Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / New
Stats: 3,143,316 members, 7,780,768 topics. Date: Thursday, 28 March 2024 at 09:36 PM

The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide - Literature (2) - Nairaland

Nairaland Forum / Entertainment / Literature / The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide (13890 Views)

The Wall Between Us. A Novel By EneChelsea / 'Lost But Satisfied' A Thriller By Akíntayo Akinjide / Grabbing The Hot Gate ( A Paranormal Novel) By Akintayo Akinjide (2) (3) (4)

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (Reply) (Go Down)

Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by Divepen1(m): 11:52pm On Apr 24, 2019
skubido:
Nawa oo

Tanks for the update
Na real wa... You're welcome...
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by Divepen1(m): 11:53pm On Apr 24, 2019
moseph:
thanks for the update
You're so welcome. Thanks for here. How're you?
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by Divepen1(m): 11:53pm On Apr 24, 2019
skubido:
Nawa oo

Tanks for the update
Na real wa... You're welcome...
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by Divepen1(m): 11:54pm On Apr 24, 2019
moseph:
thanks for the update
You're so welcome. Thanks for being here. How're you?
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by moseph(f): 8:08am On Apr 25, 2019
Divepen1:
You're so welcome. Thanks for being here. How're you?
Am fine
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by Missmossy(f): 3:05pm On Apr 25, 2019
Interesting piece, keep it coming cheesy
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by Divepen1(m): 3:41pm On Apr 25, 2019
Missmossy:
Interesting piece, keep it coming cheesy
Welcome missmossy. By the way, if you follow this story to the end, we might want to give you an official FortuneCity I'd card
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by Ann2012(f): 4:04pm On Apr 25, 2019
Thanks for the update OP
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by skubido(m): 4:08pm On Apr 25, 2019
Hmmmmm
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by Divepen1(m): 4:22pm On Apr 25, 2019
Ann2012:
Thanks for the update OP
You're welcome o...

