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Congratulations to a brother for the win and thanks to the two people who believed in me and voted. sokoDobo enjoy your glory will it last.

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Poor Sumaya watched in disbelief as both men kept arguing at one another, Atila and Aku kept on yelling furiously, they spoke strange language which was nothing Sumaya had ever heard before. Sumaya in a sense of unwilling consciousness looked around the living room, she was yet to believe she was standing in her own apartment that had turned out like war zone, both men still engulfed in a heated argument that they had forgotten Sumaya was still standing watching. She so wished to be awoken from the nightmare she had found herself.

“Who are you?” Sumaya asked after finding both her voice and courage, strange even to her but she did. And yes she did shut them up, both men kept quiet and turned to her, staring at her like they weren’t expecting her to be there. “Who are you?” Sumaya reiterated a bit gently, the question was for the one who had no cloths on.

Atila was the first of the two to speak, “Sumaya, trust me on this, Aku here needs to leave” pointing at the unclad man beside him.

“Don’t dare listen to him, it is he who should leave” said Aku furiously.

“No it is you” argued Atila

“It is you who should leave, not me” Aku defended

“No it is you”

“It is you who don’t belong here”

And so it went on between the two who were more concerned in eliminating the other’s presence, for a while Sumaya watched from Atila to Aku and back to Atila continuously like a game of Ping-Pong. She had had enough for a day to fill her lifetime. Sumaya gathered the courage to yell for decorum. Both men when mute again. “I don’t get it, what exactly is happening, are you two real, did you just kill these men?” Sumaya asked after looking both men closely and realizing they weren’t products of her imagination like she fared to admit.

The unclad man stepped forward to her, “My name is Aku the god of vengeance, I have come to protect you”

Sumaya sized him up in swift glance, She admits he looked much like a wrestler. “god of vengeance?”

“Yes, god of vengeance, here to protect you” Aku pushed out his chest in pride like a proud peacock, he smiled along revealing his white set of tooth in exaggerated manner.

She made him realized Atila was already around to protect her and would not be needing his service, she couldn’t stand one weirdo stalking her around already talk less of two. He just needs to leave.

“That is impossible, I have a task to fulfill and I am here to see to it” said Aku with the sense of seriousness.

Sumaya was puzzled, she couldn’t understand what he meant, what is he trying to say? What task is he talking about, she then turned to Atila in a sense confirm “What is happening here, what is he talking about, is he even real?”

Atila stepped a bit forward, “As for me, I am real”

“But I saw you died moments back” said Sumaya while pointing to his head.

Atila looked confused about what next to say, he avoided eye contact with her, ignorant of what Sumaya was staring at.

“Is this a sought of freak show meant to prank me?” asked Sumaya with her eyes still glued to Atila’s head.

“It’s not a prank, it’s real”

“Then if it’s real, why is the bullet still stuck inside your head” Pointing at Atila’s head, she stared in beweildment at the hole on it.

Atila realized his mistake, he quickly snapped his fingers and the bullet puffed out like it was a magic stunt, the wound healed as well.

The unclad man tried hard not to laugh at Atila’s foolishness all along but he failed, he had burst into laughter on seeing how the 2cm bullet puffed out of a head without it owner looking unhurt. “You could at least spare the poor lady a heart attack by pretending the bullet actually hurt, she is human you know” Aku reminded amidst laughter, giggling so hard.

“Shut up you fool, and that’s none of your business” Atila frowned at Aku, and then back to Sumaya who still stared like one hit with hypnosis, he lets out a wide grin, a poor attempt to cover his wield act “gods don’t die, I was merely pretending to be dead”

Sumaya saw shocked, “You never died?” sounding curious.

With a big and confident smile, Atila replied “Yes”

Suddenly, Sumaya frowned “You meant to tell me that you were conscious all through the time Faroq was about to kill me?”

Without waiting for Atila’s response, Aku began to laugh already as he knew what Sumaya was insinuating. Atila got hold of his mistake but too late to reverse his words.

Sumaya had begun to boil already, she couldn’t belief Atila whom she thought had come to protect her would leave her to be shot dead.

“Atila, what is happening, who are you and why are you here? I thought you were here to protect me like you said?” she asked curiously, desperate to know what is going on.

Aku cuts in with sincere tone “He is not here to protect you, he has come to watch you die. Atila can’t protect you but I can”

Sumaya was lost, what is Aku talking about, is this some kind of joke? She looked at Atila hoping he debunks the claim but Atila turned his eyes away from her in guilt.

“That is what his kinds do, liars!” Aku added with despise like he knew him too well, his gaze disgustfully at Atila.

“Atila, is he telling the truth, did you lied to me?” Sumaya asked disappointed, her emotions drifting to tears.

Atila couldn’t bring himself to look at her, his eyes roaming around the room aimlessly like a naïve boy trying hard to escape from the truth.

