by A. Achaka
In the metting of the Criminals, since their boss is in absent, he was to take the seat, he was listening to their words but still clouded in his thought, He remembered how fearless he was, He had escaped more than five confensicated prisions and nothing happened but cold shivers run down his spine the any moment the commanders words flashes his mind.
The first person welcomed them all and offered as ritual a shots of drink to appease the gods, that kept them from being caught and then discuss the situation at hand, about the police case and those they had in custody, he sat there nodding his head and the second person stood up
“All hail the boss for coming back, without leaving his boys” They all responded
“The next agenda was a mission, that had been given by a maga outside the state to keep his opponent silent, before the election commence, its a fare price and I do the survey and found its a secure environment for the mission” The others face lightens up and were waiting for the acting leader to speak but he seems distracted, he was consulting his mind now he feels guilty for these boys in front of him, they had been his brothers since he could remember and now he could not help it for the fear of his closet.
“Boss” one of them called
“I was thinking about those apprehended” he covered up “Do you think a mission right now will help” They all adjusted in their seat, they never felt pity for any one that was apprehended, because it either they die or they escape that’s the two option “I mean, when will the mission comes up, so I can conclude on what i will be saying”
“Next month”
“Oh, I thought it’s anytime soon, its a go ahead make sure you make the contact, you are in charge of that mission” That make them hail him the more, the other boss never allowed any of them take charge of a mission, since one of them lead them to an ambush in the past.
The third person hailed too and reported about the money they had gotten from the last mission and explain how the money was shared and how he would get his share after the meeting today.
The meeting went on and on, until it fell for just jokes since all the serious stuffs were discussed already. It was almost concluding and nothing happend, he seems to be getting more comfortable, Hoping that it don’t happend because he would run back to the herbalist to renew his protection against his greatest fear.
Seth didn’t as much as mentioned the herbalist in the meeting leat they less of him and beside the last time they visited the man, He did warn them that it might be their last meeting together, no of them was worried of any sorth, they had their charms all ready and at the set go they would vanished out without hesitation.
Seth was feeling all foolish to himself in the meeting, he was unsually quiet, he was not known for that but since he assume the responsibility, he had to be the last to make a follish move, least someone caught him off guard and decide to challenge him. Before he had showed up, he ate the forbidden fruit unknown to any of them, he was just doing the Commanders bidding at the detriment of his brothers.
The meeting had come to a conclusion and adjourn till further noticed but the party began, the youngest stood up and took a box by the side, it was filled with bottles of wine and hot drinks, they were all carried away and were cheering out loudly and immediately a bottle was pop, one of the men went down, all of them gathered together immediately touching each other and they said the magic words but nothing happened, they failed to vanish and a smoker was thrown in there, they could not see very clearly and the military men rushed in with their mask, they rushed all but one was too quick to pull out his gun and pull the trigger, about five shots went off before he was apprehended.
The smoke quickly gave way, all the criminals were arrested in cuffs but they were three military men lying on the ground among them was the Commander, and they were hit by the bullets. Ahmed was confused in the room, how did that happened, he shout for the boys to rush in as the bodies were bleeding seriously on the floor one was jerking seriously and gasping for air, while the others were motionless
“Get them to the hospital now” Ahmed shouted almost in tears, how can it be Just when the case had just been cracked, the hero will be no more, he was screaming at the boys to hurry up, in less than five seconds the car was out of the area looking for an hospital for a temporary treatment.
Ahmed was with the commander, He kept his hand on his pulse, it was faintly going and his hands were covered in blood. He used a napkin to cover the bullet hole in his chest, he couldn’t help the tears that were dropping from his eyes. They drove in speed breaking all traffic laws and soon they saw a general hospital, their entrance freaked every one, almost all activities were put on hault for the Commander to be attended too.
The Eleven criminal apprehended were transported to the barracks in separate vehicles to avoid stories that touch. It was a good case solved but the news of the commander being shot didn’t bring the jubilation of the case, it only made the barracks quiet as if mourning, they were locked in different cell at the barracks prision.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The Aroma that stained the air, also went through the nostrils of Gideon while sleeping, He sprang up to a seating position on the couch he was sleeping. “That smell” he kept on uttering, May be it was a dream, but it so much smell like his mother’s cooking. The smell was still making its mark in the whole house, he realise it wasn’t a dream, Gideon got out of the couch and stumble on a bottle of wine he was drinking last night and fell.
He drag himself up with the pain in his back and staggered to the kitchen, cleaning his eyes he was surprise Erica was very serious on the gas making pancakes, she had an apron that was far bigger than her but tied in such a way it fits. Gideon stopped at the door staring at her, he would admit she look very cute doing what she was doing, she must have been doing it for quite a while, he said to himself and can’t help to think how so much she looks like his mother.
