SURROUNDED
EPISODE 5
These men where coming towards the bus for real. I quickly jumped to the boot and folded myself like a heap of clothe. They actually entered the bus and sat. I was shivering, I was cold and was also sweating. I decided to surrender . Let them just kill me so i can die and end this suffering but something in me gave me reasons to hide for my life. One sighted my bag. I forgot to take it along with me when i jumped to the back.
O boy, one of them said, come and see person bag o. He came forward. Argh, that one screamed, mmadu noo ebea (somebody is here) person dey here.
My heart jumped out of my mouth as i peed on my body instantly. The moment i feared arrived as one of the guys pointed the torchlight straight to my face. They started laughing.
“Nice one” one of them said. “This one legit. Comfirm!!!. I started praying my last praying, i was crying heavily too. Finally, i am going to mama, so i thought.
“Come out here” one of the men shouted. “On your knees now” i went on my knees, crying heavily. Chai, ogugua, so this is your end. Great mathematician, the very intelligent fellow, (crying) this is your end. One of them said, “if you like shout, scream, no body will hear you. We are invisible.” don’t bother praying, because you must die”. They started singing strange songs. They were surrounding me as they sang the song. One of them brought the pot and was going around my head with it. Some minutes later, they shouted EWOOOOOOO. ARU EMEEEEEEEEE (abomination ). One of.the men asked me,”you be igbo ?” i nodded. “Nna gi owu onye igbo”? Hmmm, what i question but i also nodded”. Chai, you are just a waste of time. You are nothing but chaff. Nwanne erigo gi naw( guy they have eaten you) you can’t produce one naira. Person wey work this maths no get sense. He should have just killed you than leave you like this. Rubbish. My friend get away from here”. I stood up to run the other guy stopped me.
“Get away from where ? After wasting our time? Noooo, he must receive beating”. “You are right” the other guys replied. They started beating me. Brethren i received the beating of my life. I was left half dead. I found myself saying ritualist, ritualist. I opened my eyes, i saw myself in a room. The wall was colour Green.
Argh!!! He has opened his eyes o. Thank God was what i was hearing. Then i looked around and noticed I’m in the hospital. My head was hurting, my neck was hurting infact everywhere was hurting.
The person who brought me was the mechanic owner. He’s name is okechukwu. My classmate and friend in primary 6. He told me he will learn mechanic after primary 6 because he has no brain for education. My friend okey saved my life. He paid my bills and took me to his house he built. He is not yet married. He told me i can come and learn the work. He will teach me for free. I narrated all i went through to him. My family’s own pulled my friend to tears. He started encouraging me. He told me i should not depend on anybody. If he can make it, then i can.
I started staying with him. The night i made up my mind to start the mechanic work, i cried. I have searched and searched for work, no way. I even decided to teach. I went to secondary schools to apply as mathe teacher. I was told to submit my application letter attached with my c.v which i did. They promised to get back to me but none did. The one that called me back said i will be handling ss1-3 full time for 15k. I got angry and left.
I got home that day and was crying. 15 what? For what? With what i carry upstairs ? I should have been a graduate not for the ugly incident that happened a day to my final exams. That’s too degrading. On a second thought, i was like ogugua, you are very foolish o. Who dash you #5 before. You see 15k, you’re rejecting. The next day, i rushed back to the school and was told someone has collected the job. I was disappointed. I will now be a mechanic. I cried. Shattered dreams of being an accountant . I had no choice. Half a loaf is better than none.
I started. Was very funny. I knew i was intelligent but this engine thing? I wasn’t understanding a thing. Then something came to mind, CAR WASH!!!!!. i am very good at washing cars. My father can comfirm that. I talked to okechukwu about it. He loved the idea. He bought the machine with his money, set up the place for me. Work started. I was making money enough to feed. I paid okechukwu 5k everyweek. The rest was mine. Immediately i started making money, i started dreaming about home. On several occasions i will see my mother in the dream crying, asking me to come home and see her.
The urge was so unbearable. One morning, i parked my bag. Okey was like, why are you going home now? Your mother who cares is no longer alive. Are you going to see your wicked father and siblings? I didn’t listen. The urge was like fire all over me. I got home.
My father was so happy to see me. I was surprised. It was like he has changed. He had problems. The machine for his oil mill caught fire. It raised the whole building down. I felt for him. My brother udoka lost one of his shops to the same fire. My father was complaining that his business wasn’t moving as it use to. I felt for them. I started telling them how i was doing well. I am about renting a house of my own. And owing my own carwash. I intend adding football viewing center, tennis and snooker courts and barbing saloon.
My father congratulated me. He now talked about the shrine. He said my life is in danger. He has been the one standing for me. The gods are no longer accepting him. I told my father I’m not doing that stuff anymore. The priest has to find another way. I can’t have snakes walk around my body anymore. I can’t spoil this nice hair style I’m wearing now because of some rituals. The argument was hot between my father and me. I don’t know how, but I ended to following him.
At the shrine, i did the needful but told them i won’t do this again. The priest said i will break the ritual by dropping the smallest amount of money on me.
I smiled. I was surprised. Smallest? I searched myself. The smallest was #500. I had no #20, #10 or even#5. I was not happy. I don’t even have #100 or #200. I had only #500 and #1000. So i dropped the #500. He set the money ablaze. The money kept burning and did not go off. The priest said i’m free from the sacrifice. I was happy. I never knew, i have laid my finance on the altar of the devil. My father gave me money as usual and clothes.
I was happy my father and i are getting on well. If only i knew. I was on my way home when okechukwu called me that his workshop is on fire.!!!!
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