by A. Achaka
After much view, they turn and continue on their way, I adjusted and stood a bit and didn’t any of them and we got up and took off for our dare lives.
Through the marathon escape, it got to a point i wasn’t feeling my legs anymore, i guess she has worn out too, i made a sudden stop heavily panting she came up behind me and collapse on the ground, her panting was more faster than mine, her eyes were rolling i could see the white one coming up front
“Emma” i called out still panting “please don’t do these, please, please” i was looking around, the moon has now became very faint, i wasn’t seeing more than the next tree, i tried to raise her up but my strength was failing me as well, i pull out my shirt and started faning air unto her “please stay with me” as i continued faning.
After some time the heavy breathing reduce but i continued at it and watch her eyes gradually caming back to normal, and closed. I felt her chest beating normal again “thank God” and I sat down beside her to rest.
The first time it came to my mind that we both had phones, i reached into the bag and brought them out, mine was flat dead already but her’s powered on but the battery was almost gone too, i turned on the flash light and looked around, it was a bare land with trees and grasses, i couldn’t see any way someone could spend the night, I summoned the last of my strength and carried her up to my shoulder and staggered my way to the front.
I had no idea how long i was walking, but i remember myself falling and rising up about twice, she was so heavy and I was reduce to almost crawling, at a point i heard the howling of an animal coming from behind, i felt death in my veins and just stood still for a while and later continued when i felt nothing.
I was dehydrated, my throat was inhailing dry air, in fact my whole body aches but i wouldn’t gave up i continued, Just when every thing was getting good on the path since i finally felt i wasn’t walking along the bushes any more, i cam hard on the ground, my head was screaming out loud, i tripped over a stone, i brused my hand trying to steadied her on my shoulder.
I stargered my way up, she was not still awake, i got up gradually and took the first step forward, i felt something touching my legs it felt cold and persistant, with much vigour i swing my leg and hit the thing, I almost fell down and heard the barking of a dog. I felt not only shivers in my body but also joy of getting somewhere, i drag myself holding her on my shoulder, she weight almost like a bag of cement on a one sided scale, i kept at it but thinking at the next possible cause of action and the dog appeared once more looking at me, i started towards the dog and it dashed to the right and was lost.
It was dark i couldn’t see but i followed the dog and collided with a wall, I staggered backward trying to get my balance then the dog showed its face again “thank you” was all i could whisper and trail to where i saw the dog and saw an entrance to a hut. Without hesitation, I saw a paradise and went further in, it felt so worm and my strength gave up, I fell down and she landed on me and i passed out.
My eyelid came open when my ears heard the scream, I had no idea how long i have slept but i wasn’t sure it was for long because the sun was just rising and the women are on their way to fetch water. I knew they must have gone earlier but since it wasn’t clear enough we were not spotted.
The hut has two opening, one leading into the main house and the other leading outside, my eyes were moving but my body was weak, the women were talking, just then Emmanuella throw herself up to a seating position and saw three women looking down at us, she turned to me, only my eyes were moving but my body wasn’t moving at all “water” I finally whispered, she look up to them and demonstrated with her hand and begged. One of the women ran inside and came back with a bowl of water and gave her
“Thank you” she said and assisted my head up with one hand and gave me a drink, I coughed heavily when I took the water and breath out softly, i felt my body coming back to live indeed water is life as they say.
With mush struggle i tried to get up but failed, it was still heavy until she helped me up, i sat up leaning my back on the wall and was staring at them, none of us said a thing, Emmanuella was so concern about me, totally forgetting about the women until thet started talking then she turn and looked at them.
“Good morning” she greeted and they responded in a language we could not understand, one of them went out and came back with a little girl, for some reason the little girl was happy to see us.
“Goo morning” she said, I think she must be a student or something, Emmanuella turned to her
“Good morning, what is your name?”
“Divine” The other women throw into laughter, may be because they had brought someone who could interpret what Emmanuella was saying
“Please, where can we get food” she used her hand to demonstrate it, that which they understood almost immediately, Divine did further explained in their native tongue also demonstrating it, they spoke among themselves and back looking at us
“Cooking in the fire” the girl said, Emmanuella was finding it hard to understand what she was saying, she turned to me
“Do you understand?” i nodded
“On fire” I told her and pointed to the bag,
“Oh Yes” she remembered we have money, as she opened the bag the tip of the gun almost stuck out and she quickly took cover not to scare them and she brought out a few and close the bag.
“Where can we get a shop to buy something?” she asked the girl
“come” the girl said as she lead the way, the women asked her something and she explain to them and they left, they were just looking at me and still talked among themselves, two women approached me and helped me to my feet and lead me into the compound while the other brought the bag with her.
They kept me on a mat inside the compound, it was small with three huts inside it and a barn just at one corner, and they went about doing their work, while i adjusted and lie down on the mat still feeling exhausted.