Aku is right calling him a liar and perhaps a fool but he had come for a better reason. He turned to gaze at her watery eyes all of a sudden, “Truly, I am not her to protect you, I am here to safe you” he said.

More confused than ever, Sumaya inquired to know what he meant.

“I wanted you dead, I wanted Faroq enraged enough to kill you without remorse” gradually sounding enthusiastic, Atila continued “Your death that moment was your big opportunity to heaven as you were without blemish” Atila paused to catch her reaction, he need not be told Sumaya was helplessly confused, and so he resumed again “If only Faroq had shot you dead, you would had made it straight to heaven and most importantly, you wouldn’t have to live to experience the wrath of the last days.

Sumaya thought it over and it then began to make sense, it seemed Atila had it all figured out until ‘the naked one’ literally burst in. One had come to safe her while the other is here to protect her. She turned to Aku curiously, “And why have you come to protect me?” she asked with lashing him questionable looks.

“You prayed every day and night to me for protection against your enemies”. Aku made a mischievous grin “…And here I am” he added in his strong tone.


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Sorry the last update came late... too much office work killed my literary morale.

For those of you who missed RELIC or wish to have a full read on a go, send me a mail...It comes at a price.

***

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Sumaya couldn’t belief what she was staring at, Atila laid dead, a god is dead, lifeless with a bullet stuck to his head. She trembled like jelly fish. Faroq and his men appeared indifferent and remorseful.

“Faraq, you’ve kill a man” gasped Sumaya on her kneels.

Faroq laughed out, then followed a wicked grin “No I didn’t kill a man, I killed your god” he laughed again along with his men. He aimed the gun to her head this time.

Sumaya terrified, pleaded to a desperate man who looked determined to go for the kill ones again.

“Sorry dear, I just can’t let you leave like that” said Faroq ready to hit.

Sumaya shut tight her eyes in expectation for the worse, it was going to be her end, a tragic end.

A loud knock suddenly erupted from the door, they held still, staring suspiciously at the door as they tried hard to be silent. They looked at one another.

“If you try it, I will blow off your head along with whomever is knocking” Faroq sternly warned in hush tone on seeing Sumaya was intending for distress call.

Nuhu followed Sumaya to the door amidst the knock with a knife pointed to her.

“Who is there?” asked Sumaya hoping for the police or the local vigilantes around the neighborhood.

“Na me Mama Kudi” a farmiliar voice replied.

Sumaya’s heart gladdens, she was certain mama Kudi had come to enquire about the noise from the gun shot. Sure, it must be noise, but as well she feared for Mama Kudi’s life if things turns the other way.

“Mama Kudirat, what is it?” Sumaya tried to sound discreet enough.

“Aunty Sumaya abeg no vex o, e be like sey you get some visitors inside abi?” asked Mama Kudirat from the other end.

The three men gazed at one another again, each wearing a deadly frown as well threatened to kill her if she dare does anything ‘funny’. They were uncomfortable but Faroq geared Sumaya to keep up while he made his aim at the door in case.

“Yes, but why do you ask” Sumaya inquired.

“Abeg help me tell your visitors sey I dey sell recharge cards for all networks” she paused hoping for a response and when she got none she reiterated.

“I have heard you”.

“Abi make I bring am?”

“No..no…no. we are not buying, please just leave” she was quick to say.

“Okay o, make una just take am easy inside that room o” Mama Kudi sounding sarcastic and malicious.

The men sighed in relief as they heard Mama Kudi’s foot-step fade away from the door but Sumaya wished her lousy neighbor never left, wished Mama Kudi could be smart enough to read her ‘cry for help’ through her tone…but to what end for them both if not death?

Sumaya turned to face the gang, she could feel her end with each majestic step Faroq took towards her, he aimed the gun at her head again, just that this time, at a closer range. Faroq who had his image to protect more than anything else looked determined with his finger fumbling around the trigger.

Suddenly, another knock came up on the door again, a gentle one this time, with suspension they lashed their eyes on the door. Aliu walked up to the door without Sumaya, he peeped through the door hole for a while.

“Who is it?” Faroq hushed to Aliu.

Aliu turned around shaking his head, looking confused he replied “I can’t see anyone”

The strange knock went on, leaving the men perplexed.

“I think it’s Atila” whispered Sumaya suggestively.

Faroq threatened her with the short gun, ordering her to “Shut up!” as her could see Atila still laying lifeless beside him.

