please part 3.

Gamine, where are you? I am waiting for part/Chapter 3.

For a day that was began so terribly , the day passed fairly well. We had cold pap again at noon and hot pap at night. Pap and gin was my uncles diet. He spoke little, while I kept busy with the books I had found. Sometimes he would shoot a question at me after a long silence, and when I tried to bring the subject of future plans, he would lapse back into silence. I really didn’t know what to make of it. In a room next door to the kitchen, where he allowed me
go, I found a lot of books, I was beyond surprised, but I took pleasure in learning about igbo culture, language and of Nigeria. This stay may not be so bad, I thought. The time passed so lightly that I began to adjust to the surroundings and nothing but the sight of my uncle and his eyes playing hide and seek with mine, revived the force of my distrust.

I discovered a very old picture stuck in one of the books, it had two boys and a girl seated with a man and woman behind, I surely could recognize my dad’s face but he looked so much like the other boy, a thought jumped into my mind, they could have been twins. The picture showed them at anywhere from 8 to 12 years of age. I pushed the thought aside, but it didn’t get out of my head. I decided to ask my uncle about it. When I threw the question, the reaction I got was unimaginable. My uncle jumped up from his stool, the spoon fell to the ground and he grabbed my shirt,

What kind of question is this??, he was looking straight into my eyes, his eyes blinking and winking strangely, like a bird’s.

What do you mean? I asked, very calmly, because I knew I was stronger than him and not easily frightened. Take your hand from my shirt, uncle, you can’t behave like this

My uncle seemed like a huge rock was on his head, my man Chima he began, you shouldn’t speak to me about your father, that’s where the mistake is.
He sat for a while and shook his head, he was my only brother he added, but with no emotions in his voice and then he picked up his spoon and continued on the pap.
By then I was already digusted and the thought of the whole episode , the grabbing of my shirt, the claim of love for my father, went straight over my head, beyond my comprehension that it put both fear and hope in me.

On one hand, I began to think my uncle was perhaps insane and might be dangerous. On the other, a story I had heard before about a poor boy whose wicked relative doctored the will of his father, which left him with nothing when he turned 21 came to my mind, I will just wait and see, I thought.

With all these notions settled in my head, filed away somewhere there, I now began to imitate my uncles covert looks, so that we sat at table, like a cat and mouse, each stealthily observing the other. Not another word, he had to say to me, black or white, but was busy turning something secretly over I his mind and the longer we sat and the more I looked at him, the more certain I became that the something was going to be unfriendly to me.
As evening approached, he called to me from the room of books, because my appetite for knowledge was voracious,and even though the placed looked like a tornado had been through it and all the dust from the canyons had settled in, I wasn’t deterred

Chima, he said when I stood in front of him seated on his usual stool,ive been thinking, I made a promise to your father before you were born, nothing legal, I stood there listening and I was sure that this was a cooked up story. How much I asked, oh yes he said, just 1000, Naira he screamed, not dollars oh, I know we were in the US then but it was Naira I made the promise on, I made no attempt to hide the sarcasm that dripped from my tongue as I asked, Oh Think again, I'm sure it was dollars, you can't be in the US and think naira.
Naira, that’s what I said! And if you can just step outside, the door for a minute, I will bring it for you.

I smiled to myself in my contempt that he should think I could be so easily deceived, when he called me in, he counted 10 crisp 100 naira notes into my hand and hurriedly crammed the rest into his cloth. I was shocked, to see crisp notes in this house, given to me, by this man.

You see! He said, obviously pleased with himself, my word is my bond.

I was struck by this display that I couldn’t find an words in my mouth.

Don’t worry, I don’t want thanks, its my duty, that I take care of my brothers son. And I would like to think that we can be friends now.
I was quite stunned that this miserly man would part with his N1000 and I felt compelled to show gratitude, you know, tit for tat.
I told him, I was ready to help him with anything.

American boy like you , he laughed, how much work can you do, you have spent only one full day here and you look thinner than my cane. He gave such a laugh, that was impossible to induce laughter in another person.

I just stared at him, and when he saw I wasn’t going along with the joke, he cleared his throat and said

Well Chima my man, you look very strong, why don’t we start now, there is a little thing I want you to do for me.

