Generalization

Where I come from, a lady who exposes cleavages is believed to have no atom of decency, so, 'amour' is what comes to the mind of every man that approaches her.

Every child who defends himself from the oppression of elders is a spoilt child while every one who dresses in the long flowing attire of the Hausas of Nigeria isn't intelligent.

Who will therefore blame me when I second guessed what the cashier at the Electric Power Company station in my Area of residence told me? To us, that office is a conglomerate of louts.

When I asked "A library? As in I can go read books there?" He just ignored me and smiled, thereby painting a picture of how stupid I looked after asking the question.

To avoid further embarrassment arising from the usual faulty insinuations of my people, I collected my receipt for payment made and proceeded towards the direction I pointed some seconds before, several flight of stairs and a turn towards the left hand side of the plaza brought me to a white aluminum door on the corridor.

This door didn't open when I turned the handle, unbelievable, then it dawned on me. Not again, there was a bell which an average intelligent person wouldn't have missed, how can I still assume my area don't have places where decorum is observed?

PEOPLE IN WHITE

When I walked into the long rectangular room for the first time, I knew the experience would leave a lasting memory, what I didn't know was what it would taste like. I wrapped a strong right arm around Nneka's waist, using my shoulder to keep her on her feet while a bag containing clothes and a few items as required hung onto my left. The woman in white pointed towards 2 empty bed spaces and beckoned my pick, since no one seemed to notice my entrance as usual, I picked the first bed on the other row of beds facing the door and we went ahead to settle in.

The environment was a familiar one, I had spent my formative years waking up on these type of beds with mates, save for the expectant faces nothing seemed new. The woman in white had looked towards the only empty bed in the room and grabbed a dirty bed spread on it, she asked us to make do with it while she gets a fresh one, though this was a fat lie, I immediately unzipped our bag and told her we came prepared. In no time, I had dressed the bed and Nneka collapsed on it, she was restless, I kept calming her down until an elderly woman managed to notice our presence and asked me to massage her waist up till the back of her neck, which I did obediently.

Another woman in white walked into this smelly maternity ward of the Public hospital in my area and announced a name, the bearer indicated, carried a bag and joyously ran after her, he returned moments later, carrying a 3.4kg bundle and announced it was yet another girl. This news threw the ward into a frenzy and like one big family, everyone seemed to contribute in good words or prayers, I even forgot the distressed Nneka as I looked on, hoping to catch the sight of the newly born.

Phones began to ring, our population increased, the hero of the moment staggered in to a rowdy welcome and I wondered if the women in white wouldn't come to our rescue as she received accolades. The next thirty minutes was dedicated to them before God intervened and they packed their bags to leave. As the new hero passed by our bed, she dropped a word of advice and prophesied with authority that Nneka would smile at the end of it all.

When I met Nneka for the first time, she had just lost both parents and was admitted into St. Louis. She was probably still too young to grieve but always kept to herself at that tender age of 4, many thought she was dumb but I admired her. I was the only child abandoned by my parents unlike the other children that had lost theirs, they made a mockery of my plight so I spent most of my time fantasizing a reunion with my parents rather than play with the other Children, this attracted Nneka to me. We spent most of our free time together until she was adopted by the Mbakas 14 years later, few months before we wrote the WASSCE, this motivated my exit from the home. Our wedding was a quiet one, we couldn't afford the flamboyance but in reality, we didn't want noise and we didn't even have friends.

The next hero came in and the same drill ensued except that this time I was tensed and forced to offer my congratulations. Nneka took time to blend in but once we did, it felt like we've always been part of this family especially when we disclosed we were first timers.

The sun that was directly over our heads when we arrived, had settled towards the west leaving behind a dark cloud that smiled at me vie a crescent. The long hand of the clock struck 12 and completely covered its counterpart, someone announced the beginning of a new day. My newly found family had witnessed a massive change, the faces and our location were new, we the escorts had been asked to leave the patients for the women in white so we perched outside the ward on benches, mats and cartons, competing with mosquitoes for comfort. I was becoming an elder in the family saddled with the responsibility of announcing the gender.

Nneka called me on phone, she was pressed, I was waiting on her by the door as she shifted the bolts. An angry woman in white scolded her for opening the door, Nneka explained that she had to wee, the woman in white registered her displeasure with foul language, Nneka had heard worse, she just held my arms, dragged me away, begging me not to confront the woman.

