Chapter 1: The Message

Sun dey burn like say devil dey fry akara for sky. The end of the world. Heat wave don land. Everywhere don scatter.

Na so e be, as I dey stare that WhatsApp message, sweat just dey flow from my armpit, even though fan dey try blow breeze. For my mind, I dey reason which kain wahala Musa dey drop again. Sometimes, this kind message na only after you don chop overripe beans before sleep e go enter your dream. World don dey somehow, true, but this kain message na another level entirely.

That strange WhatsApp text wey I receive just grip my chest tight—e no gree let go.

No be say I too dey fear, but sometimes if body dey jollof anyhow, e go just weak you. As I see the text, na so my heart begin beat kpokpo-kpokpo for chest, like say I don drink five bottles of Red Bull. Wetin Musa wan talk this time?

I bin dey think say I fit survive any wahala wey show.

Omo, if na survival story, I dey always get hope. Nigeria sef na wahala school; so me wey dey Jos don sabi how to manage. As Naija pikin, nothing dey break my spirit. If heat wan show, we go package, find way cool body. Naija person dey always survive, sha.

Who go know say na just the starting be this nightmare?

But, omo, na that kain time you go know say hope na free, but survival fit cost your life. As I reason am later, this message na just trailer—the real film never start.

1

The First Time:

This year weather just dey do anyhow. Plenty people for Facebook dey complain how e take be. December don almost finish, but for Jos, temperature still dey above ten degrees Celsius.

Even old mama for my street dey shout, "Ah-ah, this harmattan get as e be this year!" Every morning, people go come out with sweater, but before afternoon, everywhere don hot like say we dey Lagos. The weather na proper confusion, no be small.

Na Christmas break, so I just dey for hostel dey relax, lie down for bed dey press phone anyhow.

All my boys don go house, na me remain. AC no gree work, NEPA no dey give light, na only window fan and phone remain for me. I carry wrapper, tie am for waist, just dey scroll anyhow for bed. Light dey blink like candle, but I no send.

My WhatsApp ping loud, that 'gbim gbim' wey dey always make my heart jump. I see group chat dey scatter:

[Guy, abeg, who dey get heat rash for harmattan period?]

[This year I wan go Jos go see cold, but e be like say e no go happen.]

[No cold breeze, even river never dry 😩]

[Ifedike no go show this year 😂]

[By the way, no light for hostel o. Make we no pay hostel dues? @HostelManager]

[Abi na sign of earthquake? Some elders talk say before ground go shake, weather dey hot.]

[Like this comment—if end time come, everybody go get space + system.]

The group chat just dey hot. People dey drop memes, dey yab Jos weather. One guy snap him room thermometer—e read 28 degrees inside harmattan. Na wah.

I dey scroll the posts, imagination dey fly. If end of the world really land, I go chop all the food wey I never taste—at least make I die with belle full.

I dey imagine my last supper—fried rice with correct dodo, asun wey pepper fit wake dead man, ofada rice with that green sauce, nkwobi, and cold malt. Na only Naija food go sweet for end time. I dey even reason say if I dey abroad, na suya I go miss pass. My Naija sense still dey intact, even for end times.

As I dey enjoy the comments, my WhatsApp just ping again.

E loud for my small room. I look screen, see say na Musa. As I open am, e get as my body do, because I no dey expect wahala today.

I open am, na my correct guy Musa Adigun message.

For uni, I lucky say dem put me for four-man hostel room with better people.

People for hostel dey always talk say our room get better luck; no fight, no too much wahala. Sometimes Sani go dey play loud music, but Fola go just tell am make e mellow. As we dey, na so e be.

The eldest, Fola, na big man pikin, e dey library dey prepare for masters exam. E dey always adjust e thick glasses and dey tap table when e dey think. Dem dey call am "Eldest"—like say e be small chief. Even for group chat, na e dey drop motivational quotes. E sabi book wella, and e dey help all of us for project work. E get one thick glasses wey dey always slide down e nose.

Third, Sani, e family no too get, so e dey do part-time work for weekend. E dey chew toothpick like say e dey solve maths. Sani na the hustler. E dey run pure water biz for hostel, dey shine shoe for bus stop every Saturday. The guy sabi how to find small money, even when school wahala dey pile. E dey always wear one green cap wey e say na luck bring am.

Fourth, Musa Adigun, na my fellow room rat and game partner. Musa get one old slippers wey e no fit throway. On rest days, na two of us dey hostel, so we gree well.

