wow..... wah an intriguing story pls give us more

OlufemiWhit:
hope you won't stop posting on here sha....

Posting on nairaland will continue

You really doing a good job here bro, 3 beautiful story anyway following till d end.

rayvelez:
You really doing a good job here bro, 3 beautiful story
anyway following till d end.

Thank you

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Lmao.......see fahad oooo.....butty boy....dis comment is for d oda stories oooo.....nice work

Fahad spent two hours rummaging through the hummocks before he found her. He was obsessed with the cattle-girl. He learnt they always changed places of grazing, so he always had to look round intensively to find her. He would then stay with her until sunset when she left. From a billionaire Havard University graduate to a cattle rearer.

This had been going on for two weeks and there was never a day he took a break. He realized how buggered her life was. Rearing cattle on daily bases, being alone in the hummocks for hours, was pernicious.
No western education, no Islamic education, just she, cattle, grass and mountains.
Some times she had to climb mountains with the cattle, running here and there, trying to control them, staying under the sun, rain, cold. Rain? Yes. He had his bite too. It had rained cats and dogs on that day. They were on a wide grass land, no trees, just grass and mountains. There was no hiding place.

The rain showered on them. He was under the rain, feeling the discomfort but as he looked at her, standing with her stick, watching over the cows, not showing any concern about the rain, he cried.
It was inexpedient, and annihilating to a girl like this. He had never witnessed such a suffering. God! He never believed such kind of life existed.

So while he and his siblings got the best things in life, there were people living in such an abyss.
He knew of the word ‘poverty’ but he never took it serious because he had never been with poor people. It was always people of high class. He saw a different side of the world and something cropped up inside him.

He had to contribute something within his reach to the less privileged. This was debilitating. She would go to streams and perform ablution when it was time for prayers, go behind a rock and pray. If there was no hiding place, he would leave the vicinity and give her space. In the afternoon, she would milk a cow and drink milk. She would make sure she hid from him while drinking. She drank water from the clean spring water from the rocks. Once he hid behind a rock, she did not know he was there and heard her singing. It was the most sonorous voice he ever heard.

Her voice was mellifluous, sweet like honey. Even though he did not understand a word of the lyrics, her heart-piercing voice, the sensational tune, her pacific and pretty face made him felt tears in his eyes. He wished she could give him the chance to extricate her, polish her, build her and love her but no, all these while, she never said a word to him. Never? Yes, never.

On the day he had fainted, he had opened his eyes to find himself in darkness. The cold air had hit him savagely. It took him seconds to remember what had happened and then he sat up, feeling pain in his jaw where the beast had hit him. He was in the hummocks, alone, in the dark. Then he saw a small fence of thorns around him. What was that for and who did this? This was not the point he had fainted. Someone must have moved him. The cattle girl? No, she could not have had the strength to move him. He checked his pocket and found his phone and money.

Nothing was missing. He turned on the flashlight of his phone, and then realised why the thorn was there. There was a big black snake that was barred from coming towards him. Snakes hated the slightest lacerate. He felt something cold piercing through his liver.
If not for the thorns, he should have been long dead. He stood up, now invigorated by the sight of the snake, he carried a small stone and threw at it. It fled away while he jumped out and went towards opposite direction. It was around 10:00 PM. He had to walk twelve kilometres back to the hotel. Yet, the next day, he was back for cattle girl.

She never talked to him , or gave him a look, or act as if he was there. He did all he could do to get her talk to him, but failed. He would talk for minutes but she never responded. Sometimes he would climb a hill and watch her, sit on a tree branch and never got tired of looking at her. He could not tell anyone what he was going through. There was a day he secretly used his mini powerful camera to snap her.
She was holding her stick amidst the cattle. When he posted it on his facebook page, he got over two thousand likes and a thousand comments. Many thought she was a model posing for a shot.

He had not forgotten about the supposedly dead doctor neither did he forget about the strange incidence he saw on the night he took the long walk through the hummocks. At a point, he saw a fleet of cars, Toyota Hilux in a convoy driving into the deep mountainous forest.
He hid behind a tree and noticed how strange it was. The cars were exactly twenty in number. They seemed to be transporting somethings. Then he caught sight of a white man among the passengers. Who were they? What were they carrying? Where were they going?

He did not tell Damon and his wife any of these. He used one hour every morning to inquire about Ardo then resume cattle rearing. He made sure Damon and his wife were occupied. He called one of the family’s private pilot and a chopper was provided, made arrangements for Damon and Alicia to visit most of the tourist sites in Nigeria. They had gone to Olumo Rock in Abeokuta, Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross river, Yankari Game reserve , and lots more. Nigeria was blessed with a lot of tourists attractions and they were having the best time of their honeymoon.

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Wow wow wow! Continue

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He was now sitting on a hill, hungry and tired. He used to hire bikes and after a hard learnt lesson, he got the phone number of a local bike man who would pick him anytime he was ready. The bike-man did not care what time it was because Fahad paid him a lot of money.
He decided to jump down and move to a shade cast under a rock when he fell off and landed badly. His leg ached and for moments and he lay moaning in pains. He thought his leg was fractured but realised it was just badly hurt.
He tried to get up but he could not. She did not even look at him and he guessed she did not see him fall. He sat there for over one hour. He still could not stand up and walk. It was aching.

He dragged himself behind the hill, there was shade there and a stream passed near the hill. He sat there and the pain became more excruciating and he could not stand up. He sat there alone, watching the clean water flow by.
He was almost startled as he saw someone standing over him, staring at him. He could not believe his eyes. It was cattle-girl, standing close enough and he began to wonder if science had discovered all the main fields of attraction . They discovered electric field, magnetic field and gravitational field but he just discovered a stronger field. A field that acted upon the physical body, mind and soul. This field did not mind the distance. This cattle girl now standing close to him was deep into his body and soul. She was acting upon everything in him, around him and about him.

He said nothing, just looking at the perfection of God’s creation. He wondered why she came to him,why the stare.

“ An aso mata bolu? ( Don’t you ever get tired of talking?)” She said in fulfude.

He did not understand what she was saying so he kept looking at her speechlessly.
She looked at his leg, squatted and held his ankle. As she touched him, he nearly melted. She sent an electric pulse through him instantly. She touched the part he was holding in pain, pressed it and made sure it was the part she wanted, then gave it a twist.

“ Ouuch!” He moaned.

She then got up, said no word then left. After five munutes, she came back with a bowl of fresh cow milk, gave him to sip before she collected it, squeezed some leaves and mixed the sap with the milk and asked him to drink. It tasted bitter but since it was from cattle girl, it became the sweetest thing he ever drank.
He could not believe how the pain began to vanish at once. This was the power of herb. He got up and took a short walk.’

“ Damn! I can walk.” He said. “Thank you.”

She said nothing, just stared at him, like she was studying him.
He sat down again. She stood up, not saying a word. He was trying to talk, gesticulating to make her understand what he meant.

“ What is the meaning of acatalectic?” She suddenly asked in English language. Her accent, the fluency made him shocked. Did she understand English?

“ Don’t stare at me like that. You used it in your song and I don’t know the meaning.” She now sat down opposite him. “ Start talking, you stubborn guy.”


He became flummoxed.

He was not only dumbfounded but felt like a doofus as he recalled how he tried to gesticulate to make her understand the things he said. How could he have known that she understood everything he said.

"I - I am surprised." He said, almost stammering." You speak very good English..."

" Tell me the meaning. I could not find it in Oxford dictionary." She cut in.

Whoa! She even had a dictionary.

" It means a verse having the complete number of syllables in the last foot but it also means complete. I meant you are perfect and complete."