The toilets in the hospital were in a sorry state, we were used to open defecation at the home, even at that time of the night we didn't think otherwise. With the aid of my phone's flashlight facility, we marched our way into a shrub behind one of the dilapidated structure in the hospital, this is where Nneka half squatted and emptied her bowels.

We returned 20 minutes later to be greeted with the shock of our life. Mr. Hassan was standing at the door before an inquisitive congregation, he objected defiantly to the demands of his audience, he gave them a condition and ratified a rule, I was taken aback. I've never been this honored in my life as we approached this congregation, some members of my new family rushed towards us shouting that I had been found and I should hurry to the podium. Mr. Hassan had insisted that only the elder of this family reserves the sole right to announce the gender of his newly born and that elder, irrespective of my young age, was my humble self.

The long hand of the clock was approaching 6 while it's counterpart waited on to point directly at number 5. This was 4 hours after a boy was added to Nigeria population, 3 hours after Mr. Hassan allowed the rest of my new family have a night rest, 2 hours after Nneka began to pace about in distress and 1 minute after a woman in white took her into the labor room. As an elder in our new family, I couldn't be found pacing about in anticipation, I just sat on Nneka's bed, surrounded by well wishers. While the men teased me for my facial expression that had fear written all over it, the women assured me that all was well, telling stories of their first experiences, no doubt, I was beginning to cope.

Moments later, I heard a foreign language blaring from speakers from a distance, 2 members of my family stood up almost immediately and went out of the ward, one of us explained to the rest of us that they were answering to the call for prayers and that most Muslims don't understand Arabic language yet they worship with it. I wondered for the umpteenth time why any non Arabic speaker would even consider accepting Islam rather than giving their life to Christ as their saviour. I suddenly admired my people and gladly added to our conversation that Ibos don't follow blindly, someone countered my claims and told us they were Ibo muslims, we were stunned.

Something unusual happened, a man in white rushed into our ward and proceeded to the labor room, 2 women in white tagged along, holding several medical items, one woman in white rushed out of the labor room with white gloves that had turned red, we heared a male voice yell at probably one of the women in white who rushed out of the labor room and out of the maternity ward, she was holding a bunch of keys. Members of my new family began to pray, silently at first then loudly. The 2 Muslims returned to be greeted with a tensed environment, without asking questions, they joined in the prayers in that Arabic language again, I was tempted to ask for a translation. The woman in white with the bunch of keys returned with several items and another elderly woman also in white, they zoomed passed us shooting their way into the labor room.

We sat there pop eyed as the man in white came out of the labor room with a file, the older woman in white met him and they walked towards a window at the far end of the Women in white's station. I saw the man shook his head as the older woman in white tried to explain something, 2 women in green wheeled in a stretcher, passed my new family at the maternity ward and entered the labor room, one of the woman in white announced my name and I indicated with shaky hands, I was directed towards the man in white who had found a table and chair and made an office out of it.

My new family offset all my hospital bills and credited my account with more money than I've ever earned in my 24 years of existence. Mr. Hassan returned to the hospital that day and offered me a job with a multinational company that paid 3 times higher than the National minimum wage. He further advised that Nneka and our baby be buried beside each other in the evening, rather than subjecting their lifeless body to the mortuary. 

Anya (Loading)

June 2018

He slapped his legs again with the little strength left as insects tormented his skin, he had tried to get up to locate his make shift shelter further in the bush to no avail, his legs just wobbled under him so he always ended up in a sitting position. He felt weak,  tired, hungry and sick, he had only a vague idea about death but often wondered how long unpleasant situations lasts. He wasn't a stranger to woes, the only difference was the fact he couldn't move his limbs, this irritated him and made him feel helpless. Another insect buzz pass his ear, he closed his eyes and waited for the next sting, he wasn't disappointed, in exasperation he laid on his right arm on the grass that was going moist from the evening dew and forced his mind away from the insect attack. His mind drifted into oblivion, a voice sounded from a hut where a man and woman knelt down tending their little daughter who had been struck with a strange disease, chicken pox. "I still regret the day I picked this cursed child" "I warned you!" "Everyone would have thought that I be rewarded rather than these curses na, where did I go wrong? the boy can't work in the farm, always falling ill yet refuse to die, he can't see properly now he has transferred his sickness to our daughter, do we deserve these punishment after rescuing a life rather than kill it?" "I think the body is becoming warm" the man joined his wife examining his daughter and agreed with her. They heard a sudden movement behind them and turned, sighting through the door of the hut, a sneaking child with a small calabash, headed for the shed that served as kitchen for the large Ighalo family. The woman suddenly blurted out her irritation "You this evil child, what are you holding? Plate abi? It's only food you know how to eat, azeh! Oya come here, go and fill all the drums with water before the food you just ate kill your useless parents wherever they are" "yes Ma" the child replied and walked normally for his cover was blown already. The boy now grown up ran madly towards the direction of his  compound, some of his mates engaged him in pursuit, "master! Master!!" He called for a man who was standing at the gate of the compound, laughing uncontrollably as those in pursuit where gaining on him. He suddenly tripped and fell face flat and was about to receive the beating of his life again when he woke up in a start at the foot of 6 legs, his sweaty face had fear written all over it and his already bonded weak legs simply indicated that there was nothing he could do at the moment, he closed his eyes again and let destiny take its course, his body was turned face down and his hands got bond too, Mallam Aminu couldn't afford any more show down, he was tired and hungry after all, he bundled the light weight Osas on his shoulder and head for home in the company of his wife and first Son.

