:::::::::::::::::
KANAKU

]What will be will be

"Is this the hotel you paid 30k for?" I asked Fuoyo for what had to be the hundredth time since we checked in two nights before

"yes Kanaku"

"They should give us change, na better street dem wan run us....they don't even leave the gen on overnight," I complained

Fuoyo shrugged but I was still adamant. "Nobody can play me like this, let's go to the receptionist and demand some refund"

"I paid online, with reservation fees, there's no refund" He snapped and continued staring at the ceiling

"Is this how you're going to be moping about because your girlfriend hasn't called you?"

"it's been two days"

"which should tell you to forget it, I wonder why I let you drag me along, I need to see my family, this hotel sef doesn't make sense so there's no need wasting time here. We should be planning to be back in Lagos by Friday, forget about Jessy"

"How many times will I have to say I'm not thinking of her? we came here for a reason and she hasn't even called to tell us what the package was. How can we go back without closure?"

I shook my head, "you can keep lying to yourself, but remember you told her it was up to her, unless you didn't mean it.....and stop going through those same papers over and over again, I get tired just watching you read"

He returned the papers back into the envelope. "I'm just so restless...I haven't even hustled since this whole thing started and I've spent and lost a lot of money"

"That's it, by tomorrow if we still don't hear a word from her then we cut our losses and go back, you have to be a man" I said fiercly

He sighed sadly, "I just hope she's alright...I didn't expect things to play out this way"

How could I tell him I felt the exact same way. I had dreamt, imagined, thought up scenerios where we found the map and went after the bag or satchel. If what Mr D said was true, just a piece of the precious stones it was made of would settle me and my family for life. I was vocal with my skepticism only because deep down I had begun to dream and hope. The earlier we got back to Lagos the better. Things would return to normal or could it? Could I still spend productive hours in the street smoking weed and reaping people of meager pocket change?

"I'm restless...let's stroll to that church bus stop, there's a fine woman who sells fruits there she keeps greeting me and flirting each time I pass..."

He looked at me, "what about Barakat?"

"you fool, it's just harmless chit chat, I'm tired of seeing your long face morning afternoon and night, infact stay and don't come...download some style plus songs so you can think of Jessy well well"

That got under his skin and he stood up. "you win... you win, I'm up"

We spent 2 hours outside, strolling and making friends. Benue was blessed with beautiful women and some where straightforward and direct enough to make the first move. A particular girl even stopped us and boldly offered Fuoyo her number.

He touched his pockets and smiled sheepishly, "I didn't bring my phone," he turned to me, "I must have forgotten it on the bed"

"Too bad, why don't you give me your number and i'll flash you so you'll call me later. Maybe we can hangout later tonight" she replied

I watched him call his number with alarming speed. When we were alone I elbowed him playfully in the ribs. "You see, if you were still crying in the hotel now, would you have met that pretty girl?"

He laughed and we talked about random things for a while before we stopped at a bar to drink beer and watch a soccer game.

It was getting dark when we stumbled back to the hotel, up the stairs, and fumbled with the key. I was 3 big bottles of stout gone and a little drunk, Fuoyo was 2 bottles of beer full and a lot more drunk.
Thankfully the big Generator was on and the Airconditioner was on full blast. I fiddled with the Tv remote while Fuoyo threw himself on the bed. "ehen my phone" he burped and picked his phone from the dresser. "wow that girl really means business, 4 missed calls" he exclaimed and proceeded to dial the number.

I sat on the mini-fridge, removing my shoe and listening to the one-sided conversation.

"Hi, Steff sorry I just got in and saw your missed calls, do you still want to meet up tonight? Oh....Jess? Jess! how are you? I thought you'll never call.....it's not like that...she's just someone I met earlier......wait I don't owe you any explanation, it's been 2 full days and not a word from you, not even to tell us goodbye......Are you serious....does that mean.....okay okay, it's a hotel called AI suites around....yes downtown....yes.....room 141.....okay"
He ended the call and looked at me,

"well....?" I prompted when he kept looking without saying anything

"she's taking a cab here now, she says she has something we need to see"

"Did she say what it was? Did she find the map?"

"she wouldn't say, she only said it was big news and she'll be here soon"

I sighed, "I hope she's not messing with us, hope can be exhausting"

Fuoyo yawned tiredly, "tell me about it....let me save her number now, she wouldn't have bothered to come if there was nothing, but she specifically said she had something of interest." He looked at me, "this could be it"

I kept my face neutral. "Don't expect much, it could be anything" But my pulse was already racing.

Damn Fuoyo and his wild theories, Damn Mr. D for...God rest his soul but damn him for getting me sucked into the legend, and damn that treasure....after all the stress it had put me through, it better be real.