With order from Faroq, Aliu opened the door and the knock ceased but as he was about to shut back the door, an invisible force lifted him off the ground to snap hard his neck mid-air, Aliu fell down lifeless. The two other men pushed back in fright and so did Sumaya. Faroq shot into the space ahead with fear crawling all over him, and while at it, Nuhu fell dead with deep cut on his throat. Faroq’s eyes widen in horror to the mystic around, and then a human figure slowly took shape in front of him, it was a man, a strange looking man who was unclad. Faroq attempted to shot at the creature but he had no more bullet. The man knocked Faroq out with a heavy blow as he attempted to flee. The man turned to Sumaya who had been staring with her jaw dropped and walked up to her. She couldn’t help but looked him all over as he stood unclad right in front of her, he looks nothing like Atila as he is more huge and well-muscled with well shaved beard like a black model ready for an explicit photo-shoot, another distinctive feature is his long twisted dreadlocks that ran down his strong shoulders...and unlike Atila, he had a red lens in his eyes.

The man kept staring at her with a sheepish smile just like Atila had done, he wouldn’t say a word.

“Who are you?” she managed break the awkward silence even with her heart in her mouth.

“I am Th-ermo-cool” he fumbled with the words after his eyes had caught a label on the fridge beside him.

Sumaya glanced at the fridge and back to him “You meant to say Thermocool?”

The man simply nodded with a smile.

Sumaya was shock “Oh my God, not another one” exclaimed with sense of awareness.

Atila suddenly gasped to life, he sat up, yawned and stretched before slowly picking himself up to his foot to see the strange man beside Sumaya. He frowned, “Aku, what the hell are you doing here?” he yelled in displeasure.

The unclad man turned around to Atila with a mischievous grin, “I have come to do that which you failed to do” he replied calmly.

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**

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Faroq masked himself with a mischievous grin one too familiar to Sumaya, she knows that look and could tell he is vexed beyond limit. She was scared of what irrational action he would likely be coming up with. Faroq walked up to her with the boot still on him, trying hard to contain his rage. “Sumaya!” he called out authoritatively “So you ran away from me just to be with someone else, despite all I had done for you ehn? So you think I Faroq ibn Dantata prince of the north will just let you go like that. Wallahi you must be a fool!”

“Faroq I can explain, it’s not what you think. Believe me” Pleaded Sumaya.

Faroq slapped her hard on her face with Sumaya’s eyes instantly going blur and drops of blood burst out of her lower lips.

“Don’t you ever lie to me” Faroq thundered, he looked around the room disgustingly, “There are enough evidences enough to tell me there is a man in here”

Sumaya sobbing quietly without arguing, it’s of no use with Faroq, he is the stubborn type, very arrogant and inquisitive. She wondered what he was up to when she saw him brought out his phone, dialed a number and started to converse with someone on the other end. Shortly after he ended the call, two hefty men walked into the room. They are familiar faces to Sumaya, both Aliu and Nuhu are Faroq’s body guards, like flies to wound, they followed the prince of the north everywhere, she realized they probably had been standing guard outside all along before Faroq called upon them.

Faroq ordered his guards to fish out the man hiding somewhere in the apartment. As soon as Aliu and Nuhu dashed away to the various components of the apartment ransacking everything across their path, Faroq sat down comfortably and began to consume the noodle and chicken in expectant of the unfortunate fella that would soon be dragged out to receive an unforgettable beating, or most probably inflicted a mortal blow.

Sumaya moved closer to Faroq and knelt down, she looked around like hoping no one was watching, “Faroq, please you and your men need to leave” she whispered pleadingly.

Faroq stared with a frown on him, wondering what Sumaya was talking “What do you mean, so you’ve got the effrontery to plead on his behalf.”

“Faroq I don’t know what better way to explain this to you but you must believe me” she paused to think for a while and resumed “There is a god in my house, he said he has come to protect me. I am sure he will get pissed off if he sees you’ve slapped me…please leave before he comes back”. She looked around fearfully again.

Faroq was puzzled by what Sumaya had said, it made no sense, and he followed Sumaya’s nervous eyes as it scanned the room. “What are you watching out for?” he asked.

“Him!” she replied in hush tone.

“Who?”

“god…he might kill you” she said with fear all over her.

At that moment, there was a sound of struggle, blows and groaning coming from the bedroom. Sumaya feared for the worse, she was certain that was Atila knocking the hell out of the guards, she hopes he doesn’t leave anyone dead in her apartment. She would prefer he Atila takes the party somewhere else.

“I told you… he has come to protect me” Sumaya whispered in a bit of excitement. Nuhu and Aliu shortly appeared dragging a man out on the floor to the living room.

Sumaya was surprised to see it was Atila being dragged and dumped in front of Faroq.

Atila scrambled to his kneels looking from Aliu, Nuhu, Faroq and then Sumaya.

“Atila, what are you doing here? I thought you__” Sumaya was trying to say when Atila interceded.

“I am sorry, I realized I had forgotten my boot and so I came back for it. I am sorry if I ought not to be here” said Atila.

Sumaya sighed deeply, shook her head disappointingly “You are god, aren’t you suppose to know?”

