AMAYA’S DESTINY
(NIGHT RAIN)
Episode 17
:
:
:
:
:
Ghene city once again grew worried over the disappearance of dead victims from the collap-sed building the next morning. Meanwhile, Jimmy had dressed for school. Immediately he came out of his room to the sitting room, he stopped behind a cushion, listening and watching a journalist on a television screen broadcast thus: ..”following another night rain, a building was said to collap-se without the trace of dead victims. People now live in terror and asking what’s really happening in the city…”
Jimmy put off the television with unconcerned exhalation, thoughtfully headed to the front door only to see a young girl standing when he opened it. He speechlessly took a very good look at her appearance which seems like an apprentice in a secret witch society: dark pointed hair parked in three places, long eyelashes and dark eyebrows with a black we-tli-ps which are totally different from her fair complexion. She wore a crop-top over a mini black skirt then on her feet rested long heel shoes. Accordingly, Jimmy also looked over her shoulder to see a power bike as deadly as the girl.
“How clever are you?” the girl asked, staring directly into Jimmy’s eyes.
“Is that a good morning? And where the fu-ck are you from!? Who are you, bitc-h?!” he aggressively queried.
The girl smiled. “You’re as rude a they said, but handsome. I’m Jade. Ikuku summones you. Follow me!” she climbed the bike. Jimmy jumped in from behind immediately.
“Where is Ikuku?” he asked as the bike zoom off.
“Where else? He’s surrounded by the walls of Den of cleverness” Jade replied. Only then did Jimmy un-derstood why she asked him how clever he is.
The bike took them throu-gha bushy lonely road Jimmy had never imagined to p@$$ throu-ghuntil they stopped before a round local house that has a flat roof, covered by shru-b. There were no windows but a single door. Jimmy climbed down from the bike, staring at a riddle encrypted on the door.
“The riddle changes any time the door opens.” Jade narrated, stepping closer to the entrance. She looked at Jimmy who was behind still staring at the riddle. “How clever are you? Can you try?” she asked him.
“So Ikuku is really real” Jimmy muttered. He cleared his throat to read the riddle that says: “A cloud was my mother, the wind is my father, my son is the cool stream, and my daughter is the fruit of the land. A rainbow is my bed, the earth my final resting place, and I’m the torment of man. Who Am I?”
“The first sentence is in past tense..” Jimmy began to exercise his cleverness as Jade smiled at his behaviour. “…rainbow is my bed… one who goes to bed remains dormant…” he chuckled when he finally got the answer. “You’re rain!”
Instantly, the door opened.
“You’re not only handsome but clever too.” Jade walked in followed by Jimmy then the door closed and the riddle changed automatically.
The interior pa-rt of the building was illuminated by burning fire on sticks that hung at every corner of the sanctum. Jimmy could see the shell of a tortoise and other totem there. Just as he fed his eyes, Ikuku came out from another room, wearing his usual white garment and a staff in his hand.
“Jimmy Okenagba, to call war the soil of courage and virtue is like calling debauchery the soil of love.” Ikuku spoke in proverb as he was appraoching the boy.
“I don’t care if my people are courageous enough to face the war that is coming” Jimmy un-derstood the proverb. “I’ve been made a thing of ridicule in the public! Insulted by Amaya herself! I dare not speak to anybody again of what is about to come!”
“What about the life of Amaya, lad?” Ikuku lowered his voice.
“I don’t care if she dies or not!”
“Amaya is drastically growing weak by each night rain. Search your conscience again. Do you wish to see her lying dead in a casket when you can save her life?”
“I’ve made up my mind, and there is no going back!” Jimmy stood by his words, stepped closer to Ikuku and continued. “Why don’t you come out from your hidings and make them believe you and what is about to come, huh?”
Ikuku turned his back on him. “Truly you’re rude and stubborn. When Rachael’s destiny was changed to favour the Talibans, yours was changed to save her life. That’s why only you can do this. I must not interfere rather encourage you!”
“When the city start swooning with Talibans, you’ll do more of interferance than encouragement. I’m out of here!” Jimmy began to walk towards the exit, while Jade stared at him. Ikuku turned immediately, waved his staff at the door and the length of the riddle increa-sed, thus becoming more difficult.
“You might have figured out the meaning of my poem. But if you don’t answer the riddle, you’ll forever trapped here coz no one will do that for you. If we do it for you, you’ll accept your destiny. Deal?” Ikuku instructed.