He went to a table top and got a key, this is the key to the uppermost room, there are windows, that the wind blew open, so you see all these bats are flying in an out, you can just help me shut them

Okay I agreed, can I have a candle?
No! no candle
Are the stairs good? I asked, because the thought of climbing up to the topmost floor made my heart slam so hard against my ribcage, I thought he could see it through my tee shirt.
It’s okay. Just use the wall for support.

So I went up these stairs, the house got darker by the minute, I was glad I had the wall to feel along as I got to the top, when I got to the floor which had the room, I put the key into the keyhole and turned, as I opened the door, the wind came moaning almost blowing me back, the room actually had a broken wall, I could see parts of the village, suddenly the whole sky lighted up with wild fire and went black again, I was blinded for a couple of minutes and tried to get a good grip on the door while bats beat about my face and body, I fell down, as I opened my eyes and looked about, being halfblind now, I really couldn’t make out what this was all about. To think that my uncle had probably sent me up here to die, because here was nothing but emptiness and in the dark I could easily fall to my death. The mere thought of the peril in which I may have stood brought out sweat all over my body in the cold night, it relaxed my joints and also threatened to lose my bowels.

I had to hurl myself out of the room and find my way back down, I heard a great clap of thunder and the rush of a downpour and before I reached the ground level, it fell in buckets. I put my head out in the storm and looked along towards the kitchen, The door which I had shut behind me when I left, now stood open and shed a little glimmer of light, and who did I see standing there? My uncle. This was followed by a huge flash of lighting and a deafening thunder clap.

Now whether my uncle thought the crash to be the sound of my fall or whether he heard it in Gods voice denouncing murder , I will leave you to guess. But he was seized by a kind of panic fear and he ran into the house leaving the door open. I followed as softly as I could and coming unheard into the kitchen, stood and watched him.
He had found time to open the small cupboard where he kept his gin, he then sat at the table with his back towards me. He was shaking and drinking the gin by the mouthful.

I stepped forward came close behind him and suddenly clapping my two hands down open his shoulder, AAH! I cried

My uncle gave a broken cry like a sheep’s bleat, flung up his arms and tumbled to the floor like a dead man. I was somewhat shocked at this, but I didn’t hesitate to let him lie as he had fallen. I first thought of getting his gun, but my eyes rested on the bunch of keys. I wanted to get myself prepared before my uncle came to his senses and the power of devising evil. I searched through his cupboard, apart from the gin, there were a couple of bottle, no doubt contained some form of medication, both in pills and liquid form. Looking further I found some documents and moneybags.

He lay as he had fallen, all huddled with one knee up and one arm sprawled abroad. His face had taken on a strange colour. he seemed to have stopped breathing, fear gripped me that he was dead, I got some water and dashed it in his face. with that he seemed to come a little to himself working his mouth and fluttering his eyelids, At last he looked up and saw me, and there came in his eyes, a terror that was not of this world.

Come come, I said, sit up
Are you live? He sobbed
I am I said, no small thanks to you.
He began to seek for his breath
I have a trouble with my heart, he told me, sitting up

I set him on a stool and looked at him, surely I had some pity for him, a man that looked so sick, but I was full of righteous anger and I began asking him some questions. I numbered before him points on which I needed explanation; why he lied to me at every word; why he feared I should leave him; why he disliked the question if he and my father were twins-is that because its true? I asked; why he had given me money I was sure wasn’t really mine and last of all why he tried to kill me. He heard all this in silence, muttering some igbo words here and there and then begged me in a broken voice to let him go to bed.
I will tell you in the morning he said, as sure as God lives.

I really could do nothing, I had to allow him, but I locked him in his room and took the key, returned to the kitchen, lit the stove, got my blanket and slept


Jas, i know you went for CD, but its here o!

Thanks Gamine, but more, more, more, more, more

Gamine,don't just stop pls
This is something else.moooooooooooooooooooooore

m back from CD was pleased to find it here waiting doesnt mean i'll let u rest the next 1 should be r eady by now, u hear,

Mehn!

Jas, im so frickn tied up

arrrgh my back hurts!!!!!!!

It rained heavily through out the night and the next morning there were bitter winds, driving scattered clouds. For all that, and before the sun began to peep or the last of the stars vanished. I made my way to the back of the house, in my wanderings the day before, I had found a pool, Jacuzzi like. I had been really angry, especially when my uncle had told me to just wash my face with well water. I had a plunge in the cold water, I shivered for a bit but settled in, it was so relaxing. All aglow from my bath, I sat down in the kitchen, contemplating what I was going to eat, I began to consider my position gravely.