Chapter 15

FUOYO

Treasure Map

It took Jess a full hour to show up, a very nervy hour that had me pacing and thinking while the lingering effects of my earlier drinking reduced until I was clear headed and as sober as the pope.

By the time the knock sounded and Jessy called out, "it's me"
I opened the door immediately and grabbed her in a hug. "I really thought we'll never see again"

She seemed happy to see me although you couldn't be too sure with girls. She returned the hug and even gave me a peck on the cheek. "say the truth, you thought you'll never see the treasure not me"

We separated but I still held her hand, "no treasure is worth half our friendship"

"Abeg, make we hear word" Kanaku rebuked me from behind and she ran to give him a hug too.

We exchanged pleasantries and a little small talk but I know Kanaku was thinking the same thing I was; what was in the back pack she had placed on the floor?

Finally she rescued us from the suspense and unzipped the bag. "I'm sorry I couldn't call yesterday, I was so caught up with it, then I had to consider the pros and cons before I could make my choice"

"pros and cons?" Kanaku asked

She waved her hand, "just an old habit of mine...so I unwrapped the package and i've been reading it ever since..."

I held my breath, "is it the map?"

"no, I didn't see any drawing of any kind of map. It's the diary of the first man to take the satchel of Eziza as his own"

"you mean the general?" Kanaku asked

"yes"

We watched her retrieve a huge book from the bag; it was as big as the most detailed study bible if not bigger.

She watched Kanaku and I marvel at the ancient book,

"easy with the pages...it breaks easily" she warned as Kanaku lifted it to the light

"you read it all?" I asked

"Yes, twice....it's only half full. You won't believe what it contains...for years the diary was just an avenue for him to pour out his lonely thoughts and complain about the natives who resisted their invasion, until he became a colonel and led the raid on the benin palace. There were hundreds of valuables that they looted. According to him, one of his men detached a necklace from the deity but he didn't add it to the inventory but decided to keep it for himself, apparently it looked good with his uniform. From that point his entries become less coherent and more like the ramblings of a mad man...He really believed it was a necklace with mystical powers, he was drawn to the stones and began to torture some captured palace slaves till he learnt more about the Legend and the sacrifices the people made to the gods. He even writes about trying the sacrifice one night....the first time he actually put some gold coins and slit his thumb to squeeze a drop of blood but the next morning the coins were still in the bag untouched. Enraged, he executed the palace guard who told him about the excercise and continued his frantic search for answers until his men raided a small cave on the outskirts of the kingdom, where some displaced natives had run to seek refuge. One of the captured men was an elderly man the people believed to be a messanger of the gods," I glanced at her and she smiled, "That's how he phrased it in the book...the man was the high priest...."

"Like Native doctor?" Kanaku asked

She nodded, "Yes, he got a translator and moved the priest to a special cell where he employed horrible means of torture..."she broke off and shuddered, "The General was a really sick and ruthless person, and he enjoyed detailing everything he did to the priest until the priest told him what he wanted to know. He quickly got one of his men to get him cowries. He put 3 pieces instead of the one the priest had told him to and squeezed a lot more than one drop of blood. He called on Eziza the god and demanded a promotion, and the next morning he woke up to find the bag was empty...the cowries gone, and that day he received a letter announcing the Rear admiral had been recalled to England and he was now a General and put in charge of the entire area stretching his influence further South ... "

"What? Just like that?" Kanaku couldn't believe it and neither could I

"That's what he writes," she pointed at the book still in Kanaku's hands

"It could have been just coincidence, nothing more..." I added

she shrugged, "maybe, but he believed the satchel gave him the power"

"so what happened next?" Kanaku added, he held the book but didn't so much glance at the pages, he stared at Jessy, caught up in the story. I was caught up too

"There was a resistance springing up from the South called the Ekuku movement and it was fast gaining ground and pushing back the forces... I looked it up in online history books and I think it was from Delta to majority of the South East villages. The General had so much land under his control and a small army at his disposal so he appointed both a local head and a ranking officer as overseer of each conquered Kingdom and from there he started making lots of money, he had an agreement with a portuguese slave master and even though the high Commisioner had abolished slave trade, he secretly captured hundreds of people he sold as slaves, he quickly became very rich and he still received market levies, bribes, and even loots...and he believed it was all because of the bag"

"My God....so it's all true," Kanaku sat down slowly on the edge of the minifridge, he looked at me in wonder, "it really exists"

Since the night Mr D had spoken about it, I'd been sold. No matter how rational I tried to be, deep down I always believed there was a necklace with a cubed of precious gemstones, made specifically to be worn on the statue of the Olokun Deity of the Benin people.

