© Nissi Adeola
I walked down the lane crying. My life just seemed to be going bad by the day. I felt like dying and all of a sudden, my phone went alive and I picked up almost immediately.
“Hello Prisca, oh prisca… thank God you called” I said still crying. Even my mum’s admonition about tears could not stop my tears. “What is the matter Belina? I had been calling like forever, are you ok?” she asked. “No, you only need to see me but I need your help now, I would tell you everything later”. “I knew you were not ok, we are already on our way to your house now, tony and I” she said. “No, no, don’t go there o, I am not there. I am at boruwa lane. I don’t know the area but that is where I am, on the road”. I said hurridly “What are you doing there and where the hell is that?” she asked then paused to ask Tony before she said, “Tony knows the place, stay where you are baby, we are coming”. She said and hung up.
The breeze turned cold and I looked at the sky and I noticed that it was about to rain. My tears started coming more frequently and I tried to subside it. I noticed that the bushes were moving and I thought it was due to the breeze. I moved slowly so that I would be easy to locate. I heard something that resembles footsteps and I stood completely still but I almost passed out when I heard two people’s voices coming closer.
I scanned the area quickly and saw a place where the bush was thicker and ran there silently. I entered the bush without thinking about the snakes and scorpions I might find there. I saw two guys and I identified them to be the guys who abducted me; they were obviously searching for me. I stood completely still even my breath seemed to cease. They started scanning the area and when one of them looked in my direction, I expected him to see me instantly and just pick me out of the bush but instead, he looked away. I breathed out but stood still for fear of giving myself away.
“Ei, I don die”, one of them said, placing his hands on his head. “Ahhh, see gbege. Which kind sleep we sleep so, ehn? Wetin we go tell oga Tolu now?” the other said I scanned my head to see if I knew any Tolu but I didn’t. “Oga Tolu palava no worse reach Oga Tunji own, him go kill us”, the first said. “na you cause am o spanner, why you sleep after I tell you say make you watch the girl”.
The other whose name I now knew was spanner said, “you no well. Make I dey watch person when you dey sleep abi? Na me no sabi sleep?” spanner asked the other. He didn’t answer, so they started scanning the area again. Spanner saw something and stopped.
“Sparrow….” He called and pointed a place to him. They both looked there and I found myself looking in that direction too. I saw a light that looked very much like a headlight. My immediate thought went to Tony and Prisca and I started thinking of how I would get out my phone without catching the attention of the two guys. I looked at the two guys and noticed that they were moving backwards trying to hide themselves.
I brought out my phone and dialed Prisca. She picked almost immediately and I spoke quietly. “Pric, where are you” I asked. “I was just about to call, we are at Boruwa lane now but we can’t find you”. “I can see your head lamp so just come forward. The guys are after me and they are few steps away from me. I would start running towards you guys, so pls, open the door so that I can get in immediately you reach me” I said. “ok”, she said and hung up.
I saw the vehicle coming ahead of me so I said a little prayer and came out of the bush. I started running towards the car, waving at them so that they would recognize me. I noticed that the footsteps I heard were not mine only so I looked back, lo and behold, they were at my heels. I ran with all my might and when I got to the car, it slowed down; the door was already open so I jumped in and the car zoomed off almost running over one of the two.
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Richard smiled from the bottom of his heart for the first time in a long while. He looked at Deji who looked confused with a comforting smile. He looked weak and was fighting sleep as he continually opened his eyes. Richard encouraged him to sleep and he later gave in. Richard stood there for more than ten minutes just staring at him and later went back to his office.
He got to his office and knelt down beside his table and started thanking God. He had been praying for the past two days and God had just answered his prayers. He placed his head on his table after the prayer, greatly relieved.
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As I entered the car, I collapsed on the back seat for some minutes, my eyes closed without uttering a word. I opened my eyes and saw Prisca staring at me. I knew I must look ragged and dirty but I didn’t even give a damn about how I look. I later opened my mouth and said, “Thanks a lot; I would probably be out of this country by dawn if you guys hadn’t come for me”.