1 Like

Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by Divepen1(m): 4:22pm On Apr 25, 2019
skubido:
Hmmmmm
Indeed...
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by Divepen1(m): 4:26pm On Apr 25, 2019
8
Tunde wanted to talk and lecture Lizzy about the way he was way out of her league. But he kept his anger in check till it was the most appropriate time to explode. He marched out of the path and went to the front of the house, where the number of travellers had increased.
Every one of them had bags of different sizes. Some looked haggard while others made it a duty to impress people. The ladies wore dresses that were aimed at seducing others. He just couldn’t go out his way. No matter how hard it was, he would abstain from sex until he met a woman that really wanted it. From experience, women always felt that once a man began to desire to have sex with them, they now had power over such man. He would be different and would make sure he found a reason to be desired by women. Even if any woman wanted to control him with his desire for sex, such woman must be the one he would marry.
In a few minutes, Jude rushed out to his car, and returned to call names. Tunde, Ade and Lizzy were the last.
After Jude had called their names, he asked them to take numbers. Tunde got the number 27 and still and got eight people following him. Jude brought out his phone, dialed a number and said, ' how far? We're ready'.
The travelers all took their seat. Tired from reading and alone, Tunde scouted his surroundings. His eyes rested on a fair lady who found it hard to deal with her padlock. She couldn’t get it to open; thus, she tried various keys on it but the padlock refused to budge. However, after much trial, she smiled and looked around to see if anyone was watching her. Tunde looked away and glanced at her immediately. She caught his movement. Her beauty mesmerized him and he couldn’t take his eyes of her, making him smile sheepishly. She smiled and winked. Realizing he was staring at her, he grinned and looked away.
Jude rushed to the gate and welcomed two men to their midst. One was tall and wore his glasses straight, while the other one was chubby and kept chewing something as Jude stood near them. They both dressed formally and had boxes with them.
'What's this?' asked the lady he was stared at.
'This is the part we return some people's money to them'.
'As if you people are recycle bin', the lady said again and that piqued Tunde's interest towards her. Lizzy inhaled loudly and glanced at Ade. For whatever reason she did so, Ade nodded with a sense of awe. He rose and saluted the lady, who giggled. Ade wasn't one that did stupid things, but Tunde had seen him do many crazy things within the few times he was Lizzy and he hoped they got separated as early as possible.
'I told you this man is a scam. We can't get to Europe', Tunde said.
'I know. I always knew', commented a woman whose child hung on to her as if she was the cover of a book.
'This will help you. Don't you know that there would be cold in the field and on the sea?' Jude replied offhandedly.
'What do you mean on the field? Aren't we going to be inside the ship', someone else said.
'See... This life is as simple and as short as possible. Don't let me waste it on talks. Senseless ones at that'. Jude looked frustrated.
'My talk is not senseless', the girl said. 'We need to know what we're facing. Why do we have to bother about cold? We're not turkeys. We’re human'.
Some people defended her notion and began to murmur things, to Jude’s chagrin. He coughed and raised his hands. The others refused to stop talking and that infuriated him that he shouted. 'Shut up. You people are ungrateful. What do you mean? I'm not blind'.
'Ah! He has pressed P', someone said.
'Your father will press P'.
'Please, be careful what you say about my father, you might look fat but you're not his mate. You're not even up to the age of my father's first son, my elder brother'.
'Let your father take you to Italy and Germany'.
'Please, it's okay', A man shouted. The man looked like someone that was dressed up for a job interview. The rambling reduced.
'Oga, over to you', Ade said lackadaisically.
'Yes. Yes. We need to check your health statuses.
'To....'
'The bus that will take you was the one I called the other time. To? Did you just ask me 'to'? To
water. Haven't I explained enough? There are things that will warrant that we take healthy people. I'm not called the grand commandeer, IGWE1 for nothing'.
'Just do the test and let's face this business'.
'What do we do?' Asked the man that called for calm the other time.
One lady that looked as if she was made from wafer biscuit sat at a corner and silently chew gums. Tunde wondered if she would get the chance to follow them. If the wind hit her, Tunde was very sure that she would break into pieces. However, his attention drifted to her bag, which was different from those of the other ladies around that were filled as if their fathers had sent them parking.
‘File… Arrange yourselves like humans’, Jude replied.
The travelers filed to take the test and were done within a few minutes. Tunde returned to his seat and absentmindedly watched the remaining seven people go for theirs. Time crawled and he wanted to complain about their idleness, but he stopped when he caught Lizzy's eyes, which held contempt.
Around 9:30am, a big coaster bus parked in front of the house to take them away. Tunde fought
to pick a seat that was very far from Lizzy but she ended near him. She seemed to understand his plight because she glared at him, shook her head and turned to Ade. In another few minutes, they were teasing one another. Tunde felt left out as he had always been and his mind reverted to the way he always found a confidant in Emeka, how Emeka would have been with there with them.
About three kegs of petrol sat at the far end of the back seat, not far from them.
'That's kegs of petrol near us', he complained and the lady he was staring at the other time turned. She was sitting adjacent him.
'I hate what is happening to us here. This wasn't the way Jude told us things would happen. Now, we're knocking head to head with Petrol kegs'.
'The man is just too ludicrous. He is shady'.
'Indeed, I paid seven hundred thousand naira for just an adventure'.
'What's an adventure?'
'I'm just travelling, exploring the world'.
The frail lady glanced at them as if they were disturbing her silent muse. Seeing that the lady paid more than he, he knew he couldn't try to appease her because she had paid two hundred thousand than his uncompleted original payment. So, he decided to change the discussion.
'I'm Tunde'.
'Cecilia'.
'Nice to meet you'.
'You too. This one that we will be on the sea together, I hope it will really be nice'.
Lizzy laughed loudly. Tunde glanced at her and wondered when she would learn to be courteous, that they were in a bus that contained a lot of people.
'So, why are you leaving Nigeria?' Cecilia asked as she fiddled with her fingernails. The nails were well trimmed except the index fingers. The remaining fingernails were dotted with different
colours.
'I was retrenched for the second time. I'm bad in doing business. Everything seemed to work against me in this country'.
'Except the sun I guess. That guy knows how to come out to greet everyone'.
'I think it's the mosquitoes. Battling with them in the night might make you work your butt hard'.
'Oh! That might be true too'.
'It's true'.
'Now, we have two things that work for us in Nigeria'.
'Then, something is wrong with the two of us. We need to have our brain examined, if we think that the sun is working in our favour'.
'Oh! That's because you are not looking at it from that angle...'
She proceeded to tell him stories of great men and how they were able to make it in life because they hustled enough. She claimed it wasn't easy. Yet, they were one of those that had their ways cut out for them because they were propelled by these things. They stopped talking and Cecilia wanted to see the pictures of his phone.
