LOVE BY A BEAST
EPISODE 24
Timi carried Toun to the car while sparrow and i remained behind. It was still unbelievable that the Abayomi that had hung out with us yesterday was now dead. Sparrow got a call behind me and after he finished, he took Toun and i to Aiyegbami, while Timi went to meet the h0tel management.
Sparrow took us to the spare room in the ap@rtment then he called Jafar, he gave me the phone to talk to him..
Jafar : i told Sparrow to keep you guys secured there…you have more than 20 men around the house..
Me : Abayomi is dead….
Jafar : I will see you guys very soon, they shall not go unpunished..
Me : Promise?
Jafar : with all i am and all that i will ever be
Me : What will i do with Toun?
Jafar : i will be back soon, just hang on…
***Toun was sitting on the floor, she was crying bitterly***
Toun: what am i now, what will i ever be, what will my life be without him?
me: Toun, plea-se don’t cry?
Toun: I should not cry? do you know we have given our children names?…all of them…
Toun started pu-lling her clothes, i wanted to st©p her but decided against it. when she was stark n-ked, she started cursing
Toun: Eli, wherever you are, you will lack satisfaction.. you shall drink water but still be thirsty, you shall eat but still be hungry. what you chase you shall not meet, what you search, you shall not find..
Then she started crying again…i went to hold her…
Me : plea-se don’t cry dear, plea-se…
She pushed me away and l@ydown on the floor…My phone rang, it was Timi.
Timi : how are you?
me: i am ok..
Timi : i am on my way to Ijebu-Ode..Ago is not safe..the school has taken Abayomi’s b©dy to the mortuary..
me: that is a good idea, plea-se be safe…
Timi : how is Toun?
me: she is devastated…i don’t know what to do…
Timi: i will be with you guys tomorrow.
me: Abayomi was my best friend.
Timi: i know…
Me : let me know when you arrive at Ijebu-Ode..
Toun was on the floor, she had st©pped crying, she was just staring at nothing…then she started laughing…i bec@m£ worried..
I went to her side and held her..
she started talking to herself…
Toun: Abayomi, you are wicked oh!, is this how we planned it?…you said you will not leave me no matter what..now you have left…
me : Toun, plea-se st©p…
Toun : i should st©p? they killed my baby!…ah…what kind of pain is this…Ah…
I picked up my phone to call Jafar, i wanted him to tell me it woud be ok….he didn’t pick… i thought of Abayomi’s lovely mother…she would be crushed!…He was her star..
My phone started ringing again, it was Timi, i wondered if he had gotten to Ijebu-ode so soon. i ignored the calls, and focused on Toun…After the fifth ring, i picked up..
Timi : why didnt you pick?
me : i was with Toun
Timi: plea-se, this is not the time for you not to pick calls.
me: i am sorry..have you arrived?
Timi : Not yet, at the outSk-irts
Me: told you to call me when you arrived.
Timi : yes i know, something happened…i got a call from school..
Me : People have found out about Abayomi’s death?
Timi : that’s not it..
Me : then what?
Timi : National’s head is infront of the School gate, on a piece of white cloth on the ground, his b©dy is missing..
I was silent..
me : yeah, lemme know when you get to ijebu-ode..
Jafar was calling Eli out, it was War.
I planned to wait for Jafar to come in before I sle-pt. Toun was slee-ping innocently, I wished I could just sleep and when I wake, I would realize that the past few hours had been a dream. Ap@rt from the room in which Toun and I were, the entire house was filled up to the brim. I could hear voices, though they were sober.
I wanted to call my dad to tell him about it, but I decided against it. I was wondering about who I could call when I dozed off, because I woke up to the sound of a couple of cars arriving at the ap@rtment. I eavesdropped till I heard Uche’s de-ep voice. I waited for Jafar’s but didn’t hear him. I waited until I sle-pt off.
When I woke up, Toun’s eyes were staring at me, she didn’t look happy or sad..she just stared…
Me : How are you feeling?
***She didn’t answer me, instead her eyes shone with impending tears***
I excused myself and went to the Living room to see Jafar. I saw Four guys sitting on a brown sofa..
Me : goodmorning bros’es
Guy 1: goodmorning madam…sorry about your friend, we go everly threat those guys fucck up..
I just smiled..
Me : plea-se is Jafar around?
Guy 1: He left very early…
Me : what of Uche?
Guy 1: he left with him, you have Jafar’s number?
Me : yes
Guy 1: call him…
I walked back to the room to see Toun on the floor. She was singing Yoru-ba praise songs..I would have joined if I knew the words, but I didn’t so I just called Jafar.
Jafar : Hey
Me : You c@m£ in and didn’t bother checking on us?
Jafar : I thought you guys would be asleep..
Me: I was waiting for you..
Jafar : I have to go now, would see you later..
He hung up.