She looked at him straight in the eye for a split second then took off her eyes.

" What do you want from me?" She asked firmly.

" Everything. I want you, your heart, your body, your soul. I don't want to date you, I want to marry you. I want to take you away from this place, take you far away and into my world, into my life because I want to be acatalectic and only you can make me attain that level."

" You speak like the Americans and you called yourself Fahad Yar'adua."

" I am a Nigerian. A Bakatsine from Yar'adua. I spent most of my life in the United States."

" And you want to marry me?" She shook her head.

" You can't marry me. What about all the educated, sophisticated girls in the city?"

" It's you I love . I love you."

" I am a cattle rearer and not educated. "

" I don't care about that. Besides, don't think I will believe you if you say you are not educated."

" I am not."

" Your English is polished."

" English is a language. Speaking English does not make me educated."

" Now you get me confused."

" A lot of white people live around here and so many come for tourism. This has been going on for years." She paused, peeped at her cattle then came back. " We used to serve as tour guides, but I was privileged to work for a white couple as a maid. I was only twelve and she refused to accept me at first. She said I was too young and it was child labour. Her husband convinced her to pick me. She was very nice. I did little or no work. She thought me how to read and write.
I love reading and she had a lot of books. Most of my family members speak English. I stayed with them for three years. I was home-taught and she decided to enrol me into a school for formal education. My family got mad. They said she wanted to destroy my life. How could a girl go to school? I was going to become a prostitute. They claim it is against Islamic laws. So, I was taken away from her. I came back home and back to the family business, rearing. I chose to rear cattle instead of hawking milk and millet cakes. Most girls hawk while the boys rear. I hate hawking. This is what I do everyday."

Fahad fought the urge to cry. When did he become so soft?

" So, you never got a formal education."

" I never got it."

" Please marry me, let me take you away. I will get you the best tutorial, get you a strong foundation and go to school. We could move to America."

" You barely know me. Marriage is a big word."

"Sometimes you stay with people for years and realise you don't know them. I feel so cool with you."

" How did you leave the other day?"

" What day?"

" The day you passed out."

"Oh.” He felt a bit embarrassed . " I woke up around ten and had to trek back."

" Where do you stay?"

" Wukari Luxury Suites."

" I kept wondering if you survived it, then I saw you the next day."

" But who got me lying near the tree."

" I - I dragged you there. I'm sorry but I could not lift you so I put a piece of sack under you and pulled you. I gave you a local remedy, then
protected you from snakes and left. That was the best I could do for you."

" So it was you. Thank you."

" You know little about cows."

" I was trying to be a hero. I wanted to impress you."

She chuckled for the first time. He could not believe cattle girl was sitting with him.

" It was funny though." She giggled. " Why did you have to go through all these? You go through all that and I never even talk to you but you still never left. I tried to chase you away ."

" I am your captive. I am your servant. I just want to serve you."

" But you know I can't marry you."

" Why ?"

" Who I marry is not by my choice. Our parents choose husbands for us. I was betrothed to someone many years ago but I hate him. I keep bringing excuses and they keep postponing it. My grandfather supports me. He is the most important person in my life right now. He wanted me to get educated. So when I pop up an excuse, he backs me up. "

" Why didn't he let the woman send you to school.?"

" He is old and sick. He barely goes out except on Fridays when he goes to masjid."

" I am glad you are not in love with the guy. But it should be your choice."

" They say Allah says we must obey our parents."

" That is true but forceful marriage is not allowed in Islam. The prophet SAW forbade it. It is been done out of ignorance. A marriage is only valid with the consent of the lady. This is barbaric. How can anyone stop girl-child education in this age? This is not Islamic, it is anti-Islam."

" I love school a lot."

" I can buy a house close here, relocate and have the chance of teaching you."

She shot him a sharp glance.

" Relocate here because of me?"

" Yeah. It is worth it."

" Who are you?"

"I am just someone who is willing to do anything to make you happy."

Oh God! This girl was breathtaking. Her eyes, her lips, her hair, everything about her was exclusive. He could imagine her in his arms on their first night. No...don't go there , Fahad, You will go crazy.

" I am confused." She said. " I like you. I don't know you but I feel good when you are around. But They will never let us be together. "

" Who?"

" My people.....and your people."

" Your people, agreed but mine, they won't....."

" You are from a rich family from what I can see. You are very educated people. How are you going to tell them that you are getting married to
a local Fulani cattle rearer who had never been to primary school?"

" Hey, stop it! You are great, the greatest girl on earth. No one is going to say that. I love you and I would build you. Don't worry about my family."

She peeped and saw two of her cattle going away.

"I have to go." She stood up and left in a hurry. He got up, feeling much better, he followed her.
She ran trying to bring them back. He got a stick and joined her, keeping a distance from the cattle. She looked at him and smiled. Ya Salam! She had the most radiant smile in the world: an apple blossom smile that penetrated deep into his heart, brought peace into him, tickled his fancy, mesmerised him and made him redefine beauty. How could he live without this girl?

It was fun running with her after the cattle, repeating after her the fulfude she spoke to the cattle. They went to the stream, performed ablution and separated to pray. The truth was he never prayed regularly but this girl just put the love of prayers into his heart. This girl was light to him.
She got a plastic flask which was in a bag she always carried, put a lot of cow milk in a bowl, put some millet cakes and blended using ludayi, she added sugar and brought it to him. It was like a dream.

"You have to take it with me." Fahad said.

" Eat in your presence? I cant."

" We will do more than eating together when we get married. Taking bath with a wife is sunnah (Prophetic tradition)."

She quickly covered her face in shame.

" You are corrupt."

"Sunnah?"

" Okay but don't mention it. I feel so uncomfortable." She looked away.

" I need you to be free with me. " He said and took a scoop, it tasted good. It was called fura da nono. This was not directly from the cow but had been processed. Pure kindirmo me mai.

He handed it to her. " Here, have"
She hesitated, collected it, turned her head away from him and sipped lightly. She handed it back to him. He gave her a grin and took another scoop, passed it to her. As she turned to sip, he jumped infront of her and saw her. She chuckled, and saw joy in her eyes. After he took another scoop, she took a scoop in his presence with a lot of difficulty.

Damn! Modesty!
They shared the fura da nono though he took much more than she did. She went to the stream and collected water.
Fahad hesitated. He only took bottled water, and never even trusted sachet water. But this was beauty, taking this all her life and still looked beautiful. Besides this was spring water. She served him water and he drank. Life was good but it was best with her.

" What is your name?"

" Halima." She said shyly. " Halimatu Sadiya."

" You are the most beautiful girl in the world."

She raised her eyebrow in surprise.

" Please spare me. I am not pretty."

" Shhhhhh...don't let anyone hear that. I could be arrested for allowing you say the greatest crime against beauty."

She crinkled her face. " How?"

" It is a crime for anyone, anything to deny your beauty. The Federal law of beauty will take serious action."

She laughed.

" Do you have a phone?" He asked.

" No."

" I need to get you a phone. You like i-phone?"

" What's i-phone?" She asked. " I do see the different types of phones but I don't know the names because I never ask any one to give me his phone. Not even my brothers."

" So you are not on social network?"

" Not at all. I have a friend who is on Facebook and Whats...."

" Whatsapp?"

"Yes, Whatsapp. Phones are expensive and ...I can't afford it but I'm sorry I cant accept a phone from you."

" Why?"

" I don't think its proper. Joro said a man got her a phone and he asked for something in return."

" Hey ! Don't go there. It's pro bono." He giggled shaking his head. " I am not after you for sex.."

" Stop it!" She covered her ears." Don't mention that word."