Me and Musa dey connect for game matter—PES, FIFA, even Ludo. Sometimes, if food no dey, na two of us go plan how to hustle for night food. If wahala dey, na Musa dey first reason solution.

As I see Musa message, I shock. Wetin dey worry am?

Musa no dey send message for nothing. For e to dey text me this time, something don sup. E fit be joke, but my spirit dey reason say e get k-leg.

I open chat. Only one line dey:

[The end of the world. Heat wave don land. Everywhere don scatter. Abeg, you gats believe.]

The way the message land, e be like those fake broadcast, but this one na Musa personal hand. My chest tight, I dey wait make e type more, but nothing come. As I wan reply, my mind dey reason whether I go use meme or just ask am straight.

Before I fit reply, hostel door burst open. Musa rush enter. I turn shout from bed,

Musa enter like say e dey run from masquerade. Door just bang open—everybody for corridor go think say na thief. I jump small for bed, my mind cut. "Wetin Musa dey chase like this?"

"Musa, wetin do you? You don read too many end time story? Why you send me that kind message?"

I try arrange face make I no show say I dey fear. I use pillow cover my chest, dey wait wetin Musa go talk.

Musa just dey look somehow, e ask me which day be today.

E eyes dey red, voice low, like person wey just see ghost. "Obiora, which day be today?" Na so e talk am.

"December 28th. Wetin happen? You waka come back with another spirit?"

I just roll my eyes for am.

I dey yarn am, but for mind I dey reason say e fit don join midnight prayer for mountain, come back with new anointing.

Musa no talk, e just dey gesture make I come down from bed follow am go market.

E point towards door like person wey don see future. I dey look am, dey wonder if na prank.

"Wetin dey happen?"

I ask am again, but e no answer, just dey wave hand. Na so I know say something serious dey. I stand, put on slippers, and follow am like good padi.

As I see as e serious, I just stand, jump down from bed, follow am comot.

We waka for hostel corridor. Other people dey look us. Some dey laugh, think say na new gist dey happen.

Even though na December, breeze wey dey blow outside be like say na April.

You know Jos weather—sometimes e dey cool, sometimes e go confuse you. That day, everywhere just dey hot, like say person dey roast corn for air. Even chickens for compound dey open mouth, dey find cool spot.

For road go market, Musa begin yarn me tori wey shock me—say e don come back from another life.

Omo! For Jos road, sun dey beat, Musa begin dey talk like prophet. E lower voice, begin tell me things wey go make oyibo dey fear.

For e last life, end time start December 31st.

Na so e start—31st, as people dey celebrate cross-over, na heat begin enter body. People no too send; dem dey dance for church, dey shout "Happy New Year!" Dem no know say heat dey wait for junction.

From that day, everywhere begin hot, temperature dey rise four, five degrees every day.

People for hostel dey sleep without wrapper. Even mosquitos run comot. Some people begin dey talk say na sign, but nobody really understand.

At first, nobody send. Life just dey go. But after one week, temperature reach forty plus.

Na so, Oga. Sun just dey roast people. Even ice cream woman for junction stop to dey sell. For market, tomato dey spoil sharp sharp, people dey vex. But, you know Naija na, everybody dey do as if e normal.

Government come notice say wahala dey, dem release orange heat alert, tell everybody make dem dey careful for heatstroke. Scientists dey run up and down to find why harmattan dey hot, people dey told make dem no dey waka anyhow.

Radio, TV, even social media dey shout, "Stay indoors, drink water!" For TV, one white doctor dey sweat dey talk, "This is unprecedented." But our own elders just dey shake head, dey talk say e don happen for their papa time.

Musa say na just beginning be that. Two, three days later, temperature don pass fifty, even for night e still dey above forty.

People dey sleep for corridor, dey use wet towel cover body. Some girls dey bath outside for 12am. Sun refuse go down.

People wey dey work for outside begin fall anyhow from heatstroke. Fear begin catch people.

Shoe shiners, danfo drivers, market women—everybody dey complain. Some people begin dey faint for junction. Ambulance dey come and go. For radio, dem dey announce people wey don kpeme.

Government dey try calm everybody, dey announce, "Make una no comot unless e important. Community go share food every evening."

Even police begin share water for junction. Some people dey use sachet water dey bath. Everybody eyes dey red.

