₦airaland Forum

Tobilastik:
Yh ..I know, I jxt dy do Aro ni nice work!

I sabi. How holidays na? You for don travel be that.

Tobilastik:
Broz...this one na lie ooo ...nobody ft try m 4 oau

Guy, its fiction now, its not real. I said that in the beginning.

Chuks went to the station the next day and despite Tade's initial reluctance to see the inside of a police station, he followed Chuks. Made and Shittu were absent.

On getting to the station, they met two officers, one of average build and another that was tall but slim. Both were looking bored and acted almost instinctively as they saw the two lads coming.

"Good morning." Chuks stammered out. He was relieved that he had gone to the school security first.

"Yes, how can we help you?" The one of average build said.

"I am looking for the DPO." Chuks said before rephrasing the statement.

"I am here to see the DPO."

"Wetin bring you come find the DPO? You get appointment with am?" The tall one asked fiercely.

"Yes, I have an appointment with him, in fact its an important appointment and he will appreciate it if you don't obstruct what I am here for."

Tade looked at Chuks with surprise. Does this dude know where he is? This is the Nigerian Police Station, where you can spend the night in unlawfully for something as simple as being rude. He tugged Chuks shirt gently but his friend refused to budge.

"Wetin this one dey think say e be? We dey ask you question, you dey answer us like say you be James Bond! We fit lock you up for here!" As Tade heard 'lock', he tugged Chuks shirt vigorously. Chuks still refused to budge.

This what I hate about Ibos. Tade thought. They are too stubborn.

As Chuks and the Tall Officer locked horns in a 'fierce looking' contest, the second officer stepped into the matter.

"Samuel, e don do! Free the boy!" He turned to Chuks. "The DPO is not around. Come back later."

Tade heaved a sigh of relief and then walked away, almost dragging Chuks though there was no need for that, as Chuks was leaving on his own, smothering coals on his head.

As soon as they left the station, Tade dragged him o one corner.

"What's wrong with you"

"Why?"

"I don't know how to explain it, but a colleague of mine died and he is implicated. I am not sure if he is the person, but she sent me a text explaining some things and that one Shodipo was housing her. She did say he was in Law and that he was popular for being a campus journalist."

Tade looked at Chuks inquisitively.

"How is he implicated?"

"Ronke said that she was saying with him that night; Saturday night that is. Then today her dead body is found and no one saw her between Saturday and today."

"Wow." Tade said, looking sober. "Shodipo did not come for today's debate, it was suspicious although I thought that I may be over-reacting. Are you sure that she said that she was in his place?"

Chuks brought out the phone and opened his 'inbox' then showed them all the message.

"Chuks, you have to report this to the police." Made said. Tade and Shittu looked at him like he suggested that Chuks should fight a crocodile.

"Police? Come on dude, the police will just arrest our friend here and implicate him in this case. You want Chuks to be wrapped into trouble abi?" Shittu asked him.

"Besides, its a very risky thing all together. The best they can do from it is to asked Shodipo some questions and that will not be done nicely." Tade added.

"But if it is found that she contacted Chuks before now nko?" Made asked. "Na Police case be that, period! They will not even want to hear your complaints."

Chuks looked at the roof like his life was about to scatter. Then he shut his eyes and thought for some seconds.

"I will go to the Police." He finally decided.

In front of one of the lecture theatres was a small basket, looking like it had just been dripped in blood and brought out. In it was various parts of what was surely a human being, yet was unrecognizable as such. The burnt areas were completely unidentifiable.
On the side of the basket was written 'Ronke'.

Not up to two minutes later, some lecturers came into the scene with 'crackers' ( school security) and took charge of basket, carrying it for investigative purposes.

This led to some squabbles between students, as some students were accusing others of blocking them from looking at the scene. As they argued, one of the school security men then asked if they wanted to write statements. That immediately forced them into silence.

Chuks walked straight to Mide.

"When did they see it?"