"Jeez but the map is still missing" I watched Kanaku scheme through the diary, with nothing more than a cursory glance down each page

"No no....there's no map" Jessy said

"That's what I fear.." he replied

"no you don't understand, the diary is the map. Kanaku easy with the pages, it's very weak...."

"I don't understand...is there a drawing of a map in the diary?" I asked

she explained, "The man was so obsessed with the bag that he recorded everything concerning it in the Diary, he kept making sacrifices of blood stained cowries and seeing immediate results and in one entry dated I think 1902 or 3.... he led a deadly strike on most of the villages in Asaba. It was a series of battles but at the end he conquered the resistance and imprisoned all their leaders. He believed the resistance was broken and made the conquered territory his base which meant he now had control over most of the South. He grew richer got promoted yet again and continued his push, aiming to conquer the South-South and South-East and bring the whole South under the command of British Rule or really he just wanted command, cause his plans were more selfish than patriotic... he was already older then, from my calculations he would have been in his mid 60's but according to him, he hadn't aged a day since he performed the first sacrifice and got promoted. He was stronger than ever and even led his soldiers to every battle, wearing the satchel...he called it a necklace, for every battle. He believed he had become immortal ever since the priest had cursed him for challenging the gods"

"how did he challenge them?" Kanaku asked

"well...apparently it was an abomination for a mere man to wear a necklace meant for the gods and live"

"The priest was still his prisoner?" I was surprised

"No, he killed him immediately after his promotion, shot him in the head himself and had the body burnt"

"wow.....so what happened? He took the treasure back abroad or what?" Kanaku asked

She smiled, "This is the satisfying part, One day he made a sacrifice but this time he demanded to be made commander of the Royal Army ....he was obsessed with power and even though he was one of the most powerful officers stationed in the South, he felt his superiors were moving too slow. He couldn't conquer the rest of the South with his hundreds of soldiers and he still received orders and instructions from above. He dreamed of controlling the whole South and North and becoming Commander in Chief of the whole territory....the crazy thing is he believed it was his destiny. Believed he was no longer human and with the satchel he could even take the English crown as his stature grew...I tell you he was crazy" she blinked, "what was I saying before?"

"you mentioned a satisfying part..." I reminded her

"yes.....well he had been writing his Superiors asking for the go ahead to capture the remaining kingdoms in Asaba since his victory against the Ekuma movement and finally he received orders from the consul General to lead an expedition into an Igbo Town called Ogwuashi Iku... the Oba of Benin hadn't been caught and it was believed he had been hiding out in Asaba under the protection of Nzekwe, the crown prince"

"why was he after the Oba?" I asked

"The Oba's army massacred thousands of british soldiers years before...the year before the raid on the palace, that was one of the catalyst for the palace raid but the Oba escaped, so he sent a small expedition to the village but, the Obi had seen how the Oba of Benin had been exiled and believed the British would take his throne from him...he was prepared to fight for it and the whole Asaba including the conquered territory still sympathized with the Ekuma resistance which was now mostly underground. They resisted fiercly"

"The expedition failed?" Kanaku and I were both caught up.
Jess was unbelievable, how had she managed to read and understand all the details so perfectly, down to the dates and names?

"Yes it did, the local warriors resisted the invasion. After the loss, the General who was now a lieutenant General of the Southern province was mad with fury..he sent an agitated message to Lagos, demanding strong numbers of reinforcments to squash the rebellion once and for all. That night was when he performed the last sacrifice...to enable him conquer the entire South East, starting with the Ogwuashi village..."

"Did all this really happen?" I asked

"just google Ogwuashi Iku and see for yourself" she replied

"I'm still waiting for the satisfying part...tell me the bastard slit his veins by mistake during the blood sacrifice or something?" Kanaku sounded agitated

"Even better...that night, he made the sacrifice and hung it in a private room he kept it every night...some kind of shrine he had made.., he then wrote the entry after, detailing his plan and his demand to conquer the villages and kill every rebel, there's even a splotched stain which I believe is a drop of his blood. But the Ekumeku rebels must have been planning a coordinated attack for so long because that night hundreds of warriors attacked his Governor quaters. It was a surprise attack, swift and precise..the Ekumeku movement had been quashed years ago and learnt from past mistakes, they no longer employed guerilla warfare tactics, instead they performed stealth operations, targeting commanding officers and leaders they identified. From what I read online, he had been a target for many years and that night after the failed expedition his ranks was vulnerable enough that the warriors knew they had a golden opportuniy to strike and kill him."