In no time Emmanuella and the girl came back, holding a a paper bag, she panicked a little when she saw the enterance hut empty, and was going crazy when the girl told her where I was she came in running and brought down what she bought beside and kneel down watching me
“Are you ok?” She sound concern “I bought bread and beverages; it might go along way to get you back on your feet.”
“Ok” she helped me sat up and fed me the bread and beverages; she ate as well and sat beside me while i took a little nap.
By the i was up, it was far past noon and Emmanuella wasn’t there, my body wasn’t aching me as such, i draged myself up to a seating position and was scanning through the compound, then she came in with the little girl, she was happy to see me awake and in a seating position.
“How are you feeling?” she asked smiling
“Much better, what are you smiling for”
“you are alive” she laughed “and guess what? Cars do come here and tomorrow is the supposed market day, this place is big” I only nodded my head to show sign i was indeed listening to her “Are you hungry?”
“Very” She turned to the girl and told her to get me the food that was kept for me. She told me that the women had to go to the farm but left some food for me because I was asleep when the food was cooked.
I have never seen what they gaven me to eat, i don’t know if it has a name, but i learned something living with people, they accept you once you show effort to adapt to their lifestyle. I closed my eyes and took the first bit out of it, i nearly throw it out, i used my hand to support it from coming out, it was tasteless but i ate with complain.
“Did you eat this?” she nodded
Half way into the food my stomach was making the sound, both of the could feel it that the little girl laughed at one point. I stopped eating and got up, finally i could feel like a human being all over again and asked her to show me around, maybe we could change into something different.
I hid the bag beside the barn and we take a walk out to the village. It was more than a village, I pref
er to call it a town the houses were more and it has roads for vehicles and many more recreational activities, like the football field, table tennis board and so on. We went round and for the first time people paid no attention to us because people comes and goes almost every day. We went round as far as we can go, and back to the field were some people are playing football, am not really a fan but we have to act as we belong too.
After we went to the park and enquire where the car will make stop, the name “Kaduna” gave me a sense of relief, at least a place i could recognise, i have been to Kaduna before and also have friends there. At least from there to Jos its rougly four to five hours drive which will be far better than the leg walk we had going.
Going round the place, we came across a place written boldly GUEST INN, it was more like a brothel to me, the rooms were small with beds that make noise anytime something touch it, and an outdated television which was there for fancy I doubt if they have light in the place but we paid for one night.
The caretaker was all through smiling at us, i could not get a wrap of what his thought were, but it was irritating, his teeth were rusted with rough beard. I could remember the moment we enetered the small lobby, two couples were coming out arm in arms, they were more than smiling to him and to us. We just paid and went back to take the bag, by the time we got to the house the women and their husbands or brothers we have no idea but they were grown ups were back.
The house went silent the minute we stepped in, but we broke the silence with greetings, it turns out the men had passed us early in the morning without knowing we were there, and one of them was getting ready to go hunting, he was cleaning his old hunter gun, since it was a market day he would probably sell the hunting for some money.
Divine which we totally forgotten was with us interpreted our greeting to them, and they spoke back, the women started I think they must have been narrating the the event to them, their acceptance was in their nodding, now they understood very well, i went closer and retrieve the bag.
My thought was on the gun, we really have no use for it in this place, we would either attract police or trouble to ourselves, i looked at Emma and back to the man cleaning his gun, i unzipped th bag and brought out the shutgun, he paused for a minute looking at it and to his, i could read his mind entirely, so i had Divine explain that we found the gun in the bush and we will gave it to him. He throw into dancing when he receive it, he looked at the one he had and kept it aside and continued singing, Divine told us that he would kill a big animal with the gun.
They offered us to wait for the food whic was on the fire, but we decline telling them we have eaten already and before we left we gave them one thousand naira each and to Divine we gave three for the help she gave us and we soon return to the guest inn.
At seven pm INN caretaker turn on a lousy generator, its noise was more disturbing than the beds in the room, we couldn’t use the bathroom to ease ourselves, we had to go outside anytime we were pressed. I told her i wasn’t going to bath until the next day when we get to nice hotel in the city.
That night we ate scraps to avoid getting pressed, it was the first time i emptied the bag on the bed, it was a lot of money in the bag, we stood there looking at each other, and we also made sure the door was properly locked.
“What will you do when you have this kind of money?” i asked, she rolled her eyes probably thinking “Well if you would think for this long. i think you don’t know what to do with it then” i teased her
“Ok, you what will you do with it?” she asked
“Wooh a lot, first i will make sure all my art work goes out and in a grand style, first the music then the books, the designs and the scripts” She was surprise, just looking at me
“You write books too?”
“Oh, i didn’t tell you, yes i do and design and scripting as well” i was smiling
“Wow that’s great; i have never seen anybody like that though”
“Well you met one and kissed him too” We both burst into laughter, but it was cut short by the loud moaning and throsting that was coming from the next room, i was so loud i could fell wht they going through, we turned and look at each other and all we could do was smile
“No wander that guy was just looking at us” I brought up the thought. Just when i kept quiet another one came from the opposite side, this one was louder, we couldn’t hold it longer but burst into the laughter. We both neatly arranged the money in the bag and sat down, the moaning was becoming unbearable, i told her we should take a stroll and come back later.