Jimmy giggled in a way that shows: YOU DON’T KNOW HOW SMART I AM. He read the riddle that says, “Samuel was out for a walk when it started to rain. He did not have an umbrella and he wasn’t wearing a hat. His clothes were soaked, yet not a single hair on his head got we-t. How could this happen?”
Jimmy kept looking at the riddle generating silence inside the den. Jade and ikuku glanced at each other. A minute later, Jimmy turned with a smile. “The answer is in the riddle: ..yet not a single hair on his head… Samuel is bald.” Instantly, the door opened. He began to walk out.
“Jimmy!” Jade ran after him. She met him beside her bike, looking into his eyes as the boy waited to hear from her. She quickly kizzed him p@$$ionately and said with a bedroom voice. “I’ll help you. Please, change you’re mind.”
Jimmy remained quiet, wondering if the kizz was out of feelings or conviction.
“Take my bike” She placed the key in his hands. “I’ll come pick it in the evening.” She smiled at him attra-ctively.
“Thank you.” Jimmy rode off. He could see Jade throu-ghthe side mirror of the bike still standing at the door, staring at him.
“You can’t do that” Jade turned to the voice of Ikuku who just came out from the house. “He’s not only destined to safe Amaya, he’s destined to be with her too.” he added.
Jade frowned, walk-p@$$ed him without saying a word. Just at the door, she turned saying, “Some destiny can be changed coz I heard the girl in quote doesn’t reciprocate his love.” She finally answered a riddle then entered.
Ikuku spaced out to the sky still wondering how Jimmy got the riddle so easily. “He’s potentially clever.” he murmured.
:
:
Mr Ojile barged into Rachael’s room to see her crying and lying on the floor. Hearing his footsteps, the girl startled up. “Dad, Please! Who are you people?!”
The man neglected her, turned her bed upside down and opened up a secret un-derground room from the floor. Rachael became surprise that such thing had been there without her knowledge. It was dark and scary like a kri-kri prison.
“Enter here!” Mr Ojile ordered.
Rachael clustered herself against the wall in tears. “No, Please! Somebody help me!” she wanted to run to the door but the man caught her, for-cefully pushed her inside and locked it.
Suddenly, the premesis was disturbed by the sound of the bike Jimmy parked in front of the house. Heroically, he stepped into the house to see the husband and wife staring at him innocently.
“Where is Rachael!” his voice was bold and loud to the hearing of Rachael from the un-derground room.
“Jimmy help me!” She yelled.
“Rachael!” He wanted to rush to the room but the parents stopped him saying at the same time, “You may have some kind of power in you, but you can’t escape now!”
They raised their hands in incantation, doors shut closed along with windows and the light went off. Jimmy became scared, still hearing Rachael yelling for help….
:
:
AMAYA’S DESTINY
(NIGHT RAIN)
Episode 18
:
:
:
:
Though it was morning but the interior residence of Mr Ojile was as dark as charcoal. It could be seen throu-ghthe aluminium window of the house. Only God knows what will become of Jimmy in the hands of the Talibans who claimed to be Rachael’s parents. Their powers could be felt by anyone who dares stop them from taking revenge on the humans. It’s just inhumane they had to do it with an innocent and helpless child, Rachael who her life and biological parents still remained unknown to her. In the same way, her life span was drastically reducing. As she was un-der the basement, she realized nobody else could save her but Jimmy. Jimmy wasn’t a policeman neither was he in a any rescure for-ce, but she whole-heartedly believed only him can save her. Why? She has no idea. But how can the boy safe her when he was also trembling in the darkness created by the Talibanss?
Nevertheless, police siren paved from afar until many of their vehicles surrounded the exterior pa-rt of the building at gun point. None was ready to break into the dark house regarding the strange things happening at every night rain and about the information gotten regarding the so called Ojile’s family. Suddenly an average woman, Mrs James, their neighbour, approached H@$$an the commander of the police. She was the one that called them when she noticed the strange behaviour.
“Madam, what exactly is going on in there?” H@$$an asked her.
“I have no idea” the woman began terrifyingly. “There is this boy.. that… that came with that bike.” she gestured at the bike. “I believe it’s the boy called Jimmy. Immediately he entered, windows and doors shut at once and the light went off. I also heard a shout for help.” the woman explained.
The commander grew upset at Jimmy, thinking he was the problem. “That boy has crossed the line!” He wanted to walk out but the woman pulled him back in a quivering tone.