"Did they succeed?" Kanaku and I asked together

"No....he managed to escape although many of his men gave their lives for him, but both his quaters and the town hall were burnt down, as well as every military outpost"

"And the Satchel?"

"It was stolen. He only managed to escape into the night, whisked away by his surviving men, back to Edo"

"Wow...that's what Mr D made mention to that night...." I said slowly

"Yes....the news of the victory spread like wild fire and by the time he returned to Edo, the Benin people had heard the news, and what's more there were whispers that the precious satchel of Eziza had been looted from the Governor and was now back safely in the hands of their King, who had found refuge in Asaba"

"What na happened?" Kanaku urged

"The General was never the same again, he was unable to hold his post and he seemed to age overnight, he became very weak and within a month he couldn't even walk without the help of a cane. Thousands of armed soldiers arrived but he was in no shape to lead them or give orders to the commanding officers, He was retired to the background and the Consul General had to take his place and oversee the war. The consul General was the one who finally caught the Oba of Benin and exiled him to live the rest of his days in Calabar. The Consul was more democratic and didn't execute captured warriors but almost immediately he fell terribly sick and was flown back to England, but mere months after he was found dead in his home"

"The General?" I asked

"no, the consul who took his place"

"he died abroad?" Kanaku asked

"yes"

"what happened?"

"He poisoned himself, the official record I found online says the poison was deliberate while he was temporarily insane after suffering acutely from insomnia caused by Malaria and backwater fever he had caught in Africa"

"And the General...or Governor? The treasure too?"

"The queen retired the Governor permanently and ordered his return to Britain for health treatment so he was also in London around the same time Ralph Moor-that's the Consul was receiving treatment. After hearing first hand accounts about how the Consul was gradually going insane from lack of sleep, he believed the consul had taken the satchel of Eziza when he captured the Oba and had worn it but since it wasn't his destiny, he wasn't worthy and the curse of the priest affected him. He writes about paying him a visit and when he mentions the Satchel, Moor tells him it was cursed and gave him nightmares till he became too afraid to sleep. It wasn't in his possession anymore, he had handed it over to his successor, a man named Egerton. A couple of days later, Moor commits suicide and the retired General retrurns to Nigeria. But by now his health had gotten worse and he couldn't move around like before, still he believed that once he recovered the bag he would be back to his previous state and regain his power. He wrote the new Consul but Eggerton didn't reply his letter for almost 2 weeks and each day he got worse until finally he received a reply and found out Eggerton who was even more diplomatic than Moore had given the Satchel to a local Nothern ruler as a peace offering to settle a dispute between the Hausas and Yorubas over Ilorin which was under Nothern rule much to the agitation of the South West..."

"How did you learn all these in two days?" Kanaku asked full of surprise

"I have a strong memory, like very good...." she replied. Then sat down on the bed, "I read each entry back to back and browsed on any date and name he mentioned...it was a lot of research I didn't even leave my room for 2 days"

"so the satchel was now in the hands of the Sultan or Emir?" I asked

"Yes, but the North didn't have a single Ruler and the General wrote another letter requesting to find out which of the leaders had been given...By this time most of the North had been captured and each Leader more or less reported to the colonial rule. It took some weeks but Eggerton sent his reply and the General makes his next entry stating the richest family head of Kaduna, one Aminu Allama.....I can't pronounce the surname, had accepted the satchel as a goodwill gift on behalf of the southern kings to one of his sons who was getting married"

"Kaduna? Not Nassarawa?" Kanaku sounded confused

Jess shrugged, "that's what it says in the diary"

I would have been confused too, if I hadn't stayed up every night poring through Mr D's notes...I snapped my finger...."Jess....that name, Mallam Aminu...Allamagaditsu right?"

She was surprised, "yes....I think that's it...how do you know?"

"Mr D did his research....the Mallam was the ruler of Southern Kaduna...Kaduna was so big in those days that it was divided into 2; North and South....that name Jessy mentioned was the head of the ruling family of the South at the time, he had so many wives and children.....the family was known as the Allamagaditsu clan"

"So what are you saying....it's no longer Nassarawa again but Kaduna? Haba!" Kanaku sounded tired of everything

"That part also confused me a bit" Jessy agreed

It felt good to have the stage, "you people are forgetting your civic education....Nassarawa was only formed in 1966 from Plateau State....and the time we're talking about I'm guessing is before the 1914 Almagamation...right?" I looked at Jessy

"yes the entry about the letters is dated 1911..." Jessy added

"perfect...." I snapped my fingers as it fit together, "During colonial rule, Nassarawa would have been part of Southern Kaduna, under the rule of the Allamagaditsu family...."

"wow, good job bro, how did you figure this out?"