“What are you doing?’
“Making pancakes mister” He paused, the very words his Mom used for him, ‘is she still here?’ he robbed his eyes to confirm, it was still Eric.
“Mom is that you?”
“Who is Mom” she turned to him, he just shook his head, more like he was day dreaming
“No, it just the same thing my mom cooks for me when i was little and she calls me mister, any time i asked what she was doing”
“So you are saying, I look like your mom?” she was teasing him, Gideon puts his head down and raised it back up
“Not exactly, they smell good” She smile and return to her pancakes which even came out perfectly.
“Just go and sit down, i will soon call you ok” He scratch his head and laughed, then turn to leave for the sitting room, where he turn on the television and was laughing over the funny thing done by one of the character.
Some minute later Erica called him to come to the dinning, he hurriedly got up, he can’t wait to taste those pancakes, he was almost approaching the dinning area and she shove her hand to him and point at the television, he stopped and carefully looked at her then turn back “Are you sure you are not my mom?” he was talking aloud
“Who are you talking to?’ she asked him
“No one” he turned off the television and came back still in surprise, his mom does exactly what she had done to him.
He sat at the end of the table, from where she came to serve him, she kept the plate and place about four pieces of pancakes in it
“Now make sure you finish it” pointing the server to him “or else there is no lunch for you” He could not stop laughing at the mom thing, “don’t you there laugh at me boy, you want normal tea or?”
“black coffee Madam” She eyed him with the corner of her eyes and make one for him and hand it to him and return to her place, she raised her head and caught him with a large piece going into his mouth, Erica cleared her voice, it brought his attention to her, “sorry lets pray” he said a short prayer and soon dip in without looking up only shaking his head, Erica smile and
did the same.
None of them said a word during breakfast, not until it was finished, he complemented the food and even compare it to his mothers pancakes, saying that she has become the best pancake maker he know of.
She was very excited and wash the plates singing while, he was in sitting watching television, somehow he was lost in htis thought, He can’t ssemd to get a whole of all this thing, what is going to do with her, she obviously enjoys being with him but what about school, it wont be long before she would get noticed and to what extent. Erica came to the sitting room and sat down beside him
“You know you cannot just seat at home, just like that, you might have saved enough but without planning it will fly away, you have to figure out your life” He turned and observed her, she was digging a bowl of pop corn and watching, she didn’t as much as turned to him.
“Please tell me something; this your gift, does it imply reading peoples mind to?”
“No why?” she was still focused on the T.V
“Because you are always saying exactly what am thinking” he shouted, that was the first time he raised his voice at her, she became frightened and hid her face in her palms, he turned and saw her, He felt very bad, He knows she was trying to get his life straight but he thinks she was too small for something’s she was doing.
He got closer to her and put his hand on her shoulder
“Am sorry, i just don’t understand, please am sorry” she raised her head up and look at him with only tears coming down her eyes, she shoved his hands over her shoulder and got up to his face
“Do you want to know what anger is?” she was shouting out aloud “You killed my parent and I am acting cool with you and you want to tell me nonsense” her eyes were turning red now “do you have any idea what life is?, here I stand watching you as a pathetic man, who dosen’t know what he wants in life, do you know that your team meneres will nevcer get the chance you had and you are telling nonsense” Gideon’s eyes were wide open, that’s exactly what he feared from the begining, hoping she would not lose it like he did and now he was the very person that’ s about to make it happen.
“Baby, am so sorry” but she shut him up
“Sorry for yourself” She left him there and ran upstairs and the next thing was the banged of the door.
There he stood thinking about the mess he had created, and possible ways to amend it before it get any worse. For the first time he caught himself thinking about God and praying that Erica should not lose it and even made a promise that he would be a change man, if God should help him with this one.
By noon he had ordered a new battery for the Mercedes jeep and He was working on the minor error, he had discovered when he open the bonnet, and finally the car was running as smooth as he remembers it, when his father would used it. He set on the hose to wash it, He almost jump out of himself when he turned and saw Erica behind him, he was startled when he saw her, she wasn’t annoyed but normal, it was as if nothing happened, she was holding a bottle of wine and a glass for him
“I thought you might need it, because of the sun” he dropped his head down and Now was thinking of the promised he made, he raised his head and took the wine from her
“Thank you” he said
“You are welcome, is it working” he nodded his head and started opening the bottle
“Do you have a girlfriend?” she asked him, finally he opened the bottle and poured some for himself, then turned to face her.
“Use to” he took a sip from the cup and back to her
“What happened” he was so conscious not to upset her but she was really troubling him with her questions again, he had to put them all behind, when he got deeper into the game
“Please tell me, why are you asking me all these?”