Freeman

YEAR: 2016

Ever wondered what it would feel like flying? Spreading one's wings and soar high into the sky, being weightless and floating towards no specific direction, at least away from your current position, I smiled in envious of 'freeman' as it flapped both wings, circled a huge Baobab tree not very far to our location and nose-dived further into the bushes, how lucky could some get. My troubles resurfaced, presenting it's ugly face before my very eyes in a sneer, while I hated all of it with disdain, I knew I would get out of this, that I was sure of, how I would was what I knew nothing about.

I was itching to speak to one of us but thought against it, because, when I abscond, the person I spoke to must provide me to save his neck, nevertheless, a diversion plan had reared its head and we ought to take the advantage. 6 of us against 3 of them should be in our favour if only we worked together, perfecting a plan. We were asked not to look behind and i knew why, one of them, the meanest probably, had gone in search of more ‘J Boys’, leaving the other 2 who seemed weaklings to watch over us of which I was certain that the one behind us wanted to excrete too. I had listened attentively to his footfall as the sound of dried plants getting

stepped on cried out for justice till they stopped, meaning he had gotten his pick location for his deposit. As the other in front of us turned towards the North like the 6 of us in our sitting position so that he won't seem to be looking at his colleague doing his thing, I whispered "saakpa" to the left and right to enable everyone get the message and made for the East towards SS2 block.

“Scoror! Scoror! Catch that one in red” The one doing his thing behind yelled and he was referring to me because I made sure the rest of us got up and ran before I did, reason being if any was caught, he would provide the rest and since I started the escape, only God knows if I would finish my second term exams in good health. I never bothered gunning away since I knew none of them could and even would catch me. I might not be intelligent enough, not social, not getting all the attentions from my fellow JSS 3 girls, I might not be counted amongst the big boys in JSS 3 block, but I'm certain I was the fastest runner in FGC Kwali Abuja, no doubt, and i brag about it. The other 3 had ran further into ‘Bombay’ probably to burst out from Staff quarters and proceed to Ladi Kwali house while we that ran towards SS2 Block dispersed thereafter to other directions and i proceeded to King Jaja House, metamorphosing into a cluster of other students that had just returned from Labour and was preparing for dinner. I burst into King Jaja Jss 3 hostel and went straight

to Emmanuel's corner who seemed glad to see me.

"Aha! See this bad guy, I'm just returning from your hostel, where you go?"

"Forget that one joor, did they take attendance?"

"Yes they did but I wrote your name"

"Correct! You're the best friend ever, we go act action film for Bombay" Emmanuel was shocked at this statement

"Bombay? You and who?"

"Some SS3 boys wey want show themselves"

This information seemed to startle Emmanuel who asked in a panic

"Hassan! Hope you weren't caught because they will know who wrote your name and…"

Hassan interrupted irritatingly

"Shut up abeg, if they catch me I go de here? You go just de shake unnecessarily.... meet me in my hostel when you're done lets go to dinning from there"

Hassan left the room leaving Emmanuel staring after him in bewilderment.

Back in my corner, my bunk mate was still hailing me for my escape which I shared the details with him. He kept wishing he could sprint like

me whereas I, like the boss that I am, laid down there with eyes closed, smiling to myself and enjoying the accolades as we awaited the bell for dinning. Except I didn't know better, news will get around and I'm pretty sure I would become the talk of Danfodio house after dinning amongst my mates. My bunk mate suddenly stopped hailing me and i assumed he had ran out of adjectives until a familiar 'woosh' sound sent this chill up my spine, circulating electric like currents through my body for a while before the combination of fear and pain formed a stimuli which influenced my 'scamper for safety' response. I opened my eyes to a blurred sight of horror, which gradually became focused at the evil grin of Senior Scoror and his team all holding belts ready to devour me in turns and probably leave me with a tattooed skin of strokes. At this instance, all I could think of was 'Freeman'.

