The weight of Nneka's notebook hung over Tayo, tormenting her every step around the home. The girl's voice, filled with sorrow and dread, resonated in her memory, woven into the fabric of the house's eerie calm. Each post seemed like a jigsaw piece, prompting her to reveal long-buried truths.
Tayo spent her breaks isolated in her little room, looking over the journal and rereading each word for answers. The most frightening entry, regarding the garden, kept racing across her head. Whatever was buried there, Nneka was aware of it, and it had startled her enough to suggest danger in her closing words.
However, there was one person in the home who could know something: Chidi. He'd been here long enough to see things and overhear discussions not intended for outsiders. The way he stared at her the previous night, after Adaora and Dapo's disagreement, suggested he knew something.
Tayo determined she wanted answers.
She discovered Chidi late in the evening, sitting on the back porch with his regular cigarette in hand. The night air was pleasant, with a faint murmur of crickets and a distant buzz of traffic beyond the estate gates. Tayo stopped for a while, holding the notebook under her arm, before moving closer.
"Chidi," she said gently.
He looked up, his demeanor bland yet vigilant. "What do you want?"
Tayo took a big breath. "I need to speak to you. It's important."
Chidi leaned back and exhaled a cloud of smoke. "If this is regarding the additional cleaning tasks, speak with Madam Adaora. "Not my problem."
"It's not about that," Tayo said, her voice stronger now. She held up the journal. "It's about Nneka."
The name had an instant impact. Chidi's easygoing posture tensed, and his gaze shifted to the journal in her palm. He sat up straight in his chair, laying the cigarette to his side. "Where did you get that?"
"In the pantry," Tayo said. "It was hidden." I have read it, and—"
"You shouldn't have done that," Chidi interrupted, his tone stern.
Tayo moved closer, unaffected by his abrupt shift in attitude. "Why not?" What has happened to her, Chidi? No one speaks about her, yet she was a member of this family. Her diary—she cried out for rescue, but no one listened. Why?"
Chidi rose suddenly, looming above her. "You don't know what you're messing with," he replied quietly. "Return that journal to where you found it, and forget about Nneka. It is for your own benefit.
"Forget?" Tayo snapped, her rage spilling up. "How do I forget? She wrote about something in the garden, which was buried. What is it? "What are they hiding?"
Chidi's jaws constricted. He looked around, making sure no one was close, before grasping her arm and pushing her further into the darkness.
"Listen to me," he growled. "You are new here. You do not comprehend how things function. This family isn't what it seems. "If you dig too deep, you'll be sorry."
"But you know, don't you?" Tayo pushed. "You have been here long enough. You have seen stuff. Please, Chidi. "I simply want to know the truth.
Chidi let go of her arm and glanced aside, his shoulders slumped. For a minute, he seemed troubled, as if considering the repercussions of speaking. He finally murmured, "It's not my story to tell."
"Then whose is it?" Tayo demanded. "Because Nneka's story should be heard. She deserves justice, whatever it entails.
Chidi shook his head, and a bitter chuckle escaped his lips. "Justice? In this house? "You are more naive than I thought." He hesitated, stroking his hand over his face. "Look, if you're clever, you'll keep your head down and do your work. Do not ask inquiries. Do not probe around. "That's how you survive here."
"But I can't just pretend I don't know," Tayo said, her voice cracking. "She was a child, Chidi." She was afraid. And now she's gone, and no one is talking about her."
Chidi's stare softened somewhat. "Sometimes, knowing the truth is more dangerous than living with the lies," he added slowly. "Trust me on that."
Tayo saw him turn and walk away, his footsteps receding into the darkness. Her heart hurt from frustration and despair. Chidi knew something—she was certain—but he was too terrified to say anything. Whatever had transpired in this home had left an indelible mark on everyone who knew them.
She gazed down at the journal in her hands, its faded cover seeming heavier than before. Nneka's comments were a thread that led her closer to the truth, yet each step forward appeared to carry more peril.
Tayo closed her eyes and took a long breath to stabilize herself. She had a decision to make: accept Chidi's admonition and leave the secrets buried, or continue digging at any cost.
For Nneka's sake, she understood what she needed to do.
Tayo clutched the journal firmly and vowed to continue her quest. If no one else would give Nneka the justice she deserved, Tayo would do it herself, even if it meant upending the Onyeka family.