" I'm sorry. But I just want to be talking with you, chat and send you educational videos. We can do a lot of tutorials through Whatsapp. I can hire someone who would make sure you never lack electric charge."

" How?"

" Get you three phones, an iphone7, Samsumg S6 and and HTC One with removable battery with five batteries. He will always come to collect them for recharging so you will never lack charge. All the phones will have the same applications so nothing changes,"

" Even if you don't ask for anything in return, it's still not fair. I know you want me, I know you love me. I always watched you."

" Hey, you never used to look at me."

She smiled.

" Let me tell you a secret. A woman glances at you for a second and she will describe everything about you."

" Phew!"

" I was always watching you. I had never met any one who is as maverick as you.."

" What word was that, Mav....?"

" Maverick."

" You know there are so many maverick meanings, I mean which of them do you mean?"

She eyed him suspiciously.

" Okay-Okay lets say I don't know the meaning. You know the lexis is much, can't know all the words." He confessed.

She gave him a mocking smile.

" I guessed as much because the only maverick meaning I know is a person who does not think or behave like every one else."

" Whoa! That's cool. I'm learning."

" I have met a lot of people who wanted me but ....all they wanted was to ...to..."

" To have s....."

" Shut up! " She covered her ears.

" Oh! I'm sorry. The forbidden word."

"Please don't mention it."

" Ok, Leema."

" What?"

" Leema. That's your pet name."

She smiled. She seemed to like it.

" They only wanted to ......so I became very hostile to men. You were different, I wonder why I did not tell my brothers about you. If I had done that, they would have been here with sticks and broken your bones. But I did not feel threatened by your presence." She turned her face away. "Instead I began to expect you. I used to hope you will find me when I change places and you always did.
I am scared we will get hurt. When your people feel I am not good enough, when my people feel I can't chose a husband on my own, we will be tormented."

" Leema, if our families would not be a hitch, will you marry me? Do you feel anything for me?"

She glanced at him and took off her eyes. She said nothing.

" Do you love me?" He asked.

She turned at him, lowered her head and smiled. With a lot of effort, she nodded but said no word. That nod was the best move he had ever seen. Electric pulse, stream of joy, sparks of love ions, love cations and anions filled the air, in him and probably in her. If it was Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai they would have started singing with invisible bandsmen. This was the perfect scene for singing, the lovely environment, the serene natural scene.

" I love you, Leema and nothing will take you away from me."

He was not expecting her to say she loved him back. She was shy. Her smile did. Oh, so innocent, pure and chaste.
"What if your family rejects me?" She asked.

" They won't reject you. "

" I am not the kind of girl they expect you to marry ."

" Yes, they expect someone great," He said, " and I got someone greater. "

She sighed, closed her eyes trying to stop the tears that cascaded. Oh, he wished he could hold her and dry her tears.

"Why are you crying? It's okay."

It took a while to console her. They sat near the stream while the cattle were bust munching.

" My grandfather said my father loved me so much. He wanted me to become a doctor. He was not educated himself but had a lot of educated friends and he saw the value of education. He wanted to build a school in our village. They were against him, saying he was going to corrupt the village, but he was connected so he got government permission. But....he never realized his dreams. "

"Why?"

"I was only one when they left and never came back. He left a lot of cattle, tractors and money but after five years of absence, my uncles stepped on everything and my old grandfather who got a stroke because of my father's disappearance could do nothing. "

" Why did they leave?"

"They went on a business trip. He wanted to import tractors." She took in a deep breath." Only if he was around. We feel they are dead."

Something nudged his brain.

" His name?"

"He was called Ardo Salman ."


Oh my God!

this is such an awesome story it's captivating

Wow.! It seems dis guy knows the man. Awesome story. keep it up sokodobo

NINE

Halima hurriedly put six wraps of tuwon dawa ( guinea-corn meal) into the food flask, poured miyan kube'wa ( okra soup) stashed with fish and well cooked meat into a flask. She put everything in a polythene bag and then placed it by the door. She looked round her rounded hut in search of her earpiece.

The hut was built with mud and the roof was thatched. At a corner was a bamboo bed on which she put a small flat mattress, a pillow and bed cover. In a small metal box were her few clothes, and three pairs of shoes juxtaposition on the floor.
She hated the bare mud wall, so she used white plain sheets of paper with pap serving as adhesive to make a wallpaper. The same paper served as ceiling, giving the room a beautiful white color. The bare floor was covered with straw mat which she made herself and made sure it was colourful.

She looked at the small mirror again, satisfied, she brought out her i-phone7 and gave herself a snap. Fahad called it selfie. She took another shot, this time pushing her lips forward to form an 'o'. Pouting? Well, that was how she saw most of her new friends on Facebook, Instagram and other social networks snapping.
She quickly posted it and before she left the room, she started getting barrages of likes and comments. Meeting Fahad was like going through a door which led to a land of honey.

Fahad was sweet. So sweet she feared it was not real. He was caring, loving, romantic, humorous, and everything good. She used to hate grazing, being alone in the hummocks, under harsh conditions, having no one to talk to, just cows as companions and what did she get for it? Food and clothes during festive peroiods.

Her uncles were wicked. They wasted her father's wealth, lavished the money and made her a slave. She was treated differently from other children. Joro once asked her to run away, but she refused. Run to where? Many girls had done this and ended in prostitution and drugs.
She kept praying, hoping that someday something will pop up and give her life a lift. She thought Fahad was an answered prayer. He treated her like a queen. They reared cattle together but it was more of fun than work. He would come with delicious cuisines, snacks, drinks and they will eat, drink and enjoy. But he always insisted on having fura da nono which she always prepared for him.
In the past, she used to go into her hut after Ishaa (night) prayers and lay on the bed brooding for hours before she slept. It was so boring and dolorous.
Sometimes her so-called fiance came to visit. She would be forced to attend to him. He would bore her to death then leave her in a fit of pique. But now, she would lock herself and bring out her phone and chat with the love of her life, or go on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, or watch movies.

She saw the world from her bed. And it was a world indeed. The social media had it all: the men of God, the idiosyncratic users, girls that went unclad and post nude pictures, people out there just to do business, name it-it was there. So the choice was yours. She nearly fainted the day her brother, who happened to be her only biological brother, saw her i-phone. He had screamed and told her how expensive it was. She told him everything about Fahad, and showed him all the three phones. He went raptures about it. Fahad had employed someone to make sure she never lacked charge because they had no electric power. When she told Fahad about her brother, who happened to be some minutes older than her, he got him an i-phone too. It seemed Fahad was richer than he claimed.

She carried the polythene bag and left her hut, locked the door and then walked out of the large compound. The compound had over sixty huts. It was a family hamlet. Her grandfather had twenty two children out of which eleven were male. Two died, including her father, four left the village, while the remaining lived in the hamlet with their wives.
Immediately she got out of the compound, she felt her hackles rise as she saw Hande waiting for her. Subahanallah !Why now?

Hande was twenty three years old, four years older than her. He was lanky, and good looking with brown eyes and very curly dark hair. His father was a local chief and had a big ranch. This was the guy she was betrothed to since she was four. He wore tight light green shirt over purple slim pants and had a big chain round his neck. His eyes were behind dark sun glasses. A radio hung over his shoulder. He spent three years in Lagos after she left her job as a maid. He said his mission was to go and learn how to speak English because she now spoke good English.

After he returned, he stopped speaking fulfude to her but insisted on impressing her with his English. He also said he hung out with the biggest boys in Lagos so he was now sophisticated. This was the incipience of his megalomaniac syndrome.

" Uhuhu! See my bek." He started. By bek he meant babe. " I knows you is exposing outside now to import foods to your grafada (grand father), nigga."