She was too forward and he shouldn't trust her, but there wasn't a thing he could do since she was the only warming up to him at that time. He gave her his phone and proceeded to tell her something about the pictures. When they saw pictures that Emeka featured, Tunde called him 'just a friend' to avoid telling his story.
She too brought hers and flipped through as she made jokes about each of them. Just when the awkward moment came between them, when Cecilia stopped talking and he had no topic to raise for discussion, the bus stopped.
'What happening?' Cecilia said.
'I don't kn... Ade, what happening at your side?'
Ade turned to the window and peeped. Lizzy stretched her neck to also peep.
'Nothing'.
'Seriously?' Cecilia said and looked at her side.
Upfront, people have begun to murmur. Then, the door opened and Jude walked in.
'This is where you people will be till it's time to go. Enter the hotel. It's free for all'.
Tunde swallowed hard as if he had just been punched in the stomach.
'I thought we are going towards Libya', Tunde exclaimed after finding his voice. The frail lady
looked at him and he understood that he just spoken her fear.
'Go to Libya on legs. You're still lucky that I'm too tired to engage your insolence'.
'You're just jam-talking. Was this the plan?' Cecilia said.
'There was never a plan'.
The travelers began to make noise and Jude shouted at the top of his voice till they kept quiet.
Then, the guy with the suit said, 'but to be candid, he never told us any plan in the real sense. We were just made aware that we are leaving the place'.
Tunde wasn't up for being cheated. He rose from his seat.' This is really uncalled for, you never told us there would be a stop-over'.
'Shut up'. Jude shouted. 'I'm not like every other control-man. I'll tell you people a plan. This is the place you'll be staying till I give you the plan. I'm not just any type of control man. I will push your van into the desert only when I want to push it, not when you tell me to push it'
'Forget that side', Cecilia snapped.
'Leave him, he has seen fools', Tunde added.
'What do you mean? In fact, file out. Follow me'. Jude marched out.
Immediately, the bus was infested with a lot mumbling. Ade glanced at Tunde and shook his head. Tunde returned his glance and they stared at each other for a while and Tunde shrugged, agreeing that they were helpless and that was because they haven't trashed out the issue before they set out to follow him. If they had done the right thing by asking him for the plan, he wouldn't have dared made them stop like that.
When they had all gotten down, Jude asked them to pick a room of their choice from the hotel because it had been booked for them. However, two people, regardless of their genders, would be in the same room.
Everyone began to pick partners, especially the ones they've tried to connect with before they got there. As expected, Ade and Lizzy picked each other. Tunde stood aloof alongside Cecilia, he wanted to pick her but he didn't want to give her strange ideas.
By the time everyone had gotten a partner, Tunde, Cecilia, the slim lady and another man were left behind. The other lady tried to pick Cecilia, claiming they were both ladies.
‘Tah! I’m not lesbo…’Cecilia replied.
The other man smiled and edged near Cecilia. ‘Can I go with you then?’
She gave him an icy glare and turned to Tunde, who had been trying hard not to laugh at them.
'I know you were being careful about picking me. You're probably the type that makes people feel loved and then step back'.
He smiled as she picked her bag, turned to the remaining two and declared, 'we are together'. Indeed, they went off together and he had to find a way to avoid being emotionally attached to her. Turning towards the hotel gave him the chance to analyze it well. Nothing about the hotel was spectacular. Jude’s frugality might be their undoing. Despite the miniature effort the owner used in making the hotel look presentable, it still had touch of mediocrity about. They clambered up the stairs, with him dragging his bag as well as hers. She walked off after she had berated him for not being gentlemanly and not helping her. Everything about him screamed that he shouldn’t allow her make him cheap, but she was marching away before he couldn’t think up something to say.
After several attempts to get an empty room, they got one at the end of the passage. Upon entering the room, Tunde couldn’t get his mind off her curvy body. The tweaked from side to side and he couldn’t say if her actions were deliberate or she just that effect. Her presence made the room look small. If he had the intention of resisting her body, he had to move on.
They dropped their bags by the side of the bed and she grabbed a towel off the bed.
'Be a gentleman and try not to do anything that would make me shout', Cecilia said and marched off to the bathroom. She turned to him, 'or I cut off your power house'.
If it was to be a gentleman, he could do that. He had enough trouble at hand than to have her shouting to the others about him. He would do just as she had wanted, to stay put. As much as they couldn’t stand each other, Lizzy still had the respect for him that he didn’t rape her. The news would blow off the shred of respect remaining for him.
When Cecilia stepped out, he hurried to the bathroom. Her sky-blue towel had a negative effect on him. When he returned, she gave him a dismissive look, probably because he was half-dressed. The only thing he needed to wear was a Polo shirt.
‘I’m out. Hold the key’, he muttered.
Not very far from their room, the slim lady had rested against the wall, smoking cigarette in the corridor. He stared at her, shook his head, hissed and returned to his room. He wanted to complain there, but refused to talk. If he talked, he would tell her how revolting her behavior was and how he wouldn’t rush to her aid if she wanted to die.
He jumped into bed. Cecilia continued making up in front of the mirror. He slept off and woke five hours later, making wonder how he had slept off without being aware of her movement.
Dragging himself off the bed, he entered the empty corridor. Nothing moved within the upper part of the hotel and he could guess why. The bass of the music from the lower floor rocked the house and he couldn’t help hurrying off. But to his utter dismay, none of the action below excited him. He drank some bottles of beer and even took part in eating of fish. Cecilia kept rocking to the music on her own while Ade and Lizzy couldn’t stop smooching one another. Their action irked him that he had to return to the emptiness of the room. The effect of the emptiness could dry his longing for Cecilia.
Her hair flipped in the air again and various men clawed their ways to dance with her. But she seemed too loosed to give them a minute’s attention. Engrossed in the dance, she kept rocking and would wink at him whenever she caught his attention. Immediately, he rose to leave, she blocked his path. The bottle of Legend in her hand dangled and she didn’t seem to care. The stench of alcohol on her could sink anyone.
‘Dance with me?’ She urged.
He shook his head. Nothing would make him grow closer to her. ‘ When we get to Libya’.
‘I want you now. This floor… Now…’ She slurred. He shook her off him and hurried off her. He had a knack for walking without making any noise. Despite the noise, he wouldn’t expect any noise from his walk. At that point, he noticed a small room by the door of the stairs. Someone had left it ajar. He stopped in his track and scanned everywhere to see that no one could see him.
Suddenly, someone shouted. 'Don't tell me that. It's traceable'.
'No. Not traceable. She has really disguised herself', a guy’s voice replied. The first one belonged to a lady.
'She didn't. I'm very sure she is that lady that is always making snide comments. I can feel it in my guts and my guts doesn't deceive me'.
‘Well, your gut could have made you pick that guy when she rejected your offer’, the guy said again.
‘That one… He looked like a rapist. I just hope she doesn’t…’
His cough came again at the oddest of time.
'Who is that?' She called. Tunde sneaked away hurriedly.


