Spilled Blood

by A. Achaka

  I wake up one morning and was taken for a barbe, my hair was cut and shaved, I had a clean bath I never new why, but i was treated nice that day and then the warden came and told me that I would behave myself because I have a visitor, I laughed at him and told him to take me back to my cell, because i don’t know any body and rouse up to leave when he mention the name

  “Her name is Emmanuella” that brought me to a stop, suddenly i remember the voice in my dream as hers “I bet you would want to see her now, but you have to behave and don’t hurt someone” I agreed with him and when the time came I was taken to a room she was already seated, her perfume filled the room, it was was the first time in months I felt a smell like that, she was not like I remembered she had changed looking more matured and neatly dressed, her hair fall backward, she stood up as I entered with two police men beside me.

  We stared at each other for a while, I was trying to picture her the way i knew her when she came and close me in her embrace, the smell went into into my mouth, i nearly choke and the gaurds told her, am a dangerous man so she should disengage, she ask them to take off the chains from me and they should leave us, they hesitated but she called the warden, who ask them to do as she ask. I was just looking at her the confidence she has now was incredible its funny how seven months would have change some one.

  She kissed me the moment the gaurds left the room, it was like i felt nothing i was just looking at her

  “How are you” I could see tears gathered in her eyes

  “What do you want” that was my first sentence in about two month to any body, she was dead surprise and startled

  “What? Please don’t do this, you don’t know what i have done, to do to see you” her eyes was finally dropping the tears “I was told you are locked out of the state and then that you are dead”

  “So?” she was still crying, which means nothing to me, i felt like she was playing “don’t you have anything important thing to do?”

  “Sam” she called me

  “He is dead’ I got up from the seat and made towards the door when she stoped me with a statement

  “I was pregnant” I stopped dead in the middle of the room trying to convey the massage she had fed to me and I turn to her and scan her stomach but it wasn’t showing anything and to her face “ I lost it when I heard you are dead, I cried myself out till I lost it” that was the first time I felt sorry in months because since Killer died I never look at human being as they are, I walk up to her and gave her a hug, she cried more in my arms.

  She told me she was trying everything to get me out of here, but I have to keep myself alive, she now handles her fathers company as the manager, before she left I gave her my novel, where I had stop to keep for me.

  It was a good reunion which I never expected even when i saw in the dream and here she was trying to save me from myself, it was not from the prison but from losing myself completely, she was surprise none of my family ever visited me or to look after me.

  She left after the long hours telling me to hold on for her, i started feeling myself coming back, on my days of outing I talk to the guard sometimes, they were all surprise it must have been the girl they said to each other but actually she was. I continue the Novel from where i have given her to keep me from lossen it.

  I waited for more five months making it, one year with no word or visit from her, I was still not getting along with people that much, i kept to myself fighting every night in my dreams to get out of what I have created for my self, it was horrible, i usually don’t have the strength to fight, i would be beaten and dragged around but i will refuse to go back into the hole i was rescued from.

  One night I felt very hopeless and tired and gave up the fight, when a voice whispered “pray” I was being dragged along, I tried opening my mouth but it was closed but i was screaming inside and finally after a long shot i called out the name “Jesus” my legs were already inside the hole but the strength that came to me not only brought me out but fought my way out to the open and I was outside free with no chains but fresh air.

  The next day I wake up with a good news from the the warden, He came by him self to tell me that i have been released, am free to go home, I felt like it was a joke may be it was one of those prank but they assured me it was real but they never told me who did it so I find my way out.

  I found my way to my fathers house, the whole neghibourhood had changed, everything looking different but the house gate was still the same, so i climb down from the cab and stood in front of it, i stood for a minute before i pressed the bell, looking around when they responded

  “Samuel” I could hear the screams from the speaker, and shortly its like the whole house came running, the door was flung open and I was gathered up in someone’s arms and to another, some shoke me and collected my small bag which lead me inside, we didn’t have anything to say to each other, but the smiles on their faces shows that they missed me and i don’t, because i don’t remember them that much.

