šProtectedš
By Bebe Ernest
Episode 3
Justice.
“If you look closely sir, you will see that this year’s profits has greatly increa-sed since we started the charity scheme.”
I just stare at the sĀ¢v-mbag doing the presĀ£ntation.
Hell, am bored out of my mind, I hate coming for presĀ£ntations, I leave that p@rt of business to my sister julliet.
But since she has a child and a fiancee I decided to help.
Good thing I did too, if not I would not have noticed that this guy and some other A-holes in the company has been fleecing me.
I run an automobile company, I run a ti-ght sh!p, no stray penny gets lost without being accounted for, this man and his cohorts are in for a big surprise.
He is trying to bluff his way throu-gh the presĀ£ntation, hoping I won’t notice that the company fund reserves has been tempered with.
I will give him 3 minutes to think he has gotten away with it before I crush him.
Just because I dropped out of my p@rty and no longer want to contest for governorsh!pthis year does not mean I have lost my wits, it means am strategizing.
He opens his mouth to speak but I lift my hand, he quiets.
“Mr Collins, I am not here to talk about my charity fund today,”
“Oh but sir,…..ā¦”
I lift my hand again, he shuts up.
“We both know you’ve been stealing from the company, I want those funds returned in an hour’s time or you and your family will be leaving un-der a bridge”.
I can hear some exclamation from the other suites sitting at the PT but I don’t say anything, I just stare at sĀ¢v-mbag Collins.
He nods, I nod I get up.
“Have a nice day gentlemen”
I pick up my bottle of water and take a swallow.
Today’s my nephew’s 7th year birthday, I cant be late.
***********
We got to Lagos at about 7, Jesus, this place is big, it is also populated.
I step out of the bus, am very scared, have never been away from home.
Is my aunty finding me? is she scared? Does she even care??
Am so confused on what to do, I raise the phone kelechi gave me, how do i even use this.
Am approached by an haggard looking young man, am instantly on alert.
“Lady, do you want me to help you carry your bag to any bus stĀ©p?”
I glance at my bag at my feet and am taken aback by such kindness, people are so kind in Lagos.
I shake my head no, I don’t really nee-d any help, I just have to find Andrew’s address.
He walks away to ask someone else and I realize it’s his job, that he is being paid.
I feel foolish for thinking he was asking out of kindness.
I look at the phone again and dial Kele’s number.
“Hey, Emily, are you there yet?”
She is speaking in whispers, am instantly concerned so I ask what is wrong, I can hear shouting in the background.
“It’s your aunty, she is here, she thinks, mama and papa are hiding you”
Just like my aunt to be presumptuous.
“Kele, am so sorry for causing all these trouble”..
“Don’t bother, it’s alright, I guess you are there alre-ady, good, find Andrew’s and call me when you do, I was not able to reach……..”
The phone makes a sound and suddenly it goes off.
Eee, I used it to pl@ygames when I was bored in the car, how do I reach her now?.
I feel suddenly alone, I look around and I see a cab with taxi sign on tĀ©p.
I walk to it after dropping my phone in my ghana-must-go, I will charge when I get to Andrew’s place.
“Driver, here, am going to this address”
I hand the sl!pof paper to the driver and he glances it it.
” Ha, madam this place you are going to is very far o, we are at mile 2 now and you are going to ikotun, it’s going to cost you about 5 thousand.”
O my God, that’s a lot of money.
“Oga driver plea-se carry me for 2 thousand na”
He hesitates a bit before asking me to enter, am glad.
When we get there, I pay him his fare and I get down. Lagos must have the same landmarks in different places, I think I saw a statue more than once.
I approach the gate after asking around for the house no, the area is dark and looking like it’s a bad p@rt of town.
I enter and I see a man sitting outside, he looks to be receiving fresh air.
“Good evening brother”
“Good evening girl, how may I help you?”
“Sir am looking for Andrew, is he around”
“Who are you?”
“Am a friend of his”.
