NEPA took light at exactly 11:47pm, Chuka knew the exact time because he was staring at his phone when it happened, 4% battery, begging God for just one more episode.
"Chuka, abeg open the window, this room is hot like Hades," Tobi groaned from the other bed.
"If I open the window, mosquito will carry us go Enugu."
"Better mosquito than this heat"
Chuka was about to reply when somebody knocked on their door, three slow knocks Tok Tok Tok.
Both boys froze, who knocks at midnight in Nsukka, when the whole lodge has gone to sleep?
"Who be that?" Chuka whispered.
"Na your mate," Tobi whispered back, "Go and check"
"Me? Why me?"
"Because na your turn to buy garri last week and you no buy"
"That one is not even related!"
Tok Tok Tok.
"Please," said a small voice from outside, a girl's voice "Do you have matches? My candle finish"
Tobi's eyes widened in the dark. Chuka could actually feel it, he swallowed, crawled to the door, and opened it small, small, just enough to peep.
A girl stood there, white nightgown, long hair covering half her face, a candle holder with no candle in it, she smiled at him.
"Sorry to disturb you, I stay in Room 7."
Now, Room 7 was at the end of the corridor, and Chuka had one small problem with that, In eight months of living in that lodge, he had never seen anybody go in or come out of that room, not once, not even to bathe.
"Ehn... wait small," he said, and his own voice sounded strange to him.
He closed the door gently. Tobi was already sitting up, holding his pillow like a shield, "Chuka, no give her anything, no give her ANYTHING."
"Are you mad? she is just asking for matches."
"Na so ghost dey start! First na matches, next na your soul!"
"You watch too much Nollywood."
"And you no watch enough!"
Chuka rolled his eyes, found the matchbox on the shelf, and opened the door again, she was still there, same smile, same stillness, seriously, something about it made his skin crawl, but his mama did not raise a wicked person.
"Here," he said, stretching out his hand, she took the matchbox, her fingers brushed his for one second, cold, not harmattan morning cold, cold like she had just come out of a mortuary freezer.
"Thank you," she said softly, "I will bring it back tomorrow."
Then she turned and floated down the corridor, floated, because Chuka did not hear a single footstep, her bare feet should have slapped that cement floor,
but there was nothing, just the faraway hum of a neighbour's generator and the slow drip of the bathroom tap.
He watched until she reached the end, she stopped in front of Room 7, the door did not open, she did not knock, she simply was not there anymore.
Chuka locked their door, dragged the plastic chair under the handle, and jumped into bed, for a long time, neither of them spoke, they just lay there, listening to their own hearts.
"Tobi."
"Don't talk to me"
"Are you awake?"
"Chuka, if you open your mouth again, I will personally report you to your mother." NEPA brought light at 4:15am, both boys were still awake, wide eyed like owls.
By 8am, they were standing in front of the landlord's office, Mr Okafor was sipping tea and reading the newspaper like a man with no worries in this world, "Sir, who stays in Room 7?" Chuka asked.
Mr Okafor looked up slowly over his glasses. "Room 7? Nobody, that room has been locked since 2019." He sipped his tea, "A girl died there during a power outage, candle fire, why do you ask?"
Chuka opened his mouth, but nothing came out, behind him, Tobi tapped his shoulder and pointed down the corridor.
Right in front of their door, on the cement floor, lay the matchbox, neatly placed, every single stick burnt black.
Mr. Okafor followed their eye, he stared for a long moment, then folded his newspaper very carefully.
"Hmm," he said, "She returned it, she must like you."
Tobi moved out by Friday, his reason, according to him, was simple, "I no dey stay where dead people dey borrow matches."
Chuka stayed, because rent was already paid and he is a man of principle, but he bought a rechargeable lamp, two power banks, and a small solar light, and he never again sat in the dark.
Because in Nsukka, NEPA can take light anytime it wants to, but only a fool opens the door for a midnight knock.
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