"Mr D had already figured it out. Remember that village I told you guys was circled in his document....? well It's location on the map is exactly where the Allamagaditsu clan was said to own one of the biggest peanut farms at the time...and that's not all..." I unlocked my phone and scrolled through my recent pictures. "It's the second asterixed point on the timeline of the Map Mr D drew on the floor..." The last 2 digits of the date had been covered with blood but it was the first date that started with a 19, the first and only visible date was 1897 , the first marking on the diagonal line originating from the South West which signalled the Benin attack before the turn of the century, the primary location of the treasure and where it all started. I was excited, "I think I figured out the map...." \

"The diary?"

"well yes...the diary is the source but Mr D was able to crack it and interprete it in a drawing"

Kanaku came to stand beside me and I showed him my phone

"This is the drawing he was showing us..." he remembered

"yes, a timeline of all the known points the treasure passed through....There are 7 Asterix....minus the Benin looting which makes it 6....The treasure should be in one of these points...."

"How do we know where exactly these points are on the map....apart from the Nassarawa point?" Jess asked

"We just need to cross it with the diary and confirm it with a state and capital map...I've downloaded several already"

"Well this is making sense...." Kanaku began to flip through my pictures, trying to spot the state each Asterix was located.

I picked up the Diary from the bed and looked to Jessy. "what else does he say, did he ever get to trace it?"

"No....he suffered a partial stroke, plus the condition of his legs had worsened making him more or less a cripple....he wrote a letter to Eggerton offering every cent he had in his name and all his property to the Mallam in exchange for the Satchel but the reply never came...his next entry is almost 2 years after, he just found out that Eggerton had been demoted and sent overseas and his replacement Lord Luggard was planning to join the North and South together....his long-held dream....the news almost killed him but he still held the hope of getting the Satchel once more....although when you read it you'll know he wasn't really thinking straight...still he makes a short entry where he keeps hoping Lord Luggard would reply his letter...I think he wrote another letter or maybe he was hoping he'll reply the one he wrote to Eggerton....anyway that's the second to the last entry"

"second to the last?" I flipped the pages in surprise, "this big book?"

"It's not all filled up, plus more than half of it covers his own tales as a colonel and General and his fight against the Ekumeku movement" Jessy explained....."Turn to the last page....the last entry is about 10 pages before the last..."

I turned the book to the back and gently flipped the pages.

I saw the last entry she talked about and decided to read it out....


"Both my legs are gone, my right hand is gone, I grip this quil with my left hand and I fear this would be the last. The nightmares have become worse and so has the pain. I struggle to hold on to the last thread of my sanity lest I kill myself like Moor but I know it's my destiny. I must find it even though my body betrays me. I remember what the local medicine man told me years ago, wearing the satchel for over a decade has bound my soul to the deity. Without it I remain nothing but chaff, an empty vessel...soullessly dying away limb by limb.
I yearn to feel unlimited power once more, but what can I do? I have no one to help me retrieve what is mine. Even my own son refuses to help me. It's been 3 years and no word from him in London. My Gerald was my only hope to find what I seek but it is clear he has no intention of coming to Africa, not even if it's my dying wish
I sense my death is fast approaching. If only I could wear it one more time, I'll be immortal again. I only fear that the Mallam son would take it to his grave as the clan has a stupid tradition of being buried with all their valuables when they die. The Mallam is dead, and It's been 8 months since the amalgamation put an end to their family supremacy. His first son now runs the plantation and his 5 other sons have migrated farther up North, I know not where or which son holds on to my destiny but I know I will find what is rightfully mine.
A strange tradition to be buried with gold but I hear it's one they have practiced since the days of their ancestors.
I know I will find it again for it is my destiny, If not in this life then the next. If not in this body then in a better body. My soul continues to call my spirit and I wait till I roam the Earth once more in a new body, but with old memories and find it.
I must keep this diary safe If my soul is really bound to the satchel, as they say, I sense my reincarnation in the future, Gerald junior has been a disappointment but he's still the bone of my bone. And, one-day theessence of my consciousness would be born again. Even if it's a hundred years from now, and if I have to dig the grave of every Allamadistu male who ever lived, I will find what is mine. And when I do, I must make sure it never leaves my lineage. For now, I understand my soul needs a Deified body to truly be immortal. This entry is my longest yet, took me 29 days to write this and my hands fail me more each day.
To my future being, write the next entry, detailing your victory.
-Gerald F


"He must have run mad" Kanaku exclaimed, "if he really believed that nonsense then maybe we're just wasting our time"

I turned the blank pages.. "no entry from his reincarnated self yet....he was obviously mad but his findings are still valid..."