Guilt

YEAR: 2016

I looked from mine to his and felt bad, this was pure injustice yet no one seemed to care. I looked him in the face and felt even worse, he was Shedrach Kuru, brother to Josiah Kuru the then Labour prefect. I was a Senior to Shedrach and the Dinning hall prefect was my mate, how dare he wound me? I scowled at him while he made a face "will you pass that plate" I said a little louder. His brother suddenly appeared from God knows where, giving me that usual sardonic smile of his, that evil smile that haven't seized haunting me since the first day I was confronted with it. He said it again "no rigimality is banzality!", I woke abruptly at the sound of those words, words that had no meaning as far as English language was concerned, words I could only associate with the punishment I received in my third term in JSS 2, when we were caught dodging MSS at homesick lab.

Josiah Kuru had graduated 4 years back and yet I still dreaded those words, they haunted my imaginations for a while till they found their way to my thoughts, now they occasionally resound in my dreams, making a nightmare of it. "May God punish the Kuru's" I muttered and groped for my sport wristwatch on the window frame in the dusk of the night, '4:34 am', I then frowned, my SSCE was fast approaching and i wasn't taking my studies seriously. I had planned to have a nap till 1 or 2 am then wake to read my books till probably 5 am. My mock result which was released a day before hadn't been an impressive one and had most definitely contributed to my nightmares. 'Another wasted night' i concluded and laid down again, trying to take my mind off my result and doze off. 'No rigimality is banzality!' resounded in my head again, making me shiver a bit and i frowned. I wondered how an SS 3 boy like me will still be haunted by such memories, I suddenly wanted to go fetch Shedrach from wherever he was and punish him, flogged hell out of him, make him suffer what I suffered and still suffering in the hands of his Elder brother, revenge suddenly clouded my thoughts, I was an SS3 student, any reason would sell anywhere for punishing any junior student. I got up in annoyance and jumped down from my bunk, fetched my flashlight from beneath my pillow and pushed the knob to 'on', nothing happened, just then I realized with a sick feeling of despair that there wasn't any battery in the flashlight.

My mouth turned dry and i suddenly felt too old for my age, the realization that I had called 'one boy!' after evening prep the previous day and asked for battery from all the junior students made me shiver again. I had asked everyone without battery to lie flat faced down on the bare

floor, the fact that my flashlight stayed off meant none of them had battery which automatically translated to all of them still on the bare floor. I left my corner very slowly, tiptoeing towards the light switch of the room, and was stunned when I switched it on. All the junior students in my room still laid there on the bare floor, deep asleep in their innocence, I felt bad.

I located Shedrach Kuru, lifted his smallish frame off the bare floor and laid him on his bed, I went further with the rest small statured students in the room and hated myself for my irrational attitudes.

But...

The beautiful city of Abakaliki had been extensively hot all day on this stress packed Monday as such, the rain that came in the evening was a welcomed one. Like most Ebonyians who resided in the G.R.A part of Abakiliki, Grace was indoors, though, much more than a storm was needed to cool the heat she felt at the moment. She paced about her room holding her phone in one hand and the Bible in the other, she was deeply in a prayer mood while she occasionally checked her phone for the expected message. "Father Lord! Fight this battle for Tony, no weapon fashioned against us shall prosper, Amen! You are the al..." Her phone beeped and 'new message' displayed on the screen thereby interrupting her prayers. She clicked, scrolled, read and copied out a contact on a rumpled paper that was on her dressing table, then dialled the number, pressed the phone to her left ear and listened to the steady 'burrh... burrh...'. She muttered some prayers softly as she waited to hear a voice from the other end of the connection which came after the sixth ring. "Hello!" A husky voice came through the ear piece of her phone "hello! Hello!! Please am i on to... Inspector Jatau of Madalla police station?" "No Ma" "please sir how do i reach him, it's very urgent" grace said hastily as she began to loose patient "wetin happen?" "Please i need your help, my husband has just been attacked in the house at polosa" "i no de duty abeg, call station na" Grace couldn't hold on any longer, she broke down in tears and replied in shaky voice "please Sir, someone just sent me your number I'm in Ebonyi State at the moment... help my husband because of God" "oya Madam calm down, i will contact station for you, na where the house de?" "No 15, polosa, opposite polosa central Mosque... Oga please help me abeg, i will transfer airtime to you now to enable you keep in touch" she said and sobbed further. "Okay Ma, i will get back to you" The inspector hung up, picked his walkie talkie that was plugged beside his television set, made a distress call to the station, gave out the address, wore a t-shirt, hung his police I D card, carried the key of his motorcycle and dashed out of his house promising his son that he would return pretty soon.