He smiled, resting a hand on his radio and flaunting his odd colored clothes.

" I think I am company you to your grafada house. "

" I don't think I need company. You cannot accompany me."

He laughed lightly.

" Bek, bek, why are you still behave like a bilej ( Village) bek? In Lagos, When a boy and a girl are strangulating ( in a love affair)......"

That was one of his characteristics: trying to impress her with big words he did not know how to use.

".....they hold hands and kissing, but you , eberything is Islam, Islam, no touch, no kiss. Haba! " He flashed his wristwatch so she could see. " I knows you lob (love) me bery (very) bery well but you are shame. Why? Shit! Wara damn! Nigga"

Sometimes he amused her because of his comedy. He was trying to behave like the American hip hop stars he saw on TV.

" I want us to marriage. You is always sick when the day of our marriage strangulation is fix. This time, my faza (father) say no cancel, Arado (I swear)"

She felt a bang in her head as she skipped a heartbeat.

" Have they fixed the date?" She asked.

He smiled.

" For the fisrt time you is show happy. I knows you lob me but we Fulani is so shame. I see your ankle (uncle) and my faza talk am but me is not know the date. You know is our parents who is fix it and don't told us."

" I have to go." She said.

Some boys were passing by, they saw Hande and hailed, " Crem debis! Crem Debis!"
He laughed, raising both fingers in the air, and kicked the air." Yo, yo, yo, my niggaz. Wazap men"

" Cool am, cool am" One of the guys said, raising his fingers in the air.

" Kai, Jibo, you looking delicious." Hande said.

" Sank you, sank you, Crem Debis."

It was of recent she came to realize Crem Debis was actually Craig David who was his favorite artiste.

" Kai, if we marriage, I will took you to Lagos and see things. I will took you to Mr beans (Mr Biggs) and Choprice (Shoprite) to chop ass-cream...."

“Ass cream?"

"You don't know it? It is ass in rubber with small spoon and sweet.”

He meant ice cream.

" I have to go. You know Baffa would be waiting for his dinner."

" I say let me go..."

" I don't want you to come with me."

Then he made a face and she knew what was coming next. Oh my God, he is going to sing for me.

" Monday.." He started," wiki wiki wiki Tuesday, meri meri meri lob on Wednesday ana Thursday, Friday sartuday achili an Sunday...amaka maka Monday, wiki wiki wiki on Tuesday, meri meri meri lob on Wednesday, ana Thursday Friday sartuday achil an Sunday."

He laughed proudly.

" That is the music of Crem Dabis, is call seben days."

She began to walk away.

" I will see you, Hande." She said and walked away quickly.

“I lob you bek." He said after her. She walked quickly through the narrow foot path that led to her grandfather's new home. He was the founder of the hamlet but left due to the troubles of her uncles.

After a ten minute walk she paused, removed her phone and dialled.

"I can see you, my love." Fahad's voice emerged."Look beside you."

Her heart melted as she saw him walk towards her. She had been telling her grandfather about him and he was going to meet him. Only her grandfather and brother, Salim knew about him.

That Craig David 7days part gt me like... well-done bro.

You are simply the best

She wished she could run and embrace him. She felt alive when she was with him. He made her felt secured and served as a light in the darkest part of her life. His visage was hope to her, his smile was healing, his voice was food and she wondered what his touch would feel like…...when they got married.

Married?
She felt that sharp pain in her heart again. Was getting married to Fahad not just a fantasy, wasn't it too good to be real, would her terrible uncles agree?
Ya Jabar (O Lord), help me, help us and save my life.

" Hey, my love." He said softly.

" Hi, my ...." She turned away, “my love”

" I missed you."

She raised her eyebrow.

“We just parted when I left to cook.”

"That was like two hours ago." He said, " Do you know what staying two hours without seeing you means?"

" It's like been pricked with a sharp pin, and hope you know I miss you more."

"I love you, Leema."

For the first time, she looked straight into his eyes and said, " I love you , Bappy."

" So you know how to play lob?" Hande's deadly voice shook her. " So it is true. Kai, Halimatu, you know how to say miss you, lob you and eben call him lob name."

He came out of the thick grass and his eyes scared her. The funny, soft eyes were now a mask of horror. She had never seen him like this. He was holding a stick and machete. Then three of his friends appeared, all holding machetes. She knew what they could do, their sight sent a shiver through her. No doubt they were intending to kill Fahad.

" Hande please don't touch him.” She began to cry

" You have increase the criminal (crime). You are trying to showed me that you lob him, ko?" He turned at his thugs." Barimo! Barimo!!(Kill him! Kill him"

Fahad looked terrified as they made a rush to attack him with machetes. Halima screamed for help and wrapped her hands round Fahad. It was better she died with him, but one of them pulled her and she saw him raise his machete to strike Fahad.....My Fahad, Oh no!




Immediately Hande forcefully pulled her away from Fahad’s body, Fahad saw a machete travelling with force towards his face. It was intended to split his head.
He saw death as close as his skin. He made a swift move of his body and Hande narrowly missed. Fahad could not face these armed wild guys. The short swarthy one sent his machete and Fahad knew he could not dodge this time around. So, this was it, sending him to quietus. He closed his eyes, expecting a broken skull.

A crashing sound!

Fahad opened his eyes just to see the jamming of two metals that produced a sharp sound. Another machete from nowhere had thwarted his killer's .

Boop!

A stick hit the swarthy guy on the back. He jumped back and the four of them regrouped, glaring at the three guys that came to save Fahad. Halima was still crying, struggling to come to Fahad. She now ran to him and held him crying. Halima holding him? She had never made the mistake of letting her body to touch his.

Hande looked surprised.

" Salim? You is fight us because of this kado (outsider)?"

Salim, Halima's twin brother, was panting and puffing with a grim face. He held a machete with one hand and a stick with the other just like his two friends.

" Why do you want to kill him? What crime did he commit?” He barked. His two friends stood alert, waiting to strike .

" Crime? Which criminal is big more pass a kado coming to strangulate my wife?"

"She is not your wife!"

" Salim!" Hande said in astonishment.

" Did you hear her shouting for help when you saw them? Did you see her tarciturn like she does when with you? What part of she-does-not-love-you you can’t be quick witted enough to understand? Why do you guys have to destroy her happiness? I think I am going to rebel. To hell with the uncles. It's enough! We were robbed off our inheritance, stopped from schooling and now my sister is going to be subjected to eternal melancholy. Sam!"

Hande kicked the air.

" Wara shit! Salim, you is pakin (Fu..k.n) with me. Nobody is pakin with Crem Dabis and sleep well. Your ankles is been collecting money from us for years and you say is melancholy. What is melancholy? Kai, I don eben want to know but no melancholy is chopping my money and go scot-free. If she like am or not like am, me Crem Dabis Seven Days alias Lagos Wizzy is going to marriage her. This one, how many cows his father get? He no get anything but you like am give am Halima, Pak! Pak you, Salim! Pak all your family!

He left angrily with his thugs .

Fahad sighed. That was close. He just dined with death. Phew! These guys could be brutal and pugnacious.
Salim said he was told by an acquaintance that Hande was setting a trap and he vowed to kill Fahad. Fahad thanked Salim and his friends. He also asked them to meet him at the hotel first thing in the morning. He called his bike man, asked him to come down. The bike man met them on the way to her grandfather’s house.

He was a native so he knew all the nooks and crannies. Just before they got to the house, Fahad told Halima to excuse him for twenty minutes. She protested but he promised on coming back soon. He asked the man to take him to the hotel. He went and changed his clothes.
He met Halima waiting for him under a tree in front of the house. There were only three huts in the middle of grasses and trees. The fence was made of dried sticks tied with ropes.

