CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

Chambers steered lazily from the strange mattress he found himself the next day, yawned with a hard hangover and then stared surprisingly at the white man sitting opposite him with a stick of cigarette in his slim fingers and a bottle of water beside him on a side stool. He noticed he was now only in his dirty white singlet and his caftan trouser. He was glad to notice his shirt neatly folded beside him. He instinctively reached out for the beer-stained shirt, felt the pockets, and was happy when he saw the two hundred dollars notes safe and sound as he had left them yesterday. He glanced at his cheap watch and noted that the time was 11:43 am, with the sun already furious outside. He tried to remember what had happened the previous day, but the hangover caused a silent knock on his head, making his thinking faculty dull. Where was he? How did he get here? Were the two urgent questions he wanted an answer to at that moment. Therefore, he brazed himself up from the mattress and gaped at Ken Solomon who stared amusingly at him. His nose though did not failed to pick out a sweet cooking aroma coming out somewhere inside the apartment.

‘’ Oh, finally you are up, how was your night Mr. Chambers? KS asked with a smile.

‘’ Ha! Oyinbo, what are we doing here? Chambers demanded from KS with a curious look.

The apartment was a one bedroom self-contain, located somewhere around Kado estate. The house consisted about five mini self contain studio apartments, comprising a bedroom, a parlor, kitchen and bathroom. This was the apartment Colour has been struggling his life to stay for the past three years, and the landlord, just like most landlords in the federal capital city had greedily kept increasing the rent every year, not giving a damn if the five talents could afford to pay or not. It was always all about money in Abuja, a city of survival of the fittest. He shared the house with three other bachelors like him and a spinster. Being a Thursday and a working day, Colour who was busy at the kitchen that morning preparing a sauce made of dry fish, raw red pepe, onions, and fresh tomatoes blended in hot groundnut oil, guessed his other co-tenants must have all gone to work in their daily strive for survival. So, hearing the voices of his two guests at the parlor he peeped out with a smile, a cooking spoon held in his hand.

‘’ Good morning bros, you don wake up?’’ He greeted Chambers who was still gaping around. His eyes rested on Colour and he smiled.

‘’Morning my brother – fear be don dey catch me. I think say I don fall into the hands of kidnappers.’’ Chambers replied in a more relaxed expression as Colour burst into laugh.

‘’ What is the fun?’’ KS asked staring quizzically at both of them.

‘’ He had the impression he was in the hands of some kidnappers.’’ Colour told him amidst laughter.

‘’ Really, I thought kidnappers only steal rich and influential people?’’ KS asked with a loud chuckled.

‘’ But why we go wan kidnap you now bros, abi you be big man wey we no know?’’ Colour asked as he dashed back into the kitchen to supervise his cooking on a small camp gas.

‘’ Man need to be careful this days, with all the terrorist, kidnapping and assassination wahala wey dey happen every day for this country.’’ Chambers drummed out seriously after him.

Colour emerged few minutes later with three teacups, three silver teaspoons and a flask in a plastic tray. He set them on the table with a smile and looked up at the yawning Chambers.

‘’ Na true talk. I agree with you, man need to be careful for this country nowadays. Anyway see bathroom there, make you arrange yourself, breakfast don ready’’

He told him and dashed back into the kitchen to fetch the sardine stew, a big loaf of bread, a tin of Nescafe coffee and Peak milk, including a transparent glass mug containing sugar. All these he set up at the centre table as Chambers lazily pushed himself up and staggered into the bathroom. Colour winked at KS and dashed back into the kitchen to fetched two bottles of water from the small bedside refrigerator in the kitchen.
Chambers emerged few minutes later now a bit refreshed. He smiled up at both of them and picked his seat facing the two.

‘’ Food is ready.’’ Colour announced and they all organized their individual breakfast from the menu on the table.

‘’ But come, how we take land here? I guess say this na your house’’ Chambers asked as he spiced his bread with onions and pepe, took a bit and nodded his approval.

‘’ We waka with our legs go enter moto and I drive us come house.’’ Colour told him jokingly with a smile. ‘’ I just feel say you no go fit reach your place safely with the condition wey you dey. No be small shacking happen yesterday, bros.’’ He explained with a grin.

Ken Solomon who was half listening to their conversation, chewed on his garnished bread, sipped his black coffee and nodded at both of them with a smile. He had decided to leave the discussion with Colour with believe that the guy knew what he was doing. After all, the plan of tracking and ferrying Chambers down here was his entire plan from the start. So he decided to watched and listened, contributing diplomatically when necessary.

‘’ So this your Oyinbo friend wetin join una? Una live here together. Chambers continued as he sipped his milk-flourished tea with a smile.

‘’ Na my good friend from America, he just land the country this week. Na Mercury Hotel he dey stay.’’ Colour answered smiling up at KS.

Chambers nodded his approval and continued with his breakfast silently for some moment.

‘’ So wetin bring am come Nigeria or which kind business una dey do?’’ He asked, the sweetness of the breakfast unlocking his curious mind and edgy mouth.

