DEN OF CLEVERNESS Episode 13 by Nathaniel Anuma (Bright Daniel)

DEN OF CLEVERNESS Episode 13 by Nathaniel Anuma (Bright Daniel)

He quickened his footsteps towards the entrance of their house, making sure he stayed out of sight like a breaking and entry criminal. He glanced at two cars parked in the garage before entering into the building silently, then closed the door behind him. He noticed the house quiet and empty like when God saw the world void before creation. He looked at the bar opposite the living room to see all wine untouched. Quickly, he rushed to the father’s room, opened several drawers which one of them contained some amount of money. He grabbed all and stuffed them into his pocket. He became marveled at the sight of a gun he saw inside the last drawer he opened. Could it be that his father has the gun? Of what use did Mr Dennis use the gun for? Must he be a smoker and also an arm robber? Nevertheless, Wisdom took the gun and some bullets he found there. Quickly, he grabbed one of the car keys, took his cell phone and made his way into the garage. Everywhere went calmed. Sooner did a car engine ignite, the back red light of the car shown and a brown Sienna drove out of the garage. Wisdom was the driver. As he sped on the road, running to meet his friends, he remembered the moment the father thought him how to drive. “Always empty your mind in the driver’s seat” the father had said. He smiled at the remembrance of the statement, wondering how one can actually empty his mind.

However, Ken, Esther and Jade waited for him along the road, but was a bit into the nearest bush in order to stay out of sight. They seated on a wood, occasionally glancing towards the main road to know when Wisdom would come. None of them said a word. The only thing they heard was distant chattering and distant car engines.

“Wisdom is taking too much time” Esther broke the silence. “Who knows if he has not been caught” she added.

Jade stretched her neck like that of a giraffe towards the main road. One could see her being so restless. “I’m only scared of his driving skills” she said.

“He should know how to drive”

“It’s just bothering me, that’s all?”

Only Ken didn’t join on the conversation, he remained quiet on his usual self with his face bent downward. His mind deviated from his mother to his diamond princess. How’s she? Does she actually miss me? He thought. Just then, they heard a car horn, then he raised his head up like others to see Wisdom on the driver’s seat of a sienna car. Jade exhaled as all rushed to him. Ken hurriedly entered in the front seat while the girls at the back seat, feeling comfortable especially with the air conditioner that circulated the vehicle. Jade didn’t take it as something much coz her family had the same standard of life with that of Wisdom. But Ken found it otherwise because he wasn’t born with a silver spoon, likewise Esther. Nevertheless, Wisdom glanced at the girls through the centre mirror and put the key in the ignition. The car blasted out. “I hope everybody is fine. Jade?” he glanced at the center mirror once more.

“We are fine” she replied, meeting his eyes.

“Fasten your seat belts” Ken instructed as he had his own fastened immediately, he looked at Wisdom. “How did it go?”

“Fine, I got some cash and this” Wisdom opened a shelf on the car and brought out the gun. Seeing it, Esther exclaimed, “Jesus!” Wisdom handed it to Ken who took it, opened it to check how many bullets inside. “I have more bullets in the shelf” Wisdom told him.

“Where did you get the gun?” Esther asked.

“This is not time for such question” Ken interfered and returned the gun. The car became quiet while they had different thought especially Jade who kept wondering where Wisdom got a gun.

“We have less than one hour to be at Thrust layout” Wisdom broke the silence but no one said anything.
:
:
On the other hand, the soldiers had planned to kill all including the parents. They stood under an open building which had the image of a local constructed church made with just woods and zinc as the roof. No house could be found there except that very local shelter, surrounded by bushes. One could see moter tyre prints on the ground through which one can drive closer to the shelter. Mr and Mrs Chukwudi, Esther’s patents, Mrs Ukachi and Mr Raymond laid on the floor with their faces down. Suddenly, the sound of a car engine came from a distant, so they all positioned with their guns.

“Please, kill me and leave my son” Mrs Ukachi pleaded.

“Shut up, woman!” One of them kicked her butt. Actually, he found it sexy.

The commander gestured to some of them to go hide somewhere for an easy shot and a clearer view which they did.

Meanwhile, the teenagers remained in the car which they had stopped from a distant. Tranquility lingered inside of it to know the next action to be taken. Already, Esther had become scared because the mission was between life and death. Wisdom took off his seat belt to go down, but Jade’s voice interrupted him saying, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I want to be the first to go” he replied.

“No, let me be” Ken suggested, then stepped out with his hands up. “We are here! Let’s make this trade sequentially; you send my parent to me, while I come to you. Then another person will come out in that manner until we all surrender! We don’t want anything to happen to our parents!” his voice echoed without a response.

“Fine, kid!” Another voice finally came from the shelter. “But i want you to understand that this isn’t a riddle to be answered. It’s about live and death? So play no tricks”

“The life we live is a riddle itself. Can i prove that to you?”

“I have no time for your theory. Just tell me the name of your guidian”

“Ukachi!” Ken replied still with his hands up, standing in front of the car.

Mrs Ukachi was kicked on the butt again to stand. When she did, a gun was aimed at her as the commander said, “Slowly, do not run otherwise lose your life. Go meet your son”

Once more, Ken did not only see the time of his death ticking, but also that of his mother. The poor woman shed tears as she was slowly going to meet her son and Ken also walking to her. She loved trousers especially leggings, therefore she wore a trouser and a top. Though she became happy to know that her son was still alive but suddenly realised he would still die, fortunately, in her presence. Already, other soldiers had rounded the car from their various hiding places in a way they could kill those inside and outside the car. Suddenly, men covered in black attire in a way even their faces were not seen, flew down from nowhere, then opened fire both on the hidden soldiers and on the ones at the shelter. They made sure the kids were protected especially Ken. Seeing that, Wisdom drove the car closer to the shelter. “Enter into the car!” he exclaimed at Mr Raymond and Esther’s parents. Already, the black men had covered Mrs Ukachi and her son, both were already inside the car.

“Daddy, hurry up!” Jade shouted at her father likewise Esther to her parents. As they struggled to enter, a bullet touched Mr Raymond, yet he carried it into the vehicle. Though with the help of Wisdom, the son of his greatest enemy……..
:
:

DEN OF CLEVERNESS Episode 13
#OpraDre

TO BE CONTINUED