PART 9

“ MY FATHER’S FARMLAND”

©?Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde

Sukki declared war after he left Ola because something went wrong! What?
After Axe and Torture had left the room, Sukki had forced his way into Ola.
On satisfying himself, he stood up and said…
“ Schoolgirl, I am sorry but a man has to do what he has to do…”
Sukki ran out expecting to meet Torture and Axe outside but they were
nowhere in sight…
Sukki called out in a whisper…
“ Torture, Torture, Axe… Axe, where are you?” He got no response. He
wondered where they were.
The money!
Sukki knew Torture could not be trusted with money! Sukki ran as fast as his
legs could carry him towards Torture’s house.
As soon as Sukki was out of sight, Torture and Axe came out of where they
were hiding.
“ He don go” (He is gone!) Torture said
“ Torture you sure say this thing wey we wan do no go backfire?” ( Torture
Are you sure what we are about to do won’t backfire?)
Axe, Na if we no do Wetin we wan do now, Na Dat time, we go see fire” (Axe,
it is when we fail to do what we have to do now that we will experience fire)
Torture said
Torture had convinced Axe when Sukki was indoors with Ola that, they
should betray Sukki. He had convinced Axe that it was bad of them to rob the
innocent girl of her money and her pride. He said he didn’t want to
experience God’s wrath. They had agreed that once Sukki left, they would
return the money to the girl and lie to Sukki that policemen had accosted
them while they were waiting for him outside and since they wanted to cover
his evil deed, they gave the money to the officers…
It seemed like a perfect plan…
As Torture and Axe got back into the room, they saw Ola lying helplessly on
the floor with her two legs spread wide apart. Her eyes were pouring out tears
on its own…
“ Schoolgirl, sorry for wetin Sukki do you…Take, Keep your moni, Sukki no
know say we come here, so if morning reach wash yourself, run go keep the
moni, for bank..” ( Schoolgirl, We are sorry for what Sukki has done to you,
Have your money. Sukki doesn’t know we came back here, so once it’s early
in the morning, Hurry and keep it safe in the bank)..Torture said pointing
the money towards Ola who was looking at him helplessly.
Torture expected her to stretch forth her hand to receive the money, but he
noticed Ola didn’t move…
“ Schoolgirl, Schoolgirl “ he moved closer to her to be sure she was still alive.
Recognition of what was happening to Ola dawned on him. Sukki had hit her
with the paralyzing charm…
“ F**k Sukki…, God punish Sukki” Torture dropped the money and lifted Ola
from the ground…
Torture… Wetin You Dey do?” ( Torture what are you doing?) Axe asked
“ You Dey blind? You no see say Sukki don weak this girl? ( Are you blind?,
Can’t you see Sukki has made this girl weak?) Torture said as he placed Ola
on her bed.
“Enter her kitchen, look for water and salt” ( Get into her kitchen, bring water
and salt) Torture said loudly at Axe.
Axe dashed into Ola’s mini kitchen and scattered the whole place looking for
Salt. He saw a small container with the label “ Sugar”.
He brought it out to Torture…
Torture looked at the inscription…
“ You be mumu… You know read say Na shuga…” ( You are a fool, can’t you
read the inscription “ Sugar”).
Axe ran back bringing the second container with “ Salt” inscription on it.
He took a bowl and poured water in.
“ Na in be dis!” ( This is it) Axe said
“ Mix salt for the water,” Torture said as he looked for a nearby cloth…
Sukki had told Torture in time past, that his father had told him Salt was a
neutralizing ingredient. Sukki had told him, if anyone ever hit him with a
charm, he should get water mixed with salt and make some incantations in
other to regain his strength.
Unfortunately, Torture was confused, he didn’t know the incantation. He
really wanted to help the innocent girl. Then something else dropped in his
heart as he saw Ola’s Bible on her Bed.
In his lack of Spiritual knowledge, he picked the Bible and placed it on Ola’s
chest and as he dabbed Ola with the cloth he had soaked in the saltwater, he
kept shouting…
“ Jesus!, Jesus !”