"It was not up to an hour after lectures, one of the cleaners saw it hidden below HSLT C". Mide replied, pointing to the woman in question, who was being questioned by the security officers and two police officers that just came on the scene.

"She brought it out and then we saw it. Chuks, this one wey you dey find Ronke since, I hope it has nothing to do with this."

Chuks shook his head. "I had not seen her for two days, that's why I asked."

Feeling sick already, Chuks walked back to the bus stop, got a bike and went back to his room.



Meanwhile Tade was feeling high and fly. He had just won his first debate, days after joining the debate arm of his Faculty. He was not the lead speaker, but he was brilliant and received great applause. Of course that was not the high point of the debate, it was because he got the highest number of points, save for the lead speaker. All this while he was unprepared prior to that day. Of course he was given a day's notice but a day's notice is as good as not giving a notice at all, especially if the 'day' was six pm the night before the debate.

He entered his room just to see Made and Shittu gather round an unhappy Chuks.

"Guys, wetin happen?" He shifted attention to Chuks. "Chuks what happened?"

Made took over. "Chuks has a problem. One of his classmates was murdered and he has a clue to it."

Chuks just noticing Tade's presence sat straight up.

"Tade, do you know anyone bearing Shodipo?"

Tade's blood ran cold.

"A psychologist. You need someone that you can talk to and will give you professional advice on what to do."

"So the solution is a shirk?"

"Psychologists are not shirks. Jeez, I can't believe that I have to explain who a psychologist is to you in the medical field. If it were a layman or someone that studied an art course, it will be understandable, but for someone that comes from your side of the divide, I ....."

"I know a shirk and a psychologist are different." Wale interjected unhappily. "But they do similar functions, work on people with mental and psychological issues. Its not like my organs have stopped working, have they?"

"Wale! This is not about your body functions, this is about your mind and your well-being! You may not realize it, but you are allowing that experience to dictate how you react to everyone else that is close to you and that's weak, very weak for a man!"

"Okay, okay, I will go."

"Wale, look at me. I am not trying to be bossy or whatever, but this issue is affecting you, even while sleeping. So please, don't be offended that I laid it bare to you but you need to hear it."

Wale smiled and hugged her. "That's why I love you dear. "



It has been two days since that message and Chuks was uncomfortable. Ronke had not been found and nobody seemed to know her whereabouts, save for Dotun, who Chuks knew had something to do with her that night. He wanted to ask for who Shodipo was, but then asking around will just increase suspicion from those who abducted her. He was certain that it was cult members, especially as Dotun was involved. He could almost link her predicament to her refusal of Dotun's request of copying her in the in-course.

The day's classes were few and by eight am, he was done. Chuks walked straight to the room and laid down, wondering what will happen if Ronke did not show up. His phone suddenly rang.

"Mide, what's up?"

"Chuks, better come faculty now, serious gbege dey."

"Wetin happen bro?"

"Just come jare! I can't explain on phone."

Chuks jumped from his bed, wore his shoes and ran out of his room and quickly got a bike before driving to his department.

On getting there, he found a most unpleasant sight.

"Your son? Do you mean the one that is in school?"

"No, not the one in the university. You see, I had two sons. One is dead and the other is in the university."

"Okay, so tell me more." Nifemi held his hand."I am here for you, just take it easy and tell me."

"Well, Andrew was my first son, my first child. I loved him more than anything I loved in this life. My wife, My Medical career paled in significance to him. He was everything to me and it was worth it, because he was all I could ask from a son."

"Until he entered the Varsity and changed. Then he got lost and was killed by cult members in his school."

"I was so devastated, that it wrecked everything around me. I wanted out of the whole marriage because it reminded me of him. I was totally unhappy til I met you." He touched her cheek."That's why I want to restart life with you."

Nifemi looked at him gently, wondering if she should tell him her mind or not.

"Wale, do you want to know what I think about what you told me?"

Wale nodded his head.

"You need help. You need to move on from whatever this your son represented. I don't necessary mean divorce."

