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The trip to Kaduna took less than two hours as Colours maneuvered the big jeep through the expressway that lead into the main town. The state was not new to him; he knew all the major shortcuts that lead into Crocodile City as the state is famously known. He stopped on reaching Command Junction, followed the traffic through Television Village, and headed straight into town. Chambers who also knew the city sat hunched up in his seat and stared memorably at the city he had spent some greater part of his life. He stared regrettably at the once thriving railway market and its famous Kaduna Junction now abandoned with the old colonial structure fast becoming an eyesore. He was sober enough to see that the formal capital city of northern Nigeria was still running on old colonial roads and bridges.
Though it has been close to twenty years since he left the city, nothing had really changed. He observed shrewdly from the back seat as they passed through the popular Kaduna River and its resilient colonial bridge. Ken Solomon eyes were also alive that Friday noon as they entered the city. The first thing he noticed was the cosmopolitan nature of the town and its imposing feature. He had earlier did a quick check on the city from his ipad on their way and Wikipedia encyclopedia informed him of a city of about 60,066,562 million people, and rank it the 3rd of 36 states, with a total area of 46,053km. His blue eyes took in the old bridge and watched silently as Colour stopped by a roundabout craftily sculptured as a black and white Football.
Colour made his way through the Stadium Roundabout and cut through Constitution road as he glanced at Ahmadu Bello Stadium still standing boldly despite its years of existence. His mind quickly reflected on his youthful days around the popular stadium. He suddenly felt proud that he had grown up playing football in its greenish soft pitch. His eyes strayed towards the half-baked structures lining the once beautiful Constitution road with its famous concentration of public primary schools, and felt sad that the state government and its people could allowed free enterprise to take over these legacy and its hitherto serene learning edifices. He maneuvered the jeep through the next roundabout by Police College and hit Independence Way and passed through the white painted wall of the state prison and quietly wondered what could be going on inside the heavily fortified high walls and the solitary lives of the inmates. He felt happy to be a freeman with freedom than all the money in the world. Smiling at KS and half glancing at Chambers at the back seat, he indicated the prison.

‘’ Hundreds of men like you and me are nursing their lives behind those wall.’’ He pointed out breaking the silence that had engulfed the car, apart from the soft jazzy tunes from the car stereo.

‘’ What’s going on there?’’ KS who had missed the sign on the wide Iron Gate asked staring at the tall painted walls.

‘’ Welcome to Kaduna city – this is the Kaduna Prison.’’ Colour told him proudly.

‘’ A prison, then why is it on a busy road and in the heart of the city? KS scorned with a wry grin.

Colour half glanced at him and made sense from what he was saying. Yes, the old prison was now an eyesore in the state credited to be a ‘Centre of Learning’. He reasoned, smiled and nodded his approval at KS statement. His White friend kept amazing him with his sharp observations and pungent criticism. He grinned as he remembered how Ken Solomon on sighting a herd of cows on a major road inside Abuja during one of their trips had stared dumbfounded at the scene and demanded what was going on.

‘’ Just cows grazing around in search of what to eat, its normal here” Colour had told him with his eyes on the road.

‘’ In search of what to eat in the middle of your capital, on a major road; this is abnormal to me. This is 21st century, my friend, you can’t be the giant of Africa when cows and men still competes for road in your capital,’’ KS had responded with a jarring grin.

Colour had glanced at him, nodded his head and silently concentrated on the road to avoid hitting some of the cows that had now taken over the lanes. Yes, we cannot call ourselves giant of Africa when we cannot control animals on the street of our Federal Capital and other roads across the states. Why he was not against cattle rearing in the country, but again, he believe that the government can create a better environment and enabling laws to checkmate the problem just like other countries across the world have been able to curtained the malady. He reasoned and maneuvered his way out from the herd of cows. He beat the next traffic light, went passed the Radio House, branched into Lafiya Road and drove into the Woodcraft Hotel, Kaduna.

The Woodcraft Hotel is one of the new generation hotels strategically located in the heart of Kaduna. Conceived in 1992, the hotel shares the same road with the tranquil famous Kaduna International Polo Club. Colour, still current with the state had suggested the place to KS and made reservation for three rooms as they agreed. They had concluded that they should try in as much as possible stay in exquisite hotels and look rich to make an impression. The comfort, security and serene environment of the hotel made sense to both of them as they made their way through the self-control lobby door and planted themselves at the front desk with three cheerful smiling female receptionists. Colour introduced himself and cleared them for their individual rooms after going through the hotel protocols. Five minutes later, they all retired into their rooms to rest and later met to strategies on the best way to find Smoke within the shortest possible time.