"What findings?" Jess asked, "he only figured out the Nassarawa location"

"yes, I agree with Jessy he was still coherent when he made that discovery....we could take the risk and check out the Nassarawa village just to fulfill all righteousness then we forget about this careless legend and move on"

"no....no....see, I didn't understand most of the research Mr D had made in that envelope until Jessy broke down the diary then I understood a bit more, but this last entry just opened my eyes to what Mr D found out and was so excited about..."

Jessy was looking at me with a worried look but I was too excited to bother. "Mr D took it a step further and found out where all the remaining 5 sons relocated to after the amalgamation.....Jess please pass me the envelope on the Tv stand..."

She passed it over and I flipped through the pages till I found the particular one I was looking for. "Here: Nassarawa, Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Yobe and Gombe....and...where's the second one..." I dug around the envelope once more, "yes here....it lists the states again but this time there's a margin titled date of death....1931 for Nassarawa, 1938 for Kaduna, 1933 for Kano, 1942 for Jigawa, 1949 for Yobe and 1930 for Gombe"

Kanaku still held my phone, "so is this the same date with the ones you snapped?"

"No, I believe the asterixed dates stands for the years they moved and the treasure appeared in that location...depending on which of the sons had the treasure in his possession"

"are you sure?" Jess asked

"okay that's just an educated guess, but I've studied the map, each asterix is exactly where each of the mentioned state is located...that's why the line curves like a hook..because Gombe is directly under Yobe...."

"So are we going to start digging graves in every location?" Jess asked

"no...no.....okay I don't know....this is really hard to swallow..." I turned to Kanaku, "what do you think?"

"we should take our time to research this family clan, how legitimate is this their burial tradition? where are the descendants now...? and if you guys have the mind for it, I'm down for only just this Nassarawa point....that's the only location i'm convinced about....we may get lucky and find something. And if we don't we should just forget about it and go back to Lagos cause it sounds like a waste of time"

I realized I agreed with him totally. Jessy still looked unsure

"But what about the mail Fuoyo read...Kenekelis already sent trackers to the village...they might have found it already"

"she's right....plus it's going to be very dangerous...." Kanaku bit his lower lip, deep in thought. Finally he straightened up. "okay since Nassarawa is close by, Fuoyo and I can make the trip and see what we find, we could disguise as herdsmen or farmers....once we get close enough we do some figurative and literal digging and disappear quickly"

I nodded, "sounds good"

"oh no....there's no way you guys are living me behind..."

:::::::::::::::::

JECINCTA

Research And More Planning

By the time I left their hotel, it was way past 9. They escorted me to the road and we stood talking until I flagged down a taxi. Kanaku wanted to know what we thought about the last entry, could it be possible that the General had been immortal for a short while until the bag was stolen?

Fuoyo and Kanaku both dismissed it as the ramblings of a mad man...The General had believed his ramblings but it didn't make it any reality. Finally, I got into the taxi and we decided to meet up at the hotel by noon tomorrow to make up our final plans and decision. The diary had been too exciting and for 48 hours I'd been caught up and all I could think of was the treasure and showing my friends what I had found, but now that they were making plans to really go after it, I was unsure and scared. I spent the entire ride thinking of how to change their mind from going. Funny enough I wasn't scared for myself but what really worried me was the excitement and determination I saw in their eyes....especially Fuoyo, it really had me worried.

While reading the diary I had recognized the same determination in the words the dying General had written...full of belief and hope that the treasure was his to find. Same way Mr. D had been determined and confident he would find it, and now they were going down the same path. If I followed them maybe I could control them and when we didn't find anything in Nassarawa it would be up to me to remind them we had agreed to let it go if Nassarawa turned out to be a disappointment.

I got home and mumbled an excuse to my parents before heading straight to the kitchen to microwave my cold plate of rice.