http://www.writertain.com/164/thorny-path#289.
Tunde wasn

2 Likes

Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by Divepen1(m): 4:36pm On Apr 25, 2019
9
Tunde rushed off to the party downstairs. Cecilia still looked drunk. A lady had dragged a young man off her. Tunde grabbed her from behind.
'Leave...', She said as he turned back. 'Oh! It's you'.
'Keep dancing. Face me', Tunde ordered.
'No. I don't know you yet. I don't know if you're the regular boys that would take a lady's heart and dump it on the sea. You might lov....'
He glanced at the entrance and saw the slim lady who was smoking, standing at the top of the stairs, scanning the room. He hurriedly looked away and knew the only option was to pull Cecilia nearer to kiss her.
He didn't kiss her, on a second thought. Instead, he kissed her cheek. And she hugged him tighter. He steered her to a side so that he could watched the slim lady. Her shades were evil but he wanted to believe she was only looking at them as if looking for someone. The other guy that went to the room with her came out, looked about, shrugged, tapped her shoulder, and they left.
'I think...Let's go to the room', Tunde urged her.
'I'm still grooving'.
'You'll come back later. I think you're in trouble'.
She swallowed hard, holding tightly to him. Everything in Tunde screamed for her attention.
'Let' go to the room', he said again.
She grabbed another bottle. 'You know these things are free, right?'
'You will come back for it'.
Her silver gown revealed every parts of her fair back and only got covered at her waist. The cloth hugged her body, revealing all her curves. If he didn’t promise abstinence, he would have given in to the temptation of the body. His hand might have just finished the job of tracing lines around the curves.
'Go to the room', he said as he dragged her. Then, he looked around for Ade and Lizzy, they weren't anywhere near. Even if they were around, they shouldn’t be involved. Moreover, they could be in the room having what Lizzy enjoyed most.
Cecilia blabbed something but the noise made it inaudible. Despite being drunk, she still sneaked off without revealing any detail that might make those in the room sneak after them.

'You slept off beside me. When I said you should be a gentleman, you didn't even try to be a man talk more of being gentle'.
'What are you saying?'
'I'm saying I sat beside you and expected that your sleep was pretentious that you will roll over and soon we will have the world of excitement. I wanted to you to prove me wrong'.
'You're drunk'.
'I'm okay. I'm perfectly okay'.
'Are you sure?' Tunde said and pulled her off to the room. Despite not knowing if he was doing the right thing, he had just made himself the guardian angel for a girl he barely knew.
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by Wadewaltz(m): 5:39pm On Apr 25, 2019
It is not of the great Wadewaltz to drop Generic comments but DIVEPEN1 I must confess,You are making yourself an enemy by outshining my story.If Only I could luanch a blitzkrieg on all the writers here so people would only read mine grin
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by nastynic(m): 12:21am On Apr 26, 2019
More bills boss