At about 9:16 pm, 13 minutes after Inspector Jatau received the call that dragged him out of his comfort zone, the environs of No 15. Polosa was deserted as the presence of armed Police Officers at such hours of the day called for caution. Some Hausas who usually lurk around that area had ran to the Mosque and could now be seen hanging by the Mosques' window, watching as events unfolded. A police patrol vehicle parked by the road side had only the driver in it who was on standby in case of eventualities. 2 police men mounted at the back of No. 15, 2 others hid at various places over looking the front door of No. 15 while the Officer in Charge of the operation visited house number 14 & 16 to ask questions as regards the possible on-going attack. Mr. Ali of number 14 had confirmed that he heard someone shout not quite long ago while Annabel occupying flat 16 had taken the Officer to her bathroom where they could hear water running from the shower of the next flat which had been on for quite some time now, other than that, nothing seemed wrong. All indications pointed that Anthony of No. 15, Grace's supposed husband, might be in danger, nevertheless,  the Officers had to thread carefully. The O C in plain clothes knocked Anthony's door, got no response, knocked again, went to Annabel's to check if water was still running, signalled his men in hidden positions to get ready, knocked for a third time, still no response, pulled out a pistol and booted the wooden door which shattered in its hinges, it wasn't locked after all.

The time was 9:32 pm now, a lot had gone through Grace's mind, she was hoping to get married to Anthony in 2 months time, how could this be happening to him now? Anthony was a business man who hated banking, he usually kept money at home, this bothered her too. 'If Tony was murdered,  the marriage would be off... If he was only robbed, the marriage would definitely be postponed and this she wasn't comfortable with. What if Tony was crippled or something, can i still marry him?' She thought as tears rolled down her fat cheeks. The Inspector had said he will get back to her and had stopped receiving her calls, she kept wondering what could be happening at the moment and wished she had any of Tony's neighbours contact. She had dragged a friend all the way from Kubwa, almost 20 km from Polosa to help her check what was going on, he was still on transit and hadn't even made half the journey yet. She dialled Tony's number again & received the 'switched off' message yet again, this made her sob further, uncontrollably this time. There are times when even the strongest of men needs a shoulder to lean on, times when one wants to be in the arms of morpheous till a Hercules take control of the situation. Times when you want to delve into the ocean of your past activities and exhume a detailed record of your bad and good deeds then ask which had warranted the current situation, this was that time for Grace. She dabbed her eyes once more and was about dialling any of her recently dialled number when a call from an unknown contact came through.

"Hello!"
"Yea... Hello!... Good evening!"
"Evening Ma! This is detective Musabe, am i on to... Miss Grace Obijiaku?"
"Eh... yes Sir"
"I would need you to report to our station as soon as possible at Madalla for questioning as regards the event that just occurred at No. 15, Polosa"
Grace's heart skipped a beat then resumed,  thumping very fast now
"But... I'm in Ebonyi State at the moment na, what's going on? Is Tony Okay?"
"Ebonyi State?... damn! Then i would have to question you over the phone, i guess. Tell me where exactly you were as at 2247hrs this evening"
"In my hotel room in Abakaliki Sir"
"How did you get to know Mr. Anthony was in danger and why shouldn't i believe that you had a hand in all of this?"
"Me? Look sir, Tony is my fiance, we hope to..."
"Hold it there, you initially told one of my men that Mr. Anthony was your husband right?"
"Ye.. ye... yes na, we.... were supposed to get married soon"
"Hum!"
"Wait first.. sir! Are you insinuating that i kille..."
"Don't be faster than your shadows. To the best of my knowledge, you made the distress call right?"
"Yes Sir"
"I want to know everything that happened,  exactly what you know"
"We were on the phone then all of a sudden something happened that made him yell, i heard a crackling sound,  then the phone went dead, since then i haven't been able to reach him"
"Madam! Does this look like a joke to you? I asked for a detailed explanation and you're feeding me this crap? Do you want me to read out your rights for you and declare you wanted? Are you high?"
"I'm sorry Sir... I called Tony my fiance this evening at about 25 minutes past 8pm when i was sure he would have returned from work. He said he just returned from work and was very hungry, other than 2 packs of noodles, there was nothing to eat in the house. He's a bad cook so i offered to coach him over the phone, all he needed do was use a hands free while i instructed him on what, when and how to do what he ought to do to cook the noodles. He had turned on the gas, sliced the onions and pepper, poured them in the water and we were waiting for the water to boil before i instructed him to put the noodles in it. We gisted about other things as we awaited the water that was already getting hot then he said he was pressed and wanted to use the comfort station. While he was doing that, i was cracking adult jokes on how his urine was sounding as it splattered  in the bowl of the WC when i heard him scream all of a sudden. I heard other sounds before the phone went dead. I tried calling back but the network operator said his number was switched off, till now it's switched off. I guessed he was under attack from probably burglars, so i called various contacts till some one sent me Inspector Jatau's number"
"Hum! Are you sure you are telling me the truth? "
"Yes Sir... I swear... how can i lie with something as serious as this? Officer! Please believe me"
"Madam! Well done! You try well well... Shey you carry Tony cut pepper finish you say make him enter toilet go piss abi? You wan tell me say you forget to tell am say make him wash hand ne? What did Tony do to you to deserve this for God's sake?"