Colour toasted his bread carefully with sandiness and onions took a bite and studied Chambers carefully as if in hesitation.

‘’ Well, since we don become good friends now, make I tell you. My Oyinbo friend dey into oil business, na wetin bring am come this country be that.’’ He finally told him with a smile,

‘’ Oil business, you mean petrol?’’ Chambers asked, now staring admiringly more closely at KS who was busy eating.

‘’ No be ordinary petrol he dey deal with, na crude oil be him major business. In fact, Na plan to build him own refinery for Nigeria bring am come.’’

Colour boasted to Chambers whose admiration for the white man opposite him was beyond description at that moment. The information that Ken Solomon was a rich American oil magnet was just too much for him to swallow. The guy must be swimming in millions of dollars he reasoned, already projecting the role he could possibly play in his newly found companionship and the hundreds or thousands of dollars that could fly his way.

‘’ Refinery, Ha! This one na big man o. So how far e don go? This na big opportunity,’’ He told Colour with an excited smirk.

‘’ You guys are not talking about my refinery are you?’’ KS asked innocently with a smile.

‘’ Yes, we are. He wanted to know about you, so I told him about your plan for a refinery here.’’ Colour told KS still smiling.

‘’ So you want to build refinery in Nigeria, Oyinbo? That is a correct idea, money-dey- inside the thing -yanfu-yanfu.’’ Chambers chipped in proudly his eyes staring admiringly at KS.

‘’ Yes, a big refinery,’’ KS told him with a demonstration of his hand.

‘’ But the guy still need one big investor for Nigeria wey go support am.’’ Colour announced this statement carefully with a secret glance at Ken Solomon.

The statement deflected Chamber’s excitement as he stared questionably at both of them.

‘’ I no understand say the guy need investor again, I think say he don already get all the money to start the business? Which one come be investor again?’’ He asked with a frown.

Colour noted his disappointment but smiled at him and then responded.

’’ He no easy like that to set up refinery for Nigeria, Yes, the guy get the money, but he go still need somebody wey be Nigerian and wey get money to be him partner before government go agree give them license. The law be say outsider no fit come set up refinery for the country without one rich Nigeria man to support am.’’

Chambers listened to his explanation, nodded his head and took a bite at his toasted bread.

’’ I see, I see. Na now I understand.’’ He said in-between a mouthful of bread.

‘’ So na the problem wey we dey try solve be that.’’ Colour informed him with a serious look.

‘’ So wetin be your own inside?’’ Chambers asked staring at him with a gluttony eyes.

‘’ He promise me small share inside if I get somebody wey we fit trust and wey get money to invest. Abi you get money to invest?’’ Colour threw the question jokingly at him with a grin.

‘’ Where I get am. Even if you sell me in and out, you no go get that kind money from my body.’’ Chambers replied with a smile.

Then Colour casually threw him the next question. ‘’ But you get reputation for this city and know almost who- be -who for this country, you no know any of this big men wey fit get interest for this kind correct business? Abi you no like big money?

‘’Who say. No be money bring man come this city. I no come look all the fine- fine roads and big-big mansions wey dem dey build everyday for Abuja, my brother. Na to get who get that kind money for refinery na him be the wahala. You know all our big men, na sharp –sharp money dem dey look for.’’ Chambers told him.

‘’Even na somebody wey just hit money, we no wan no how he take get the money, this na genuine business, no magu-magu inside,’’ Colour added with a smile.

Chambers stared thoughtfully at him, took a bite at his bread, sipped his tea and then smiled broadly. ‘’ Na only Owo-Blow fit get that kind money, but to convince am to invest for this business na another matter.’’ He said thoughtfully.

‘’ Owo-Blow - that same Bobo wey you talk about yesterday? Colour asked his brain now fully alert as he stared curiously at Chambers.

‘’Owo-Blow- Smoke, Yes, na him, na the only person wey I know say just hammer big money. Na him be the grand commander of the Free-Hands and no be small hammer dem hammer.’’ Chambers boasted confidently.

‘’ So you think say this man Smoke, abi wetin you call am fit get interest for this kind business? Na big money we dey talk about o’’ Colour pricked him with more words.

‘’ Which kind money you dey talk about? E get money wey pass dollars again? I dey tell you say this guy dey swim inside millions of dollars, you think say I just dey yarn Okpata. If na money issue, no wahala. Na to sell am the idea I no dey too sure of.’’ Chambers boasted again, belched, and then pushed back his chair to sniff some snuff.

‘’ So you fit collect us with the Bobo then?’’ Colour asked with an excited look.

‘’Why not, but it depend on wetin dey for me. This na big business as you talk.’’ Chambers told him, a grin now appearing on his face as he stared at both of them.

‘’ That one no wahala, I go discuss am with my friend, but take am say you don already dey inside the business. So how we wan take meet the guy? Na Abuja here he dey stay?

Colour asked as his heart now pumped faster. He waited silently to hear the next most important answer he had long been waiting to hear. However, Chambers stared thoughtfully at him, and then grinned wryly at both of them.

