We all looked gentle but with unclean hands and wilful thoughts. We still couldn't find the right name for our group or should i call gang. I guess the word gang fits our description.
We were humble thieves so we never wore mask, we sneak into rooms at midnight to take whatever electronics we saw. Stephen was the leader of the gang, the most handsome among us all, next was Kenth; the tallest and the guy with ideas, next was David; he was the smartest guy in the gang and there was me; Joseph, the newest member of the group, they called me J-face cause the leader "Stephen" said i have the most gentle face of them all and i was good for business
I never wanted to join anyway, but they knew my problem "MONEY". I had nothing, garri was my daily manna and sometimes i go hungry for a whole day [without eating]. My roommates also were managing, so it was only on special occasions they served me food. I had no money to rent lab coat, no money for manuals.
I pleaded with my female lecturers to assist me but they always say the same thing "Am i your mother". Some of my level mates were also there for me sometimes, but i had a big problem, i couldn't speak up, i couldn't tell them i needed this or i needed that. i was carrying my heavy cross and there was no Simon to carry it for me.
I was an orphan getting little support [sponsorship] from my church at home but they paid just my tuition fees and left me to work out the rest. But that was erstwhile before Stephen found me, he gave me money, he gave me an ATM to withdraw 10,000 monthly [i was happy]. He took me to places i never knew of.
After showing me what "LIFE" means for those that have money, he explained to me how they did the job. He told me all i had to do was to associate with the rich dudes, guys with silver still stuck in his mouth, a rich dude who knows how to spend, a rich dude who was wasteful and spoilt, a rich dude with everything [wristwatch, laptops, iPhone, Samsung]
He told me all i needed was to win their trust and know where they keeps their things; like their keys when they carelessly drop their bags during exams period, where they charge their phones and stupidly leave it for me to watch it for them.
All i needed to do was to supply the info and let them do the rest.
He gave me a transparent glass like the rest of us had, he said "people with glasses appear to look more gentle and unnoticeable"
And that was how i joined. I was ready to do anything to survive as long as it didn't involve blood, i saw the job as an opportunity that only comes but once for me since my work was the easiest and i didn't have to be the one to steal.
They stole everything and anything, sold it and made money. Stephen always commended me, he said i was too good, so he gave me extra most times.
Now i had money, i had my own ATM, i could fend for myself, life started to have meaning.
One of our code was never to show off what we had to anyone [we should be gentle in our spendings]
I followed the code like the Ten commandment. I knew God was watching me but i justified myself by saying "A thief is someone who steals and i don't steal", i paid my tithe that God never accepted.
[i never saw myself as a sinner]
*KARMA WAS NEAR*
It was our last mission for the semester, exams were on. I supplied the info [a rich fat guy with diamond wristwatch and 2 laptops living in abiola hostel, i gave them the extra key to his cupboard] but Stephen [our leader] was very ill, diagnosed with tuberculosis [he smoked a lot] , we all taught he will get better before the mission but he didn't.
He told us to abort the mission but Kenneth and David said no; they kept complaining about almost going broke.
*They left*
They were shot and bled to death trying to escape from the bushes they hid in.
[we threw our phones away in case they tried to reach us]
That was the moment i realized i was also a sinner.
I was the one that talked them into going for the final mission. They wanted me to follow them but i gave excuses now they a...a...are .... Dead
Stephen died of tuberculosis last month, [he didn't even make it till his graduation]
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Pastor i am on my knees..., I am the last man standing and i am scared of dying, the devil has been haunting me ever since our leader died, telling me its my turn but i don't want to die......, am ready to give my life to Christ. Pastor Please pray for me...., i don't want to die!... I accept, i am a sinner who needs forgiving, please beg the almighty God to forgive me, i don't want o die please.........