"Divorcing your wife and marrying me will not solve the problem. You will need to man up, Wale and go on with your life. Unfortunate things happen to the best of men and I understand if it derails them but allowing it to wreck your life is not what I will stand for. Wale, that young guy has taken a hold in your life and I can't remove it nor can your wife. Only you can do so and you can't do it alone. I suggest we see a psychologist."

"A psych-what!"

Chapter Eight


Once in the room, Wale looked at the surroundings with abject emotions. Nifemi had moved in, yet there was no sign of the presence of a woman. Nothing in the kitchen, not even a pot on display. If he was truly living alone in the house, he won't have bothered. But a woman was living with him, a woman! To even think that he was planning to marry her was beginning to choke him. Will his marriage be like this?

He walked to his room and looked at the divorce papers. Clara must have expected this to happen and decided to control the situation by sending the divorce papers. That was the person Clara is, even before Andrew was born. He actually admired her for it.

Walking back to the living room, he decided to watch the telly, drifting off to sleep before he could say Jack.

He remained in the sitting room, but he was fifteen years behind the current moment. He watched as Andrew, himself and Clara were playing on the beach, his son's smile clearly showing that he was enjoying the moment.

All of a sudden, the boy stopped running, looking stunned. As Wale and Clara rushed to his aid, the boy turned round only for them to see him gushing his own blood out. He opened his mouth to say........

"Wale! Wale!! Wale!!!" He quickly jumped in his sleep just to see Nifemi looking at him with a worried look.

"Wale, who is this Andrew you have been shouting his name?"

"I have been dreaming." Wale said softly, wiping his face with his hands.

"Of course you have been dreaming! What else did you think you were doing? But this Andrew has tormented your dreams for a long time. Who is he? A patient? A political foe?"

"Nifemi, this is the first time you will hear me call that name, don't start being hysterical."

"Am not hysterical, Wale! You may not have seen me during the day, but when I come at night, I always see you struggle in your sleep with this Andrew. Please, I may not know that much about you, but I need to know who this man is."

Wale sighed deeply. "Andrew is my son."

Chuks did not understand what had happened, but his heart sank nonetheless. Ronke was definitely in some sort of danger and he did not like the fact that he could not help her. However, he kept looking at her text message which he saw after the call and wondered what he could do. He did not know who Shodipo is and Ronke was just his classmate really- the attention from him may just look unexplainable. Yet the tone of her voice when the call came through and her text message bothered him. Ronke would not have called him unless it was desperate.

As Made and Shittu stared at the confused Chuks waiting for something to happen, Tade came in.

"Good morning guys, hey how.... Chuks wetin do you?"

Chuks was suddenly cut off from his thoughts by Tade's voice and realised that he was the centre of attention of everyone in the room. He quickly composed himself.

"Nothing jare, na one test I dey think about. Make I go baff."

Chuks stood up quickly and went for a bucket, obviously going to fetch water. As he picked it, he decided to watch for the meantime. If Ronke did not show after two days, then he will make his move.

Wale arrived to an empty house, the second time in three days. Since Clara left, he and Nifemi had taken up residence here. However, with Nifemi always busy, he rarely got to see her at home. Rather, it was him and him alone in the building. Even Salisu did not have it that bad.

Thinking of Salisu, he smiled. Salisu had brought his younger brother, who was also a good driver to work for him part-time, as Salisu had decided to write Jamb and go for extra-mural classes for pre-university exams. Yes, Salisu was planning to go to school and despite what Wale threw at him, Salisu stood his ground- even ready to lose his job because he wanted to further his education.

"Musa, come here!" He called for the younger brother. Soon enough, a young, dark dude, just about average in height and skinny in size, showed up.

"When is your brother writing his Jamb exams?"

"Oga, he is writing it today! In fact he has left for the exams."

Wale smiled. So Salisu is furthering his life! He wondered how he managed to arrange all of this, even finding a brother he never knew existed.

"Okay, go to your room. We are not going anywhere today."

The younger dude bowed his head and left. Wale looked at him and smiled before entering his room.