Thought you knew?

5 YEARS BACK

"Who is there?"
"Kopa! Na me, Chuks"
Sani stood up to answer & unbolt the door for Chuks to come in.
"Ah! Aboki na you? Sanamakum"
"see your mouth, na so dem de talk am na him we still de use am?"
Sani replied & they let laughter occupy the atmosphere. Fred switched his focus from the desktop monitor to Chuks.
"Guy ha fa na?"
"I dey o"
"sidon na"
"I de hurry, popcy tell me say you de complain about the sockets for your room, naim ɪ say make ɪ check you"
"that is true, none of them..."
"No worry..." chuks interrupted "...first thing tomorrow morning, I go come run am, i know the problem, I for even do am now, but person de wait me"
"dan iska, na woman abi?"
Sani reacted
"before nko? You think say na aunsa land we de? Here nobody go cut my prick"
Chuks responded chuckling
"na you go cut am with your own hand, shegey kawai"
Sani replied
A smiling Fred added "Abi? Come Chuks you nogo free my home boy for me?"
Then they all burst out laughing. Chuks stamped his bare foot on the ground twice
"omo! Dis una rug make sense o"
Fred who had re switched his attention to the monitor, replied flatly
"na God o"
while Sani just seemed to be lost again in Social Network. Chuks opened the door to take his leave and squatted to wear back his shoes
"Ehen, my Dad talk to you yesterday about cigar abi?"
"Yea..." Fred replied & went on "...he said ɪ can’t have gas around & still smoke cigarettes nearby"
"pardon that old man joor, him no just know how to preach quit smoking for you make you no go take am personal, you know say na Pastor, dana why him tell you that one"
"Shebi you see your life?" Sani said sarcastically
"shut up there my friend, Aboki like you..." chuks fought back & by this time he was done lacing his shoes. "...Guys till tomorrow na"
"okay"
"oya na"
Sani & fred responded in a chorus.
"Use condom o" sani added as he bolted the door after chuks who was already motioning for a commercial motorcycle (okada).

4 MONTHS LATER 

The door leading to the third house of an eight flat apartment opened & a pretty lady walked in. She wriggled her nose once again and looked over the balcony to the ground floor
"so na wetin de smell be..." A sudden movement caught her eye & she saw her Boy friend sneaking to the kitchen window with his right hand behind his back. "...Baby you startled me… & what is that you are hiding?"
"your wedding ring, its suppose to be a surprise you know"
she rushed at him pushing him back away from the window & wrapped her hands around him groping for whatever thing he had behind his back.
"Sweety! Stop this joor, must you see everything?"
"Baby you've been smoking"
"God Forbid"
he tactically brought his hands behind her back without her knowledge & hugged her. She declined the hug.
"Answer me, you've been smoking"
"no I haven't, stop this na"
she retreated trying to break his grip while he followed her with hands still behind her back.
"I hate it when you lie to me, just.. let.. me.. be"
she broke free from his hug & slammed her back on the window protector.
"It’s the cigar you are hiding ba?"
He raised his hands up
"see, my hands are empty"
"it’s a lie, you threw it out the..."