Following
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by Divepen1(m): 6:57am On Apr 26, 2019
nastynic:
More bills boss


Following
Welcome baba

1 Like

Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by skubido(m): 12:52pm On Apr 26, 2019
Tanks for the update

1 Like

Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by Divepen1(m): 7:49pm On Apr 26, 2019
10

The next morning, they were woken by a loud noise. Tunde wished for more time because he had kept a vigil as he feared the people would pick the lock of their room just to get to the drunken Cecilia. Normally, that wouldn't have bothered him but she was by his side. With no doubt, he would be a victim of circumstances.
Whoever thought of the object making noise did a great job because even a deaf person could hear the incessant and boisterous siren sound. And that brought him back to reality. Curled up to him, Cecilia laid like a log of wood. The sight of her sleeping like a baby sent vibes down his spine. No matter how hard one restricted the hot Cecilia, the sight of her sleeping innocently did the job. He wheezed and grabbed the bed to avoid kissing her.
Realizing the volatile position he met himself, he touched his zip to be sure she didn’t take advantage of him. He shook her and she moaned. Immediately, the noise increased and this time, she roused out of her sleep.
'What's that?'
He gently pushed her off his body and sat up. 'I don't know the message they are trying to pass with this crazy noise but they... I'm assuming it's to get ready'.
Within a few minute, the noise became audible. 'Get out here before 8pm'.
'Get down there before 8? That's fair', Tunde said as he rolled over to pick his phone. 'What? We have forty minutes left. How can... They... Get up, and get going to the bathroom'.


