The Devil's Bargain

Tade had just finished secondary school, and life seemed to be opening up before him. He came from a small family—two sisters and a single mother who had raised them alone after his father died when Tade was just four. She'd done everything in her power to make sure they were well-fed, educated, and taken care of. Despite their modest means, she'd somehow put them through the best schools.

Now, Tade was excited to be starting university. He had no problem making friends. In fact, it didn't take long for him to become one of the most popular students in his first year. Everybody knew Tade—he was smart, outgoing, and always willing to help. He spent hours tutoring classmates who struggled with their coursework, never asking for a naira in return.

But then came the phone call.

"Tade, mummy is in the hospital," his sister said, her voice tight with worry.

"What? What happened?" His heart pounded as he rushed to the hospital, his thoughts racing.

The news hit him like a punch in the gut. His mother was in critical condition, hooked up to machines that hissed and beeped around her. The doctor's voice felt distant as he explained the situation. "She needs a specialist. It's a delicate procedure, and we need 25 million naira to begin treatment. Time is of the essence."

Tade stared at his mother lying there, her face pale, her breaths shallow behind the oxygen mask. He tried to hold back the panic rising in his chest. 25 million? He barely had anything saved, and the little his mother had in the bank wouldn't come close.

In the next few weeks, Tade did everything he could to raise the money. He called friends, relatives, anyone who might help.

"Guy, how far? Abeg, I fit see like...?" he'd ask, feeling the weight of desperation in his voice.

"Haa, I no get o," came the same tired reply from everyone he called.

Weeks passed, and despite all his efforts, Tade had only been able to raise 500,000 naira. It was nowhere near enough. Every time he visited the hospital, the urgency in the doctor's eyes grew sharper. Time was running out. His mother's condition wasn't improving, and each passing day felt like it was slipping away from him.

Tade knew there was one person who could help. But he didn't want to go there. Lanre, an old friend from secondary school, lived the high life now—fast cars, expensive clothes, everything that spoke of money. But Tade knew what kind of life Lanre and his crew lived. It was dirty money, and Tade had sworn to stay far away from that world. His mother had raised him better than that.

Still, every time he saw his mother in that hospital bed, the doubt crept in. Maybe it wasn't about what was right anymore. Maybe it was about what needed to be done.

The breaking point came one night after another long, hopeless conversation with the doctor. "We're doing all we can, but without the money, there's little more we can do." Tade walked out of the hospital feeling numb. The weight of failure sat on his chest. He couldn't lose her. He wouldn't.

The next day, Tade called Lanre.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Lanre asked when they met up. His face was unusually serious as they stood outside a rundown building in the outskirts of town. "Once you go in, there's no turning back o."

Tade hesitated, his mind racing with the gravity of what he was about to do. But the image of his mother lying in that hospital bed flashed before him, and the weight of her life pressed on his chest.

"I'm ready," Tade said, his voice steady but hollow. It wasn't courage—it was desperation.

Lanre led him inside. The room was dimly lit, smelling of herbs and something metallic. In the corner sat an old man, the "baba." His eyes were dark and unreadable, and in his hand, he held a strange-looking staff, carved with symbols Tade didn't recognize.

"Stand over there and say your name five times," the baba said, his voice low and commanding.

Tade did as he was told, each repetition of his name feeling like a step deeper into the darkness. After the fifth time, the baba's eyes gleamed.

"You have come to make a deal," the baba said, more as a statement than a question.

Tade nodded, swallowing hard.

"Your wish will be granted," the baba said, stepping closer. "But a price must be paid. Bring me something of your mother's—her life for the fortune you seek or you lose your own. You have three days."

Tade's breath caught in his throat. The words hung heavy in the air, the finality of them sinking in. His heart pounded as the baba tapped him on the head with the staff. There was no turning back now.

As Tade walked out of the room, Lanre's words echoed in his head. "Are you sure you want to do this?" It was too late for second thoughts. He had three days to decide.

And he didn't know if he could live with the choice he was about to make.