LOVE BY A BEAST
EPISODE 21
Eli : your people have come for you abi?
i didnt answer…Uche was slowing down on purpose…Eli couldn’t move as fast as he wanted.. He picked up his phone with his left hand dialled a number and put it on speaker..it was Jafar he called…
Eli : howfar Jafar?
Jafar : Eli…
Eli : na because of these jews you dey follow me like this?
Jafar : Doz girls na my people…
Eli : You don bam them?
Jafar : Eli , free those girls…
Eli : and if i no free them?
Jafar : We go murder you for this town…
Eli : Lol…you no fit na…before i count 10, if you and Uche no commot for my side i go scatter Tana head….
***Jafar remained silent…***
Eli : you dey doubt me abi?
***Jafar hung up….***
Orisa brou-ght out his pistol and placed it on my head….
Uche swerved to the right, allowing Eli have the road…throu-gh the mirror, i saw Jafar back down…
Eli started whistling as he drove us towards Ijebu-Igbo…
He started singing Danfo Driver’s Jogodo song as he drove into Ijebu-Igbo. No matter how many times i entered that town, i never got used to the smell of Cows being slaughtered around the market. His car pu-ll-ed into a paintless compound on the left..The smell of weed was everywhere…guys with bloodsh0t eyes loitered around, some dirty looking girls with cheap tattoos were also around..
Eli : Una go dey here till Abayomi get s-en-se
Me : but we alre-ady as-sured you..let us go Eli…
Eli : hehehehe..
Some guys surrounded the car as we stepped down, chants of ‘Baba, Eruku,’ filled the air…
We were led into the one story building that smelled worse of weed. I noticed some guys i knew in campus that i didn’t even know where cultists..
Me : Eli, atleast let Toun go…
Toun : No, i am staying here with you…
Eli : una don dey bore me…
He turned to Orisa and instructed him to keep us in a room…he had urgent business to attend to..
My phone rang, it was Timi. He must be on his way to pick me up from mini-campus..
Timi : babe howfar…
me : I’m good
Timi : where u dey?
me : somewhere not too far, you have your keys yh?…i will meet you soon…
… i didn’t wait for him to reply before i hung up…
Toun and i were kept in a dirty looking room with a mattress without be-dsheets and cigarette marks all over..
Toun : Tana, don’t you think you guys should really step down?
Me : I think so Toun…i don’t wanna lose my life for this ish…
Toun : Lets just graduate and get out of this school….
Me : i am sure Naetochukwu will be worried now…
she smiled at what i said, i realised she actually liked the guy…
Toun’s phone rang some minutes later, as i suspected, it was Naetochukwu…He wanted to know when they would see later..,she told him she would meet him at his place…
We had been trying to call Abayomi but his number was switched off..we had no other option than to sit and wait. Orisa c@m£ in Later to tell us that Eli wanted us at the veranda…Streams of fear washed over me….
He was standing at the veranda, wearing a green towel around his w@!st. His che-st and six-packs had been formed by life rather than the gym..His only eye stared at us as we joined him..He was holding a stainless steel cu-p and sipping from it.
Eli : Tanatolo….Hwfar omo ibo toh S-xy…
Me : Eli it is getting late, Abayomi is unreachable…plea-se ler us go…
Toun : plea-se..
Eli looked on as if we were talking to ourselves. Downstairs, some guys were arguing about something they were pas-sionate about….
He had a slow smile on hisl-ips, seemed like he hoped it was going to lead to a fight…
Eli : hunger wan kill me…Tanatolo…u too?
Me : No…i am good…
Eli : beta chop…because when i handle that your succulent yansh this night..you go nee-d gather strenght o…walahi!..
i trembeled….
Me : Eli…you can’t be serious…
Toun : Bros, you want to r@p£ her?
Eli : No be r@p£ until u report am na…
Toun : Jafar nko?
Eli laughed till his towel almost pu-ll-ed off….
Eli : Jafar Papa! when him still be Jambite, i don dey mount parade for this skul…
I knew Toun didn’t mean harm mentioning Jafar’s name, but she just dug my grave..
Eli : na two of una o….hehehehe…no blame me, na Abayomi ignore us….i nee-d tender love to feel better….hehehehe…
I wish once again, Jafar would perform a miracle..Toun was crying again…it was dark in the dark, smelly house….