'Yes. Daddy…’She moaned and rolled towards him.
With her arm stretched, she tried to hug and kiss him. He pushed her off him, wondering how he hadn't taken up any emotional defense against this girl. The little things she did was getting to him, drawing him to her and he hated it. They were likely to part ways. Giggling, she climbed down the bed and removed her bumshort in front of him. Tunde was outdone there. Luckily for him, she walked away.
'There's a guy here', Tunde complained as he ransacked his backpack to pick his sponge and soap and towel. She stopped at the door of the bathroom and spun towards him.
'You're too gentle and that's unnerving'.
'That's because I know my worth'.
'Probably…' She said and stood at the door of the bathroom. 'You might probably be impotent'.
'The bathroom', he shouted and scurried out of the bed.
She rushed into the bathroom and rushed out soon. Not taking a moment to sip her beauty, he jumped inside and was also out within a few minutes. They dressed in silence.
As they were about to leave the room, he turned to her. 'Did you remember most of what happened yesternight?'
'Of course'.
'Good'.
'I remember everything perfectly well especially your expression when I told you I expected you to sleep with me'.
Tunde smacked his face, disgusted. 'Common. I was talking about the thing I heard'.
'Gentleman, I remember and how you told me to be careful. I remember'.
When they got out, Jude was standing on the coaster bus that brought them the previous day. How he got there, Tunde couldn't tell, but he knew one thing: Jude loved power and would always wield the little he had.
'Where have you been?' Ade asked and winked at Cecilia, who smiled and waved coyly at him. Tunde understood the deep meaning of what Ade was insinuating.
'Me? No. No.', he said and lowered his voice. 'Since, your Lizzy refused to have sex with me and instead became your Lizzy, I've made sure this thing under would be strictly for only women that I trust. No offense meant'.
'None taken. By the way, you didn't ask her for sex. You asked her to be your Lizzy'.
'I know. But I asked for sex. She would have just been a fling. It just pained me that she refused me today and the next two weeks she is becoming your Lizzy'.
Ade looked away and tapped Lizzy, who was chatting happily with Cecilia. 'Let's hear what he has to say'.
The two ladies turned towards the bus as Jude continually shouted at the top of his voice for calm.
'After all the cover-up, I know you're lying. How was it?' Ade mumbled to Tunde as he kept staring at Jude.
'Seriously. I mean it. I didn't do anything with her'.
'Wow. With this beauty', Ade said and started singing Tu face's song again about how he could say she was finer than his mother. Tunde shook his head and gave him a grim look that excited laughter from him.
'I heard my name', Lizzy said and rested her head on Ade's shoulder.
'Yes. I said you're a beauty'.
'Aww awwwnn.... You're lying. You're talking about other girls'.
'Me? Other girls? Impossible. When you are here'
'I hope', she whispered as calm had finally settled on the ground.
Jude looked as if he would soon cry. He turned to someone and barked for order again when he saw the person whispering. 'The plan is simple. We will take a 22-hour journey from Edo to Agadez. You will rest, I will advise you to really rest this time because that's the last sweet rest you'll get till you get to Italy. And from there we will enter the van that will push us to Sahara Desert, where we will use maximum of one and a half day'.
Someone murmured.
'What again?'
'Why?'
'What do you mean?'
'Why are we spending so many days on the desert?'
'You're high on palm wine. You should have asked us to jump the desert because of you. Please my people let's talk something. From the desert, I'll control money for people that will allow us enter Libya and our boat will enter the sea. And from there we will enter Italy. Italy people will catch you but UN will save you and they will sustain and help you get the real Italy visa. All of you will be given your passport now'.
'That one is hard o', another person said.
'Your brain is leaking. Do you think life is easy? So, go and pack your load. By 8:30, we will leave anybody that isn't ready. That for that. The test result has returned, the following people should see me now at that end', Jude said and pointed towards a place. He called out the names of five people.
'Can we enter the bus now?' Tunde asked.
'Yes'
Immediately noise erupted as people returned to their rooms. Tunde and his crew had their bags with them.
'Let's all sit together', Ade suggested. Tunde knew they wouldn't actually be together because he and Cecilia couldn't possibly be together. Tunde sat at the extreme end of the back seat. The petrol kegs were now gone. Cecilia squeezed herself beside him while Lizzy sat between Ade and Cecilia. Everyone returned to their seats. The slim lady too made sure she picked a seat near them. Despite the fact he saw her on the stairs, he couldn't actually conclude the voice he heard was hers. Yet, she was their prime suspect.
The journey started slowly on the rough roads and soon they were plying the express way. Ade and Lizzy started talking about things. Cecilia removed her earpiece from her pocket to listen to music. Tunde had no other option than to bring out his phone to read. Despite the desire to smell the sweetness of the hardcover books, he wanted to read some particular books that weren't in print yet. He read for hours unending.
Some hours later, Cecilia turned to him, raised a topic as she kept referring to people as Tunde's family members. Then, she later turned to Lizzy and they talked and Lizzy turned to Ade and soon the conversation became what every one of them contributed to until Ade began to sing 'See You Again' by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth. Tunde smiled.
'Shut your croaky voice'.
But Ade didn't. Instead, he kept singing with vigor that made other passengers look back as if they were trying to test his mental state. When the song was about to die, someone from the front joined him. The person started the song again and some other people joined them. Within seconds, a whole lot of people in the bus were singing it.
Tunde smiled sheepishly and blinked back tears. He would surely miss his parent and he was so sure that he couldn't just return without doing something for his life. He would miss Emeka. His mind flashed back to the way his hand was dipped into Emeka's chest and the way Emeka took his last breath.
They slept and woke again and restarted the process of conversation. Only this time, when Ade wanted to sing another song, Cecilia shouted, 'Stop all these rubbish, we're not in Disneyland'.
Everyone around, who heard her, laughed or snorted. They stopped the bus for a while to buy food and Jude could be seen strutting about, reminding them he was treating them well. Tunde frowned at him. 'What's he feeling like?'
'Like the boss. He bought us plate of rice and meat...' Cecilia said, irritated.
'Add the drink', Ade said from their table as he dropped the bottles of drinks.
'Yes, Ade. The drink', Tunde said.
'What about the plate and the spoons', Lizzy chipped in. Tunde wished she could face her own table. The place was set to accommodate only two people at a time. So, he wanted her to face her side of the table.
'Are you whining?' Cecilia said, amused.
'The plate and spoon. Such men are always known to swoon about, carrying about the grandeur of whatever they have done for us'.
They laughed, faced their food and Tunde coughed the same time the thin lady coughed. Tunde frowned at her and sighed desperately.
'Can't your wife put off her glasses?' Cecilia said.
'My w...?' He began to ask but when he followed her eyes, he smirked. 'I'm beginning to think some nuts are loosed in your head'.
'It takes one to know one'.
'Well, we're mirrors'.
'Indeed. I can see you in her', she said and tapped his chin. Tunde felt himself about to burst with laugher.
'She might be blind'.
'Oh God', Tunde replied with pity as it occurred to him for the first time that she might truly be blind and he had allowed himself to joke about her.