“Well Andrew’s friend, Andrew has traveled not too long ago, about two hours ago, you missed him”
The man was speaking but I was no longer interpreting, Andrew traveled ? How will I survive?.
I thank him and I make my way out of the house, it was at that moment I remember I forgot my ghana-must-go in the taxi drivers car, my phone and clothes are gone.
This is just too much, I begin to cry, my purse is with me but for how long? I can see some guys looking at me like am fresh meat.
I hail a taxi and get in, I ask him to take me back to the bus park at mile 2.
He smiles kindly at me and I smile back, I stare out the window.
When we get there I count out 2 thousand from the money and give to him.
“No my daughter, this is too much, ”
he gives me back 1500 and I realized the first taxi man cheated me, i shake my head.
Magic, you fool girl.
I walk back and I explain my situation to a night guard I see there and he nods.
“This is not a place for a lady, but I un-derstand, you can stay for the night but tommorow you have to leave.”
I nod, grateful.
I sit on a chair he offered me and I make my self comfortable as could be.
Well welcome to Lagos magic
Protected š
Episode 4
The sound of gunsh0ts was the first thing I heard, I jĀ£rk awake, i realize I must have sle-pt off, I stand up and am immediately jĀ£rked back.
“Shh, don’t make any noise, it’s agang war, they will kill anybĀ©dy they see”
Am instantly scared, o my God.
“They will leave soon enough when the police shows up, just be quiet”.
I nod, this goes on for quite a while, I keep hearing the gunsh0ts, sometimes shouts of Pain . Sometimes people speaking Yoru-ba.
I can’t believe my first night in Lagos and am spending it crouched un-der a shed with a man that smells like yesterday’s sweat
. My life.
Soon enough I hear the sound of running foots step coming towards our direction
I instantly tense, am going to die!
Am too young to die.
I feel the security guard beside me tense too.
The footsteps pas-s and I let out a shaky breath. Oh thank God.
I spoke too soon because another set of footsteps comes running again but this time they don’t pas-s, they stĀ©p, infact if feels like that are actually coming towards the she’d am in.
I muffle my whimper when the tarpaulin is drawn back and a man enters.
He is exactly how I will imagine a gangster to be.
He looks surprised to see us and immediately points a gun at us.
“If you shout I will b!ow a hole throu-gh both of your heads”
I nod while lifting my hands in a sign of easy.
He nods while still training his gun in us, he c0cks his head and seems to be listening for something.
He teases when the first set of feet comes back, I don’t know how I know it was the first guys but I just do.
“You are sure you didn’t see anyone pas-s throu-gh here”
This question is asked by a person outside and I instantly get that the person outside must be a security operative.
“Yes boss, no one went throu-gh here, Simon took out a guy that pas-sed out back”
By took out I think he meant killed, oh sweet Lord.
The man before us seems to know this person they took out because he instantly tenses and I know that if it wasn’t dark I would have seen pain flash throu-gh his eyes.
“Ok, get Jerri and the rest of the guys, today’s operation was a bur-st, get the cargo and let’s go, the local police will deal with clean up”
“Yes boss”
The other guy walks away, I don’t know what made him do it, I really don’t.
The security guard shouts and calls for the man outside and instantly he is sh0t in the head, I feel warm blood spray on my face.
Jesus.
The men outside run towards our shed but gangster has alre-ady begin to run away, I cry as I see the security guard is dead.
O my God.
The tarpaulin is wh!pped back for the second thing this night but I don’t care, am crying so ha-rd I can’t breath.
I look up with tear filled eyes and I see a man staring down at me, it’s then I realized I must have slumped down.
When he speaks I don’t un-derstand what he says but I recognize his voice as the one being called boss.
“Are you ok miss?”
I nod negative still crying.
“Did you see the man?”
I can’t reply and I realize am gulping in air, I think I will faint.
The man kneels down and embr@ces me.
“Shh, little one,shh, it will be fine.”
I don’t think it ever will be fine
_______
Tbc
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