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I go by the name Enitsua here on nairaland. I'v sent a BBM request but no response. 08179241544 is my number.

CHAPTER 9

It was a Friday. The night had witnessed a heavy downpour, now the premises was green and moist, the weather temperate, not too hot, not too cold. The nurses commenced thier daily itineray, the securities veering to their various posts, most of the patients awake to continue along their journey of mental recovery, the day had turned a new leaf.

Ryan had awoken before 7am, reflecting on his life thus far. It had not been easy. No doubt he was comfortable, smart, handsome and a soon-to-be-doctor but certain vagaries often mugged him down. His life was something like a rose flower, bright and beautifull but laced with thorns. As if being the only child wasn't bad enough, at the age of 14 he was left motherless. After witnessing various altercations, verbal obscenities and fights between his parents, they finally parted ways. He seldom enjoyed visits from his mother. It was short but often memorable. His father, his only parent was too busy for him; there was hardly a father time moment between the two. Doctor Festus work day and night and night through day, he was married to his profession. Ryan had desired to be a writer too bad that dream had been forcefully effaced. Sometime ago he had been heart broken by Lucy, his high school sweetheart, the only girl he ever loved. Not forgetting the time he was kidnapped by fiery cultist or the day he passed the night in cell, clad in only boxers and condemned to the cruelty of mosquitoes. At the present he was housed in a mental home, dubbed as insane, secluded from family, friends and everyone normal. Life had been unfair, no it was hell. Then again Vivian, Vivian Woruji, that name...

"Number 101, there is someone wanting to see you!!" The male nurse shouted. The hospital was composed of more male nurses than females; the hospital needed more muscles in case of a truant patient.

Otobong stood at the entrance, looking simple yet enchanting in her black knee short skirt and red chekered blouse, her legs fitted into blue open toe reptile slide slippers with her small Louis vuitton purse handy. Otobong's hazel hair was knot into a fine pony tail. For the first time she did not put on a lab coat. Ryan came out of his room to behold the tantalising figure before him, he gayed at the sight of her. "Heyy, how are you doing?" Ryan cooed, sounding as if he was about to cry. "Am doing okay" she said, smiling softly, her head tilted in a sexy posture. "Its 7am in the morning...em...I hope am not in trouble?" Ryan asked, too serious to be joking. "No silly, I just came to check up on you, it has in fact been a while" her words having the sincerity of a toddler. She peered at Ryan a short distance away. Ryan never stared at her just enough, everytime he did; she seemed to present new features which had prior eluded him. So he took his time to gaze upon her.

Otobong was ebony black, oval faced, sharp, tall and slender. Her hazel eyes held an undeciphered mystery, sparkly yet embedded with enigma. Her eyes were shaded by short lashes and flimsy brows. She had an expressive mouth underneath, sharp and smart. The girl was a beauty. She had this childish face that made it seem as if she never grew up but just increased in height, beauty and radiance.

Otobong was the direct opposite of Vivian, yet something linked them together, something unclear and ghostly maybe sinister.

Otobong walked towards Ryan, her steps innocent and unassuming. Then she stopped. "Ryan?...you look cute!" Her voice a little too loud. "Thanxs...i had a little sanitation" Ryan blushed. In a bid to charm otobong whenever she showed up, Ryan had a make over five days before. He had a hair cut, his side bons were pruned, his mustache trimmed, his gotee reduced, and then all cojoined in an aesthetic link. This make up restored him to his former glory, he was cute and irresistable. Crazy nonetheless. "Ryan you are so handsome...crazy handsome". "Right" Ryan responded, somewhat offended. "No no I mean extremely handsome...crazy is a metaphor, for emphasis", Ryan lighted up again. It was funny how few words from her could flicker his mood. They engaged in small talk. The passers by stared at them in amazement, some giggling. Ryan felt like a winner, he concluded they were all suprised at the cordiality between him and the beautifull student doctor, they were suprised and envious.

"Ryan baba, number 101, psychiatrics finest!, wetin dey shele?" Risky hailed him, then indulged himself in laughter "Oboy you dey mad well well" he said between bouts of laughter. Ryan was chagrined, Risky was embarassing him infront of his lady. "What do you mean by that" Ryan bellowed, his temper rising like yeast. "No man am just playing with you" Risky's smile vanished, then his face straightened as if about to propose buisiness "Ryan I have something for you, after you finish with your friend, meet me at the cafetaria", risky walked away.

