TARASHA Episode 7 Part 3 – Oyin Oluwatosin Emmanuel
**4pm**
�Gloria� someone called, trying to catch up with her as she was about to enter the Year 1 lecture room. She turned back to find the same guy she met that morning during the morning exercise. He had spotted her walking towards the lecture room as he came out of his, with his friends.
�Hi� she greeted as she turned back.
�Hi Gloria, I see you�re a year one student�
Yes, I am� she squinted flipping her hair backwards, she switched her hard cover note to the left hand. �Where did we��
�You don�t remember me?� he cut in, falling for her trick. �The guy who stays Hostel Block C, we jogged together this morning�
�Oh!� She exclaimed cheerfully. �Pardon me, you just look very different from the person I saw in the morning�
�I�m the same person� he chuckled, following as she walked into the empty lecture room. They took their seats beside each other and continued with the conversation.
�When did the lectures end for today?� he asked.
�Two pm� she answered. She placed her book on the table and brought out a pen and the school�s customized tablet from her bag.
�Oh! You want to study?� he asked a question with an already obvious answer
�Yes� she answered.
�Maybe we�ll talk some other time then� he said, getting up from the seat. �Would you give me your phone number?�
She stared at him awkwardly for a moment before she spoke, �I don�t even know you yet, and you didn�t introduce yourself�
�Oh! Sorry� he sat back hurriedly. �Forgive my manners please; I�m Jude, a final year student in this same institution�
She looked unimpressed as she received his offer for a handshake. �You�re final year?� She asked again.
�Yes, final year� he repeated. �I�m particularly one of the best students in my level�
�Hmm� she sounded indifferent. �Can you help me with my courses then?�
�Yes� he replied happily, �I will help you, just tell me the course or topic you want me to help you with�
�This� she opened her hard cover note and showed him a topic.
�How far have you gone with this?� he asked, moving his body closer to hers. He could perceive the fragrance of her perfume.
�I�ve not started at all� she answered with a note of sadness. �I resumed school late, the lecturer had gone far beyond before I was admitted in the third batch list�
Ermmm� It�s kind of long o� he gave a slight frown, �I can finish teaching you if I start now�
�Why?�
�I have a meeting by four pm with some of our professors� he answered. �I�m one of the students that�ll be flying the Governor in John Obiano�s plane�
�Oh! You�re really going to pilot the plane?�
�Yes, I did with my partner during the several test runs� he stated excitedly. �I can�t miss this opportunity to fly the governor�
�Wow! That�s awesome. I really like the fact that students are in control of everything�
�Yes, we are� he smiled happily. �Some years back they wouldn�t have allowed us fly a Local government chairman talk more of the Rivers State Governor�
�How come they are now allowing students do it now?�
�They believe in us now, the professors are sure of what they thought us and can brag with their lives that we�ll deliver properly�
�Wow!� She continued excitedly, �I believe this will give you employment immediately you graduate�
�Yes, I just need to finish my youth service and I�ll be employed immediately�
�Congrats� she offered him a handshake.
�Thank you�
She stared at him in silence for some seconds, �I wish I could watch you fly that airplane�
�Oh dear, I wish that was possible too� he replied sympathetically
�Can�t I be allowed to be one of the flight attendants?� she pushed further.
�No� he answered sadly. �It�s only two of the best final year female students would be picked to do that job�
She looked depressed immediately, her countenance fell. She turned and faced the wall, backing Jude.
�The only thing I can do is to take you along so you can watch the plane fly� he tried to give another option. �But you might not be allowed to come close because of the security officials that would be with the Governor and Minister; you have to stay with other spectators and the journalists�
Don�t bother, I just met you and I�m giving you too much troubles already� she said turning back, she tried to fake a smile.
�No, I�m not troubled. You have to be there that day to experience it� he insisted.
�Well, I�ll think it� she answered. �I�ll come if I�m chanced�
�Please clear your schedule�
�Okay� she replied and placed her hand on her book. Suddenly remembering something, she turned to face him again, �Who is copiloting the plane with you?�
�A final year student also, her name is Lovina�
�Hmm, Lovina� she whispered, nodding her head slowly.
�I have to leave right n..� he was saying as he got up from the seat, a Lady interrupted walking in noisily into the lecture room
�Gloria, you�re not reading?� she exclaimed, using her two hands to cover her mouth. Gloria got up suddenly and rushed to her friend, she covered the girl�s mouth again as the girl dropped her hands.
�Don�t mind her� she smiled at surprised Jude, still covering the girl�s mouth with her hands. � She talks too much, you can go now Jude�
�Okay, but not without taking your phone number� he said, bringing out his phone from his pocket.
�23480�.. �Gloria called the digits, still covering her friend�s mouth.
�Okay, I�ll give you a call� Jude walked past the two friends, giving them a surprised look.
**
Gloria ensured that Jude was gone before she took her hand off the girl�s, her hand left ugly dark marks on the girl�s face.
�Dummy� she slammed at Aisha. �You didn�t use enough quantity of the powder and you didn�t allow it dry properly before walking under the sun�
�I�m sorry Boss� Aisha apologized, realizing that she almost blew their cover. She had used her hand to clean off thee powder meant to disguise her face when she used her hand to cover her mouth.