He sound cold, it must be the ish going on, I said to myself. I called Timi..
Timi : baby, how was your night?
Me : I had bad dreams
Timi: I couldn’t sleep. His blood stained my sleeves..
Me: sorry dear..
Timi : How is Toun?
Me : she is not good..
Timi : wow…it’s a terrible thing.
Me: where are you?
Timi : I am in school..news have gone round..
Me: about the deaths?
Timi : yes, the s£nate has cancelled all electoral activities. Elections have been cancelled. The s£nate would be meeting by 10am to decide if they should close down the school for a while.
Me: oh..
Timi: I would go to the h0tel and pick Toun’s things..will bring it over later..
Me : you are a darling, thanks..
Timi: take care..
He hung up..
Toun had st©pped singing.
Me: Timi will come see us soon..
Toun started crying, it started with little sobs until she started wailing..
Me : plea-se st©p crying…
Toun: Abayomi is all alone in a mortuary, n-ked with strangers…and I am here, you say I should not cry?..i keep thinking about the moment he knew he was going to die…he was killed…Abayomi was murdered in cold blood and you say I should st©p crying?
She started singing again, it was a Yoru-ba song about how wonderful God was, and how he wouldn’t fail his children. I couldn’t sing along…but I cried..
LOVE BY A BEAST
EPISODE 25
I was tired about the number of calls I was getting, even Yewande called me to offer her condolences. I was waiting for Timi’s call before I switched off my phone. There was a packet of cornflakes in the kitchen, I made some for Toun but she didn’t t©uçh her plate, I could tell she was weak because she kept slee-ping and waking up.
Finally Timi called.
Me : what did they decide?
Timi : school has been shut down till further notice, they brou-ght in the police to seal of the campuses.
Me: When are you coming around?
Timi: very soon…should I get you guys anything?
Me: plea-se get valium for Toun..
Timi : The deputy vice-chancellor is missing, does Jafar know anything about it?
Me : How would I know?
Timi : The police will start raids soon, that place might not be safe for you..
Arrest was the least of my problems now..
Jafar c@m£ into the house some minutes after 4pm; he had dark shades on, so also the guys that c@m£ in with him. Toun was slee-ping in the room, I didn’t want to disturb her so I had stepped into the Living room where there were a couple of magazines I fli-pped throu-gh.
Jafar : Tana whats up?
Me : I am good..i want to talk to you
Jafar looked at me, trying to decipher what I wanted to talk to him about..
Jafar : give me some minutes, you can wait for me in front of my room..
I did as I was told..
They were talking in hush tones, preventing me from hearing what they were saying.
Jafar : how is Toun?
Me: she is slee-ping..
He opened his door and ushered me in. I remembered the last time I was in his ap@rtment, when my life was still normal…I sat on the only available chair..
Me : where is the DVC?
I wasn’t in the mood to beat around the bush..
Jafar : I don’t know
Me : are you lying to me? Cause I heard the police will start their raid soon
Jafar : I am not lying to you…
Me: what will we do about the raid?
Jafar : have you eaten?
Me: yes I have
Jafar : Toun?
Me: she isn’t in the mood..
Jafar : what’s her favorite food?
Me : Jafar, what will we do about the raid?
Jafar : just tell me her favorite food
Me : meat…she likes fried turkey meat…
***He made a call as he pu-ll-ed his shi-t; he was left with his singlet and slacks.***
Jafar : You shouldn’t be worried about the raid, we would have it sorted out..
Me : what of Eli, where is he?
Jafar : He is in Ijebu-Igbo, moves around with twenty guys, fully equipped.
Me : he is after your n£¢k too?
Jafar : Yes, it’s a matter of time before the real storm arises..
Me: I heard the elections have been cancelled and school shut down?
Jafar : yap, students are leaving towns in droves..
Me : you were at the park?
Jafar : times like this, each group places informants at the parks in Ijebu-igbo and Ago-iwoye. Any b©dy seen trying to leave town will be brou-ght down, your group or theirs.
Me: why?
Jafar : For a member of one’s group to try to skip town, its cowardice. For the other group, it’s the easiest target.
Me : what of those that would want to leave town with pri-vate cars?
Jafar : There are only two routes into Ago and Igbo, throu-gh Ode or Ilesan….
Me : oh…
Jafar : Toun will eat soon, I hope you know where her folks reside?
Me : Yes..
Jafar: because she is leaving town tonight…
Me: how?
Jafar: ‘Last-Born’ will take her, he is the guy you spoke to this morning..you would be going too…
Me : I don’t want to go yet, I owe it to Abayomi…but Toun is unstable…so I think it’s a good idea…but you said any confra guy leaving town will be felled?
Jafar : Last-Born is a smuggler, when would you go?
Me : when you take care of Eli..
Jafar : it’s going to get really bloody, miss. Reports have it that the government is re-leasing weapons to Eli’s people..
