“We take one of the ones near the back,” Capo said. He was grinning, enjoying himself. How many times had he done this? I think he wanted me to give him a reason to bash my face with those clamps before pulling my tooth, anyway. I could see it in his eyes. So I stopped struggling. He took the one on the bottom right in the back. See the hole? I nearly blacked out. He pulled and pulled. Then I heard it rip. I whimpered with pain, saliva and blood filling my mouth.

“There it goes. Got it,” he said. He didn’t even wipe it off as he jiggled it about in his hand, laughing almost hysterically. Then he brought something out of his pocket and added it to my tooth in his hand. He shook them and together they made a clinking sound. Then he blew hard into his hand. When he shook it, there was no clinking sound. And when he opened his hand, my tooth was replaced with a larger, pointier yellow tooth—a shark tooth.

Several of the members gasped at his cheap magic trick. They all let go of me and I just lay there, feeling the mosquitoes biting me—my own bite one tooth less. I glared at Capo as he grinned down at me. That Capo. He is an evil man. Him, in particular.

I was exhausted, but there was more to come. They sat me up.

“You see this?” Capo said, kneeling before me, holding the shark tooth to my face. “This was your tooth. You have become a Red Shark like the rest of us now.” The smile dropped from his face. “Hold out your hand.”

The shark tooth looked sharp as hell. They had to grab me again and force my hand open. They cut me deeply on my hand. I didn’t scream, but I stamped my foot really hard and fought not to struggle. If I did, the guys holding me would hold me tighter and I didn’t want that. I breathed through my nostrils and tears bled from my eyes as a clay pot was held beneath my bleeding hand. My blood mixed with the blood of the other confraternity members who’d all done the same thing for their initiation.

“This is a symbol of our love for one another,” Capo said. “Blood is blood.”

The pact was sealed. Afterward, there was no beating. They sang traditional songs and gave speeches of welcome. I heard none of it. I only had one thing in my head at this point.

The Capo was always the first to leave. Then it was in order of rank. With Adebayo and I leaving together last. He told me that the next night, I’d be given three tasks to complete. But, Sunny, there was no way in hell that I was going to stick around for any of it. I was sure one of those tasks was going to be that I hurt or kill someone! They are looking for me right now. Probably turning my entire hostel room upside down. I feel sorry for my roommates. I took all my things, though. I didn’t tell Adebayo. How could I trust him? He’s the one who told them about me. You see this? A medical student friend of mine gave me these stitches just before I left. I was lucky he helped me. Otherwise, my hand would probably be infected. I’ve been staying with lady friends, one night here, another night there, since Thursday.