There was now no doubt about my uncle’s enmity; there was no doubt I carried my life in my hand, and he would leave no stone upturned that he may conclude my destruction. But I was young and agile, and like most guys my age, especially coming from the U.S, I had a great opinion of my smartness. Even though I had come here like a beggar, and very much naïve, he had treated me with treachery and violence; it would be a fine consummation to take the upper hand, and drive him like a herd of sheep.

I sat there, nursing my knee and smiling out the boarded windows, I saw myself, somehow becoming my uncle’s king, after smelling out his secrets and evil deeds. I had read from a book that one had been able to read the future in a mirror, it must have been made of other stuff than glass; for in all the shapes and pictures that I sat and gazed at, there was never a bus, never a big black man with overgrown beards, never a big cutlass for my silly head or the least sign of all that were ripe to fall on me.

Presently, all swollen with conceit, I went upstairs and gave my prisoner his liberty. He gave me good morning civilly, and I gave the same to him, smiling down at him from the heights of my sufficiency. After debating on what to eat, especially since I was not having pap anymore. We settled for rice and as soon as we sat down to eat. I asked him with a jeering tone “well Sir, Don’t you have anything more to say to me” and then as he made no articulate reply “its time, I think we understand each other” I continued, you took me for a mugu, with no sense or guts more than a dead rat. I took you for a good man or unharmful at the least. It seems we were both wrong. What cause have you to fear me, to cheat me and to attempt my life----

He murmured something about a jest, and that he liked to play pranks, seeing me smile, changed his tone and assured me he would make all clear as soon as we were done eating. I saw in his face of sign that he had no lie ready to give me, though he was hard at work preparing one; and I think I was about to tell him so, when we were interrupted by a knocking at the door.

I told my uncle, not to worry,as I stood to get the door, I had been visibly shaken at the knock, wandering what or who it could be. I went to open it and found on the doorstep a half-grown boy in some dirty looking clothes. Kedu he said, I don’t speak igbo I replied. He started doing funny dance steps with his feet and hands, then he laughed, with his cracked voice shouted Americana!!!.
I was getting irritated so, I asked him what he wanted, he began to pour out some igbo words
Well, I said , if you don’t have anything to do here, I am going to shut the door.
Stay, my brother he cried, you no know when pesin dey joke. Abi you wan make them beat me, I bi don bring letter from Mr Chidi Okoli to Chief. He showed me the letter, and please my behleh dey empty.

I was alarmed, but with what he said, I let him into the house, and gave him some of the leftover rice, which he fell to greedily, winking to me, between mouthful and making many faces.
Meanwhile my uncle had read the letter and sat thinking, then suddenly he got to his feet with a great air of liveliness and pulled me into the room of books, read the letter he said,
All I could make out of it was a list of goods, and the writer telling my uncle to make it down to the town
I was very happy at that.

You see Chima, my uncle resumed, as soon as he saw I was done reading, this man Chidi Okoli, helps me with some trading, I have a part in some of the buses he uses to lagos and back to Onitsha buying and selling goods. Your father knew him, hes a good old man and well respected
See we have to go there,
I stood a while and thought, first I would be out of this place thankfully, I was going to a bus park, I may be able to catch a ride back to lagos and surely the bus park would be brimming with people, not somewhere my uncle would try any violent or evil deed.

Very well, I said, let me get my backpack from the room. My uncle went to get whatever he was going with, I took my backpack, and couldn’t be glad enough that this nightmare was coming to an end, I also took some books, which I was highly interested in. we then locked the door and went out.

As we begn trekking , my uncle just kept a straight face, never said anything to me, I had to talk with the raggedy boy, who said his name was Sixtus, I laughed in my mind, so funny. He said he had worked with the traders since he was nine and he had been to many parts of the country. I asked him why he didn’t go to school, he just shrugged and said he preferred this life, I never felt more sorry for anyone in my life.

moh

Jas,
abeg help me sell my ticket o!! I will finish this when i come back

i hear oo, dont think cos v not been buggnin u u shouldnt finish up chap 3 and post it it'd berra be here by monday or else, u know na,

I will post, i will post

Just two chapters left

then you kin gerrof me back!

Gamine, today is the 11th of December, I have been waiting and hoping patiently that you will finish this story but since you have refused to, take this note has a pinch in the bum for you to get up and finish the story jo.

seriously, where is Gamine?

did she travel or something?