Bored with the situation of things in the country. Today, I just started to write something to kill boredom and it started looking like a good story.

I titled it The Man I love.
I don't know where it will end but I know every story ends somewhere.

Me I just dey write for fun.



He walked across the busy road to the other side and joined the multitude of pedestrians that occupied the noisy walkway. Keeping his head low, he avoided every eye contact that could reveal his identity and made sure he remained in the crowd.

"Jamil," a voice behind him said, as he felt a tap on his shoulder.

His hand swiftly went for the rifle under his leather jacket as he turned his head to see who it was. Who on earth had the eyes to recognize him in the crowd despite his unusual use of sunglasses and a baseball cap.

"Sammie! It's you," he gradually withdrew his hand from the rifle and kept the pace of his steps. He could sense all was not well by the look on Sammie's face.

"Where is Jerry?" Jamil asked.

"Jerry has fallen," Sammie replied in a sad tone.

"What! How? I thought you said you both escaped," Jamil took a glance at his partner in crime.

"After keeping the loot safe, we were found again at the bus stop when we waited for a taxi. When the police spotted us, we were short at and Jerry fell in the crossfire. I escaped again by the use of the charm," Sammie said.

"Oh! Jerry my guy. Jerry the Jerrican don fall at last. Chai!" Jamil mourn his friend briefly.

"So sad. One day go be one day for everyone Sha. Rest in peace my guy," Jamil mumbled as he walked beside Sammie in the noisy crowd.

"Anyways, we need to go and pick the loot asap. Where did you hide it?" Jamil asked.

"Somewhere behind the town hall," Sammie replied.

"I hope it is not the town hall that is different from balablu and Blu bulaba," Jamil responded trying to be sarcastic.

"You can still crack joke in this tense situation? Nawao!" Sammie frowned his face.

"What will be will be my guy. It's either we get the loot and live rich for ever or die trying to escape with with it," Jamil replied.

"Should we go there right away?" Sammie asked.

"Of course yes. What are we waiting for?" Jamil dipped his hand into his jeans trousers pocket to get his phone and the phone rang before his hand could reach it. He picked the call and placed the phone on his ear.

"Babe, I just wanted to call you," he said.

"Where are you presently?" Cicilia asked.

"On my way to see a client," Jamil lied as usual.

"Did you hear the breaking News?" Cicilia asked eagerly.

"What news?" Jamil asked.

"The bank robbery. You didn't hear?" Cicilia was surprised Jamil was yet to know about the robbery incident because the news was all over the town already.

"No. I was not aware. Which bank was that?" Jamil made a signal to his friend to turn at the next junction towards St. Peter's Catholic church street. They were making their way to the place the loot was kept.

"There was a bank robbery about an hour and a half ago," Cicilia said.

"You don't mean it! Which bank was that?" Jamil continued acting unaware of the the incident.

"It was a bloodless attack as the news says. The description of the robbers are on the internet already and a reward has been placed on them," Cicilia said.

"Description? Wow! Tell me as one can make quick money if one is lucky to find them," Jamil made a sign to Sammie pointing to the cellphone on his ear.

"I think their leader was said to be in a brown leather jacket and black jeans trousers and he is bald, the other two in blue jeans and red and white shirts," Cecilia walked into her colleague's office, pulled the chair in front of her and sat down as she talked.
Jamil's appearance was exactly the same with the description of the leader of the robbers in Cicilia's narrative. And looking at Sammie he was in blue jeans and red t-shirt.

"What about their faces," Jamil asked eagerly.

"I think they were smart enough to wear facemasks," Cicilia replied and excused herself: "I got to go babe. We'll talk in the evening. Love you," she hung up and faced her colleague to discuss the issue she was in her office for.

"My guy, we need to remove this clothes asap. Our outfits description is all over the internet. Do you have some cash there?" Jamil asked.

"No. I don't. I have my ATM here but Buhari's money exchange won't allow us to get money easily from the ATM na. The country is finished," Sammie said disappointedly.

"What about the POS merchants. We need to change these clothes?" Jamil looked at his brown jacket and black jeans as if he was just aware that they were unfit for him to wear.

"Now, what do we do? We need to change this outfits now. We either buy new clothes or steal clothes at this junction," Jamil said as they walked down the St. Peter's Catholic Church Street. The street was not as busy as the one they left. On both sides of the road were shops and offices.

"The second option is the best in this situation. Let's steal from a cloth shop. Look they are many on this street or we steal from a residential compound. We kukuma be thieves before na," Sammie suggested.

"Na you be thief, me I no be thief o," Jamil looked at his partner with anger written on his face.

"Wetin you be when you no be thief?" Sammie looked at his friend strangely.

"I be armed robber, I no be thief. Calling me a thief is an insult," Jamil looked at Sammie and stopped in front of the Cathedral.

"You no be thief. Shior," Sammie smiled as he stopped too.

"What are you stopping for na. Let's go now," Sammie added.

"Go where? Me I no dey go anywhere until I change this clothes," Jamil replied sternly.

"Where now is the cloth you wan change into. Wetin be all this na," Sammie was almost getting annoyed.

"Follow me enter church make we go pray," Jamil smiled.

"Oga be serious now. You just robbed a bank and you wan go pray. God fit change that prayer to curse for you o. You wan annoy God?" Sammie was not having it easy anymore .