BOOOOOOOOOOOM

The floor shook under their feet as the house rocked a little.
"Jesus!"
both of them cried out as they dived to the kitchen floor. Hanging serving spoons shattered to the floor while used mugs in the wash hand basin rattled at their position. Silence fell in that vicinity for like 20 seconds
"Bomb! Bomb!!"
Someone yelled from a distance, then the whole house resumed its activities, only that this time it was fleeing for safety. Babies started crying, mothers shouting out children’s names, in no time, the stairs was crowded
"Fire! Fire!!"
Someone else screamed. The window by the stairs leading to flat 3 & 4 was covered with smoke that was thickening by seconds. A lady fell down the step & was stampeded, occupants of flat 3 & 4 who couldn't join the struggle for survival at the stairs resort to jumping down from their east wing balcony, of course it was the first floor, while a man & his family at the top floor (7 & 8) thought it wiser to take refuge at the roof top so they escaped through their back door. Other than getting out of the house, nothing else mattered to the residents of no 4A, Ogo Street, Afikpo road, Ebonyi State.

3 HOURS LATER

Residents of Ogo Street gathered in their hundredths at the blast scene ratting while awaiting the arrival of the team who conveyed Mr. Obi to the Hospital. The fire men had taken their leave having put off the fire at flat one while police & other accident response agencies combed the scene to ascertain the explosion. Reporters had arrived in the scene 2 hours ago & everybody interviewed seemed to be accusing Bokoram (A radical religious group that emanated from Northern Nigeria & have been terrorizing Nigerians in the North)
"they kill our people for Hausa land, we no talk, they burn our Churches for there, we still keep quiet, now na to bomb us for our own house? Because we don run leave their place for them?"
One angry man told a reporter.
"Na God go punish Bokoram"
a lady blurted. Just then, 3 Keke napep (tricycles) & an old model Peugeot 504 arrived with passengers all wearing drawn faces, this was the team who conveyed Mr. Obi to FMC Abakaliki.
"They succeeded"
A man said calmly as he alighted from one of the tricycles,
"they have killed Mr. Obi".
Just then a lady from the crowd slumped, uproar sprang, weeping & wailing ignited.
"Bokoram has killed Him for me oh" a woman was crying. At one corner of that vicinity, a smaller crowd was gathering momentum around one angry speaker who was blustering.
"All these aboki men are evil, they are wicked, they have penetrated us because una no fit talk say nobody see person where him think say na him plant this bomb."
Fred, Sani & Helen who hadn't recovered from the shock where approaching this other crowd, just when Chuks took an excuse to speak to the crowd.
"They no penetrate us at all, una no know say one Aboki de stay for the compound?..."
The crowd 'wowed' & 'what?' in amazement. Sani who was just reaching the crowd stopped upon hearing this. Chuks continued"... see the idiot for there"
As the crowds' gaze shifted towards Sani's direction which chuks was pointing, Sani couldn't wait for any further explanation since his legs suddenly only responded to the 'run' stimuli. Bulk of the crowd turned and followed him in pursuit screaming
"Catch am! Catch am! Na Bokoram!" 