Me : I am stubborn o…just so you know..
Jafar : oh….that I know…
Jafar left shortly, leaving me with Toun and the strangers in the house. Luckily, Timi c@m£ around. He wasn’t allowed inside the ap@rtment, I had to meet him outside. After dropping off the bags he brou-ght, we sat in his car.
Timi: its crazy out there mehn, the garage is filled with students, transport fare to Lagos is now 700 bucks
Me: so I heard
Timi: They are killing themselves anyhow, it has never been this bad.
My heart started beating again, I had lost Abayomi, I didn’t want to lose Jafar.
Timi: You have to leave this place soon..
Me: I can’t, I can’t just leave town..
Timi : I am not saying you should leave like that, but staying here ain’t the best right now.
Me: you think so yh?
Timi: I have some friend in TASUED, they can take care of you…
Me: Jafar will be taking Toun to Lagos tonight.
Timi: driving her down himself?
Me : Nope, a friend of his would be taking her.
Timi : are you sure it’s safe? Do you know the guy?
Me : ba-rely, but I trust Jafar..
Timi smiled…
Timi: I know you do..i miss you dear..
Me: I keep thinking of Abayomi..
Timi: I do too..plea-se say me well to Toun.
After a few more bants, he left. I kept thinking of what Timi said about my leaving the house and it made s-en-se. But my guts kept telling me to stay. When I got back in, Toun was eating the turkey Jafar had gotten for her, she hvgged me when I approached her.
Toun: sorry, I know it has been had on you too
Me: its okay, you are very strong. Just be strong for us..plea-se..
Toun: I will try?
Me: Jafar and I feel it’s better you go to Lagos tonight. At least till it cools off..
Toun: what of you?
Me: I will wait behind, till Eli is sorted out.
Toun: are you sure?
Me: yes dear..Timi brou-ght our stuffs, so I will help you pack, just eat and rest..
Toun: you are a darling my dear.
Me: I love you.
Toun: where is Jafar?
Me: he went out but he has arranged for your transportation.
Toun: so gist me, what is the latest?
Me: National is dead, Dvc is missing..Timi said a couple of other deaths..
Toun: hmmmm, I am only concerned about Eli..
Me : me too..
I was glad Toun was sounding alright, I didn’t nee-d to give her the valium anymore. She went into the bathroom to take her bath, Toun likes crying in the bathroom, so I eavesdropped to make sure she didn’t break down in there. Just as I suspected, she started crying again.
Around 8pm, Last-Born c@m£ to knock on the door, he informed Toun it was time for the trip to Lagos.
Toun: Thank Jafar for me, and promise me you will come to my house when this is all over?
Me: promise, my love.
We hvgged again, then she left in a blue Primera.
I realised what Timi had been telling me was the best thing to do. I couldn’t just shack up here with this guys, so I packed my things and planned to tell Jafar that I would have to leave his ap@rtment and remain incognito till he all these sorted out. Since most students had left, the Town sounded a tad quieter. So when the volks-wagon with loud speakers on it that advertised local herbs around Ago-iwoye was pas-sing by, it was pretty loud…when it c@m£ closer, I realized I was wrong. My heart started beating fast, it wasn’t a volks-wagon, and the speakers were blaring something I was very familiar with…
“TANA…..TOLO…..TANA….TOLO….TANA….TOLO”
I locked the door in the room, I could hear the guys in the living room but that gave me little solace. I picked up my phone to call Jafar, but he didn’t pick up…I called Timi..
Timi: whatsup…?
Me: I am fine..i think Eli is in Ago..around the house
Timi: How did you know that?
Me: I just know!…i am scared..
Timi: I am in Ijebu-Ode now, I will come to town very soon..
Me : thanks, hurry!..
I could still hear the sound, I hoped I was getting crazy. My phone rang, it was Jafar.
Jafar: sorry, I missed your call..
I explained everything to him, he told me to lock myself in and not open the door for anyone except I hear his voice or Uche’s.
After he hung up, I dashed to the kitchen and picked up the sharpest knife I saw, I went back to the room and locked myself in.
When I heard someone knocking my door, 20 minutes later, and my heart was almost in my mouth. Then I heard his voice, telling me he was the one.
As soon as I saw him, I jumped at him, he was quic-k to carry me and regain his balance or we would have fallen, I caught a whiff of br@ndy un-der his breathe.
Jafar : I brou-ght supper, fish and wine, would you like to eat with me in my room?
Me: yes..
He carried me inside his room, I was a frown woman and all, but I didn’t mind being carried. Not even with the other guys staring at me.
He la-id me down on his centre rug and l@ydown beside me, we were both facing his ceiling with our backs to the ground.
Jafar : if you are scared, you can sleep in my room tonight, are you scared?
Me: will you be slee-ping here too?
Jafar: yes..
Me: I am scared..
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 26