" I am sorry." She apologised." That was Hande.."

" You don't need to feel sorry." He said.." You are too expensive to be gotten without troubles and risk. This is just part of the small price."

" You are trying to ameliorate it. They nearly killed you."

" I am not pusillanimous. I need you to pretend it never happened."

She nodded.

" I owe Salim. He is a hero." He said.

" He just got himself into trouble with my uncles. Hande is going to tell them. But he is stubborn and blunt. "

" I can't wait to get you guys out of here."

He saw fear on her face but she tried to hide it.

" Let's go in. My grandfather is dying to meet you."

She led him to a big, round hut at the center of the compound. They had to bend down before they could enter because the door was just a little above four feet high. The old man sat down impressively on a bamboo bed, holding a locally made hand fan. He seemed to be a very neat man. Everything seemed to be in place. There was a claypot at a corner which served as a refrigerator.

Oh SokoDobo !. U are the best

MhizFavour:
Oh SokoDobo !. U are the best

sokodobo u don get wife o

abubakarbabang7:
sokodobo u don get wife o

Lol. Abeg oo. No let my wife hear you ooo.

MhizFavour:
Oh SokoDobo !. U are the best

Thank you

He hung his clothes on the wall, spread mat at a corner where he prayed .

" Welcome my son." The old man said warmly. Fahad guessed he was around seventy five years old. From his sitting posture, Fahad guessed he was a tall man .
He was very light in complexion with white beard and eyebrows. He was dressed in a Fulani traditional bijimi. Even at that age, he was very handsome.

" Thank you, sir. I am happy to meet you"

" Serve him food, Sady" He told his granddaughter.

" I just had...." Fahad began.

" You cannot refuse to eat.....Sady is a good cook, you will love it."

Halima served him food. He was sitting on the mat because there was no chair or sofa in the room. He washed his hand, then began to swallow. What! The tuwo and miyan kubewa was delicious. She used a local seasoning called daddawa, and the stew was blessed with drops of mai shanu.

" Halima told me a lot about you. You are my first real threat."

Fahad paused, the old man looked him at then giggled. " The first one that I feel will take her away from me. "

Then he recalled that grandparents, in the north, used to jokingly refer to their grandchildren as spouse. Fahad now smiled and bowed his head.

" Your relationship seems auspicious. You seem to make her happy and I am very jealous. She has always felt her relationship with Hande was insipict. I never liked it myself. I knew his grandfather, I know when they gave birth to his father.....They are ferocious. But these children would not listen. They don't obey parents anymore. "

Fahad washed his hands after the meal.

" If only Ardo was alive. He wanted her to go to school. Halima is very smart. She did not have formal education but would read anything that comes her way. She is my joy. She takes care of me. She makes sure I get breakfast and lunch before she goes for grazing, She gets back and cook supper, packs my dirty clothes and wash them, comes to sit and keep me company, read books for me."
He was almost in tears. " But My greatest wish for her is to get married and live happily. My days are numbered. I feel you can take care of her. Salim lives here with me. He is stubborn and won't tolerate his uncles. But he is a man."

" I can get someone to take care of you. I can get you a house in the city.."

He shook his head.

" I don't want to live in the city. I love the quiet here, the fresh air void of pollution from cars, electric generators, smoke, and all the urban madness."

" Then we have to build houses here. "

" I don't want any of those. I tell you, if you build anything big here, I would be dead before you know it. They will kill me and inherit it. They are avaricious. All I want is the safety of my granddaughter. I have over one hundred grand children but only this girl looks after me."

" Then I will have to hire you a cook, a guard and you must have a phone in case of emergency. Please don’t say no."

He looked at Fahad and smiled.

" May God bless you. I have a phone and I will accept a cook but only after she is gone."

He raised a pillow, brought out a small sack, removed the phone which was wrapped in a woolen cloth.

" This is my phone. " He said proudly. " Salim use to take it for recharge every market day."

It was a Nokia 33. It still looked new. He cherished the phone and really took care of it.

" Are your parents aware of your relationship with Sady?"

Fahad shook his head.

" No, but I will tell them as soon as I go back home."

" She said you are a bakatsine (of Katsina origin)."

Fahad nodded.

" I hardly interfere in their matters these days. They treat me as a victim of senile dementia but I know what I do. I will be stern on this. Sady will not be forced to marry Hande. Just send your parents for formal introduction and we would accept you. If anybody has been collecting money from Hande's father, it is his business. But as a standard procedure, we will have to find out more about you.”

"Thank you, sir." Fahad said, " was any effort made to search for her parents?"

" Eighteen years is a long time to think Ardo and his wife would abandon their children. Sady was just one when they left. They are dead, son. It pains me that we could not even bury them or know how exactly they died. We could not even reach Ted or his girl, All the Americans we know told us nothing. We tried to reach their embassy but nothing came out. I sold over sixty cattle in search of them. The siblings would not even release funds for the search. They wanted him dead, can you imagine? I got a stroke and got bedridden for two years. It is a miracle that I still walk and not deformed even though I never recovered fully." He paused, coughed then continued, " Ardo made money like no one ever did in this village. Ted fixed him up but it turned out to be an euphoria. I just could not understand somethings."

Fahad knew Ardo and his wife were killed in Vegas, but it was best to keep mute.

" Who is Ted?"

He sighed, stood up, walked slowly to a wooden box, opened it then brought out a big envelope, walked back slowly to the bamboo bed and sat. He increased the intensity of the lamp that illuminated the room, and began rummaging through the pictures.

" This is Ted and Ardo as kids."

Fahad put on the flashlight of his phone to get a better view. Ted was a white boy, standing with Ardo who looked like an arab. They seemed to be around ten years old. They held each other, standing in front of a herd of cattle. They looked lovely and happy.

" Ted was Dr Maxwell's godson. His father brought him to Nigeria when he was only four. The father was Dr Maxwel's friend. Ted was happy and had Ardo and Amanda to play with. Amanda was Dr Maxwel's daughter. They all grew up together."

He showed Fahad another picture with Ted and Amanda. She was a very beautiful girl. This time, they were in their teens and the way they held each other was too intimate.

" Dr Maxwel was my friend. He lived here for many years. The white people are enigmatic. They could live anywhere just to study. Some lived in jungles in West African countries studying animals and making documentaries. Dr Maxwel was an American and came here for a research. I don't know the nature of the research but they were always working in that room called......."

"Laboratory." Halima said.

" Thank you, my Sady. My son, I am changing my mind. You are not taking Sady away from me. Who would remind me of things I forget or read stories for me? Now, leave my house."

They laughed .

" Mr Maxwell helped us in this community. He developed vaccines for our cattle, did a lot of things like what he called cross breeding, He used to cure our cattle. He was said to be a biochemist. Ted's father seemed to be a biochemist too. Dr. Maxwell and his wife died in a car crash in 1990. Soon afterwards, Ted and Amanda left for America, maybe to meet Ted's father. They were now grown then and Ted and Amanda were into a relationship. After a few years, Ted and Amanda came to visit and made Ardo very rich. They introduced him to business and just two years later, they invited him and his wife to America for a business trip. That was the last time I ever saw them. "

When he showed Fahad the picture of grown up Ted and Amanda, Fahad realised Ted and Amanda were actually Richard and Maria Cliff. Fahad felt a subcutaneous frigid feeling. This explained the vacuum in their profile. They grew up here, faked their nationality and left a trackless footpath. So it was his childhood friend he killed after enticing him with millions of dollars. Savage! He let them enjoy the money for two years, gave them the best trip in America then killed them to cover his tracks.