'See your life. How can she be blind?' Cecilia whispered and bent nearer. 'She is having big eyes'.
'Big eyes? Where are these ideas popping from?'
'From my head. Or where is my mouth again', she said and touched her mouth and touched her head as if she was looking for her head.
'What are you doing?'
'I'm looking for my head and my mouth'.
Tunde stared at her for a while and laughed her. Ade and Lizzy turned to look at them. Tunde nodded.
'So, back to your wife...' Cecilia said.
'No, back to your seat in the bus...'
'So soon?'
'We're not going to spend three years here'.
'We're not'.
They moved out of the canteen and returned to their bus, where they spent the remaining journey trying to sleep. However, they eventually spent it talking. The next few hours were spent in anticipation of the end of journey. Tunde looked forward as if the road was a fence and he could see their destination if he stretched his neck.
After what seemed like eternity, the bus reduced its pace at a place that had the representation of a park because a lot of people were also getting down from other busses.
'But I thought he said we would seat in a van', Cecilia noted.
'I thought so too’.
Lizzy, still staring at the end of the road said, 'let's hope'.
The number of people getting down from other buses scared Tunde, making him wonder if the travelling happened daily and if it did, how many able men would be in Nigeria. They stood there for about thirty minutes. From the buses, people began to call their different pusher-men. Some people were shouting terribly at their pusher-men and were telling them to come for them. Others were celebrating their arrival with their parents or relatives or friends over the phone.
'What's with all these ones?' Cecilia said. 'See how they are making call as if they are back. Or are these one just returning from Europe?'
'Are you fighting them?'
'In what sense?'
'In the sense that you can ask them yourself'.
She hissed and scoffed. In a few minutes, people from their own bus began to agitate about the whereabouts of Jude. Some of them placed a call to him and Tunde could see the frustration on their face as if it was a mask that couldn't come off easily.
'He said he would meet us here', one of them complained. The driver that brought them came forward and said, 'he is coming'.
As if they had been waiting for that statement, a lot of people grumbled and Tunde didn't take a back seat. He laid out his complaint chronologically and ended by letting anyone who cared to know that the problem was because they didn't make their plans well.
Sweating as if he had been under the sun the whole time, Jude ran towards them and pointed at a hotel. 'That's our destination. Follow me'.
They filed after him.
Cecilia nudged him. 'Welcome to my father's house'.
'Indeed'.
'You're such an unbelievably faithless man'.
'Your father can own this'.
'He does own it'.
Tunde nodded.
'In my imagination, though'.
Tunde laughed, shook his head, walked on, and laughed again. He glanced at her, she winked.
This time, they were four in the room. Tunde, Ade, Cecilia and Lizzy were in the room. They took turn taking their bath. They discussed, argued, joked and slept; with Cecilia cozying up to him. He tried to push her away but she whispered, 'be a gentle man or I'll shout'.
He shook his head and turned his back at her.
'How come you're able to resist me. If you're not impotent, are you an S.U?'
Tunde felt like vomiting, he coughed and grumbled, 'yuck'.
He loved the fact that she was surprised at his ability to hold himself. In the morning, they got ready and were down with their bags. When they got down, they met Jude barking orders at some boys. The boys were spilling water and petrol as they lifted them into a Hilux vans. Tunde tried to calculate how they would sit with the way things were arrange, and knew that they would have to squeeze themselves within the van.
'The gala', Cecilia said and Tunde inhaled loudly. Jude had encouraged them to buy more of gala and bread. Within a few minutes, he, Ade, Cecilia and Lizzy were searching for where to get stuffs like Bread, Garri, Water, and so many junks that would last them for two days. Cecilia had enough money and she bought extra things. Luckily, she had a backpack. When he asked her why she got extra of everything, she said she would love to eat on the sea.
'At least I'll have something that can't resist me and would surely do what it is meant to'.
When they got back, they met a mechanic working on the van. After a while, he banged the bonnet of car and turned to face Jude, whose sweaty body qmade Ade wonder what they must have done when they weren't around.
'Igwe one, this thing is sure'.
'Are you sure?'
'Everything. You trust your boy now. I'm not the regular people you see on the street'.
'Good', Jude brought money from his bulky trousers, counted some parts of it for the man, who left after hailing Jude about being 'Igwe 1'. Jude turned towards an shade, which bent under the weight of the roof.
‘ The place must contain only the dead, yuck!’ Ade mumbled.
‘Leo! Leo!! Let’s push this van’, Jude shouted towards the hut. “ Come drive o”
Immediately, a lanky man, clutching a big bottle of dry gin, staggered towards them. Tunde, who had never fainted in his life, wished he could faint that instance because they were handling their life to a drunk.
'Okay, let's get going', Leo said and staggered towards the car. He pronounced his 'l' like 'r'.
'See your uncle', Cecilia said as she placed her hands on her head. 'We are so finished'.
'Jude', Tunde called, 'we are not following this van, right?'
'You're following'.
'But the driver is drunk'.
'Drunk? He needs something to make him stay alive. We are travelling for two days. Do you think it's easy? In fact', Jude said and strutted towards Leo. He snatched the bottle of gin amidst the driver's rebellion and gulped it. He inhaled loudly as if he had just woken an evil spirit within himself. 'Arrange yourselves among the bags'.
'That's how we are sitting'.
'Kill us', Tunde exclaimed and he was supported by the murmur of people.
'You still have the chance to go back now'.
Tunde eyed him but they had limited power.
The one that seemed to be a fan of shirt and ties barked instructions at them, and soon they were seated. People now nicknamed him Pastor. Some of them were seated, with their legs dangling from the side of the bus. The plan was simple: at their next stop, they would trade place with those seated within the van.
The only person exempted from this was the boy that was among them. The car moved and within ten minutes their van had raised dust of the desert. Tunde whooped and squeezed Cecilia hands.
'Libya, here we come', Ade screamed.
Tunde glanced at Lizzy and wished the only effect she had on his brother was this and not any bad one, but he couldn't trust her. Now, Tunde could smile.
People around him smiled or stared on indifferently. He couldn’t blame them. Nigerians no longer have enough hope or sadness or fear or joy in them. He remembered once when people caught a thief and rallied round to kill through jungle justice, the man sat down looking at them indifferently. At the sight of that, even the man that decorated the man’s neck with a big tyre felt bad. They later took him to a police station.
Pastor rose, when they had moved a bit, steadied himself with the baggage and began to pray loudly and some people became attuned to his piety, while others kept mumbling their 'amen'. They wanted to act as if his prayer meant nothing but had to pretend to hold on to a higher belief. He couldn’t blame them- the system abhors people that didn’t trust in a higher authority.
Tunde knew their smiles, indifferences, or prayers weren't because they were deserting their country but was because they were going to a greener pasture, through a thorny path that many had reported to be full of evil. Cars behind them revved and raised dust. Just when it became dawn on them that the journey had begun fully, the woman with the child burst into tears and Ade started singing.

