed me the
money but placed a condition."
"Which is?"
She looked at me without her sun shade, tears
were rolling down her cheeks. She looked
more beautiful than in the bus.
"That I sleep with him," she admitted, "I
refused and he tried to rape me. I was able to
escape."
Wicked. Why is the world full of wichedness
and wicked people? Taking advantage of an
innocent girl in her moment of vulnerability
should be a crime against humanity.
Punishable bu God and man.
"How much is the school fees?"
"Eighty thousand naira."
"Follow me." I beckoned.
"What?"
"Follow me."
"To where? Why?"
"Listen, I'm not like your uncle. Just trust me."
"All men are the same."
"Some men are different."
She hesitated for a moment before following
me. At a building across the street was a
Diamand bank, my bank. I went to the ATM
machine, inserted my card and made a
withdrawal. I then went back to her.
"Open your hand bag," I said.
"What?"
"Open your hand bag."
She opened it and I put some cash inside.
"In there is a hundred K."
"What?"
"Eighty K is for your school fees."
"What?"
"Use the remaining to help yourself."
"What?"
"Ok, maybe I have to repeat what I said," I
was almost laughing, "you now have a
hundred K that can solve your school palava.
Go and make your parents proud."
"What? Oh my God!"
"I have to be going," I began to walk back to
my car.
I didn't ask her to follow me but she did. I
entered my car and she stood beside the door.
"You didn't even ask for my name." she said,
"and you didn't tell me who you are."
"Ok, my name is Kelechi Onuoha, but friends
call me Kacy."
"Ok, my names are Chioma Felicia Okoro. A
final year student of Mass comm at LASU. I
live at No 13 Friday street here in Ijesha with
my parents, but I come from Onitsha.."
"It's a pleasure to know you, Chioma," I gave
her my complimentary card, "call me whenever
you want."
"Thank you Kacy. God bless you," she looked
inside her hand bag, "Oh my God, Oh my
God!"
I started the car and drove off. I watched her
through the mirror, she stood there waving.
And I could still hear her voice in my
head..."Oh my God, Oh my God!"
A year and few months later we were married.
BACK TO PRESENT:
"Chioma why did you kill me?"
Her confusiion turned to terror.
"No! You're a ghost," she cried out, "You're a
ghost."
Yes, I'm a ghost. A living ghost.
Her terror turned to panick and....CRASH! She
smashed her iPhone 6 against the wall.
YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHING YET....THIS IS
JUST A TIP OF AN ICEBERG.