" There are things I did not understand. After Dr Maxwell's death, some white people came to pack some documents and left. I think I saw Ted's father that day. But I don't have his picture."


Fahad needed to drop this on Damon's lap. This was news and the conspiracy seemed to be more complicated than they thought. Who was Ted's father and why did he bring him to grow up in Nigeria? How come no one could trace Ted to his father?
Biochemists? Why was it all revolving around them?

They had a few more chats before he advised them to leave because it was getting late. They left after he reluctantly collected the two hundred thousand Naira Fahad gave him. He had been given Halima money to inprove his cuisines because what her uncles used to give was trash.


It was now dark and cold. It was 9:07 PM.

" I never stay this late." Halima said as they walked through the narrow ambulatory path.

" I would accompany you home then call for the bike boy." He said, " I can't believe your granddad just approved our relationship. I am on top of the world."

" You have not spoken to your people. I am still scared."

" You don't have to be scared, this is twenty first century, Sady."

She chuckled.

" He calls me Sady....from Sadiya." She said.

" Thank you for your kindness. You elate my soul." She said." You did not just elate my soul, you revivified it. The pleasure is mine."

" I tell nobody pak with me!" Hande's dreadful voice emerged. " I am westside niggaz, and a Lagos baboon. You eben carry inside the bush in the night, ko? What is you doing in the bush if you are responsibility? You think you come from city to strangulate her into sexual abusive and escaped? I am also a city west side nigga, a Lagos Tupac, so pak you, pak you shit men."

They were about twelve of them, coming out of the vast grassland and surrounding them. No one held a stick. They all had knives and machetes.

" Wallahi, if Salim and his small niggaz come, I will kill am all. Halima, Your family can't fit chop my money and refuse to strangulate our lob. I will kill him. He is using voodoo to paralysis your brain."

Halima became confused. She knew no one could save him now. They were well armed and high on drugs. She just kept begging, saying she would marry Hande but Fahad should be spared.

" No, if we leave am to not die, he will came back."

" Hande, I need you guys to go home in peace." Fahad said suddenly." You don't have to do this."

" Pak you, pak you marapaka, shit men! Dam! You close your mouth. I am not permitted you to talk. Niggaz, kill am."

As they made a rush, Halima screamed for help then a blasting sound brought them to a halt.

" If any body moves," Fahad said, "I will blast his blocked head. What I'm holding is called Desert Eagle .50 caliber. Who wants to have a feel?"

Nobody moved.

That was what he went to pick. He knew he needed his gun after what happened. Halima took in a deep breath.

" Hande or whatever you call yourself, if you don't get your shitty head together, I will drop on you and your family. You can't go about trying to kill me like a piece of ant. Just a phone call, your family is wrapped up and if you attack me again, I swear I will blast your head and that's it. I got boys in the hood to bring your shit heads down but I don't need to go there. I got contacts to the peak of the law and could get your governor hitting your as*. Now, I need you to leave this place now and never show your face close to me or else, you will rot in jail if you survive my rod."

" He is army roba, let’s gerrat." Hande said and they left." I am no scary of you, pak you, pak you, pak Halima, Pak all of una! " He said from afar.

Bang! Bang!! Fahad threw two shots in the air and they heard them scampering. As he took her home, he realised that his discussion with the old man was the opening of a can of warms.

TEN

From the moment Fahad told Damon and Alicia about his findings, his conversation with the old man, the honeymoon ended.
Within the one month they had been around, they had the greatest fun and the honeymoon was remarkable.
Nigeria was blessed with beauty. They visited Yankari National park, the acient Nok settlement, Olumo rock, The Tinata free zone and resort, The Giant Footprint of Ukhuse Oke, Awhum Waterfall, Obudu Mountain Resort, The Ibeno beach and lots more.
Fahad made it perfect, provided logistics, a reliable pilot and enough money.

All these while, they forgot about every other thing. They just caught fun, and explored the world of real love. Damon still hoped it was not a dream. He loved her more each day and never got enough of her, and he was addicted to her, stuck to her and hoped they would be together, live happily ever after like a fairy tale. But life wasn't a fairy tale. It had vicissitudes and now they had to face the facts. He was on the wanted list back home, Alicia was separated from her parents and friends, he had lost his job and had a result to check back in school. All these came into focus after Fahad's revelation.

" I am very curious about Richard or Ted's father." Damon said, sitting on the edge of a table in the hotel room. Alicia sat on a sofa, with Fahad and Salim.

" That should be my grandfather." Alicia said " Just when I thought it was over. Now I want to know more, I want to get my roots, so many mysteries surround me. Besides, we need to find out to exonerate you, Honey. You are innocent and it's inexpedient to be labelled a criminal."

"It seemed the whole thing was a long time planned job. It was done to obliterate tracks. A deliberate clandestine sinister to bamboozle the government and it was done in cahoots with some masked deils." Fahad said.

" Did you say Salim got the pictures from his grandfather?" Damon asked .

" Yep." Fahad said and Salim brought out a pack of pictures. Alicia bore her eyes into the pictures as she saw her father at a young age, he and her mother, then with Ardo. Salim did not know that she was Ted's daughter. He had been very helpful. He knew the locality and people. He was the main inside man.

" This is Dr Maxwell." Fahad said, " Ted's godfather."

" Dr Maxwell is said to be a biochemist, same as Ted's father.....and Profesor Pliers was also a biochemist. Is it a coincident or there is a connection between these men?" Alicia said thoughtfully.
That nudged Damon’s brain. It was like a wake up call. He quickly got his laptop, fixed a modem and began browsing. From the Case file he scrutinised, the scientist were working under the name of Project QPX. He browsed and got information about the project. It was sponsored by American project, but the true nature of the project was not stated, which was developing biological weapons. Project QPX was started in 1967, during the Vietnam war.
Then the picture of eight young Lecturers was displayed. He scrutinized them. Professor Pliers was among them. Looking closely, Salim said ,

"That is Dr Maxwell."

Damon felt a bang in his head. Dr Maxwell was part of the team. Then when and why did he relocate to Nigeria? So it did not start from Alicia's parents, it bagan with her grandparents. He felt that her paternal grandfather was here. Who amongs them? He ruled out two people out: Professor Pliers and Dr Maxwell. One of the remaining six must be Ted's father. They now began to check their individual profiles. They found nothing substantial.

The former team leader was Dr Alex Sean. He died four years after the project was started, then Professor Pliers, then referred to as Dr Pliers, took over until his gruesome murder. This was Damon’s theory: The projects involved a lot of money which the team leader is in charge of. Mr. X, Ted's father and Dr Maxwel had sinister motives and were in cahoots. They now planned a long term blueprint to steal money and leave as trackless as sea. So Ted's father gave birth to a son he groomed for the heist. Dr Maxwell had a daughter he presented and the duo became Richard Cliff and Maria Hudson.

Maria been employed by professor Pliers was part of the plan. They were in America for it, they were born to do it. Damn! Then they had backups. But Dr Maxwell could not live to enjoy the loot. They were buried in Nigeria. Jeez! They had it well laid out and Salim did not know that his parents were used as escape route.

" What did you get on the doctor?" Damon asked.

" Salim knows him" Fahad said.

" Yes, he has a hospital in Surte Village." Salim began. " He performs different types of operations. About twelve years ago, we were kids, a whiteman came with a swollen stomache. Doctor turned it into a child and cured him"

" What?" Damon exclaimed and they laughed " You were kids then, right? That's not possible."

" You don't know him." Salim said. " He did it. We saw the man go away with the child. He and his wife."

Damon winked at Fahad. There was no point of argument. Nothing would make them believe that.

"I think he is right. Some doctors can do that." Damon said roguishly.

