chapter five

Adaora's pov

I was twelve now.

Taller. Bigger. Happier.

Two whole years had passed since that night in the village, and nothing had happened. No whispers in my sleep. No wet footprints in my room. No scent of river water clinging to my skin.

I was safe.

Life had moved on, and so had I.

"Adaora, I swear, it was so funny!" Ifeoma burst into laughter, nearly choking on her juice.

We were sitting under the mango tree in school, our feet lazily swinging as we gossiped about the new teacher.

"I heard he doesn't like noise," Amaka added. "If you talk too much in his class, he'll send you outside."

"Ehn? So how will Chuka survive?" I teased, making the girls giggle.

Everything felt normal. Light. Good.

I went to the class.

The teacher's voice cut through our chatter.

"Class, we have a new student."

We turned toward the classroom door.

A boy stepped inside.

He was tall for his age, his skin a deep, rich brown. His eyes—dark, sharp—swept over the class like he was studying each of us.

The teacher adjusted her glasses. "Go and sit beside Adaora. Adaora, raise your hand."

I lifted my hand lazily, barely paying attention.

The boy walked toward me and pulled out the chair beside mine.

Then, he turned to me with an easy smile.

"Hi, I'm Ebuka."

I smiled back. "Nice."

And that was it.

Just another classmate. Another normal day.

Everything was fine.

The bell for break rang, and I wasted no time grabbing my food. I sat down, eating quickly, enjoying the usual school noise around me.

Not long after, Ebuka appeared, dropping his tray beside mine. "You eat too fast," he teased, sitting down.

I rolled my eyes playfully. "And you talk too much."

We kept talking and laughing, moving around the school as if we had been friends forever. It was easy with Ebuka he wasn't like other boys, always trying to prove something. He was just… himself.

"Come, let's go to the library," he said suddenly. "You need to read."

I scoffed. "Who said I need to read?"

"Me." He grinned. "And I'm always right."

I nudged him. "Oh, Ebuka, you're so funny."

He laughed, shaking his head. "You don't take anything seriously."

We reached the library, but before we could enter, we heard a commotion nearby. A group of students had gathered, whispering.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"It's the head boy," one of the students said. "Some junior refused to do something he asked."

Ebuka scoffed. "So?"

"He's the head boy. He could have just done it."

Ebuka turned to me, unimpressed. "Abeg, I don't care if he's the head boy. If you don't respect me, I won't respect you."

I laughed. "Now that's a fact."

We left them there, stepping into the quiet of the library, still chuckling.

The library was cool and quiet, a sharp contrast to the noisy hallways. The scent of old books filled the air as Ebuka and I walked to a corner table. He pulled out a chair and sat across from me, flipping open a textbook.

"So, what exactly do you need help with?" he asked, smirking.

I raised a brow. "Who said I needed help?"

"I did. And I'm always right, remember?"

I rolled my eyes but smiled, leaning back in my chair. "Fine. Maybe just a little."

We spent the next few minutes flipping through pages, but honestly, I wasn't paying much attention. My mind drifted back to the village, back to the silence that had followed me home.

It had been two years. Two whole years of nothing. No whispers, no shadows, no wet footprints outside my window.

I was safe.

"Adaora?"

I blinked, realizing Ebuka had been saying my name.

"Huh?"

"I asked if you're even listening."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Not really."

Ebuka groaned. "Why did you even come to the library then?"

I grinned. "Because you said I needed to read."

He threw a crumpled piece of paper at me, and I dodged, laughing. "You're impossible."

For the first time in years, I wasn't thinking about shadows. I wasn't waiting for something to go wrong.

I was just… a normal girl.

The school bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Students rushed out, eager to go home. I packed my books and stepped outside, the afternoon sun warming my skin.

Ebuka was already heading toward his father's car, but before getting in, he turned back and waved. "Bye-bye, Adaora!"

I raised my hand, returning the wave. "Bye!"

Before I could even take another step, Ifeoma popped up beside me, grinning. "Nawa o! The new guy seems fond of you. Just today only? Hmmm!"

I rolled my eyes. "It's not even like that."

She gasped dramatically. "Are you denying love in broad daylight?"

I nudged her playfully. "Abeg, shift."

Before I could escape, Stella joined in, linking her arm with mine. "Ah, Ebuka seems to love you oh! The way he waved at you ehn, na special wave."

The girls around us burst into laughter, their teasing echoing through the schoolyard.

I shook my head, laughing along. "You people should leave me alone."

But as we walked home, talking and giggling, I felt something strange.

When I got home, the first thing I heard was chuka rapping. Again.

I rolled my eyes. This boy should just give up already.

He was pacing up and down the living room, nodding his head to some imaginary beat, mumbling words that didn't quite rhyme. Acting like those American musicians he admired so much.

I shook my head and walked past him. Chuka, abeg rest. Your rap career no go take off."

He gasped dramatically, clutching his chest. "Ah! Adaora, why you dey kill my dreams like this?"

I smirked. "I'm helping you face reality."

Before he could respond, my mum's voice called from the kitchen.

"Adaora, please come set the table!"

"Coming, Mummy!" I called back, heading straight to the dining area.

I quickly arranged the plates, placing the food in the center. The aroma of my mum's soup filled the room, making my stomach growl.

Chuka strolled in, still rapping under his breath. I ignored him and focused on finishing my task.

Chuka was still rapping I rolled my eyes. This boy should just give up on this.

 As I set the plates down, Chuka kept rapping under his breath, bobbing his head like he was on stage.

"If you don't shut up, I'll pour water on you," I muttered.

Chuka smirked. "You're just jealous of my talent."

I scoffed. "Talent that only exists in your head."

Mum turned around, giving us both a look. "Both of you, keep quiet and finish setting the table."

Chuka grinned at me but finally stopped. I shook my head, hiding a small smile as I placed the last spoon down.

When evening came, I prepared for bed. Ifunanya walked into the room, still buzzing with excitement about starting university.

"You won't believe what happened today," she started, sitting on the edge of my bed. "My lecturer—"

I groaned, pulling my blanket over my head. "Ifunanya, you've been talking about this all day. Please, I just want to sleep."

She scoffed. "You don't know anything, small girl. Just wait till you get to university. You'll see."

I rolled my eyes under the blanket. "Good night, Ifunanya."

She sighed dramatically but finally left. The room became quiet again.