"That guy is very jovial and funny" Otobong said. "That guy is very annoying and foolish" Ryan snorted, irritated. "So you taking your medication regularly?”, “What medication?" Ryan replied startled. "Oh okay, I forgot" she said. "Forgot what, tell me". "I forgot you don't swallow the pills, its put in your food". "Pills? What pills" Ryan was feeling threatened. "Relax, they are just pills grinded into your food, to eliminate any threatened psychosis, just be yourself, feed well and everything will be okay" she smiled, her chicks punctured with dimples, her words comforting and sure. Oh girl your words could bring world peace. Ryan mused, feeling at ease.

"I have to go now cutey but I'l be back" otobong said. Ryan sulked instantly, sensing the approaching company of sadness and boredom. "Don't give me that moddy face okay, I'l be back" otobong said and continued "I did bring something for you" she ransacked her purse then brought out chocolate, Snickers chocolate "This is for you, just you" She said, wiping her hand through his chiseled face. "Am feeling bad" Ryan said, "Why!?” She asked looking preplexed. "I could have bought you a chocolate too but I purposely refused to becasue...you are already sweet". Otobong said nothing, she just stared. Ryan was about to lower his head in embarassment when she gave a wide smile, then beamed at him, her dimples flourishing. Ryan gazed at her and she did same in equal measure. Otobong obviously had a soft spot for Ryan although she always viewed him as part case-study part friend but at that moment something changed, that palisade was removed, she now saw him as a passionate creature, a young man capable of love and moderate reasoning, he became a potential mate. Unknown to both of them, that day was the start of a series of events which would change their lives and the fate of the world forever.
It was in fact the begining of the end.

After her exodus, Ryan was immediately engaged by his two friends, big Sean and bonny face and the rest of the day rolled by like a ball on a steep hill.

CHAPTER 8

"The body is the most complex mechanism ever known, do you agree?” the class chorused blandly, not uttering anything comprehensible. The class had been going on for 4 hours and counting, everybody was tired, eyes were dazed, bodies frail, throats thirsty, stomach's churning in defiance but not the indomitable Mr. Idowu efosa, the anatomy lecturer. If he was given the opportunity he could lecture for straight 48 hours or more. Most times Ryan and his classmates believed he was on some kind of narcotic drug that made him ever so agile, considering his obesed weight. "An infant body is made up of 300 bones, which fuses during growth to form 206 bones in an adulescence" Idowu's fat neck gurgled as he said this. On a normal day the class would marvel at the medical fact but the fatigue had descended on everyone with a vicious weight.

Ryan eyes were so red he looked like a vampire, he had been idle all night, trying to read but distracted by the deafening gun shots in his neighbourhood. There was a cult clash across town, two people were already rumoured to be dead but the mobile police had been dispatched and the turmoil brought to a halt.

"Look I know you people are tired but am sure you knew what you were up against when you signed up for medicine, you are not an average student, you are a live saver, nothing like the others, as far as am concerned others outside the medical college are all illiterates...". You could always see the outright arrogance in Mr Efosa's statements, he like few other professors and specialist thought of themselves as God's gift to mankind, for them the practice of medicine was only for the elites, it was an endeavour placed at the pinnacle of the academia.

Ryan had lost concentration an hour ago, he kept thinking of that silky smooth skin, that piercing almond shaped eyes, the dark eye brows and charming smile, most times bitchy and sarcastic but still charming. He remembered her lips on that day, artfully soiled with strawberrry scented lip gloss, I never realised she was that beautifull, ryan thought, but her arrogance, pride, sausiness, would I...would she...No, I would just end up being insulted. Ryan trashed the thought, feeling ashamed for even thinking he could successively woo such a girl. He had returned her phone to her and that was all, he would never see her again.

"In my days I spent six hours in lectures, five hours in hospital and the result was a distinction, so stop bitching", yes Doctor Efosa said 'bitching', again the class would have mused in open mouthed suprise if not for the hunger and fatigue. Sometimes Doctor Idowu's babble manifested his insecurity, who would blame him though; the man weighed almost 200 pounds, his trunk looked inflated, his neck... to tell the truth he didn't seem to have a neck, just a considerably small head in contrast to his balloon figure. He had an unmistakable semblance to the rasputia character in the Eddie murphy movie, Norbit. Everything about him was a contrast, his white shirt tucked in black pant trousers, lazy bulky frame infused with an energetic spirit, even his name was a contrast. Idowu was Yoruba, Efosa, Benin, he was probably the first Nigerian in records to have two names from two ethnic groups. Among all these, Doctor Efosa was a virtuoso in his field; he knew the human anatomy like the palm of his hand.