“Do you want to die? I want you to be a responsible person and having a girlfriend would make you think of people and not hurting them” he stood there with the glass in the air neither in his mouth nor down, he was seriously looking at her, that moment he felt the pain of being involved in her parent dead and yet she choose to help him get through with everything
“Ok, she was a good girl, she loved me but I wasn’t ready to commit, because I was...”
“Call her” she interrupted
“What? I don’t even know if she is still alive or dead or where she leaves”
“Just call her and see, time is not waiting on us”
“What do you mean by that and why do you ask if i don’t want to die?”
“Just call her” she turn and walk back towards the house, he was still looking at her, even when she disappear into the house
“What can i do about this girl” He gulp from the glass and straight from the bottle until it was about half and then dropped it and pick up the hose and started washing the car, with the car stereo on the latest music was in play.
He got in by two o’clock and found her in the kitchen cooking rice, if someone should tell him that Erica was just ten years old, he would fight in argument because she behave strangely and not some one from a rich family, with her parent status, She should be about fifteen before she would even get to enter the kitchen but in her case he just have to know
“Tell me who thought you how to cook?” she turns and looks at him
“Did you call her? the sooner the better”
“You are one persistent hell of a girl, you want me to call her, i will call her” She pushed her nose to him, as he pulled his phone from his pocket
“Wait” she interrupted him “Wait until tomorrow, so that we can figure out the lie to tell her” his face went sour is she for real
“Are you for real, you want me to be a good person and you want me to lie again?”
“Look at you, what are going to tell her, that you killed my parent? Hmm” He couldn’t help but smile in his foolishness, she was way smatter that she looks “don’t worry we will discuss over lunch let’s have a plane ok?”
“Ok” he nods in agreement “I am so sorry about, what i said in the morning, you are right, sometimes i act like a jerk and don’t think about others and thank you for coming through for me, even when you know what i did to you” She just smile and went ahead with the food, he turned and went upstairs to have a shower.
The dining table was set, when he came down all freshed up, she was about to call him and there he was, she thought he had a sense for food, because in the morning he woke up, exactly when she was cooking and now when the table was set, actually his thought was different from hers, he was just thinking about the plan she had for the issue at hand and what will he do as well.
Gideon was looking at the possible change in lifestyle, he had alot to check and so many people to call, first his father’s manager, He was now feeling very destructive by what he had done by neglecting the company for another man to look after although he throw in some treat here and there to keep the man in check. But looking at himself he has a good qualification and little knowledge on how to run the company, and other stockholders for his shares and profit for his father’s investment.
He knows all his fathers estate and other investments but he was seriously playing dumb to it, because of his involvement with the police once, He had be covering his tracks since he was wanted for murder as a man witout face and a fake name, now he just need a clean slate and Erica was giving him a head start.
They both sat down and say grace before eating, she watched him curiously, she knows he will be eager to hear the plan she had to say and the plan was just to make him a good person she told herself while they eat.
Half into the meal she cleared her throat and he look up and caught her looking at him.
“You know sooner or later someone is going to find out where I am, and i don’t plan on staying here for long or don’t want you into trouble, I have to go home too, So that they will be happy and I want to come back that’s why it has to be a perfect plan”
“I understand what you mean, i want you to come back too, lets see how we are goi
ng to take you home” he said
“That’s why, we need her, if you can get her here, she can say she was with you when you found me, it will reduce the suspicion unlike you alone” he was was dumbfounded but what will he tell his unfore seen girlfriend.
“What are thinking?” She brought him back
“i know you know just say it, you know already”
“I don’t know what you are thinking, but if you are thinking about, what to tell your girlfriend about me, just tell her the truth she will believe you” The spoon was in the air neither in his mouth, He was now convinced that the girl listens to peoples thought, he reach for his phone and scroll down looking for her name he scroll through but couldn’t find it
“I can’t find it” she eyed him
“Let me look for it” He smile and toss her the phone and watched her searched the phone thoroughly and dialled a number and was waiting for it to connect.
He just stood there watching her, he didn’t think he ever mentioned her name to Erica and whos is she calling?
“Hello” The voice came from the other end and to his surprise it was Mercy his ex girlfriend, which he dump years back because of the nature of job, instead of talking he was still looking at her
“How did you know....?” She put her finger to her lips for him to keep quiet and talk to her
“Hello, Mercy” it was on a speaker
“Haa, Oh my God Gideon, Wow how are you?” His face tightened a little
“Am doing great and you?” squeezing his mouth, he has no idea what to tell her
“Am great, after all these years I never thought, I will ever hear from you again, where are you?” Erica was pointing her finger to the floor to tell her he is in town but he was confused
“Am here” She shoke her head, then said town in whispers “Oh am in town”
“Jos really wow, Its being a while” the excitement in her voice, has showed him she would really love to see him “Where in town?” He bit his lower lips and look at her, she encourage him to tell her