At about an hour after experiencing what it feels like to leave in a town as this, we left back to the so callec motel, probably the worst we have ever seen or would sleep in. They have a way of keeping themselves busy, most men watch football at the viewing centre, others to get drunk and young once stroll around with their girlfriends for fun.
In the motel room, Emmanuella had a change of contenance, and the attitude she was somehow glowing, I started thinking may be something entered her when we bought some strange nuts to eat but it should have gotten to me as well, i was so keen of these her behaviour, it was enticingand seducing, she was dancing slowly biting on her lips, i have never thought she would be lossened to do that, she was teasing me with her one palm to her breast, i was jsut smile as slowly it was getting to me, i think the moaning really got to her,
“Come dance with me” she finally uttered
‘What, i can’t dance and beside were is the music?” just in time another moaning started but from a distance
“There goes the music” i just laughed and walk to her. it actually worked we followed the rhythm of the moaning and was into each other, that we didn’t know when the fake music had ended, i was holding her waist and she my shoulders and straight to the bed we landed, it made a noise, i thought it will carsh with us to the ground but it was alright, we started kissing, she was getting lose when my hands were going round her body, deeper and deeper when came a banging on the door, i sprang up from the bed and walk to the door but the banging came again, it wasn’t our door, and what followed next was fighting, i didn’t dare to open the door, i went back to the bad but couldn’t continue, we just squeeze ourselves in each other’s embrace till we both fall asleep.
I don’t know how long we slept but the noises around woke us up, we were still in each others embrace, it was the best night i have ever had since that traditional coma. Emmanuella was still sleeping when i woke up, i left her and climb out of the bed, the sun had already risen, the noise was coming from the market which was now coming to live.
The window has provided a clear view to the market, i could see businesses being set up, and stands were created for transactions and cars bringing in the products for business. I brushed my teeth and steped out of the room to get a better view. It was far bigger than i saw, it has extended far down and still people are still arriving, while buying and selling and other transactions were going on.
Enough food stuffs, grains and perishables and other things were in the market it’s quite a big market. I hurried to the park and and inquire of the vehicle heading into the city, there were more than one vehicle, it was actually waiting for people to show up. I took a walk round the market feeling excited seeing alot of people buying and selling, I came unto a man selling beads, bangules and other beautifully made craft, I bought two bracelet and went back to the room.
I came and saw Emmanuella pacing up and down, she was so worried, she almost flare up at me
“Where have you been too?” her face had changed
“You didn’t think i got lost do you?” she was looking out the window
“No, may be” I laughed “it’s not funny”
“Common why in the world would, i leave a beauty like you behind when, I have to kiss you every day” She wanted to laugh but kept on a tight face even at that the smile still came out “beautiful smile, i just went for a stroll, looking around for our transportation and beside you were sleeping and i don’t want to di
sturbed you sleeping”
“Ok, have they arrived?” I nodded , She pick up her brush and quickly run her mouth and came back “lets go”
Emmanuella seems very eager to get out of the town, the thought of what happened in the forest during our arrest flashed, i wandered what had happened to the people there, although the shooting was going on when we ran, does she even know what happened to her family? How will she coupe when she found out they are dead, i just left the thought there, and we left the room and return the key to the caretaker who was just smiling at us, all we did was smile and left.
Just in time to catch a vehicle calling for two more passengers for the car to get filled, she pull me in the vehicle because she don’t want to add another minute in the town, we paid and soon the car set on motion out of the town.
The excitement on Emmanuella’s face was not ordinary, she was more than happy to leave, more so to get out of the dirty clothes she had on. The road was dusty and full of gallups, None that i have not seen before, the village i was posted for my one year compulsory service was terrible when it come to the roads, i guess this was no different and beside it wasn’t raining which would have been worst. We came across vigilante group a kilometre into our journey, they were more excited when the driver gave them a tip and we passed through.
Were all quiet in the vehicle, it was air tight and small that we all squeezed in, none of which we were complaing, all the hoping was for the destination. The dust was too much, we were already covered in it before we make and exit to the road, no one was smiling, and we had our share in it.
It took us about thirty minute on a terred road into the city, first we came across a check point all the police did was laughed at us, we were all looking dirty and wired.
Once in the city was the first time Emmanuella smiled at me, since we encountered the vigillate group, the vehicle was moving on a steady, we were lucky we didn’t get cut up in any traffic till we got to the park. The people around were looking at us, some were laughing as well, we were covered in dirt, i did laugh too at a man, he was putting on white shirt when the journey started now we could hardly recognize what it was. What we did was dust out selves to reduce the dirt and made our way out of the park.