“Is this the god you were talking about, the one that had come to protect you?” asked Faroq staring at the man in front of him carefully in search of any godly attribute but was greatly disappointed to see none, there in front of him was just an ordinary modern looking man, helpless in the midst of three men and soon to be severely punished. Faroq laughed and his guards joined.

“He must have been hitting her hard in the right places to have called him ‘god’”. Aliu joked mindlessly amidst laughter.

Faroq lashed Aliu with a frown, hits him hard on the face, a caution. The guards comported themselves immediately. He keenly turned his attention back to ‘god’. “Do you know me?” he asked.

“Yes” replied Atila “You are Faroq Danbaba, the second son to Danbaba Umar and Hawau Mustapha, you were born thirty-two years ago, had your primary education here in the country, had both your secondary and tertiary education abroad, precisely Crownford University London…but you were expelled in your second year because of bad conduct. It is nice to meet you” he happily stretched his hand hoping for a handshake.

Faroq stared dumb folded, shocked by the information “I see Sumaya had told you everything about me. What else did she tell you?” sounding sarcastic.

“Sumaya never told me anything” Atila ignorantly denounced the claim and went further “Infact, she never told me you are presently having an affair with your father’s third wife”

Everyone around were surprised.

Atila continued, going on and on in revealing more personal and hideous details Faroq never believe could ever come to the know, “…She never told me you are on drugs and that you smoke, she never told me you suffer low self-esteem and that is why you always want to have her around you to be threatened by your presence. She never told me you are HIV positive”

“HIV positive!!!” everyone exclaimed except Faroq who felt more furious than shocked by the exposure, he knew about it three days ago . Faroq stood up and stretched his hand towards Aliu. Without words, Aliu knowing what his master wanted yanked out a pistol from his back waist and handed it to him.

Faroq realizing Atila had known so much of him enough to have him jailed, he was determined to end him here, to kill Atila and probably Sumaya who had witnessed it all, a collateral damage she would serve. He couldn’t risk letting her leave with such delicate details. He pointed the short gun towards Atila’s, aiming for the head. Sumaya trembling in great fear for Atila’s life, she could already imagine his head crack open with bullets and bloods splashed across her neat wall. Atila staring calmly at Faroq, while Aliu and Nuhu were expectant of a tragic end.

“Who the hell are you to have known so much about me, are you a spy?” Asked Faroq.

Shaking his head slowly, Atila replied “No, I am a god, my worshipers call me Sua-regna or Atila…but you can just call me Atila. I am here to protect her” pointing to Sumaya.

The three men glanced at one another in amazement, not sure of the state of mind their victim was talking from, he could just be putting up such act for fear.

“Are you mad? Are you stupid!!?” Faroq yelled impatiently while he wades the gun threateningly at Atila “Do you think this is a joke, do you think this is a comic show?. I said who the hell are you and how do you know so much about me?” he questioned curiously knowing he never got such intimate information from Sumaya, it was just impossible.

Atila looked up at Faroq and replied with much calmness enough to intimidate the men “I know you better than you can ever know yourself”.
The men stared at one another again and this time it followed with laughter.

“I don’t care what they call you anymore” Faroq began as he leaned forward to him, he sure had ran out of patience “You seem too big mouthed to be let go”.

“Faroq please don’t kill him, just let him go. I promise you, he will tell no one” Sumaya pleaded to Faroq knowing he will DO IT but rather, Faroq got more pissed-off hearing her beg on Atila’s behalf. He settled the aim on Atila’s head and squeezed the trigger…BANG!!


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Sumaya sure had had enough of the talk, even with proofs, she wasn’t ready to admit he is right. To her, reincarnation isn’t true, just superstition. She stood and headed for the kitchen leaving her mysterious guest seated confused of her expressionless attitude to his narration.

“I am really telling the truth, gods don’t lie” the man called out to Sumaya as she was about entering the kitchen.
he could read her body language and could tell she didn't believe him.

Sumaya turned around, “No wonder you told me you are Kamla, Kia and Coke”.
she said sarcastically.

The man got her point. “You can call me Atila” he said after shrugging with a sense of guilt.

“Atila” Sumaya gently called out the name much to herself in admiration and a sense of familiarity. She loved the name. “Atila, if you don’t mind, I need to get something to eat” she confessed. Famished she had been all along.

“You can as well get mine, I am starving” requested Atila.

Sumaya turned to him startled. “Do gods eat?” she asked.

“Yes of course, why do you think people feed us all kinds of food in calabashes and mud pots as sacrifices? And what do you think happens to it afterwards?…we eat them if it so pleases us and then we grant them their wishes through the permission of the Almighty”.

"And what about those who drink blood and take lives for sacrifice?"

"Those are the nasty ones, the tyrant who only aim to create fear in the mind of their worshippers, they report to Satan".