“What happened Lina? How did you get there?” Prisca asked. “Calm down darling, let her rest, she has been through a lot”, Tony said
I smiled faintly and simply said, “I would tell you all about it later but what I know is that they were sent by Tunji and I would wager that my dad has a hand in it too”. “What? How can a father do that? No, I don’t think he has a hand in it”, Tony said. I laughed slightly, “Well, you don’t know my father”, I said.
Prisca placed her hand on my leg comfortingly as I lay on the chair and there was no other discussion until we got to Prisca’s place. I was so weak and I wondered if I would be able to stand not to mention walk with my sore feet, but I did. I walked slowly to the gate and waited for Prisca who was busy talking with tony. I looked back just in time for me to see Tony kiss Prisca good night and I quickly took my face away. Prisca walked up to me some minutes after and I thanked Tony again before he sped off.
We walked inside on silent feet and we got to Prisca’s bedroom uneventful and even though all I wanted to do was sleep, I removed my clothes and had a warm bath in her bathroom. She also did the same thing and after I had worn a night gown which actually belongs to her, I climbed the bed. All the questions she tried to ask me fell on deaf ears as sleep overtook me.
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Sparrow and spanner had been sitting on the road for more than fifteen minutes and they finally decided to stand up. They just could not believe that Belina had been right beside them and they had not seen her. They headed back to their base thinking of the best way to present the case to Tolu and Tunji.
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Tunji stirred in his sleep as the 6:00 alarm started ringing, he reached for his phone and turn it off. He was usually a late sleeper and most times, he woke up 8 o’clock or 9 o’clock. He had set the alarm yesterday when he was about to sleep because of the level of importance today possed. His phone started ringing shortly after and he ignored it at first, when it rang again, he picked up the phone to check who it was and it was his father. He stared at the phone then finally pressed the green botton.
“Morning dad”, he said. “Morning Tunji, how are you?” his father asked “I am sleepy”, Tunji said grumpily. “Hmmm, I need to see you son, we need to talk” “I am busy dad, you cant see me till next month. I am travelling out today”, Tunji said. “What? Where are you going?” his father asked “it is none of your business dad, I am not a kid anymore”, Tunji said drily. “what does that mean? I am beginning to suspect your movements, if you get into trouble, don’t come to me o” “Don’t worry, I can take care of myself”, he said and dropped the phone.
Tunji hissed and stood up from the bed. He realized how good a decision it was to move out of his father’s mansion. He had extorted enough money to last him a long while and he had been given one of his father’s companies to manage so money was not the problem. He had appointed someone to run the company because he didn’t want to waste time in the company when he could be out having fun. He hadn’t been free in his father’s mansion; his mother never monitored what he did but whenever his father was not in one meeting or the other, he had to behave. He had various girl friends and whores but they all looked expired to him immediately he set his eyes on Belina.
He stood up and went to the bathroom to take a shower. He had booked a morning flight so he showered, dressed and stepped out of his room. He got to the sitting room and noticed that he did not put off the Tv yesternight. He put it off and went off to pick his soon-to-be bride.
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Mr. badmus woke up really early and started packing his things to his car. He loaded the trunk with his things and when he saw that he still had enough time, he decided to pick few for Belina.
He got to her room and saw that her clothes were inside her boxes but her shirts were on the hanger. Always neat Belina, he thought. He wanted to select but he didn’t have the patience to do so because he was hungry so he just carried one box and left. He dropped it in the trunk of his car and went back inside to make himself breakfast.
It had been a while since he made breakfast by himself cos Belina always took care of that but he had no option today. He took out the remaining sliced bread in the fridge and started frying the eggs he had bought yesterday night.
When he finished frying, he served himself and when he tasted the egg, it was too salty. He hissed angrily, pushed the egg away and ate his bread ordinarily with a little juice.