"Just follow my lead na. I Sha be your oga for this business, oya alele!" Jamil walked into the cathedral and Sammie followed him reluctantly. The church was empty. But they could hear some people talking at the altar.
They walked closer to the altar and saw the Reverend Father counseling a young lady. The Reverend Father saw them and made a signal to them to be patient for him to be through with the young lady.

"Wetin be all this na? You wan confess to father say we be thieves?" Sammie asked, and sat on one of the wooden benches by the window. Jamil too sat beside him.

"Stop insulting me Sammie, I no be thief I be armed robber," Jamil said.

"Look out and see something. Wetin be all that on the drying rope?" Jamil asked.
"Jalamias," Sammie said.

"No be only Jalamia, na Meccawear. Dundee United. Jalamia for inside church? That na baptismal robes. I was dragged here yesterday Sunday by Cicilia to worship. This na her church and yesterday was their Baptism service. I knew they must do the laundry today and dry them. Oya, go out and pick two as a thief wey you be and vamoose, while I wait as a Robber to confess our sins to the Father," Jamil smiled

"Which your sin you wan confess guy?" Sammie looked at Jamil surprisingly.

"I want tell am say we just rob bank . Make he pray for us na. Make God forgive us," Jamil said with a little smile lurking around on his face.

"Na now I know say your village people dey do you. Go ahead and confess. Once you hear Police sirren know say I don Waka reach border with the whole money," Sammie walked out of the side door of the Church while Jamil waited for the father who was already praying for the girl to roundup the counseling session.

"My son come up," the Reverend Father beckoned to Jamil and Jamil stood up and walked hastily to climb the altar.
"Where is your friend?" The Father asked.

"He received an urgent call and he has gone. I need to go now too. But I only need a little prayer from you Father," Jamil lied. Lai Mohammed is a learner compared to his expertise in lie formation.

"Kneel down. And what exactly do you want from God my son," Father asked.

"That our Enemies who are presently looking for us should not catch us," Jamil knew the enemies he was referring to. It was the Police.

"Okay, close your eyes," the Father said, and started praying.
He prayed for five minutes which was like a one hour prayer to Jamil who was impatient to leave the church to go out and meet Sammie who was waiting for him outside.

As soon as the prayer ended, Jamil stood up and told the Father he was going.

"My friend must be wondering what kept me so long Father," Jamil walked down the altar.
"I will be back to see you Father," he said as he left the church through the front door.

Sometimes I laugh reading my own story

you have a nice story line

Ogamysamo:
you have a nice story line

Thanks bro.

Jamil hurriedly walked out of the sight of the Reverend Father. He took fast steps to the metal gates and looked here and there searching for where Sammie could be.

"Wey dis guy na?" He stood and looked down the street and saw someone in a white flowing caftan wave at him at a distance. He walked down the street to go and join his partner.

Within minutes he got to Sammie.

"Guy where you change the clothes? Na on the street?" Jamil asked.

"Yes now, as a mad man wey I be na," Sammie gave Jamil a disgusting look and threw the second squeezed stolen robe at him.

"That public toilet over there, oga dó quick. I don beg the cleaner say we just wan change clothes. Hurry up," Sammie pointed at the public toilet block some meters away.

"I know you be a smart guy before na, if not for the small craze wey dey your head at times," Jamil walked away from Sammie who smiled at his comment standing akimbo as he waited for him.

Jamil ran into the toilet and within minutes came out looking like a holy priest. His bald head shined under the mild afternoon sun. He could not put on his baseball cap because it did not match with the baptismal robe so he left it on the window of the toilet he used. The rifle easily hid away under the flowing robe.

"Ọmọ let's go. Everything don set," he told Sammie as he stepped out.

Sammie who had moved closer to the toilet building started walking down the Church street. And Jamil walked behind him to catch-up with him. As they walked past a mechanic village, they heard police sirren behind them. They quickly looked back, and they saw afar off, three police vehicles pulling up in front of the church.

"Eweeeeeeey! See something o!" Jamil exclaimed.

"How did they know we were there?" Sammie panicked.

"That means we need to change this clothes again asap o. It's even easier to spot us in this uniform," Jamil suggested.

"What do we do now? " Sammie asked as they both doubled up their steps like men doing walk-race.

Jamil stopped in font of a cloth shop and said let's steal clothes here.

"We should rob and create a scene that would alert the police again?" Sammie wondered.

"Steal, I didn't say rob. You no go school?" Jamil walk up to the entrance of the shop.
"You do the stealing you be a thief. And as s robber I will divert the attention of the sales girl," Jamil suggested, taunting Sammie with the statement.

Sammie seemed to be getting fed up with the phrase from Jamil calling him a thief. It was the second time he was making the statement and it was not funny to him at all. But he decided it was not the right time to address the issue. They really did not need an argument at the time.

"Good afternoon here," Jamil said as he and Sammie entered the shop.
Sweet fragrance filled the air-conditioned room.

"Good afternoon sirs, how may I help you," the pretty light complexion girl of about twenty said.

"We are here to window shop for t-shirts and trousers," Jamil walked closer to the girl while Sammie did not wait at the counter. He walked into one of the rows of hanged clothes.

"You are welcome sir," the lady walked out from behind the desk to keep an eye on the men especially Sammie who she hardly could see.
"I hope your things are affordable," Jamil said. He felt impatient but they needed to be calm so that they would not give the girl an impression that something was wrong.

"Of course yes sir," the sales girl smiled.

To be continued...

To be continued soon.