Sumaya sighed as she shook her head in resignation. “I see!” she wasn’t ready for any more tale, she dived into the kitchen and got busy with cooking while Atila walked himself around the beautiful room, he loved the orange-black coloured theme of her room, everything within were arranged with much preciseness.

He saw her pictures on the small shelf and two other hanged to the wall, he couldn’t fail to notice she was all smile and happy and lively in all of it. The images had as well given her out as the second child of her beautiful family with two siblings, that she had been the best law student of her set three years in a row and graduated the overall best, she has got an office space of hers. He could tell from one of the pictures of a birthday setting she is in a happy relationship with a young fella. When done with pictures, Atila switched on the television and happily sat when he saw it was football match goin on.
After awhile, Sumaya appeared with two plates of noodles and chicken, she was surprise to see Atila engrossed in a worldly sport.

“It appears as well you gods watch football” said Sumaya.

“Not all of us if you must know” Explained Atila, “Just like human, we have our favorite sports and in some cases, we lay bet as well”

“You gods bet…with what?” she asked astonished.

“We bet with shares of our powers...power is all we've got”

Sumaya looked Atila all over, “I guess you gods aren’t much different from humans”. She dropped the food and went to go get bottles of water from the fridge.

Atila nodding mindfully “Yes. If that will make you feel better”.

Then came a rapt knock on the door, it was a heavy one, Sumaya rushed to peep through the door hole and gasped by who she saw standing ahead. Panicky, she turned to Atila who still had his attention stuck to the television. She sprang to him, pleading he finds somewhere to hide within the apartment.

“Why?” asked Atila confused.

“Faroq is behind that door, you’ve got to leave now” she said in hush tone while hurrying him up to his foot.

“Who is Faroq?”

“My boyfriend!” she snapped at him like he was supposed to know already

“That’s good, I’m sure it will be a nice opportunity to meet him” he said ignorantly with a smile across his face.

Sumaya’s eyes widen with disbelieve “Are you out of your mind? Faroq mustn’t see you here, just leave, go hide under the bed in my room” she urged him towards her bed room.

“Under the bed? That’s ridiculous!” he exclaimed.

“If not under my bed then hide inside my cupboard, I promise he will be done soon and I will come get you. Please, he mustn’t see you here”. She said in hurry amidst sounds of rapt knock from the door.

“Okay” Atila agreed seeing how desperate Sumaya wants him away “But I will neither hide under your bed nor cupboard” he added.

“So where will you hide?” asked Sumaya curiously.
“I will simply…” Atila snapped his fingers and burst into greenish flame before he could complete his statement. He vanished.

Sumaya stood awestruck, slack-jawed like she wasn’t expecting such move, she was more convinced of Atila’s claim “gods indeed” she acknowledged between breaths before heading for the door. She unlocked and slowly opened for Faroq who majestically walked in with his eyes searching the room.

“Who the hell where you talking to?” Faroq asked still scanning the room with his eyes.

“Nobody” Sumaya grumbled trying hard to be much of herself and desperately avoiding Faroq’s gaze knowing how hot tempered and unreasonable he gets at situations like this.

Faroq smiled mischievously knowing for certain something fishy is up, his eyes had caught something, clues. “Where the hell is he hiding?” he turned to ask Sumaya who looked nervous.

"I don't know what you are talking about" she looked away.

“Don’t play dumb with me, you know what I’m talking about. Where the hell is he hiding?” he yelled furiously as he was already losing his calm.

Sumaya trembled under his burning gaze knowing how inquisitive and insecure Faroq could be. She had tried hard within their three years relationship to change him but had failed, rather he seem to get worse, trying to have her under his locks and fingers, intimidating and threatening her at the slightest of his provocation, forcing her to his wills all because he had been there to finance her business from the scratch to top and used his influence as the governor’s son to link her up with the juicy client’s across the country. She had tried many times to flee from him but Faroq seem to be everywhere waiting for her. Now he has come for her despite running from far north to the western part of the country “Faroq please, just leave me alone…I beg you. Don’allah”

Faroq pointing to one of the two plates on the table “Who is that for?” he asked.

“It’s for me, I will eat the two” she replied looking away.

Smiling mischievously, Faroq pointing to the television “And who is watching football?”

“Me” Sumaya replied in dead whispered.

Faroq’s eyes caught something else, he walked up to it and picked it up for Sumaya to see, it was a male leather boot dangling in his grip.
"and this?"

“Oh my God!” she exclaimed with eyes widen in horror.

Chapter Two


A WORLD APART



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“Please tell me this isn’t happening, tell me it’s not true, someone please tell me it’s a dream” Sumaya shut tight her eyes hoping to wake-up from the nightmare.

“It’s not a dream, it’s real” the strange man said still seated on the couch.

