CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

The beautiful, mind captivating Tinapa Resort was opened in March 2007, located in Calabar the sparkling capital of Cross-River, in South-South Nigeria. The Tinapa is an excellent business resort, conceptualized by Governor Donald Duke, one of the outstanding young generation visionary governors then in the country. The resort was conceived to offer Nigerians a world class integrated business resort with plans to redirect twenty percent of Nigerians who constantly globe-throat to Dubai and other international cities for shopping back into the country’s economy. The greatest development of its kind in Africa destined to become one of the world’s best trading and tourism destinations, rivaling Dubai and Hong Kong. It has over 800000 square meters of retail emporia and over 60 lines shops and estimated to generate a GDP in excess of US$ 90billion, and also reputed to be the largest untapped consumer market in Africa. The Tinapa Business Resort was projected to unleash pent-up demand with an extensive range of trade and entertainment experiences. Visitors to the place are expected to be spoilt for choice in hotels, restaurants, cinemas, casinos, water world, including world class leisure parks. But the massive corruption among Nigerian politicians and their lukewarm attitudes, including the bureaucratic psychic of government officials over the years had since killed this visionary economic potential. It actually takes a visitor six hours drive from Lagos to get to Tinapa, and more hours from the northern part of the country. Tinapa for any truthful fun seeker, business inclined individuals, or those seeking isolation is a haven and the appropriate place to be.

So it was that Saturday, some few minutes after five in the evening, as the radiant sun was just biding farewell to the day with its yellowish glow when Smoke and his entourage made their grand entry into the exclusive rich setting of the Tinapa and drove straight to the Blue Water Hotel in their expensive rich convoy of cars. Few minutes later, after all the necessary hotel protocols, inquiries and the filling of forms, including the usual generous tips from Smoke to some of the staff on duty, they were finally lodged into one of the most expensive and secluded part of the rich resort.
Apart from a genuine reputation which they lacked because of their dubious source of wealth the Free-Hands actually had all it takes to be guests of this wonderful mini world. They had charisma, intelligence and grace. And since nobody had publicly declared them wanted, the management and staff of the resort fell innocently to their fictitious story of being business men, writers and tourists with some cash to burn. They were welcome like kings, pampered with some of the best royalty treatment and hospitality the place could offered, and they had plenty.

At the moment, the group was busy in their various suites, unpacking and savoring the exclusive beauty of the place. Each of them had a suite with all the five stars gadgets and treatments. Lizzy, wearing an excited happy look, flung off her shoes immediately she was ushered into her room, and securely locked the door. She cat walked to one of the large French windows, inhaled some fresh air, and then stared admiringly at the breath taking landscape embodying the resort. With her sexy eyes captivated by the golden sun, she seductively removed her dress, and then sauntered gracefully into the bathroom.

Victor once alone in his suite, pulled off his jacket, and jumped excitedly into a big bed that could seduce six grown people to sleep. He pulled off his shoes, and sauntered to one of the wide windows; he half pulled the drapes aside and then stared in astonishment at the serene landscape. He lighted a cigarette, inhaled sweetly, and then exclaimed loudly.
“Tinapa, here I am.” He almost screamed with excitement as he stood mesmerized with the glow of the fading golden sun.

John Bull, his hard face wearing an unusual relaxed mood, paused with his broad back backing one of the windows. His coke induced eyes took in the beauty of the room. He was quite impressed with the big organized room, especially the big screen Plasma TV, the refrigerator, and most importantly, the big wide bed. He grinned, then returned his attention to the window and then gawked admiringly at the retreating golden sun. A wide grin greased his face as he pulled back the blinds and picked up the TV remote happily. His mind visualized all the excitement and fun he looked forward to catch at the exclusive resort.

Skinny, a master for good taste, and fine sweet things, took in the mesmerizing topography of Tinapa with an excited fixed smile. He had inspected the big well laid bed, the rich rug, the tasty looking bathroom, including the electronics and communication equipment in the room with relished. He nodded his approval to everything his skeptical eyes noticed in the room something he hardly does in most hotels or resorts in the country given his experience of rich hotels and expensive private resorts across the world. He has seen it all, from the Bahamas, Aspen, Malta, Paris, Dubai, Gambia, Malibu, Miami, Hong Kong, and Jamaica. But ironically, upon all his gallivanting across the globe, Skinny, ever the home boy, still preferred Nigeria and feel more safe and at home anywhere in the part of the country. The Tinapa had actually restored his lost confidence in his rich country and could not hide his excitement has he walked towards one of the opened windows.
He lit a cigarette, inhaled and blew the smoke across his face. His eyes took in the beauty of the golden sun as it slowly faded away. “This is the place!” He exclaimed excitedly and then sauntered to one of the opened windows where he fed his eyes with the mind captivating landscape of the Tinapa.

Smoke, a weed in his hand, dragged slowly and stared thoughtfully at the golden sun from the balcony of his suite. He stood there for some minutes, smoking and stepping it down with a glass of whisky, his mind deep in calculation as he admired the topography and the serene environment. His room was actually one of the biggest and most expensive in the resort. This is the right place, away from prying eyes. He concluded and then stepped back into his room to refill his glass with more whisky and ice.


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