Ryan was so drained, he felt he would drop dead any moment, his classmates were bored to their bones, at the corner kelvin was exchanging pleasanteries with Mrs. Ursula, Ursula was in her middle 30's, one of the richest members of the class, her husband was an oil merchant, who was based in malasia, he only came into Nigeria a few times a year. Even with all the cash, elegance and soothing comfort, Ursula was very much disgruntled, she was always on the prowl for young intersting boys, who would keep her company and keep the cobwebs out of her bed. The stories that preceded her were mind boggling and from all indication kelvin was about to be a character in one of these stories. Samuel on the other hand was staring at Sandra from behind, dalling absent-mindedly with his biro as if sketching her, Sandra here faintly aware of his existence. Roseline was still very much attentive, one of the brightest in class, rumour had it that she scored 398 in Jamb exams. Kendall the class LovePeddler, equally very brainy, fashionable too. She held a reputation for her daringly skimpy clothes; she dressed similar to a cheer leader. She was busy beaming her face in her small mirrror and straighting her mini skirt, kendall could sleep with anything that walked, maybe that was the only way she ridded her self of the stress of the faculty, Samuel strongly believed her to be an obanje.

"...and that concludes our class, see you in practicals", Doctor Efosa hobbled out of the class, occupying time and space, leaving the students to stare at his bouncing bottom in comic horror. After 5 hours of excruciating learning the class was finally over.

Ryan huddled out of the class, with the sole intention of re-filling his stomach with Mrs. Bigg's garri and fresh fish soup. Kelvin was at the door of the class furthering his budding liason with Mrs. Ursula; Samuel was pacing nervously around the vicinity, blowing air into his folded palms. Daniel dennison and his two side-kicks, Carl and mac, entered their various cars and squealed away, those were the most arrogant students of the college, all their parents were professors, intelligent and wealthy. Doctor Dennison was a professor at the college, carls dad lectured at the university of uyo, Mac's dad lectured outside the country. These guys had everything going for them, cars, money, women, you name it. With their affluence and brains, they felt like semi-gods.

Samuel came over to Ryan "Oboy you have to go and eat without me" Samuel was breathing hard, his shirt drenched in perspiration, his eye balls sunken in. "Samuel what is going on with you, did you just get diagnosed of h.i.v aids?", "No man" samuel said relaxing a little, his eyes still nervous "I want to ask sandra out, I just have to tell her how I feel, am capable am I not, am a man am I not?" Samuel said, seeking re-assurance. "Well Samuel, its a good idea but don't you think you should be friends with her first, instead of asking her out the first time you speak to..." Ryan got caught in the middle of his sentence. He saw something, something beautiful but inimical. Something juxtaposed of sugar and vinegar. It was Vivian, the she devil, I take it back, that day she was looking like a she angel. Her face looked glorious, her hair was braided, pearl strewn, then tied in a bun with the surplus laid down like tendrils over her shoulders, her style was always esoteric, Ryan often wondered whether she had a personal make up designer. "So what are you saying, I shoudn't ask her out?", "No go ahead and ask her out, me I would, excuse me" Ryan blurted lackadaisically, dazed at the sight of Vivian woruji.

"Hey" ryan screamed running towards vivian, he couldn't believe himself, chasing after a girl, running to her like a christmas goat, was this love, lust or was he just desperate?. "Hey Vivian", Vivian turned swinging her decorated braids, jangling on each other as they settled back on her shoulder. At that point Ryan was hit by her scintillating perfume, a combination of cinnamon and lavender. "Hi em...how you doing, I'v not seen you since then", Vivian slowly took off her gucci shades, exposing her bright eyes, circled with deep eye-liner, her eye brows dark and natural, few strands of hair slanting vertically at the edges. Her hazel eyes beamed, frizzed with long slender lashes, her oval face, complemented by her lush chicks, her fair skin, rich and lavish. Vivian stood there looking at Ryan, as if oblivous of who he was "I'm Ryan..., your phone...don't you remember me?" Ryan jittered; having a feeling he just made a huge mistake in calling her. "No, I know you and thanks for my phone, am just listening to what you have to say" Vivian said with no emotion. "I just came over to say hi and if possible get your ph. Number" Ryan responded. Vivians mouth opened in a pepsodent smile, "I see...Ryan, that's your name right?, I appreciate you for being the one to return my phone to me, seriously I do, but let me draw the line before you get any funny ideas" She continued, her eyes scorched and haughty, mixed with disdain "I don't know you, you don't know me, we only talked because you held something that belonged to me, so do us a favour and stay away, if you see me, pass, if I see you I'l do same. We have nothing in common and we never will and I don't appreciate just anybody screaming my name in public...I hope I'v made myself crystal clear, have a nice day, Dan", then she stopped, weighing ryan with contempt "Besides your not even close to my type" vivian blurted, threw on her glasses and walked ahead.