TARASHA Episode 7 Part 4 – Oyin Oluwatosin Emmanuel
++++++++++++
**8.12.2030**
– 8am-
Cole quietly compiled and arranged his tools and devices into the small bag. He looked around the floor to check if there was anything left, there was a microphone with the desert reporters’ badge on it. He picked it up, standing from his squatting position; he dropped it carefully into the opened bag.
Tarasha walked briskly into the room in her ‘Gloria disguised form’, she took a glance at Cole. ‘Hope you’ve got everything ready?’
‘Yes Boss, I’m ready’ Cole answered, pinning the Desert Reporters’ chest tag to his front pocket.
‘You take Aisha along when you’re leaving the place’
‘Okay, is Benny coming to meet us?’ he fastened the bag to his back.
‘No, Benny is taking care of the other pilot, he’ll return on his own ’ she answered. She hung the ID card tag on her neck and adjusted her short skirt. ‘Don’t forget the instructions, your job as a journalist ends once you stick the needle to John Obiano’s collar’
‘Yes’ he affirmed, ‘and I’ll go to wait for you at Onne’ he said shaking his head funnily.
‘What?’ Tarasha asked, responding to his funny stare.
‘It’s just that I don’t know these places, what if you don’t drop at the place we speculated?’ he answered.
Tarasha frowned, ‘isn’t that why I have a tracker on me? It’s your business to find me if I get lost’
She shook her head degradingly and walked out of the room, Cole followed after her feeling embarrassed, blaming himself for talking like an amateur.
+++++++
9am
Benny sat in a red Benz quietly, waiting for his target to come out of the house. He was properly disguised with a beard and his face was lighter than his normal skin, there was also a dark scar on his forehead to make himself look uglier.
He had lodged into a hotel close to the target’s house the day before, he booked two rooms on two different floors , at different times and as different persons. First as the young light skinned man with the dark scar, he took a room at the third floor and the second time as an old man with his normal chocolate skin, he took another room on the third floor.
His target, Lovina was the second final year student that was selected to copilot the plane with Jude. She had rich and influential parents, their connection plus her intelligence earned her the privilege of flying the plane though she was not the most qualified student. She lived off campus with her parents in their house located in the Port Harcourt GRA.
Benny glanced at his wristwatch from time to time, getting impatient already. The police might get attracted to him very soon if he wasted too much time parking his car illegally. His plan was to send in a bullet into the girl’s arm or leg if possible and flee back immediately to his hotel to escape the ever working policemen in the area.
The gate was opened at exactly fifteen minutes past eight; Benny started his car engine and got prepared to move. A black jeep was seen driving slowly outside, a guy who he presumed to be the driver was at the wheels and two girls at the back seat. He recognized the girl on the side visible to him to be Lovina.
He drove slowly after them in order not to raise suspicion; it was after they had gone far enough from the house he began to level up with them.
He smiled at the driver who replied him with a casual look. Still flashing his teeth, he brought out his revolver. He let their car move forward a little so he could be on the same line with the girls seated at the back.
Ignoring the cars horning behind him, he raised up the revolver and pointed it at the girls . They let out a scream in horror but he missed his shot, he was taken aback by what he saw at the back seat.
++++++++++++
‘Hey Gloria’ Jude called, approaching her with two of his friends.
‘Hi’ she smiled happily at him.
‘I’m so glad you came’ he smiled back, his friends left him with her after waving in greeting to Gloria.
‘I wouldn’t dear miss it!’ she exclaimed.
‘Thanks, how are you doing this morning?’ He asked, extending his hand to her.
‘I’m fine, what about you?’ she replied, accepting his handshake.
‘I’m great’ he answered. He took a look at his wristwatch and touched his forehead with a handkerchief. ‘Hope you’ll be here for long?’
‘Yes, why?’
‘The Governor and Minister would be here anytime from now, the plane would fly by thirty minutes past ten’
‘Oh! I’ll still be here’
‘Good’ he chuckled. They both turned and faced the transparent glass wall which showed the plane on the runway.
‘Don’t you think this is marvelous?’ Jude commented.
‘Yes, it is’ she answered, full of smiles once more.
Their attention was drawn to somewhere else, journalists were gathering round someone walking by.
John Obiano had arrived the airdrome, several new medias rallied round him, pressing further even though they were resisted by guards. Gloria smiled as she spotted two Desert reporters’ journalist, she signalled to Cole to carry out the Job quickly before he would get noticed.
‘John Obiano the genius’ Jude hailed loudly, John Obiano noticed him and stopped to greet.
‘Hey Jude, hope you’re ready?’ He asked cheerfully.
‘Yes Boss’ Jude replied in a friendly tone.
‘Good one’ John replied, taking a long stare at the girl beside him.
‘This is my friend Gloria’ Jude quickly introduced.
Gloria smiled, she stared at his collar in search for the pin but it wasn’t there. She later found a thin line in his suit pocket, Cole had done a better job.
‘Okay, she’s the other pilot?’ John misinterpreted, unable to hear properly due to the noise around.
‘No, she’s just a friend’ Jude tried to clarify, but John had moved on already after being pressured by the guards to continue walking before the journalists number increased.
‘Do I really look like a pilot already?’ Gloria asked excitedly, both watching John as he moved on.
‘Yes, you do’ He answered with laughter, he glanced at his wristwatch again. ‘I have to go now, I need to meet Lovina’
‘Okay then’ Gloria waved reluctantly as she watched him go.
