“And remember, he has friends in Lagos, too,” Chichi added. “He can say he’s going to see them and we’re just going along for fun.”

“Chichi,” Sasha said.

“Fine,” she said, getting up.

Neither Sunny nor Orlu said a word as Chichi and Sasha walked up the road, several feet between them, backs stiff, talking softly.

Orlu took Sunny’s hand and Sunny smiled. He squeezed it.

“Do you really want to do this?”

“Do I have a choice?” Sunny asked. It wasn’t a good time to do this, either. The doubling made working juju more difficult, and the effects of it still left her feeling . . . beside herself. And even if they made it to this full place, what effect would being there have on someone who’d been doubled?

“Yes,” Orlu said.

Sunny chuckled. “If my parents allow it, I do. Will you come?”

“You need to ask me?”

“For this, I think I do.”

He nodded. “I’ll come.”

“I’m not sure if I like the idea of being in a Jeep with Sasha and Chichi with Chukwu driving.”

“Sasha will sit in the passenger seat,” Orlu said. “That’ll calm his ego. Chichi will sit behind him. You will sit in the middle and I will sit behind Chukwu. There will be less trouble that way and you’ll be in the most protected position.”

“You think I need to be . . .”

“Yes,” he said. “Sunny, I don’t think you fully understand your position in this.”

“I do,” she said.

“No, you don’t.”

They were quiet. Sunny thought of the last thing the possessed Bola had said just before the friendly wilderness spirit possessing her left her body: “Ekwensu is getting her rest. She will strike soon. Gather yourselves.” Ekwensu would strike at her, Sunny, first.

“Maybe,” Sunny said. “But Ekwensu hates me and I’ve seen what was in the candle, Orlu. I know better than anyone what’s coming.” She paused. “If I can help stop it, I’m ready to do what I need to do.” She sighed. “Sometimes ignorance is bliss.”

“Can’t argue with you there.”

20

ROAD TRIP

It was days before Christmas, and Chukwu had come home from university. Sunny was in the kitchen cooking rice and stew when she heard him drive into the compound blasting Nas. Sasha would have been impressed. Nas was Sasha’s favorite rapper of all time.

Chukwu was with his best friend who’d nearly gotten him killed, Adebayo. Sunny eyed him as she added the last of the chicken wings to the stew and set it on low heat. She knew Adebayo but not that well. When he came by, he’d disappear into her brothers’ room with Chukwu to play video games. As they grew older, they’d immediately be off to play soccer or join those boxing matches Chukwu had never told her about or whatever they did.

The Adebayo whom Sunny knew was from that fateful night with the Red Sharks. He hadn’t seen her, but she’d seen him. All she could think now as she approached him and her brother, both of whom were bobbing their heads to the loud music, was that this idiot had slapped Chukwu across the face. How were they still friends? And from the swollen looks of the muscles bursting from their designer T-shirts, they’d continued working out in that dank sweaty basement of a gym.