Jesus! , the girl was a devil. A soul devoid of Sympathy and human conscience, a being thriving on pride and rage, steering along the locus of doom but she was gorgeous, No she was not, she was the harbinger of pain and catasthrophe. If there was any hormone in her body responsible for evoking love and care it was no more, that hormone had become dark and stale. Her last words left a sting, Ryans self esteem was crushed, masticated in fact, pulped into dust is more like it. Least she could have done was pronounce my name correctly Ryan mused but all that insult for what? It serves me right, putting my eyes where it doesn't belong, to hell with this, to hell with her!, never again, never!.

Admiration had turned into dejection, dejection to anger, anger to rage and now rage had descended into hate, pure wicked hate. Ryan would descpice Vivian forever.

Ryan was so engrossed in his frustration; he didn't notice the avalanche of people running down, towards him. The ground quaked, the dust levitated, there was apprehension, an impending upheaval at hand, turmoil of a soaring magnitude. A gun shot!, a deafening sound of deadly bullets propelled from a metal vaccum was put into the air. Ryan was frightened to consciousness but now the running herd had moved ahead of him. Series of fast paced gun-shouts poured out, which could only be the product of semi-automatic weapons, screams were heard, followed by high pitched guttural sounds. The infamous cultist had made their way into school, blood and death was in-evitable. Was this a path in the odyssey or was this the precipice to which ryan would crash to his death?

Ryan was too distabilised to move, it all happened too fast. "Ryan, what are you doing, come into the building!!!" Kelvin thundered from across the road, before ryan could turn around he caught sight of a man weilding an Ak47, pointing it at another man, "Bloody alora, you will die in the hands of a viking!!!" In seconds the man dispensed with his bullets, smithing his victim on his neck, head and body, eliciting dark red blood, which spewed out as the man shivered with mechanical tremor and droped to the ground, dead. Ryan hardly recovered from the morbid visual when another man was shot on the head, a sight synonymous with a stone smashed into an over ripe water melon. The assaulted crashed to the ground in a pool of blood, his upper head missing. Just a little distance were two people fighting with matchets, the other was fast enough to dodge a deadly blow, giving him the opportunity to lacerate his opponents back, then severe his head, in a deadly swipe. Away from Ryan two students engaged in gladiatoral fisticuffs, determined to bring the other to his very end. Students ran blindly, others scampered to safety, some revealed their guns and other weaponry to the astonishment of thier friends. Hearts pounded and lives hung by a thread, it was a full fledged war!
Screeches were heard and cars raced forward, some knocking down unfortunate runners, one could hear the bones snapping and crunching underneath the cars, as it left a trail of blood in its wake. In few swift drifts, one reminiscent of a scene in the movie 'Fast and furious', three cars circled ryan, then Vivian was hoisted back towards the cars, her hair gripped by one of the vengefull raggamuffins, as he dragged her along. Suprisingly she didn't make it far when the fights commenced.

"Is this him? the bloody f.ucking alora?!" One of the cultists snarled, his eyes deadly, thirsty for blood. Vivian was in a state of shock, she could hardly utter a word. "Answer me you b.itch!", "He is the one , let's take them both and leave before the unical police gets here" one of the assailants suggested. Imperceptibly Vivian sliped out of the grip of her oppressor and attempted to bolt, when another man a distance away, clutched her by the neck and hoisted her up, chocking her oxygen supply, her legs few inches from the ground. She was flung into the car. Before Ryan could offer any suggestions, he was battered at the back of his skull with a plank, putting him in a dazed reality.

Ryan was squeezed into the car, and a black cloak put over his head. Darkness.

I want to apologise for my absence of late, I went on a limbo, with the hope of re-invigorating myself. But am happy to say am back. I hope to complete this novel, abandoning it is not an option. So fear not.

So here is one more chapter, enjoy

Am glad you like it. However prof woruji has nothing to do with the story, it is a mere coincidence.
You somehow got me there though, I actually tot your name was Vivian woruji

Ishi I am an ardent reader of ur work, ur syntax is opulent and ur style eccentric, the story line is just too realistic accomadating all the incidences of youthfullness. However am afraid as to whether the end will be satisfy my suspense. Am sure u will make the denoument orgasmiic. Ride on!

Neduzze5: Nice story but you have to do something about your spellings. For example, I saw

Cue instead of queue
launch instead of lunch
sited inside sitted

that's all I could point out for now.

Thanx for ur observation , I'l correct it right away

An0nimus: this is some super good work mate. I love the way you add some humour here and there following all the way

Thanxs

ATMC: @op to go beserk means to get angry not as used in chapter four, when ryan saw d female doctor...i stand to be corrected anyway

Beserk means, frenzied or our of control not Angry.Thanx for your contribution anyway.