₦airaland Forum

Chapter 1

It was a sunny afternoon. The crowd, some of whom were either sitting or standing on the mowed green grasses before the sideline, was composed of more pupils than their teachers, parents or guardians who were showing their support, chanting, waving colors. Suddenly, screams of Dubem rent the atmosphere. You would think Dubem was another word for Happy New Year.
She could feel Tayo breathing down her neck. She stumbled fifty yards from the ribbon, regained her stamina as the school’s best sprinter Tayo pushed past her. Dubem undulated and Tayo soared. She put her head down and charged like a bull. Tayo entangled his legs and tumbled out of the tracks as he turned to make out who was gaining on him. A million voices chanted Dubem. Yet, one was distinct; it was calm, ridden with warnings. It called again with obvious impatience.
She would be happy seeing him for the first time at school but she was dogged to win this race. A few inches from hitting the finish line, a brighter light than the yellow blazing sun broke in.
“Dubem, quick, get up and help!”
She stirred awake. A man in striped pajamas stood by the door. His thumb was on the light switch. She watched him observe her for a couple of seconds, and rushed out. She sighed. She wished she had seen the end. She wished she had worn the gold medal and upraised the stainless cup before he woke her. She contemplated snoozing again to continue the dream. But, that would be in some magical world where dreams can be paused she thought as she sat up, checked the time on the hybrid wrist watch, her Aunt Lenora got her on her last birthday. It read 9:23pm. She turned and gazed out the window. It was dark except for the street lights filtering into the compound. She got off the bed and headed towards the door.
“Wow!” She screamed. One more step out of her room, she would have collided head-on with her him. He rushed past her with his wallet, phone in one hand and a black handbag crested with the golden letters YSL in his other hand. He did not as much as blink when he sped past her.
“Dubem, get the gate key!” He called out and disappeared through the open French doors at the end of the corridor.
Dubem found herself running towards his voice before she realized she was without the key. She turned back to grab the bunch of keys from the upholstery table next to the room divider.
Outside, she watched him help her mum into the rear sit of the black Honda saloon car and gesture with his hands, nodded a reply and closed the door. He stooped to pick his phone, wallet and handbag that were on the ground, dumped them in the passenger’s sit through the off-side front window. He got in the driver’s sit and ignited its engine.
Sensing urgency, Dubem quickly opened the gate. As he drove slowly towards the gate, he stopped at its threshold. She saw her mom plaster a ludicrous grin on her face. Dubem’s searching eyes wandered straight to the reason for her strange smile.
“Dad what’s going on?”
“Your mom, she’s having Ucheya.”He replied hastily.
“I know she is in labor.” She stated with nods. A surprised Didi viewed her man through the centre mirror; he was staring at her and oblivious to their daughter’s incredible assessment.
"I didn’t take Didi’s phone, ” He called as they turned unto street. “Keep the phone next to you and make sure you lock the gate. I’ll call Lenora to come.” She watched their tail-light vanish in the distance before locking the gate.

Prologue

It was that time of the year when the moon is absent from the sky. You would have thought it peaceful. But, for him, the darkness that swallowed him had an edge of uncertainty, ridden with death.
Jawkins Mwake widened his eyes yet he could not see beyond his nose. He tried listening instead, there was no croaks of frogs or toads, howling of dogs or the shrieking cries of owls, which colored the outskirts of Lake Port at night.
Suddenly, out of the black, as with an intention of driving him mad with fear, lightening tore through the dark and raced his heart. And instinctively, from squatting on heels, he keeled over to his back, making a squishy sound as he buried himself in wet shrubs. His outstretched arm ran against the grasses and tipped over a plastic bowl filled with overused engine oil lying close to the workbench in the abandoned mechanic shed where he hid.
For a little while he stayed unmoving and stared into the shimmering blackness to ascertain he was unseen by the prowling armed to the teeth thugs who hounded him. Feeling something wet sip through his fingers, he snatched his hand and jerked himself upright, extremely nimble that you would have thought he burnt his hand. He felt the liquid between his fingers, its coldness and metallic smell dispelled his fear. He swiped his palm across the grasses before trudging deeper into the dark. He hadn't made the littlest progress walking deeper when pain rang in his head. He cursed aloud at the bolder he walked into, unfortunately in that moment, a bright white light shone across him, before he could dive, it resonated, leaving his heart scaling from his chest and into his mouth.