I couldn't work up an appetite and I gave up after few spoonfuls and picked up my dad's laptop once more. Fuoyo and Kanaku would be making research by now and I couldn't sleep anyway. I enabled the hotspot on my phone and was soon searching about the history of the Allamadagitsu clan. The family tree went as far back as the 15th century and originated from the state of Kwara before they moved North, each generation becoming more Nothern than the last but still maintaining important traditions of their ancestors. The most notable tradition was that when they died, they got buried with their most expensive and valuable items.
The clan believes if they take all their precious valuables to the Earth when they die, their descendants would be born rich.
In the early days, it was usually just bags of crops and peanuts from the farm but then the family continued to get wealthy and generations down the line, the dynasty continued to grow, as well as belief in their tradition. It was required of only the men and over time, trinklets, cowries, and jewelries replaced the grains. Grave robbers were caught on every attempt and an example was made of the criminals to ensure no one dared to rob the graves again. By the early 1900s, the family name had been greatly reduced by the colonial rule but the family remained wealthy and powerful and kept on with the tradition. However after the death of Mallam Aminu II his oldest son took over the plantation and his brothers moved on to different States with their wives, each adopting a different name because of a long-standing rivalry with the Sokoto caliphate and other elite rulers of the core North. Another reason historians speculate they changed their names was to discourage grave robbers when they died. If their identity wasn't known to all, then the secret of their burial tradition would remain safe. It was believed that if any of the valuables got stolen then the spirit was cursed to wander the Earth until his direct heir died and was buried with additional valuables equivalent to or worth more than had been stolen from his father. Strange enough according to the records, no grave had been successfully robbed. Armed guards made sure trespassers were shot on sight and over the years, the family developed a more effective strategy of secrecy and shortened the long name which preserved the lineage especially after the amalgamation.....

"Jess, you can continue this project tomorrow...you're sleeping already. Go and lie down inside" My mom shook me awake by 2 am and I shut down the laptop without a word and staggered to my room.

The next morning I slept till 9. After depriving myself of two nights of sleep in a row, I still owed my body some more hours of rest but I felt a whole lot more refreshed. I was the only one at home, my mom opened her shop by 7 am daily and my dad was the vice principal at the Government college so he left the house earlier.
I fried 2 eggs sunny side up and made a quick sandwich and quickly rushed the slices, looking at the wall clock. By 11 I had showered and locked up the house.

Fuoyo was still sleeping when Kanaku opened the door, and I noticed even he looked tired and his eyes were red.

"you guys are still sleeping?"

He stretched and rubbed his eye tiredly with the back of his hand. "I didn't sleep till like 6...I don't even know what time Fuoyo slept off, he was reading the diary..." he went to the restroom and I heard the tap running. "Is it noon already?"

"almost"

"let me wake him" he came out drying his face with a towel

"no let him sleep a bit..."

"oh, sheybe I shouldn't have washed my face yet" he grumbled

I chuckled, "6 to 11 is about 5 hours Kanaku....besides I want us to talk"

I liked how he became serious all of a sudden
"What is it? what's bothering you?"

I took a deep breath, "Kanaku I know you're the only one that can really control Fuoyo...he listens to you....looks up to you....."

"Woah...are you serious? cause I'm pretty sure it's the other way around"

"no....you guys have mutual respect for each other, but he looks to you for confirmation for almost everything...."

"hmmmm......I guess you're right, is that what's bothering you?"

"no.....I want you to promise me that after we check out the village in Nassarawa and even if we don't find anything you'll put an end to the hunt"

"me....we're a team remember? i'm not in charge-"

"Kanayo" I called his name in a patient tone and he looked at me in surprise. "when it comes down to it, you're the only one who'll be able to talk him out of it-why are you looking at me like that?"

"nothing...the way you just called my name, reminded me of my dad......." he looked wistful for a second before shaking his head, "I think you're underrating how important you are to Fuoyo, you have more control over his decisions than you think"

That made me think for some minutes, finally I chose a middle ground. "well if the both of us put our foot down, that means he wouldn't have a choice but to agree"

"yes.....but......" he sighed

"Oh no....don't tell me I have to talk you out of the hunt too?"

"oh no....I have a family to think about...with another baby on the way I can't afford to be chasing legends"
He sounded like he was trying to convince himself but I chose to say nothing.

We talked about our research for a while. He and Fuoyo had found a possible trace about one AbdulRauf Allamad who had migrated from Nassarawa and started a cattle farm with his family in 1915. "That's the closest we could come, the timeline fits perfectly just the name is wrong...."

"I think I read somewhere that after the amalgamation they began to shorten their last name" I remembered

"really? well, three heads are definitely better than two....who knows? maybe we'll be lucky and he's the son who was getting married at the time the bag was given to his father as a wedding gift"

"I hope so too" but I doubted we would find anything, if he was really the one, I doubted we would find the grave untouched. We were one week late

"that's it....time to wake sleeping beauty..." Kanaku winked at me and began to shake Fuoyo roughly. "Sleepyhead oya time to get up..."

::::::::::::
KANAKU

Plan A and B

The plan was a simple one and also a complex one at the same time. Each of us brought up our idea, speaking one after the other, adding something to what the other had said and it flowed so well which made it seem very simple. Until Fuoyo began to recount the stages of the plan and it didn't seem so straightforward anymore.