Sumaya opened her eyes, she was finding it hard to absorb the reality. She watched the man emptied the content in the bottle down his mouth. Sumaya rubbed her eyes hoping all was just a hallucination. “Are you like the Banana Island Ghost?” Sounding inquisitive.

The man appeared taken aback, confused at the question, “Banana Island Ghost?” he repeated thoughtfully, trying to make sense of the phrase “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Sumaya narrated to her mysterious stalker of the movie she watched a night before, she emphasizes on the mystical attitude of one of its characters. The man after listening carefully, he had a good laugh for a moment and asked amidst laughter “So you think I am a ghost sent by the Almighty to fall in love with you?” he had a very good, heart full roar of laughter again. “You must be really out of your mind. I am no ghost, I am a god. I dwell up there in heaven” pointing upward “I have just one mission here on earth, and that is to come warn you about the trumpet that would be blown three days from now”.

Puzzled, Sumaya inquired what he meant by those last words he kept saying.

“Up in heaven” he seriously began “rumor has it that the Almighty is about to summon all His righteous. To clear my doubt, I asked Babel an angel who was closer to Gabriel in the heart of heaven and he confirmed that the information was real. That is why I am here to warn you before the time comes. You need to get prepared” he concluded.

Slack-jawed, Sumaya stared dumbfounded like someone hypnotized. Nothing of his word made much sense to her. “Who exactly are you?” she asked and quickly added “let’s start with the name…and please this time I want your real name” she meant it and the man could see was damn serious going by her expression.

“My worshippers in Rwanda call me Atila and to the Indians I go by the name Sua-regna” he revealed after a short moment of hesitation.

Sumaya was amused, “Your worshipers?”

“Yes” he said “every god in heaven has their worshipers. The more your worshipers connects to the Almighty through you, the more your power and rank grow amongst your fellow gods”

“Ehn…interesting!” she exclaimed and carefully sat by the arm of the couch closest to her, she wouldn’t believe the stranger’s words for it, but would rather take it to be an interesting myth worthy to calm her down of the fear. “So by you saying the ‘Almighty’, you meant God…the real God, the owner of the universe?”

“Yes, the most high who dwells in the highest of heavens surrounded by His countless angels”.

“What does He look like, is He a white man in long fluffy beard, seated on a golden thrown of light” she cuts in like a curious little girl.

“I had never seen Him, no god ever stood such chance”

Sumaya appeared disappointed “Why? I thought you live in heaven with Him”

The man laughed realizing what Sumaya was referring to. “Heaven is not what you humans think it is, it’s wider, more structured and hierarchical in every sphere than the earth. Heaven has layers, each layer means a rank and each rank brings its power to it dwellers. We gods live in the lower rank far down from the angels of light and far away up the jinns and humans”.


Sumaya expelled long deep sigh, not sure what to belief as her trespasser had sounded so convincing. “So you came down here to warn me, why…why me?”

The man hesitated, he tried to say something but for a moment, the words never formed out of his mouth. It appeared he was thinking it through. “I am here to fulfil the promise I made to you many decades ago”

“What promise?” she quickly confronted.

“Many decades ago” the man began as soon as he dropped the bottle of Coke and carelessly placed his leather covered shoes on the center table in front of him. He had ignored Sumaya’s displeasure to his manner, but he had cared less before he continued, “Ashura was one of my most devoted worshipper, day and night she would call upon me, sing my praises, render big sacrifices in my name…all for one thing in return, Atila’s protection and guardians. Once upon a festive night up in heaven, the gods gathered to celebrate, we had plenty of food to eat and with enough wine to be drunk. Enveloped in the euphoria of the festivity, I couldn’t hear Ashura calling for help, perhaps I was too drunk to make meanings of her scream. By the next morning, I looked down upon the earth to see Ashura with a slit throat” now sounding drown and emotional, he continued “I failed her, I failed Ashura when she most needed me”

Sumaya could only stare with mixed feelings. Failing woefully to connect her question with the ‘Ashura tale’. “That’s enough!” she interceded impatiently “what’s my business with a woman who died many decades ago?” emphasizing on the last three words.

The man looked into her beautiful eyes penetratingly before he simply revealed “You are Ashura, a reincarnation of your ancestral mother”.


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Coke



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It appeared to her a miracle how she made it home safely, Sumaya couldn’t tell exactly how she was able to drive home in such condition. She looked scared all alone in her apartment, she locked every entry to her house as she tried hard not to recollect what had happened earlier in the mall and the parking lot. Still terrified, she heard a knock on her door, she rushes to grab her knife from her kitchen drawer intending to threaten the stalker. “Who is that” she called out as she headed for the door. But there was no response at the other end. She was then convinced the strange man was there. Alert and ready to defend herself, she called again for reassurance.

“Aunty Sumaya, na me o!” a famine voice answered.

“You who?” she yelled panicky.

“Na mi mama Kudi!”