’’ First- thing- first, my brother, Make you discuss with your friend, make I no where I stand. This na big business.’’ He said, sipped his tea and then smiled up wryly at both of them.

One hour later, now fully organized and ready to go, the trio made their way out of Colour’s apartment into the compound. A door leading to one of the other flats suddenly pushed open and a middle-aged man of about forty five stepped out of the door and beamed curiously at Colour. The man, a short fat man with an oversize head, thick lips and darting small eyes, stared curiously at Ken Solomon, and then at Chambers before returning his focus to Colour who was not expecting to meet anybody at home at that particular time of the day.

‘’ Afternoon Colour, e be like say you get important visitors?’’ The man asked, his gaze refocusing on KS

‘’Afternoon, Mr. Gabriel, yes, I get important visitors, Na my friends. ’’ Colours replied and systematically led KS and Chambers out of the compound before the man could asked any more question. Although, he was still gaping at them as they moved towards his car and followed them with his curious eyes as they drove away.

‘’ That man look like the Amebo of this house’’ Chambers said from the back seat as he continued to stared at the fat man by the gate.

‘’ Na the busy-body of our compound be that.’’ Colour told him with a smile as he drove out of his street.

They had come to an agreement that Chambers would be part of the new refinery with an automatic employment and retirement benefit if he could link them up with Smoke with a promise of some shares in the business if he could persuade him to invest; a proposition that had suited Chambers very well. He thanked his stars for bringing him in contact to this life saving business deal and excitedly visualized and imagined how rich and important he was going to become very soon if the business sailed through. But what Colour and Ken Solomon did not tell Chambers was that their meeting him in the first place at the Big Screen Galleria and the subsequent ferrying of his drunken frame to Colour’s place was all a pre-planned idea; a meticulous plan, earlier conceptualized by Colour.

Using his knowledge as a journalist and his vast experienced as a ‘town boy’ with many underground links, he was able to hear the latest grapevine news on the current champion among the top fraudsters in the country. The name of Smoke and his group the Free-Hands had remained top on the list, but exactly where they were was still a mystery to everyone with any knowledge about them; but one of his links had finally directed him towards Chambers at the Mercury Hotel. The link, a man in his early fifties had stared thoughtfully at him for some seconds after he asked him about the Free-Hands.

‘’ The only man wey fit give you correct information about Smoke and him gang na Chambers.’’

The man informed him. A further inquiry had directed him to the Stone Hotel, another of his famous hangouts. And it was from the Stone Hotel that he got the news that Chambers seemed to have disappeared from the environment few days after a rich guest had tipped him in dollars at the Mercury Hotel. Digging further, he learnt that one of his new hangouts was the Big Screen Galleria. He then briefed Ken Solomon about his solo adventure the previous day without giving him the full details. What he told him was just to be handy with some dollar notes. He has a plan in his mind. So at the moment they were on their way to the Mercury Hotel where KS was expected to drop to go start making the necessary arrangement for their journey of tracing Smoke.

‘’ So, you dey sure say we go meet this guy for Kaduna tomorrow?’’ Colour asked as he headed towards Jabi dam and made his way along the three-lane expressway that linked up the central area.

‘’ I sure say we go meet them. Na Kaduna he tell me say dem dey head to that day wey we meet for Mercury.’’ Chambers replied confidently.

‘’ I wish say you get him phone number. Everything for just dey easy for us, we for just call am to know where he dey. Abi no be so?’’

‘’ Na true, but like I earlier explain to una, Smoke no dey carry one number long for body. You know how many people go dey disturb am with call every day? In fact, e tell me say him no dey even carry phone waka again. But no worry we go catch am for Kaduna, except if he don decide to leave town.’’

‘’Well, if you say so. Everything na try.’’ Colour answered, as he cut towards Mercury junction and headed towards the hotel. He parked his beetle few minutes later at the busy carport inside the vast compound and KS got out of the car and smiled at both of them.

‘’ Thank you guys for the wonderful adventure.’’ He told them, smiled and sauntered towards the hotel lobby as Colours restarted the car, reversed and drove out of the hotel with Chambers eyes still staring admiringly at Ken Solomon athletic frame as he disappeared into the hotel. This aroused more confidence in him about the business and the assurance that the white man was truly a rich guy staying at the Mercury Hotel.

Ken Solomon had already showered and relaxing in a brown Khaki short and a white singlet by the balcony when Colour returned back to the hotel and rang his room bell. Holding his glass of whisky, he went to the door and admitted him. They both sauntered back to the balcony and Colour dropped his frame into a chair.

‘’ So how far, you’ve dropped him? And hope you got the stuff? I have a sleepy brain right now.’’ KS told him, lighting a fresh cigarette.

‘’ Yes, I dropped him where he could easily board a bus to his place and yes, I got some good grass, but we are not smoking it here. We need some natural fresh air to think and strategies.’’ Colour replied.

‘’So where do we go? Mind you, my stay here ends tomorrow, and as I told you, I am running out of cash.’’ KS said with a thoughtful look.

‘’ Yes, I know, the more reason why we need to go out to an isolated place to think and talk.’’ Colour told him and lit a cigarette.


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