Eli : Orisha…abeg organise Amala for me from that woman wey dey garage and buy Opa-eyin 50 naira..
***i s£nt a text to Jafar***
I looked around the compound, but it was too dark for me to picture our way out..Toun and i had our phones on us, i wondered if i should call the police…
I decided to talk to him to while away time till Abayomi picks..
Me : What year are you?
Eli : Year 2000…
He started laughing again. Toun, who was beside me didn’t share in the humour..
Me : what about your girlfriend?
Eli : Spirit man doesn’t nee-d a girlfriend….
***So it is to r@p£ girls that you nee-d abi, idiot…***
Me : oh,…You never had one?
Eli : E get one girl like that, Favor …chai… that girl worry…Na her toto be the sweetest wey i don ever taste…e be like honey…
***The imbercile was sma-cking hisl-ips***
Me : So where is she now?…
Eli : Ah…she don graduate since ’05…married to a pastor…
Me : I’m sorry
Eli : hehehe…you dey form caring Tanatolo?..Favor dey always complain say my thing too big…say i no dey do forepla-y…tell me…man wey don shayo dey remember forepla-y?
Me : i get your point Eli…
Eli : Abi Jafar dey do forepl@ybefore him hammer u?
Me : Jafar is not my b©yfri£nd…
Eli : so u wan tell me say na only your b©yfri£ndyou dey straff?…fine girl like you…
I kept quiet..The discussion wasn’t going as planned…
Me : whats up with you and Jafar?
Eli : Jafar?…that boy na b—–d!..na me bam the idiot for this school..him come dey carry che-st for me now…na the idiot commot my eye….emi!…oju olorun…infact as i dey remember the guy i dey vex…
Me : but you look nice like this o…bad boy nice…
Eli : you dey crase…maybe i go chuck your own commot too…
Me : if u initiated Jafar, why are you people not brothers…?
Eli : Oya shut up…E don do…I no knw why Orisa dey tey like this…
I called Abayomi’s number, it was switched off…
Eli brou-ght out a stick o cigarette and smoked….
Eli : who be your b©yfri£ndfor this school..
ofcourse i couldnt tell him i was d@t!ngTimi, but i kindha suspected that he knew…
Me : i just broke up with him…
Eli : oh.. mean say ur toto go don dey wither now.? i will bring it to life…
Me : Eli, i am ok…
Eli : Tana friend, i know say na Abayomi be your bobo…i go leave remain for am no worry….
He was getting impatient so he called Orisa again…He didn’t pick up…
Eli : Oya make we go inside….
He turned to face Toun and I….we hesitated until he unleashed his pistol again…
Eli : Abi make i call those boys make dem join us?…i must warn you, most of their p—k na shakabula o..
I tried to make eye contact with Toun, but she was looking down dejected…i wanted to make a run for it…i doubted if we would escape but we had to try…
Eli’s phone rang…
Eli : Orisa, u don go drink Shepe forget we-tin i s£nd you abi?
I didn’t hear what the other person said, but it was clear it wasn’t Orisa…
Eli : we-tin u do with my guy?…i swear you get mind o…
……..Ehen…inside Ijebu-Igbo?…ur territory reach here abi…
…….You go kill am if i t©uçh the girls?
.,…….your papa na ra-pist!…
……….Oya re-lease Orisa…
i dey bring them come now…
I have never seen a guy so angry before…Eli went inside to wear his clothes…alre-ady 12 guys were at his side…He told them to go to Oru, and wait for him at Ajebo…
Two guys pushed us into his car…then he drove towards Oru/Ago axis…
On getting to Ajebo, He and his crew met infront of a buckateria.. Some c@m£ with cars,others were with bikes…The students and indigenes around the area fled to safety when they noticed the congregation…
Then i saw the Hilux from a distancs, then the volvo, Jafar’s Benz was in between, it was like in the movies. Guys started joining from all over…there was a wi-de divide between the two groups….
Eli led us out…with two guys by our side…Uche brou-ght Orisa out, with his hands tied…Jafar c@m£ out of his benz, dressed in a shi-t and p@n-t like he was on official duty….
Eli looked at him with venom….Jafar stared back…the other guys looked alert like a single gawking could seperate life from death….