“Mama Kudirat?”

“Yes O, na me!”

Sumaya peeped at the door hole, she heaved in great relieve as she opened the door to meet a curious looking Mama kudirat, her nosy next door neighbor who loves to see everyone’s issue as her business. Sumaya need not ask why the ‘busy-body’ woman had visited. The woman have a way of knowing a troubled mind but Sumaya wasn’t ready to let her in on what’s bothering her this time around.


“Aunty Sumaya, this one wey you rush enter compound this afternoon, I hope sey everything dey alright?” mama kudirat inquired while trying hard to look into the room across Sumaya’s shoulder.

“Mama Kudirat, everything is perfectly alright, thanks for checking on me, you can now leave” replied Sumaya impatiently as she tries to shut back the door but her inquisitive neighbor disallowed.

“Tell me now” mama Kudirat said persuasively trying to look concern. “Shey na another break-up palava?” she added and before Sumaya could debunk, she continued “My sister, no carry man matter for head o, they are all devil. Look at me for example, ever since my useless husband had left me alone with my two daughters, did I die?” without waiting for answers, she added with emphases “I moved on kia kia”
Sumaya frowned, she slamed the door shut to her visitor’s face and locked it. Irritated and disgushed, she walked away to go get a chilled bottle of Coke from the fridge. While she was gulping it down, a rapt knock came from the door, it kept on till she oblige to open to her suppose nosy neigbour who won’t let her be, she intend to give Mama Kudirat a piece of her own bitter pill this time around. Sumaya unlocked the door and yanked it open. Lo and behold, she sets her eyes on the strange man standing there staring at her with a sheepish smile.

Awestricken, Sumaya stood motionless and speechless as she could only stare in fear. Sumaya found herself and quickly shut the door, locked it and pressed her body heavily against it. She quickly thought of what to do or who to call for help against her mysterious stalker. Her fear heightened with the idea that the stranger could be armed with a gun, a dagger or with his bare hands strong enough to snap off her fragile neck.

“Sumaya” the stranger calmly called like he had come for a friendly visit. “I am neither with a gun, dagger or here to snap off that fragile neck of yours” he added.

Sumaya’s heart literarily skipped a beat, her at how the stranger rightly guessed what she was thinking. With her back still pressed heavily to the door, she shouted pleadingly “Please who exactly are you? What do you want from me?”

“I am sorry if I tend to appear like a stalker but I couldn’t help ignore your bag where you dropped it” the stranger replied from the other end of the door.

“Oh my gosh!” Sumaya gasped as she recollected not seeing her hand bag around. She last saw it on her bonnet while searching for her key and obviously had fall while she zoomed off. “But how did you know where I live?” she asked curiously.

“Like I had said earlier, I am one of the gods in heaven” replied the stranger in a genuine tone.

Puzzled, Sumaya asked “Are you for real?”

“Yes, I am”

Sumaya paused for a while, thinking of what to say or do or anything to keep her mind afloat and sane enough to handle what’s going. She expelled deep breath. “So how do I believe you are telling the truth? I need proof, evidence, something to show you are a god” she was doubtful of getting any.

All of a sudden, she heard her phone ringing on the center table, she was certain it wasn’t there moments ago as it supposed to be in her missing bag. She tip-toed to her phone, looked down at it to see the name ‘god’ as the caller. Carefully, she picked it up, received and pressed it upon her ear. “Hello!” she said to it, her voice shaky.

“Please open the door and come have your bag” the stranger’s voice came up inside the phone.

Sumaya swiftly dropped the phone like it had stung her. She rushed back to the door, peeped through the hole and there she saw handsome ‘god’ breaming and waving the bag at her. She pushed back, confused on what to do. She summoned courage, held tight to her kitchen knife, unlocked the door hesitantly and slowly opened the door. Behind the door was only her hand bag laying on the floor, the strange man was nowhere in sight ahead as she looked around. Suumaya picked up her bag and rushed back in to lock the door hoping her stalker wasn’t hiding somewhere around the compound. As Sumaya turned around, she screamed and as well jolted in fear. Terrified by what she was staring at, her body began to tremble at the presence of a man calmly seated on one of her couch while he gulped from the bottle of Coke.
“How did you…” Sumaya paused. Looked at the door amusingly and back at the familiar stranger.

The man shrugged mindlessly, he raised the bottle at her. “I think I would love the name Mr. Coke” he said with a charming smile.

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KIA


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As she dashed out of the shopping mall, Sumaya couldn’t yet wrap her head on what happened back there. Her body was trembling as she headed for the parking lot. “This can’t be true, I’m sure I will wake up to see it’s a dream. “She grumbled repeatedly in an attempt to convince herself. When she finally made it to her car, her hand fumbled through her hand bag for a while in search for the car key but was surprise not to find it. She carefully searched again, this time bringing out every item in the leather bag one after the other and placing them on the bonnet but yet the key was nowhere around. Sumaya sighed depressingly wondering what could be going on as she had vivid recollection of dropping the key inside her bag.