2 DAYS LATER

Virtually the whole of Azuiyokwu was a bee hive of activities, Ogo Street with incoming & outgoing viewers of the current blast site, the small market located at its west end had resumed business following its reopening having been shut down a day before due to bomb scare, the State Environmental Board had done a good job of what was left of Mr. Obi's back Yard, while some kids where running through the shattered fence into the compound in the name of play. The police station was not left out of this hullabaloo as angry youths who were gathered at the front of the station, seemed to be passing the same message in a different manner & language. Majority of the crowd spoke in Ibo language while others passed their message in pidgin (broken English). They wanted the police to release Sani who submitted himself to the police for refuge 2 days back whom they believed is in connection with the recent bombing in the state & the police seemed not to be taking appropriate measures. Police officers coupled with some NYSC officials were trying to explain to the angry crowd that the reports from the blasted site didn't come up with any explosive material but this crowd seemed to have done their own autopsy & where so willing to take laws into their hands. Meanwhile, a particular house in Azuiyokwu was rescued from this swarm of activities as Fred pointed a dagger at Helen.
"If I stab you now, just have it in mind that you are the cause, you don't just want to let me think, haba?"
"What is..."
"Shut up!..." He barked, "...Shut up! Must you raise your voice?"
She calmed herself down, threading carefully not to provoke him.
"Sani has been like a brother to you, just tell the police that it was a mistake. Moreover, if you had showed me your hands, I had already perceived & confirmed that there was a leaking cylinder somewhere, ɪ saw two cylinders down stairs."
"Like it’s that easy, a mistake that has cost the life of someone, you expect the judges to treat lightly abi?"
"Is the Nigerian constitution against smoking of Cigar?"
He stood up, went to the curtain & pinched it a little, allowing tiny rays of sunlight penetrate the room as well as checking out for any suspicious movement.
"The landlord had warned me before, what if he asks me to pay for the damages, where do I want to find such amount of money?"
"That should be the least of your worries right now, your own best friend is about to be lynched, don't you get it?"
"My parents would kill me if they hear this"
"fine, let me go, you've kept me here for over 24 hrs now & seized my phone, I'm no longer finding it funny"
"baby I'm sorr..." He held his head like they wanted to burst open "…ɪ can't take that risk, you’re the only one who knows the truth & you don't want to cooperate"
'i would leave here soon' she thought. When He brought her to this old & dusty house at first, she suspected she was being kidnapped because her boy friend was acting very different. She knew it was cigarette butt he threw away through the window before the blast so she immediately excused herself for the restroom upon reaching the house & sent an SMS to her roommate giving her the address of the house & permitting her to take the message to the police station if she didn't return home the previous night. She was very sure the police would be on their way by now, so all she had to do was stall any development and play along till their arrival. Fred paced around for a while, banged his head with his palms like four times, did some mental calculations & was so jumpy. She sight a teardrop in his eye & didn't feel any pity for him, to her, he was evil & had been pretending all along, he felt embarrassed as their eyes locked again & left the room for the next. For some 30 hours when they arrived here, Fred hadn't let Helen off his sight for once so this was like an opportunity as such she made efforts to utilize it. She tiptoed to the door with the hope that it would be locked, nevertheless, it was worth the try. Upon reaching the door, she silently & slowly turned the knob & to her greatest surprise, it was unlocked.
"Come & take your phone before you leave"
Fred called out from the next room. This startled her, for a while she thought it was a trap, but doubted it. This isn't Fred at all, she knew Fred to at least an extent but at this moment, instinct told her there was more to Fred just being in trouble. She no longer thought of her safety but that of Fred. She braced herself up, threw all caution to the wind and headed towards the direction of the voice. Fred was standing behind the door, looking like a ghost in the darker room. His face drawn & he was looking very thin & white.
"Baby what's wrong?"
"Just take your phone & leave, do as you wish"
She discovered the dagger was no longer in sight so she reluctantly ruled out 'suicide' from her thoughts. She was now very alarmed & didn't make any effort to conceal it.
"baby what's wrong with you?"
In a resigned gesture, he muttered
"I will tell them the truth"
"thank Goodne..."
She coughed roughly as he held his nose & sneezed.
"What's hap... tear gas?"
"Jesus Christ!"
They both scrambled to the door, seeking safety as they held their faces down while they choked in the gas.
"Freeze there & put your hands up!"
A mobile police man yelled alongside two other men pointing their big guns at Fred & Helen while three others in oxygen masks proceeded to the house for scrutiny.

1 WEEK LATER

Sani was released & redeployed alongside Fred & Helen to Kaduna, following Helen's police statement that she actually perceived gas when she came to visit both of them, checked through the balcony & saw Late Mr. Obi adding another cylinder to the one outside already & either one or the two seemed to be leaking. She proceeded to Fred's room where she saw Fred & Sani playing TV game joyously like kids who just played their first game for the holidays before the blast. In her other statement, as regards the SMS she sent to her roommate, Helen claimed that she & Fred had agreed to send that SMS because of their safety. According to her, they were afraid that if the crowd couldn't lay their hands on Sani, they might come back & pounce on them being a roommate & friend of Sani. Luckily for Helen, the police didn't retrieve the dagger in the house. The people of Ogo Street saw so many reasons to believe Helen's statement as some neighbors actually attested to the fact that Late Mr. Obi was really a very careless man who on several cases caused minor fire incidents as a result of the same Gas spillage.

Sani casually wondered at Helen's alteration of facts but couldn't bring Himself to ask his best friends in the World questions. He was very grateful & was looking forward to reciprocating these heroic gestures of his friends upon arrival in Kaduna were his Dad, Alhaji Abdulha Kim was the Secretary to the State Governor (SSG).

Helen detested Fred from that day & quit their relationship for a mere act that would prevent Sani from suspecting anything at least for the time being.

Fred! Well... I am finally telling the real story now na, I thought you knew?