  We went in through the back just around the corner to the back, my dad was standing at the varandah not smiling i bend and greeted but he snobs my greeting and told me to leave his house I thought he was joking, He didn’t even let me rest for a bit, my siblings and cousins were protesting but he told them, any one want to follow me or shut up. I told them not to bother I turned and left.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  My new life was a mess, i turned into a smoker and a street hustler sleeping where ever the night catches me, until i came about some guys who offered me a job for two days, it was to keep watch and alart them while they operate in a ware house. In two days they took about five machines yet to be installed. I was paid fifty thousand for the job and never set my eyes on them again, i quckly rented a pen, that was what the new frends i make called it, it was very small that three people will choke themselves in there, bought a small foam, which i lay on the floor of the room and few clothes to that i used for ever day use, the rest I invested it in drug business, I wasn’t running the business but my money was coming mostly on daily basis.

  I couldn’t forget what happen to me, when i left my dad house, that day I went straight to the bank but they told me that they need a letter from the court to release me account, i felt like crying but no tears in the eyes, I searched myself it seems I have exhausted all the change i have in my pocket, So i started walking around looking for possible place to rest or to work and get some money but found none. I walked till my feet got sore, then sat at an uncompleted building relaxing, then people started trooping in before i notice they were smoking, it seems be a jungle. I was glad to join them they say a friend with weed is a friend indeed, i wasn’t having money but i smoked well but was left with one option to deal with how to find food and shelter.

  That night I found out I wasn’t the only one without home, we slept in that place, but in hunger. My stomach was just making noise until towards the night a guy came with food in a big bowl and drop it down, before i could know what was going on it was rushed by every one, i was startled looking, this is what we call the survival of the fittest every one was hungry, it really dosent show in our talk, but I was determined not to loose the second time, just when I was praying for food the next one came, I jump up before every one and I got a great deal to eat and went ahead to sleep.

  The next morning was as usual the place was flodded with people again smoking, I knew if i stay there I won’t get a life, just to smoke and wait for left overs from some ones home was never a life.

  But there was a guy who goes out and returns at night and I asked him

  “What do you do and where do you go?” he stared at me

  “You hate it here to right?” I nodded “I go out to find work, when I get, i do it” i was encourage by his word and i told him, i will follow him the next day just sitting here and waiting for food is not going to help me.

  The next day we went out and luckily we found a house under construction, we quickly got lucky among the people to work, it was a
hard work but some have to start somewhere, we end up with one thousand five hundred naira each in our pocket that day, it gave me courage to continue going out. Sometimes we go together and sometimes apart it depends on the hustle for the day. It was one of the outings that I met those men. I was taking a dump in the bush near the factory when one of them saw me

  “Do you want to make money” he asked me I nodded my head in acceptance he said, he have a job for me to do, he took me to his friend and told them that I will be the watch man, they said all I have to do was look out if any body is coming then I should alart them.

  The two days of the operation no one came and they handed me the fifty thousand in my hand, it felt like dreaming but despite I have money in my account which am not allowed to touch till further noticed.

  Among the boys in the ghetto, I was rated a big boy in three month, I also feed people too but I could not up grade my life, becaus i have to be in a hide out for the police since I was involved with drugs. Our jungle was situated in a miniforest at the back of the community. Apart from the business i usually go to the liberary to continue on the novel and some times would spend days without looking at it.

  Some times i used to wander what will my life be like, if i hadn’t been saved I might as well be dead in that cell or completely lost and now am out and don’t know Emmanuella’s where about or ever heard of her again. Now it’s getting to ten months. Some times i would hate my dreams, she was constantly in it telling me not to give up on her, she is fight to get to me, sometimes I wander what type of fight is it, i never let myself find another girl they make advances but I turned it down to always be turmented in my dreams.

  A season came that the police are raiding drug dealers every where and i have escaped them about five times in three weeks, it’s either i was out or i just left before they show up, most a time taking my boys with them. It was a hot season and the money wasn’t flowing in as constantly as it use to, and my dreams were getting worse, Emmanuella was telling me to run or else I will get caught, It was confusing to me.