I ask Musa,

"So, wetin we dey do then? How long we four last?"

I bend head small, dey reason say, "If na dream, abeg make I wake up." I dey look Musa, dey find sign for e face, but e eye dey steady. E voice low as e talk.

Small sadness show for Musa eye as e continue, voice low:

"We still dey school. Heat scatter NEPA, everywhere blackout. We wan go house but no bus, no train. Temperature just dey climb. By January 15th, official report say highest temperature reach sixty degrees."

NEPA just park well, dem no even try. E get as everything just dey. Nobody fit travel—no fuel, no vehicle. People dey look sky dey pray.

"By then, water, light, internet—everything cut. We dey stuck for hostel, dey roast, food finish. Sun outside na real wahala—just small, your skin go burn."

One time, Musa talk say dem try go buy pure water, e just use hand touch wall, e hand start dey peel. You go dey see people dey wear ankara like scarf, but na protection against sun.

"One night, me and the eldest package ourselves risk go canteen market find food. People full everywhere, all of us dey wait for small cool. We hustle tire, na small we fit carry come back."

Dem waka through dark, with torch, dey dodge tout. Everybody for street dey move like thief. Some dey carry big rubber, others dey fight for garri.

Musa eye don red.

The way e dey talk, e voice dey shake. You go know say e still dey fear, even as e dey remember old life.

"The food wey we get no last at all."

No matter how you try ration, person wey dey hungry no fit reason. Everybody dey form hard guy, but for night, na so belly go dey make noise.

"Because of heat, everybody dey vex. When food finish, fight burst for hostel building. Our door break, people rush in grab food. We four no fit hold dem, dem push us comot window."

Hostel wahala na real. For Jos, when hunger bite, even friend fit forget friendship. Dem break door, use stick, dey shout. Na so Musa and the rest land outside—escape with just singlet and boxers.

This kain story na pure end time gist, so I just dey half believe, half doubt. Musa see as I dey reason am, e talk:

You know Naija pikin, we dey always use sense. As Musa dey talk, I dey look am, dey try read e mind. Na so e shift closer, lower e voice like pastor wey dey share prayer point for midnight vigil.

"Guy, abeg, make we just buy supplies first. If e no happen as I talk, I go buy you food till semester finish. How you see am?"

See street sense. If wahala no show, na me go chop. If wahala come, na we both dey safe. I no reason too much.

As I hear am, I gree sharp sharp, rush enter market with am begin buy things.

I just lock my door, carry small bag, dey ready. I put small prayer for mouth—'God abeg, if na joke, no let us waste this money.' But as we waka, my mind dey sharp.

Musa warn me make I no buy too much at once, make people no suspect. So we just carry four 1.5-liter water, three packs of cooling patch, two packs of instant noodles, then waka go back.

For market, we dey dodge eyes. Jos people sabi monitor gist. I tie my shirt for waist, just dey act normal. But you know say if wahala dey, e dey show for face.

As we enter market, I dey price like real Naija boy. "Madam, abeg, last price na how much? This one no be party, na survival o!" Some sellers dey laugh, some dey eye us.

As we open hostel door, Fola and Sani already dey, both face serious. Two big Ghana-must-go dey ground—one na bottled water, one na bread and other food.

Fola and Sani, dem two dey act like people wey just come back from crusade. As I see the two bags, I dey wonder if dem wan start mini supermarket.

My heart skip. I look Musa, suspect say dem too don come back from another life.

True true, Fola talk first:

Fola always carry air of authority. E adjust glasses, tap table, look each of us one by one, then e talk, e voice dey heavy. "You gats believe wetin I wan talk. Me and Sani don come back. From 31st, heat go dey rise. We talk am, e better make we stay together than go house face unknown. Hostel no safe—monthly flat for Palm Grove Estate better. Make we move."

As Fola dey talk, Sani just dey nod, dey look ground, dey chew toothpick like say e dey solve maths. I know say the matter serious.

All of us gree.

We no too reason am. If three out of four dey see the same vision, who I be to argue?

With less than three days left, to save time, we pack sharp sharp move go flat that same afternoon.

We no even call agent. Just reach, pay cash, arrange. Palm Grove Estate no too far, but e get security, and the landlord no dey ask too much question.

Forget class, forget hostel check. If world dey end, na your life first—who dey reason school?

That day, e feel like say we dey run from Boko Haram. I fit still remember as I dey throw my course handout inside bag without even folding am well.