šGOD FEARING BROTHERšØ
Episode 7.
Story by Miriam Edem.
I refused opening my eyes and closed it more ti-ght, then I heard footsteps coming to me.
“No Lord, no plea-se, I cried inside shivering but I noticed it wasn’t me.
I slowly opened my eyes and saw the lady that was just beside me dragged out as she cried very seriously but that was not a relief for me.
There was a little raised platform like a court they built for their slaughtering activities and I wondered what they are going to do with them.
A table was brou-ght out and the blood stained on it explained everything to me without being told.
One of the ladies picked out fainted out of shock…. Of course who won’t be when I was alre-ady dead myself.
They pushed one of the guys forward forcing his head on the table, and with my heart beating fast wishing the trumpet will just b!ow and everything will be over….. THUM! his head was cut off with a well sharpened machete.
I threw up immediately and la-id on the ground there chocking as if I was going to die. I couldn’t take it anymore and the more machete that landed on the table indicating another life gone, the more I threw up without seeing the sight.
We were pushed back to the room for the next buyer to arrive. 5 more people was added to us and 6 lives were again gone before the end of the that day.
I was damn weak but refused to eat the trash they offered us like dogs, then John c@mĀ£ to me.
“You don’t want to eat? You’ll still die anyway, you may not be lucky tomorrow and i wonder why you’re not chosĀ£n yet, probably because you’re ugly, he said but i only looked at him saying nothing.
“Try to eat okay so your bĀ©dy will look good for a rich buyer or else we will still kill you and sell the important p@rts we want for special buyers only, he continued talking to himself but i still said nothing and he smiled nodding his head.
“Good, bye and see you in the morning, he said and tĀ©uƧhed my cheeks and left and i closed my eyes and leaned my head on the wall.
I felt like crying, but not for myself but for my mother. I saw myself as a big disappointment if my disappearance will break my mom down for all the struggles she went throu-gh just to see I complete my education after my father kicked the bucket when i was about writing my SSCE.
My heart was burning and i missed her so much with my siblings. I missed Susan and wished I could see Joshua to apologize to him, l just wanted another chance to make things right but i was scared it will never come.
I didn’t know what else to do that night than to sing despite my mouth was still closed, I was just humming it from the de-epest of my heart. I had no right to be angry with God, and If this will be the last thing i will do before leaving this earth, i was re-ady to do it.
I cant tell how long i hummed with my eyes closed as i la-id on the stinking floor and i felt pains on the shoulder i la-id, then i decided to turn to the other side but heard a very serious argument going on outside.
I decided to sit up to listen attentively but noticed my hands were freed, like very very free.
It wasn’t tied anymore and i quic-kly got the cloth out of my mouth and spat out and loosed my legs and the argument bec@mĀ£ more fierce outside.
“I’ve loosed myself, i announced to them and they began to mumble though i couldn’t see their faces because of the dark room.
“Its okay we are leaving here today. I’m going to loose you all and we will break out here, if it means for us to fight we will fight for we have to do something else we will be slaughtered like goats when the morning comes. So just stay calm while i try loose everyone okay so we can break out together, I said and used my hands carefully on the air to feel them.
If i succeed to loose anyone hands, they were able to take care of their mouth and legs like i did to make it fas-ter and easier for me.
As this was going on, the guys were still in the heat of their argument throwing threats on each other and i saw that as a very good chance for us to strike. For sure some may die but at least we will be able to escape and if possible hurt them also to defend ourselves.
I think i was on the 16th person trying to lose his Hand when the last person i loosed freed herself and ran to the door, surprisingly it wasn’t locked that’s why our hands were tied and everyone who i untied followed suit without wasting time forgetting our agreement.
That was where my good Samaritan ended as i also threw myself out to help myself.
“They are escaping! The guys shouted but I was heading to the bush without looking back.
I heard a c0ckof a gun and a sh0t was fired on the air,
“The next will be on your head if you don’t stĀ©p! The man on mask shouted but the marathon race continued.
I heard screams and knew some were caught and 2 sh0ts were fired which i knew will bring someone down.
The bush was so dark and i knew it will be easier for them to get us as they knew the place better. I noticed some fallen palm fronts as i matched on it with my ba-re foot, and i immediately threw myself on the ground covering myself on the palm fronts as i hid in the Bush.
One by one everyone was caught as they kept running with no direction and some of course will be killed.
“Someone is still missing and how were they loosed! I heard the boss screamed out as if he was going to die and i was praying ha-rd i shouldn’t make a sound to give them a sign.
“Tell me! He shouted.
“Who loosed you? Who! I heard one of the guys probably asking the prisoners but i couldn’t hear the response.
“Oh John so you loosed your girlfriend huh? The boss asked.
“What ru-bbish are you saying? I heard John asked back.
“ru-bbish? Then explain to us how your girlfriend got loosed and where is she you bastard! The boss shouted.
“I have nothing to do with this! John shouted.
“But i saw you with her, you were smiling with her and then you loosed her to get back at me right?……… “Hey hey hey stĀ©p putting this on me! If I’m p@rt of this you think I’ll be here with you? John angrily cuts in.
” You’re a fool and this is your pay! The boss shouted and i heard a gun sh0t and closed my eyes ti-ght as i prayed to God to plea-se help me out of here…….