Then Fahad's phone rang. He checked the number then picked it quickly and put it on loud speakers.

" Yes, Sani, any news?" He said.

" It was a hell of a job, sir. I had to borrow six hundred thousand naira to speed up ....."

" I will give you the money. Did you get it?"

" Yes, let me send it through Whatsapp."

"Good Sani. If it's worth it, I will reward you handsomely."

" What?" Damon asked.

" From the dates Baba gave me, I asked him to check the records of the year 1976. That was when Ted and his father came. " He said. " Yeah, it's here."

He opened it and stood gaping. Damon stood up and joined him then got the shock of his life. The young man with a four year old boy was Professor Pliers!

Whoa! Thanks 4 this update

As Damon sat on a little hill waiting for Salim, he realised that the more they went deeper into the saga, the more obfuscating it became.
From the police file, there was no scintilla of indication that Professor Pliers was Ted's father. But why did they kill him? Did they double-cross their father? Did Professor Pliers try to chicken out and the young lads kill him?

Professor Pliers was said to be married with two daughters. No one ever mentioned a son. Was it a secret son? Damon was now very interested in this saga. He had to extricate himself from the deep hole he was in. And it seems they were digging up what the law could not see. The heist was no child's play. They really sat down to plan and what a patient wait. Years of planning but it seemed none of the masterminds enjoyed the money. Ted and his wife did and maybe still doing.

He saw Salim's silhouetted figure running towards him.

" He just left. He and his woman. We need to hurry ." He said sounding pell-melled.

They ran down the hill, passed through a narrow ambulatory path and arrived at the back of a duplex which stood alone in the hummocks. They jumped over the fence and landed at the backyard. This man lived in style. Situated in the quiet hummocks, there was a natural spring swimming pool at the back with clean, pellucid water with beautiful sand and pebbles underneath.

" There is a gate keeper at the front." Salim whispered, " We must hurry."

They hurriedly but silently walked to the backdoor, Damon used a master key to unlock the door, and they went in, closing the door gently behind them. They were there without an idea of what to look for, where to look for it, and how but instinct kept pushing. The doctor stunk .
Why fake his death? What did he do or know?

They rummaged through the house, checking from one room to another then finally stopped at where Damon thought was his study. There were books, and files stashed in shelves. This was the place to look.

" I suggest you go and climb the little hill and watch. If you see him coming back, call me."

Salim nodded, and left, holding his stick. This Fulanis never played with their long sticks. Damon began to check files. It took him just a few minutes to realise that the doctor was an obstetrician and a shit-hot one. He had handled the most complicated cases. He was doing well in the states.
Why then did he fake his death? Alicia said he was reported dead when she was just around seven. Then her father had gone to establish a company in Zimbabwe where he spent almost a year. Her mother used to go and visit him monthly. This was around twelve years ago. His real name as shown in some documents was Billy Hart.

Damon kept searching almost with a pell-mell, then he saw a picture that made him cringe. It was the picture of a man lying on bed, looking worn out with closed eyes.

He felt his legs shivering, his mouth went dried and brain tumultuous. What was this? How? No! This must have been photoshopped. He looked at the date, printed on the picture. Oh my God! What was going on? He put the picture in his pocket then moved on. There was nothing else he saw of special interest.

Then he noticed a part of the study that looked different. It seemed to be more obsolete. There were typewriters on a large desk, the chairs and style of furniture were old fashioned. He moved there and began to search. It was not Billy's. Rather it was for an older man. He saw some photographs that told him he was the original owner of the mansion.

Damon remembered Salim said the house had been there before his father was born. From the books Damon saw, the owner was Hart O'Brian. Hart? He was a first class surgeon .
Damon saw pictures of various surgeries. The man was a wizard when it came to surgery. This must be Billy's father.
Then he saw a file that looked different from the rest. He brought it out, dusted it then flipped open. He felt that chilly sensation as he began to see the nature of the operations. Was he doing this when the world did not know that such things were possible? My God! Then he got the biggest shock, he meant the real biggest shock of his life when he saw the record of an operation he performed many years ago. This was too much for him to handle. He tore the pages off and put it in his pocket.
He was done. He needed not to search further. He had discovered one of the biggest secrets in the world. He was perspiring at the same time feeling cold. He thought he just found a panacea to not just his problem but for America.

He moved out of the part and paused as he saw Billy standing with a gun in his hand.

" I am Doctor Hamgoy Warmer. Who are you?" He said in a flat cold voice.

" I am sorry about this...."

" Who are you ?"

" I am Michael ."

" You are American, right?"

" Yes."

" What are you doing here?"

" I am a tourist."

" A tourist? Hmmm....and my private property has become a tourist attraction, huh?'

" No."

" Then what are you doing here?"

" I - I ran out of money and ....thought I could get something here.'

" You are a thief then."

Damon said nothing.

" If claiming to be a thief is a way out for you, then your motive must be very pernicious. What kind of thief would leave all the rooms with expensive stuff and come into a study, you shoddy liar?"

" My grandfather once said 'if you want to hide money, hide it in a book"

"Your grandfather was a fool." He said with a twitch of lips. " Put your hands in the air. I served with the marine for three years. I got a prize for shooting. So don't feel like James Bond."

Damon raised his hands in the air. Billy came to him meticulously, his bleary eyes alert. The way he held the gun substantiated that his claim to have been a marine. Damon just got married and did not want to make his wife a widow so soon .

He ran his hands over Damon and took no time to find the papers on him.
Billy moved back, then glanced at the papers. He gave Damon an astonished look.
"Who are you?" He asked and seemed to be jittery."What the hell are you?"

" I said I am a tou....."

" Don't give me that crap !" He vituperated sounding very peeved. " I swear to God, I will shoot you at this very moment. You break into my study and tear off this? Tell me, are you a fed? What the fuc* are you, CIA, FBI? Talk to me, assho**!"

Damon was not finding this funny now. Why didn't Salim alert him?

" What do you know about this?" He said, pointing to the paper.

" Nothing...." He did not finish his sentence when they heard a lady scream from the livingroom, then a gunshot sound followed. Billy got shocked, then made a fast movement towards the door. Another gunshot emerged, Damon ran and hid behind a bookshelf.
He saw Billy stagger backwards, held his chest as his gun dropped. He seemed to be surprised. The person fired again and Billy dropped dead.

Damon was shivering. Who was it? Then silence, then footsteps and the killer came into the room, looking at Billy's fresh dead body.

Damon recognized the broad shoulders and macabre face at once: The man with the stripped suit. Bug!

Damon was as still as a pole, barely hearing his breathing. He could see the cadaverous eyes. What was Bug doing here? This man reeked of blood. He was an epitome of ghoul. He looked what he was: a cold blooded killer.
Damon remembered their last encounter. He had hit him and ran away. What would he do to him if he found him? Bug stared at Billy's body with satisfaction. Killing seemed to elate him, fulfill him and got him fed.

Bug must have killed Billy's black woman. He searched Billy and found the papers he took from Damon. He glanced through then picked his phone and dialled. He seemed not to be in a hurry.

" I got there, sir." He said " I just silenced Billy and his girlfriend had to go....."He listened.. " I think he was not only found by the kids but was planning something. I saw papers in his pocket, papers that stink....." He listened, " I have it set, Sir. I will do that now sir, then ...." He was saying and Damon saw a sudden glimpse of brightness in his deadly eyes, " I will kill the boy."

He ended the call.