“Hey Sumaya!” someone called from behind.

Sumaya trembled before swiftly turning her face around to catch a familiar face standing few steps away. It was him, the same strange man in the mall. Sumaya stood startled while she stared at him all over. The man slowly brought out something from his back, it was a key dangling amidst his fingers.

“That’s my Key!” Sumaya pointed looking shocked “How did you…” she paused her statement half way and made a keen stare at him. Sumaya noticed the thick eyebrows which added more drama and expressiveness to his look, a clean shave cheeks with a full lips, high cheekbones causing him a carnivorous look, he had on his face a sincere smile like he intends to start a sweet conversation. Sumaya was weak in the knee, she could see the stranger had all the seductive weapon enough to conquer her.

“Who are you?” the words unconsciously escaped her mouth. She was more amazed than scared. And like a girl in a candy store, she wanted all of him.

The man made a broader smile like he could hear her nasty chain of thought. “I am one of the gods up in heaven” he replied with his finger pointed to the sky.

Sumaya curiously looked up at the sky and back at him, she feared she had probably been accosted by a lunatic, a handsome one at that. ‘Or could he just be trying to get my attention. Yes! I will play along so as to have him hang around’ she thought before knitting an exaggerated smile. “So what name does this god bears?”

“You can call me__” the man paused, looked around, he stared at the car ahead of him “Kia. Yes my name is Kia” he added convincingly.

Sumaya appeared puzzled, she looked at her car and realized what the strange man had done. She burst into laughter. “You are such a funny man, now I see you pick your names from anything. Kamal Butter, now it’s Kia motors. I wonder were you will be picking up the next name, from Cabin biscuit I guess. Sumaya had another good laugh at her sense of cruel unapologetic ridicule. When she was done, she ordered sternly that her car key be handed back to her which the strange man politely did without hesitation. “Mr. Kia or Kamla or whatever you choose around you to call yourself, you’ve really tried to get my attention but I won’t appreciate you stalking me around, it freaks me out” she made a friendly smile at him. She turned around to unlock the car door.

“I have come to warn you, the trumpet will be blown in three days time” the stranger said.

Sumaya paused, she slowly turned around and was awestruck to realize the stranger was nowhere around but rather few passer-by who minded their businesses. She rushed into her car, swiftly ignited the engine and carelessly matched on the accelerating pad…she zoomed-off like a ghost-rider.

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Chapter One

KAMLA


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For the untempt time she sighed depressingly as her eyes strayed across the various shelves of goods within the supermarket. For almost an hour, she had walked through every section of the shopping mall in search of a particular item she hungers for. She concluded it was time to leave as she already had few of the needed items in her cart.

“Hey!” the sound came from behind.
She halted to turn around and there behind her was a man. Tall, light-skinned and outstandingly handsome by her standard. He stood right there staring and smiling at her sheepishly like he had noticed her all along.

“Hi!” that was all she could muster while she stared at him amusingly. She sized him up and was fascinated by his entire being.

The man brought out his hand from behind him to reveal a small plastic container.

“Kamla Butter!” she gushed in excitement and stepped forward to the man who still held tight to the one thing she had being searching for in days. She so much loves Kamla Butter for its unique taste to whatever cooking she adds it to. But swiftly, the man retreated the container to his back, he still had his sheepish smile on him, one that looks harmless but weird for a stranger.

She stepped back in a state of uncomfortable awareness. “How did you know what I want?” pointing at the container on him, she asked looking puzzled and scared realizing she was alone in the grocery section of the mall with a stranger.

“I know you better than you can ever know yourself” the man plainly said as he still had his smile.

She rolled her eyes carefully, “Cheap line, go try that on a stupid lady” she said before turning to leave as she pushed her half-full cart away in hurry.

“Sumaya, I mean no harm. I have come to warn you!” the man called out in a soothing voice.

Sumaya halted abruptly, slowly turned around at the man who called her name. She walked up to him closely enough to notice his eye lens were icy-blue. “I see you’ve gone to find out about my name” she began with a frown to go with “Listen stranger or whoever you are, I won’t be fooled by your cheap watery tactics into getting my attention”. She turned around and hurriedly pushed her cart towards the cashier wishing the poor stranger would push harder his luck by making her stay around to seeing more of him as she definitely hadn’t gotten enough of his fine look.

“My name is Kamla. I have come to warn you. The trumpet will be blown in three days’ time from this moment” The man yelled louder from behind.

Sumaya paused, turned around curiously but was shocked the man was no longer there, rather she saw the container of ‘Kamla Butter’ rolling towards her. “Oh my goodness!” she exclaimed with her eyes widened in horror and awareness.


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