šGOD FEARING BROTHERšØ
Episode 8.
Story by Miriam Edem.
“Why did you shoot him? I heard one of the guys asked.
“Why did he have to betray us? Can’t you see what he’s trying to do? He purposely put up a conflict and re-leased his girlfriend so she can escape and put us in trouble. Are you blind! The boss shouted and I could hear his breathing where I la-id.
“John is dead? I asked myself and shivered the more.
If he is able to bring down John, he is ever re-ady to cut my head for putting such a confusion there.
“But he said he’s not the one and John is right. Why will he make her escape and he’s still here with us? The other guy argued.
“Are you stupid! The boss shouted hitting him on the che-st.
“StĀ©p it Boss is right. You may not know the arrangements he must have had with her, guy shine your eyes. If John never hint that girl before now, where is she? The other guy asked the one who wanted putting up an argument.
“We are going to search this bush and bring her here. I want to squee-ze and boil her, the heat from my bĀ©dy will cook her, find her! The boss shouted and my legs were shaking.
There was an insect crawling on my ba-re bĀ©dy but i was not able to hit it, one crack from the bush will fetch me out and i wasn’t even far from where they stood, so i had to endure and prayed snake shouldn’t be next.
“What about John? One asked.
“Of course he’s still valuable. Are they well tied? The boss asked.
“Yes! A heavy voice replied.
“Ohhh Bring me that girl na, bring me that girl. She’s hiding somewhere and cant go far, move! The boss shouted and that was how i heard them entering the bush.
My mouth was shivering as another insect was crawling around my nĀ£Ā¢k and the guys were in the bush.
It looked like a centi-pede and it crawled down to my hand as I la-id still.
“God plea-se! I cried inside as they took their time sweeping throu-gh the bushes, then they approached where i la-id and 1 of them sneezed and coughed ha-rd .
“What are you doing in that area? Is that not where the unwanted p@rts are thrown? I heard the other asked and i just felt like fainting.
Ahhhhh Amanda! Are you even lying on a corpse?
“Is true o, maybe that’s why i got chocked, the one who sneezed said as they stĀ©pped, but little did they know they were standing just where i was.
“But where’s this girl? You sure that girl never hit road and we dey here? One asked.
“Its not possible. it can’t be possible except she alre-ady left before the rest tried to escape because if she tried escaping with them, we for catch am since na, another said.
“s-en-se, na s-en-se you talk. She is the only one missing and we haven’t seen her, that means she had alre-ady escaped then John no try na! One said hitting his legs on the palm front.
“Wait o, so you mean to say we are not save here? Then we have to leave this place whether boss likes it or not. I know him as a very stubborn man, i wonder how he take be pastor sef, one said and i didn’t un-derstand that pastor aspect of it.
“Boss won’t agree, he will say we didn’t search well but if someone is escaping at least sound go dey but everywhere is quiet. If that man no go move this night, I won’t stay here till morning if he like make he shoot me, one said and the boss shouted on them and they left where they stood.
“She’s gone boss and i think we should evacuate this place, one replied him.
“she’s still here. I just made a call outside and no one has hit the main road, the boss replied.
“How is that person sure? Not that we were expecting such a thing to happen, the bush is quiet and no one can hide here, one said as they left the bush.
“She untied the rest and she ran with them, that girl is here!, the boss confidently said.
“Then i think she’s dead. You fired sh0ts carelessly she may be hit and will be lying somewhere but to be very sure, let’s leave for the night, its very important, one calmly said and the boss gro-an ed and angrily kicked things around.
“True boss, let’s not take risk, another added.
“Lock the place up, take any trace of us including the money and prepare the car, the boss said and i breathed out.
That was good news to me.
In less than 20 minutes I saw headlights of a car driving out but i still la-id there just to be
Sure no one was left behind to watch over their prisoners, then someone coughed.
I listened more attentively and noticed someone was in pains some where but i was still scared to leave. It was ha-rd to believe they truly evacuated and feared for my life thinking its a plan to lure me out, not until an animal crossed by and i jumped from where i la-id and saw the place dry.
But will i run with a dirty p@n-t and br@? I knew my clothes or any cloth at all will be around so i can put on and find my way out.
Slowly I left and that was when i saw human p@rts around me, but what i don’t un-derstand is how i was able to stay there without being disturbe-d from the stench of it.
The cough c@mĀ£ again and i knew it must be someone wounded then i ran to check it out, but surprisingly it was John.
He was surprised himself to see me as i stĀ©pped when i saw it was him. He was bleeding just around his stomach area and his eyes were closing as i stood looking at him wondering what I should do.
“Amanda, take, he managed to say.
“What? I asked.
“Check my pocket, there’s a phone, he replied and i rushed and took it but it was locked.
“Whats the Pas-sword? I asked.
“22….2….. “How many 2? I asked but his eyes were closing.
“John the pas-sword! I shouted sl@pping him ha-rd on his cheek.
“Double 2, fifty and twenty seven, he replied and closed his eyes as i typed it down and the phone was unlocked.
“John? John! I shouted shaking him but he was gone.
I stood up from him and dialled Susan number as i ran to the door to let go of the others…………
Tbc