"Okay, so we'll charter a space bus or Sienna early tomorrow morning. By noon we should be in Nassarawa. We'll lodge somewhere in the nearest Town and Jess and I would remain out of sight while Kanaku goes to the market to buy the tools he says we'll need....then we take another taxi to the village, once we're there, we'll look for another hotel to lodge if we find it fine...Jessy would stay in the room-"

"I don't agree with this part" she interjected

"if we don't see then we go-ahead to the next stage, interrogate the villagers as discreetly as possible till we have the address of the farm....if we're able to find it on time, then we all have a look....get a feel of how big the place is and determine if there's any buried body on the acres, guards, etc..if it's late Jess and I would return to the city while Kanaku does the night snooping to determine where the late AbdulRauf is buried...this is the part I don't agree with..." Fuoyo broke off and looked at me

"We can't all be sneaking around somebody's farm at night...." I stated

"Yes, but if Jess is in a hotel in the town, it'll just be you and me-"

"I won't be-" Jessy interjected again

"Look, I've been snooping around at night while you guys were still eating baby food...anything involving night, I move alone....now continue" I interrupted

"okay......whichever scenario plays out, the next morning we discuss whatever we find, if the rave is indeed in the location, then we change to the clothes and tools Kanaku bought the day before..."

"What exactly is he going to buy? farmers don't have a specific clothe or uniform, hope you know?" Jessy interrupted

"nothing much....just some straw hats, Okrika clothes, one or two shovels for digging and a machete for security" I added

"yes good...a cattle ranch would be at least 1 or 2 acres so our costume would help disguise us and we try to break in with the best route Kanaku would have figured out the night before and wait till nightfall before locating the grave...unless the coast is clear enough then we dig it up immediately, and exit the premises at once..."

"you forgot to add we wouldn't dig any other grave apart from the specific one" Jessy added

I remembered our discussion that morning and added, "that's true..we can't afford to waste time, so we only dig the grave we identify"

Fuoyo nodded, "yes that too....but what if we are unable to identify the particular grave....we don't expect to see a tombstone and epitaph...."

"Hmm...." I bit my lower lip, "you know what...we should have another plan....a kind of what-if plan....a plan B, just in case nothing plays out as we expect, what do we do if there are people on the farm and it's too busy? what do we do if we can't find any grave? what do we do if we run into the trackers and Mr. D's work colleagues excavating the graves already?"

"Haa....the best plan B I can think of is to run away and leave immediately," Jessy said

"wait...I think I have an idea of what we'll do if any of these things happen..." Fuoyo said slowly

I smiled at him, "fire down soldier, we're all ears"

This is ultimate search

aprilwise:
This is ultimate search

Yes!
Indeed.

Thanks for these updates!
Souloho19,you can rest till end of June.
This is back to back to back to back to back update!

Soul baba, you too much. This is just spellbinding. I love it. Thank you

Thanks for the update boss

The search for the satchel continues 100%

Thanks for the update.
The story is getting more interesting.

Up The Blues

Happy sunday ma people thanks for the comments

souloho19:
Up The Blues

Happy sunday ma people thanks for the comments

happy Sunday bro
Breakfast won’t go today because chelsea won
Even sad that you are a chelsea fan and you be my G oooo
Why you dey support chelsea

This is interesting 100%
I'm in love in with this story

souloho19:
Up The Blues

Happy sunday ma people thanks for the comments

knack us update make we take celebrate am jare

Have you guys seen a genius personified? I have seen one in Souloho! Guy you too much. Thanks so much for all the updates indeed the wait was worth it. Expecting another series in a week's time. Meanwhile congrats to your team for winning the UEFA Champions League

Nice one souloho but who is bankrolling these guys? Where do they all these money they are spending?

Wow.

Nice work OP

Thanks for the update.

Exciting.

Nice one bro

Kaycee9242:
Nice one souloho but who is bankrolling these guys? Where do they all these money they are spending?

Fuoyo was into cybercrime and still have some change left while Jecincta had so much money that was already given to her by her assassinated boyfriend, so the cash is still available

Thanks for the update

Souloho didn't just updated us, he also educated and took his Readers back to history....what a genius writer.

Thank you souloho for the updates back to back :

This is riveting! I must commend Mr. Souloho as always for this great masterpiece. I know it's not easy to put all these efforts, hard works, and research behind a work. But what mesmerized me the most is how Souloho has been able to keep it 100. The suspense, the chronological detailing of each scene and event, the portrayal of each character, the rendition of human nature, everything is just so perfect.

Well, I shouldn't expect anything less from a STAN!
The Lord is your strength sire

Sometimes, I dey enjoy Fuoyo sha

Thanks for the update boss

We're expecting another updates in the next two weeks

Missyajoke:
This is interesting 100%
I'm in love in with this story

Don't love the story too much, before you accidentally fall in love with me