“I don’t think the boy is our problem. Mr Ojile and his wife are. Trust me.”
The man gazed at her for a moment then surged forward heroically as he was commanding his men saying, “Prepare to invade! We nee-d everybody inside that house alive!”
However, Ghene school bus was p@$$ing throu-ghwhen Antonia and Festus sighted police vehicles surrounding the house and Journalists parading with their camera.
“What’s happening at Rachael’s house?” Antonia asked standing on her feet like every other students in the bus.
“I told you Jimmy might be right for his inquisition about her parents.” Festus replied.
Briskly, Antonia ran to the front of the bus. “Driver, stop the bus! Stop!!” she yelled.
“What for?” The man asked her.
“My best friend is in trouble, please!”
“Oh fu-ck!” The man applied the br-ake and the bus pulled to a stop. One could see Antonia running to the crime scene on uniform followed by Festus. At the same time, policemen surged towards the door with their guns. Tremendously, the building exploded like a bomb thereby flying the men on the floor. Even the roof of the building blew open.
“Jesus Christ!” Students inside the bus exclaimed along with Antonia at the horrible sight that also reflected on the camera of GTV reporters.
Tactically, the policemen recovered, invaded into the exploded house. They searched every nook and cranny, even inside the basement but never saw any life or dead form of a body.
“Sir, we have a situation!” a policeman contacted from the building. Just then, H@$$an entered to see the men staring at a bold writing on the wall that says: NOBODY CAN STOP US FROM TAKING REVENGE…TALIBANS. They all looked at one another.
On the other hand, Jade could be seen running into the building shouting, “Jimmy! Jimmy!!”
Hearing that, Antonia and Festus looked at each other. “Was Jimmy inside there?” they asked at the same time.
“How did she even know him? Who’s she?” Festus added.
Just before Jade ran into the house, H@$$an and his men stopped her. “Who are you?”
“I’m Jimmy’s friend. Where is he?”
“Nobody was found either dead or alive. Now leave here!” They wanted to push her away but she strongly hesitated, saying with anger after sighting the writing on the wall too. “Do you believe that the tale of the Talibans is real now?” She finally left them to the reporters where she boldly spoke to the hearing of the world.
“Jimmy has been right about the Talibans and only him can stop them. Open your eyes and see that he’s doing his best to safe us all!”
“Who are the Talibans, miss?” the female reporter asked her.
“Jimmy suspected the parents of Amaya who we all know as Rachael Ojile. What happened here today is an evidence that he’s correct. The earlier we find a way to help him, the better for us all!” She climbed her bike to speed off but Antonia rushed her.
“Wait, will Rachael be okay?”
“Only Jimmy can answer that” she sped off. Just then, tears engulfed in her eyes especially when she learnt that her best friend was nowhere to be found.
:
:
The news went across the city and those who didn’t know about the history of the Talibans began to research about it. Everybody comprehended that Jimmy was a saviour while Rachael was being manipulated from birth by her parents that claimed not only to be religious but also humans.
Night drew near, lightning spr-ead from the sky and thun-der rumbled as a sign of rain. Therefore everyone held their heart in terror of what would happen if another night rain should occur because nobody knows where Amaya or Jimmy is.
7:50pm
Darkness finally took over the atmosphere, dropping rain gradually. Running cars at that hour were advanced throu-gha public television to leave the road as a precaution.
“What about buildings that might collap-se?” they murmured.
Poor woman, Mrs Okenagba cried in her house, remembering Jimmy’s words: YOU CAN SLAP ME AGAIN BUT TIME WILL COME WHEN YOU’RE REGRET IT. As she cried in the living room, a voice came from the door saying, “Nothing will happen him”
She turned to see Jade. “But nobody knows whether he’s dead or alive.”
As Jade wanted to move forward, the rain began heavily. So she slowly turned as if being tou-ched in the spirit. “This gonna be worst” she whispered.
Mrs Okenagba met her. “What is it?”
“I can feel a drastic accident caused by Amaya.” Immediately she finished saying, they sighted from afar to see exploding cars in the sky like fireworks for Christmas celebr-ation.
“Oh God!” Mrs Okenagba covered her mouth, wondering the for-ce p-ulling the cars up like that. Suddenly, the ground quivered as well, falling the women on the floor—those were buildings collap-sing too.
“Oh, Jimmy, where are you?” Jade murmured from the floor….
:
:
TO BE CONTINUED