I will kill the boy! And that boy is probably me. They found us. My God!
Alicia, where was she? Was she safe? He wanted to call her, call Fahad, tell him to move her out. You could not tell with these men. How did they find out they were here?
Bug's next line of action brought him out of his thoughts. He was not alone. He was with a tall, thin Fulani man who held a big can.
Bug ordered him to start spraying, pouring it's content round the study: Gasoline! What!
They wanted to burn the place up. The study had too many evidence against them. Billy and his father knew too much.
Satisfied, Bug brought out a stick of cigarette, struck a match stick, lit his cigarette and threw the flame on a pile of gasoline-soaked books. The books were not far from Damon’s hiding place. Damon watched in dismay as the fire gradually came closer to closer, the intensity of the heat increased.

Perspiration, perturbation, desperation, all came into play as he faced the farrago. The room was now full of smoke as the voracious fire devoured papers, plastics, wood and anything that came it's way. And Damon was on it's part. Damn!
He sprang up, made a move towards the door but came to a halt. He could not see the door. It was fire and smoke. My God! He began to cough, smoke filling his lungs. His eyes became watery and he felt pains.

He carried a chair, flung it towards where he thought was the door but realized it was a futile move. The flame increased, the heat intensified and he saw death smiling at him, calling him, telling it was alright, it was there for him. He knew that death was inevitable but he did not want to die now. He wanted to live, wanted to be there for Alicia. She left everything and everyone for him. He couldn't leave her now.
He grabbed a stool, climbed a shelf and hit the Plaster of Paris ceiling. He used the metal leg to gouge it, jumped and held an edge to tear it and then dropped on the floor like a thrown sack.

He ignored the pain, trying to open his eyes amid the smoke. He jumped on the shelf again, then sprang up and grabbed a wood . He pulled himself up. He wanted to rip off a roof and get out but this proved to be a Gordian knot.
The roof was too high and he needed to climb the planks . Oh no! The fire was now engulfing the ceiling. He had to hurry. The smoke, the heat, the fear all made him weaker. He could barely see. He bagan climbing up, the fire chased him, he felt weaker, and soaked in his sweat.
Damn! He was gasping, panting and trying to relax his brain, think but it was difficult. Alicia! He hoped she was safe. The gangstars were around. Only if he could get her to safety before he died. Alicia!

Mum ! I'm sorry I'm putting you in pain. I wish I made it, made you smile and made you forget your sufferings. Now, I am only adding to your pains ! Damn me! I am good for nothing.
He was up but could not rip off the roof. What was he thinking? He had no tool. He held on to the wood, the fire was coming closer, he could see it, feel it and saw no scintilla of hope. Now his grip was loosening, he could see no more, he could hardly breath. He felt his hands leave the wood, and let out a last cry as he felt himself drop.




Damon! Why was he not back? Why was he not answering her call? Alicia felt uncomfortable, jittery and scared.
She felt it was not well. Damon ! She loved him . She was sure life meant nothing without him, nothing was beautiful without him. Only he knew the secret of her joy, had the key to her heart and made her complete.

Why was she reminding herself these? What if something happened to him? No! She felt that nausea come back, her heart and head began to ache and her body shivered. The fever was coming back. She had better die before he did . God, keep him safe for me.

She heard a knock at the door.

Damon! She sprang up, ignoring the feverish feelings and rushed to the door. He is back. Back for me, to be with me and relieve me. Oh my Damon!
She peeped through the spy hole then cringed.
She saw a short stocky man with broad shoulders, dressed in black suit and a hat almost covering his cadaverous eyes.
Even though she had never met him, she could swear he was the man Damon called Bug. Bug in Nigeria? How? What was he doing here?
She began to shiver, felt her bile rise. She ran back, picked her phone and dialled Damon's number. He did not pick. As she dialled Fahad's number, she heard Bug knocking harder, and then heard a sound, like the door was been opend.

She was shaking profusely. Should I dial 911? 911? This was not America and she did not even know the emergency number. Fahad's number did not go through.
Then She saw the door open and he came in with a native behind him. God! He looked worse than she had thought.
The eyes were as cold as ice, glassy, red and cadaverous. The thin, dark lips twitched and when he tried to smile, he looked more deadly. She could imagine the images of Tyler, and hundreds of people he may have killed behind him.

" I knocked, Mrs. Damon." He said and bowed. " I was brought up with good manners so instead of keep knocking louder, I decided to come in silently. I am Bug. B-U-G. I am delighted to meet you."

" What do you want?" She asked with a useless effort to conceal her fear.

He put his hand in his pocket and removed a cigar.

" Please don't. " She protested. " I have a fever and the odour may make me puke."

He moved his lips in what he felt was a smile.

" Don't be shy, Ma'am. You can puke if you wish. That is not a faux pas." He brought out a lighter. " I am understanding."

He lit the cigar.

" I am here for your husband. I was told he is not around. I have been waiting patiently but he is not back." He inhaled and exhaled smoke. " So I felt I should get you to call him."

" Why do you want him?"

" Come on, it's bad for a woman to know that her husband impregnated another woman. That should be kept a secret, don't you think?"

It took a few seconds before she understood that he was trying to put up a joke.

" He won't be back until tomorrow." She said, knowing it was a shoddy lie.

" It doesn't matter when he plans to come back. You will tell him to come back now.......if he loves you."

" What do you mean?"

He looked at the native then at her.

" If he is not here in thirty minutes, " He puffed out smoke, then shrugged, " This Fulani man here said he has never had sex with a white woman. I was trying to get him a slot when we are through but he could get it now, no, thirty one minutes later, if your husband is not here. Can you tell him that? But it won't hurt. He looks like a gentle lover."

No! The thought of getting raped got her sick the more. It was better they killed her.

" If you make a noise....."He showed her a gun. This was the first time in her life anyone pointed a gun at her. She felt her heart pounding violently, her mouth went dry.

" Who do you work for?" She summed up the courage to ask.

" The man at the top." He said. " I know your hubby has been doing some jumping through the window and you know who I am. But all you think you know is fictitious. You can never know the real us."

" You knew my father."

" I knew him........before they were killed. Not in Vegas but years later in Chicago."

" Who killed them?"

" You have twenty minutes more. It seems you want this guy."

She felt a drumming sound in her head. What should she do? She could not bring Damon in for them. But she had to tell him. He could be on his way. And.....she could not let this animal touch her.

She dialled his number again. No one picked.

" Bad luck for you then." Said Bug. " I will wait for him but I swear, this guy will take you. Damon owes me."

" No, please.."

He produced that dangerous smile of his.

" I love it when people beg for what is irreversible. It makes it more interesting. "

It was at that moment the door burst open and three Nigerian police men barged in, holding gun and pointed it at Bug.
It was then she knew how dangerous Bug was. Within the twinkle of an eye, he shot two of them dead, sprang up like a spirit and jumped behind her, pulled her violently and held her neck with a gun pointed at her. He was breathing laboriously, hitting her with halitosis.

" Get back or I squeeze!" He threatened.

She had screamed and was now crying.

" Drop your weapon now!" He added.

The cop hesitated but the native flung his stick and hit his eye. Bug shot him at once and then dragged her.

" Let's get outta here." He said as they took her away. They led her out, people began to run away as they heard the gunshots. They took her to a Toyota Hilux with a man who covered his head and face with turban behind the wheel. She was forced inside, while she screamed and cried.

Bug slapped her across the face, she felt as if half of her face had fallen off.

" Move it!" He yelled and the car was set in motion.

" Relax Oga." The driver said. " The police can not chase us to our den. They know us."

Oh my god! Who were they? What was the connection with Bug? What was going to happen to her? Damon , please forgive me. I could do nothing about it. Damon, my Damon, they are taking me away from you.
She closed her eyes as hot tears cascaded. The driver pushed his leg on the gas pedal and the car roared, raising dust as they moved deeper into the hummocks.