  One day I was sitting in the jungle after beating the guy that was snitching our activity to police, i was smoking at one corner facing the only way they can get to us when all of a sudden i saw a skimpy looking lady all dressed in suite coming towards the direction with a heavy guy coming behind her, she wore shades and some high heels coming, the guys were screaming on the sight, most times we do get girls come in the jungle for weed but not really dressed as this one. The boys minds were always dirty, they could rape a girl without hesitation, when she approached she shouted

  “Pino-X” every one turned toward my dirction and Emmanuella saw me I was dragging in smoke, she came and hit my hand and the smoke fell down, it’s a culture in the jungle not waste any smoke while boys are there, one will either be beaten or charged to buy more for the boys. Most of the boys got to their feet in anger but the guy behind her held out his trouser to tell them he had a gun, but they weren’t afraid

  “How many of us, do you think you can kill Mr. Man” Shouted one of the boys, i raised my hand and they kept quiet

  “What the fuck do you want?” she looked at me with disgust and sudden hatered which I was wandering who should be doing that

  “Look at how you are wasting your life, I was killing myself for you” there was a cry in her voice

  “Do you know what time it is?” i asked

  “Do you know what i have been through” she was looking straight into my eyes “Please baby please” the cry had covered her voice “Please come with me”

  “This is my home baby” she lean towards me and whispered I look at her and stand up and followed her, out of there but turn sharply to tell my boy to give then three wraps, she held my hands wiping her tears, she was looking more beautiful than the last time, i have seen her. When I showed her my house she felt embaraced but I told her it was a decoy for the police.

  Back there she told me, there was someone among the boys hired to sabotage me, so when i left the jungle, I called my boy to meet me at home, he came twenty minute later I told him not to go back there for days, it’s either he choose another place or he wait for a while. I gave him the apartment and everything to take care of himself and warned him never to tell any body I was leaving, he was happy and left I got my books because they are the valiables I got and we left the neighbourhood.

  We drove out in silence, sitting at the back while the driver and the odily were at the front, she was leaning on my shoulder all through the journey and I realise we left the main city turning to Ray-field. I quiet know the place but haven’t been there in a while, we passed the government house and turned into the next street and down to the end and turn into another lane and infront of a gate, the odily got down and knocked on the gate, shortly it was opened and we drove in. The house wasn’t big as such but very nice, a bungalow, must be three bed rooms or more though hard to tell from the outside, there was a Mercedes car parked in one corner, the odily opened the door for her and we got out, the gateman came and greeted, we responded and prceeded into the house, just me and her, i was quiet to see what was the plan now, she reach into her purse and brought out the key and opened it and we eneterd once inside she jump on me and started kissing me

  “You don’t know how long i want to do this” she kissed me more “How do you see the place?”

  “Fantastic” I said and her eyes widned

  “Just as I thought” she streched and gave me the key

  “What for?” I knew its was a silly question to ask but i did

  “It’s yours, No, its ours” I smiled

  “you can never ceased to amaze me, come here” I gathered her and started kissing her, when her phone came to live, looking at the caller I.D she pick up and answered, it seems to be work but she told them she had close for the day and beside it was a Friday, it can wait till Monday, and turn back to me and kissed me more

  “Let me give you a tour round the house” she said just as i guess from the beginning, it was a three bed room bungalow, kitchen, store and the sitting room, very fine setting, she gave the house.

  We had a bath and change then rested for a while,

  “We are going clubbing” she said, ‘wow’ she had changed, what should i expect from those who worked as hard as any one.

  We went clubbing, it was fun, i never knew she could dance like she did, I met some her friends, who were telling me more about myself that i have forgotten, it seems she had told them everything including the once i didn’t know about, when we got home she told me the final surprise, that she had given an editor my manuscript, he loved it and was waiting for the conclusion,

  “So the sooner you settle, you can finish it, i loved it to, you are gifted am glad am in it”

  We spend the entire weekend telling ourselves stories, that we have missed about each other and on Sunday her Erica came visiting with my long time prision friend and his girl, it was really a reunion that brought back memories, Gideon had taken over his fathers company and was running it well, now engage to marry his girlfriend, while Erica have two home now, sometimes spend in her fathers house but she spends most time with Gideon and his fiancé and finally we. I completed my story and was given an Award for the best creative story and best selling Author with more than Five million copies sold around the world and and I proposed to Emmanuella who was pregnant with our child and reconciled with my family, when they realise my life had turn to a new leaf.

  They said never cried over spilled milk and blood spilled can never be gotten back, it has been a long way down here never easy but with determination it can prevent a blood from being spilled.

 

 

 
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