Eli : Jafar, you get mind come Ijebu Igbo, carry my guy?
Jafar : Eli, u took my girls…..
was this the time for impeccable English? eh Jafar?…i said to myself…
Eli : So you for kill am if i t©uçh this things?
***He was pointing at us with a gun,choi….
Jafar remained mute….Eli signalled to the guys to step back….He told us to go***
Walking from Eli to where Uche stood was like North Korea to South…Scanty led us into the Benz…Orisa moved the other way, with a Nylon of amala and boxed plate of stew….He looked pathetic…
Eli : Jafar, tell your people….una don price marker o…and una must pay…
Jafar : things don change mehn….this is 2007….We rule this skul now…..
Eli : we go see….U go regret say u enter Ijebu-Igbo….walahi!
Jafar : which eye you go take see?….oh…d right….
Jafar’s guys laughed….the divide bec@m£ smaller….
Eli signalled for his boys to fall back…Jafar had chos£n Oru because he had the advantage…He turned back and enteredhis car….Jafar joined us in the benz…
The two groups faced each other, even after Eli drove towards Ijebu-igbo and Jafar turned towards Ago-iwoye…
The cold night added to the chills i felt in my b©dy as we approached Ago. I wanted to thank Jafar yet again for the timely rescue but his face didnt look inviting, he had a frown on his face like he was concentrating on an invisible problem…
Jafar : You guys would not be safe in ur house until after the elections…
His left hand was on the steering wheel, his right hand ca-ressed the gear stick.
Me : whats your suggestion?
Jafar : Lime-light h0tel…Abayomi, you and Toun would be have to stay there..Sparrow and Aji will have the adjourning room..
Toun : Have you told Abayomi?
Jafar : He is alre-ady in the h0tel, with your things. Tana, Timi is waiting for you there with your things also.
Me : You had everything planned…
Toun : Jafar, Abayomi and i are no more together…
He turned to look at her for a split second…
Jafar : It doesn’t matter, you are still valuable to Eli…
Toun : Thank you for everything Jafar, i don’t know how i can ever pay you back…
***i don’t know why but it sounded S-xual***
Me : Jafar i am very grateful too…
Jafar : its nothing…
Getting to the secluded h0tel, We were led to the rooms. The happiness in Abayomi’s eyes on seeing his ex was beautiful..He approached her to hvg her but she gently pushed him back. Timi lifted me off my feet, i was equally glad to see him but i felt Jafar’s eyes on me. I wondered if he felt bad…i wanted him to feel bad..i loved Timi but i wanted Jafar to love me…i admitted that much to myself..
Timi : Jafar, thanks
Jafar : Just take care of her…
Toun was at the corner talking to Naetochukwu, apologising for the rain-check…Abayomi could hear it all…
Jafar : I gotta bounce now, you guys remain on the lowkey…
As he stepped out of the premises to his car, i followed…
Jafar : You should be with your peeps inside
Me : Jafar i am scared…
Jafar : You are protected… don’t be scared..
Me : Not for me….for you…
He smiled lazily with that well groomed goatee of his…
Jafar : I am guarded… don’t be scared…
Me : Jafar ?
Jafar : Tana….
Me : can i hvg you?
I met his outstretched hand and fell into his embr@ce. It should be brief but i held on a little longer, i felt him…smelled him…my head on his che-st…his right arm was around my shoulder…
Me : You are cool…
He laughed gently, freeing me from his arms. i ti-ptoed and quic-kly pe-cked him on the cheek..
Jafar : Goodnight Tana…
Me : Stay safe….for me…
I watched his car drive out, i didnt like the feeling….i was scared…
Getting back to the room, i saw Abayomi, Timi and Toun standing with unease…
Me : whats happening?
Abayomi : I told Toun to come with me to my room,but she refused…
Toun : Tana, i don’t want to sleep in the same room with him, Timi can stay with him, either i stay with you or i stay alone!..
Timi : Toun relax na, its just for a little while…
Toun : Na konji dey worry you Timi? i will excuse you guys if u want to straff….
Me : Toun small small…
Timi : ma binu…
Abayomi sat down, looking lost….
Toun : Tana, help me lets pack my things together from this room to your…
We l@yin be-d silently, or i thought it was silent until i heard Toun mutter Abayomi’s name, amidst being choked with tears..
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 22