http://www.writertain.com/164/thorny-path#293

1 Like

Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by Divepen1(m): 9:24pm On Apr 26, 2019
skubido:
Tanks for the update
You're welcome baba
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by Ann2012(f): 9:50pm On Apr 26, 2019
Thanks for the update OP
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by moseph(f): 11:01pm On Apr 26, 2019
thanks for the update.
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by queenitee(f): 11:45pm On Apr 26, 2019
Ade and Lizzy
Tunde and Cecelia
Tunde and Lizzy grin grin grin

1 Like

Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by Divepen1(m): 12:17am On Apr 27, 2019
queenitee:
Ade and Lizzy Tunde and Cecelia Tunde and Lizzy grin grin grin
Lollk
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by Divepen1(m): 12:19am On Apr 27, 2019
moseph:
thanks for the update.
You're welcome...
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by Divepen1(m): 12:19am On Apr 27, 2019
Ann2012:
Thanks for the update OP
You're welcome....
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by skubido(m): 9:02am On Apr 27, 2019
Oboi, nawa ooo



Tanks for the update
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by Divepen1(m): 11:15am On Apr 27, 2019
skubido:
Oboi, nawa ooo


Tanks for the update
You're so welcome. Na real wa ..
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by germaphobe(m): 12:54pm On Apr 27, 2019
divepen the boss, at first the story was off to me but midway into it i realized that i was high for thinking it was off, so i had to start afresh again. Carry go oga divepen i go the push am for back if it ever get struck in the mud
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by Divepen1(m): 2:50pm On Apr 27, 2019
germaphobe:
divepen the boss, at first the story was off to me but midway into it i realized that i was high for thinking it was off, so i had to start afresh again. Carry go oga divepen i go the push am for back if it ever get struck in the mud
Don't mind me. It's not my type of story but I just wanted to train for something with it last year. When I was done, I just dumped it. But I realise this year that I can post it for people to enjoy.

2 Likes

Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by dammyd46(m): 3:26pm On Apr 28, 2019
Nice story Divepen1... got me glued
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by Missmossy(f): 5:22pm On Apr 30, 2019
Divepen1:
Welcome missmossy. By the way, if you follow this story to the end, we might want to give you an official FortuneCity I'd card
Thanks what is the Idcard for
Re: The Thorny Path To Italy- A Novel By Akíntayo Akinjide by queenitee(f): 6:39am On May 01, 2019
Missmossy:

Thanks what is the Idcard for
You will become one of us, you'll be welcome to live in our city, have your own street and business in our city and lot more grin grin grin I will let our king (Divepen) do the rest of the intro. grin grin grin

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (Reply)

Diary Of A Broke Playboy 2.0 / Our Love Story ...... (A Story Filled With Revenge, Love And Romance) / Susan’s Diary; Friday’s Experience

(Go Up)

Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health
religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket

Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)

Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 115
Disclaimer: Every Nairaland member is solely responsible for anything that he/she posts or uploads on Nairaland.