Nadia!
Episode 3
Just as they agreed, Nadia and Ruth met at the very spot they parted ways every one hour, Nadia had shown Ruth how and where to re buy once she finishes with the water she’s selling. She had also decided not to stay out so late like the previous day. And so when it was 7pm, the weather was still a bit bright , they both headed home. As usual Nadia wanted to buy cooked food but Ruth suggested to her that instead they should buy and cook by themselves because that would last them longer and help them save. Nadia felt it was a good idea and so Nadia bought few things from the market, she spent about 400 naira from the 1000naura sales she made today and then together they went home.
Nadia with the help of Ruth prepared a good meal, and served for the both of them, they ate and chatted as Nadia told Ruth about her late parents and how they ended up in that uncompleted building. Nadia could see that Ruth was happy and somehow she felt comfortable with her.
As they ate in silence, the gunshots started again. The girls were scared once more but not as it was when they were out. Though the building had no doors or windows but just the wrappers which was tied to keep out the cold by Nadia’s mom, they felt more secured and protected there. This was her home, the only home she knew, the home that had kept her and her mom safe for years. Ruth held on tightly to Nadia, as they both prayed silently for nothing to happen to them. Nadia was for the very first time grateful that Ruth was around, she didnt know how she would have felt if she was alone at this time.
The gun shots continued for a while and then stopped. The girls were so quiet that you can hear a pin drop. They soon slept off.
Nadia was awakened by the sound and movement of someone around the back of the building, she quickly got up grabbed a big cutlass, she turned and saw Ruth sleeping peacefully she didnt want to scare or bother her, so she got up and tiptoed slowely towards the direction of the sound.
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Stanley, Jojo, Frank and Edwin were the four man gang, they had gone out to operate the previous night. And tonight Stanley had insisted that they keep low for sometime, but Edwin who was the oldest and head of the gang had refused saying they didnt visit one compound (chief Ade’s compound) the previous night and so they must return for another operation tonight. The boys had argued with him but he said whoever did not go for that operation should consider himself an enemy of the gang. And that was why Stanley and the others reluctantly went for the operation.
If he had known they would encounter the police, he would have stayed back but they were already at the middle of the operation when the police got the house surrounded, they had no choice than to flee for their safety.
The last thing Stanley heard before jumping over chief Ade’s compound fence was the voice of his twin brother Frank who asked him to run and not look back. Stanley does not even know if frank was behind him or in front of Jim, all he knows was that he needed to run, he knew someone fell from the fence when he was shot, but he could not tell who was shot.
He ran as fast as his legs could carry him scattering through the bush. And finally he saw this uncompleted building and it surrounding well cleared and neat in the middle of a thick bush. He was wondering if he was seeing right or not when he saw the smoke from the fire they used in cooking and so he approached the building. He was tired of running anyways.
So he entered the house, it was not until he sat down that he realized that he has been shot on his left arm and he was bleeding seriously, his gun was still on his other hand. He knee some how that someone was staying in this building, but he couldn’t care less as he was losing much blood and he was scared he might just pass out.
He thought about Frank, he didn’t know where his twin and only brother was, he does not even know if he was still alive or dead. Hot tears rushed from his cheeks as he thought of what had become of him and his brother.
Born into a family of 6, they had lost their dad on one of his trip to sea. Their dad was a fisherman who was well known for the big fishes he normally caught whenever he returned from his trips. Ever since the death of their dad things has gone from bad to worse for them and their mom. Gradually they have lost their only sister and two of his brothers. When their mom fell sick and was at the verge of dying they had to do something cos she was all they had left.
The twins were brought up in the fear of God but they just couldn’t sit and watch their mom die because of money. They had to fall to crime. Frank has always warned him to stay back so that he would be involved Alone, but Stanley has always been the stubborn one. He wouldn’t sit and leave his brother toil Alone for the family. Tonights operation frank had warned him to stay back but he refused as usual and joined the operation. And it was not long before policemen stormed the the house and things went sour for them. His twin brother was already at the fence but stopped for him Stanley to climb first, urging him to run and not look back. And then when he had climbed over he heard the gunshots, he someone shout from the pain of been shot and he heard the person fall but he didnt stop, he just ran and kept running until now when he felt he was safe.
Tears kept pouring from his eyes as he regretted not staying back as frank had asked. Maybe frank would have still been alive by now, he was still in deep thoughts when he heard the footsteps of someone approaching, he quickly sat up, cracked his gun and pointed to the shadow that was approaching him….
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