Ope had laid back on the bed crying, she couldn’t tell why she was crying but
she felt she was about to lose something precious to her…
Tise couldn’t pray as she had to console Ope.
“ Ope, I really don’t understand why you are crying!” Tise said in frustration
“ I have a feeling Ola is dying…” Ope said
“ I reject it in Jesus name!” Tise said
“ You know what, I am not going to join you in this pity party, “ Tise said as
she also started shouting
“ Jesus!, Jesus!”

Micheal had woken up from a frightening dream. He was the boy who had
hugged Ola after her speech at the Theater hall.
He had seen the girl, Ola, who had sacrificed her education for her siblings
in his dream…
He saw her walking away from the school, he saw her siblings trying to reach
out for her, but they couldn’t get hold of her hand. He saw her twin sister
crying and he also was crying, blaming himself for not helping her…
Micheal woke up frightened, and he suddenly felt he should have helped the
Lady.
“ But, I was the one who anonymously contributed N100,000 out of the
N500,000 that the student body gave her!” Micheal tried trying to convince
himself of helping Ola already
“ But you have the capacity to do more!” Micheal’s conscience replied
“ Ok. I will do more…” Micheal said as he went back to sleep…
“ Won’t you at least pray for her? that’s another way of helping!” Micheal’s
conscience pricked him again…
Micheal sat up and also started calling out the name of Jesus!
“ Jesus!”

Oba had a terrible night as he had over 10 dreams of seeing different
graveyards… He woke up trying to do his devotion when he checked his
phone and saw Ope’s 20 missed calls. He had put his phone on silent.
“ 20 missed calls!” He knew that was not a good one…
Ola knew her strength was coming back to her. The more the robber was
calling ‘Jesus’. the more strength she was gaining…Strength entered her
hands. She moved it..
She don move her hand!” ( She has moved her hands) Axe said
“ You sure?” ( Are you sure?) Torture asked
Axe nodded…
“Schoolgirl, if you don Dey Get strength, tell me!” ( Schoolgirl once you start
gaining strength, tell me!) Torture said…
Ola nodded her head, and Torture was elated…
“Jesus name Dey work ooo,” Torture said in excitement…

“Torture, Axe…Torture Axe!” Sukki’s voice rang loud from a far
distance…followed by sporadic gunshots…
“ Where una dey, bring my moni or else blood go paint street” ( Where are
you, bring my money or else there will be bloodshed.)
Axe and torture froze in fear…

“ Torture, I tell you, make we carry this moni go give him…”( Torture I told
you, Let’s give him the money) Axe said in fear
“ No… No…” Torture took the money and hid it in Ola’s kitchen. He grabbed
Axe hand’s and dashed out of Ola’s room…
Ola wanted to tell him “thank you”, but her voice was gone…
Though Sukki had raped her of her pride, she still had reasons to be grateful,
she was still alive…
Ola laid on the bed hearing the sporadic gunshots…
God, please don’t let Sukki kill Torture and Axe…” the compassionate Ola
prayed silently in her heart as still in her pain she was thinking of the
wellbeing of another person…,
The battle became bloody… No one could come out of their houses. Sukki
had asked for the money and Torture had lied the police officers had taken it
from him.
Sukki was ready to let all hell loose… His father did not help matters too. His
father told him he would back him up to fight the police…
Sukki kept shooting with the hope the police will show up…
Torture knew what was best for him and Axe. They hideously fled Town…
Ope and Oba tried to get out of school by morning to see Ola, but because of
Sukki’s display of gunshots, the school management had ordered the security
not to let any student out of the gate…
Ola was all alone in her room……and all she could do was ask God for Mercy.
She wanted to make heaven if death came calling…. and she kept asking God
a very important question…
“ God, I fasted and prayed for three days and the only prayer I prayed was
that your purpose be established in my life…Is going through Rape part of
your purpose for my life?”…..

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