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toykathy: This is just to appreciate all wonderful writers on this forum. Have been wanting to do this for a long time now, even if this isn't gonna put cash in your purse, but I'm sure it will put smile on your faces.
To all who inconvinient themselves to make the little time we spend here worthwhile and keep our companies with beautiful stories, on behalf of myself and my fellow readers, ghost readers, we want to say a big thanks to each and evry one of u. Bigger u we pray, more ink 2ur pens and may u find more happiness as u continue to make us happy. Thank u all.
Tiffanyj, Temitopedaniel, prettyspicey, queenxter, kayemjay, princesa, zuby77, repogirl, glowingscenes, vonn, flakkydagirl, royver, 360prince, larrysun, rapmike, davep, d9ty7, therock555, sammyhoe, bukkydan, exixlove, omoshelwa, stefikal, dorisbest, frank317, akinlex, divepen, uzolexis, underage, xeniaontopp, misshorlah, trixandra, ezepromoe, domawoleye and whole lot of others.
More ink 2ur pens and may God bless y'all.
#millionhugsandkisses#

We won't have the zeal to write if our readers dont read or comment. Its you guys that spur us on and for that I am grateful.

thanks @all. I needed a break from my other stories and decided to showcase this one. The original story is from an old English gentleman. I hope you enjoyed it.

God’s broadcast of Friday evening was devoted to picking up loose ends:


Must my visit mean that the world is coming to an end? For goodness sake, listen to your soul; do as it bids you. Good night.


Saturday was a busy, busy day. Consciences long buried were sending up tender green stalks like onion bulbs. The dictators of half a dozen countries more resigned. Many international church pastors sold their excess belongings, private jets, fleet of cars and houses for give away sums to countries and individuals who needed them and gave the proceeds of the money to the poor and needy in their congregation. Small businesses by the hundreds of thousands experienced a similar change of heart. One garadge owner called his mechanics together and said “From now on when we charge a customer for a new distributor coil, let us actually put in the coil.”


Lesser malefactors spent Saturday returning stolen books to the public libraries, repaying old loans, sending gifts to old forgotten relatives and so on. For 99 percent of the human race, it was astounding what a happy friendly, pleasant place the earth had become by Saturday night.


The Lord’s Saturday evening broadcast was his farewell. Across the world radios, televisions, phones, laptops even gadgets not meant to receive transmissions hummed. Then there came silence and the beautiful voice. It said:


Now I shall take my leave. You will find that most of your problems remain. You still have pain and unhappiness; you still need to feed and to clothe and to govern yourselves. Need I tell you why? A planet is a school. Live, dear children, and learn. And now – until we meet again, goodbye.




On the seventh day, we presume, HE rested.




The End

The Lord’s Thursday evening program was lengthy and had a theological tone:


Every pebble beneath your feet, every drop of water, is a miracle, but since you have lost your ability to feel awe I have had to perform today these other miracles which require a suspension of natural law. My willingness to break the law should show you how deeply I love you, for even an omnipotent deity must limit his own powers. However, this will not convince the die-hards. Hence on the morrow, Friday, I shall perform several sizeable miracles during the forenoon. And promptly at noon I shall sink the continent of Africa beneath the sea for one minute and there shall be no single life lost.


After the Thursday evening broadcast disbelief melted away. People by the tens of millions became certain that the voice was God’s. Virtually the entire Christian world was trudging the roads towards Jerusalem. Fire crackers rattled day and night in the yellow dust of China. Members of a little known sect in the Ozark mountains wrapped themselves in sheets and gathered on a hilltop to await the imminent end of the world. In Africa, five dictators resigned their posts and left the continent completely while many others called for general prayer meetings. A popular governor in the south-south region of Nigeria called for a meeting of his executives where he commanded that all outstanding debts be paid. He went on to sack a hundred and fifty members of his cabinet, people who were being paid large sums of money for doing virtually nothing. Finally, in the early hours of the morning, he resigned his post to his rival who was battling the governorship elections in court, saying that his rival had indeed won fair and square. Strangely enough, the rival could not be reached, with some close associates saying he had liquidated his assets and fled to the Himalayas in search of spiritual enlightenment.


Internet porn sites received the lowest amount of visitors in history. At no other time since the dawn of free porn had so many members of the male species logged off from their computers and logged on instead to Religious sites.


Then the African radio stations took over the air. God had chosen the right continent for his final demonstration. People of another country might have put on a craven scramble for rowing boats and airplanes. Not the Africans! The good humoured Lagos announcer from Nigeria cool FM observed “Nobody is panicking, funny enough. You know Africa is a very spiritual continent and if God himself has decided to baptize us all at once, who are we to refuse. Besides, a minute under water can’t do anybody any harm and might even do some parts of Africa a lot of good.”

A Sierra-Leonean lady interviewed at Heathrow airport squealed excitedly among her grinning peers: “Many of us international students are catching the next available flight back to our home countries in Africa! We wouldn’t miss this for the world!” One of the students waved a swim suit in glee.

Arrangements were made for airships to circle over the major cities of each of the African continents in order to transmit eye-witness accounts of the second great flood.

God had promised ‘sizeable’ miracles for Friday forenoon and they were quite sizeable. In the United states, every last ounce of metal owned by the Army, the Navy and the Air force was gone from its accustomed place. The whole huge tonnage of it, from buckles to battleships, was neatly cut up into scrap.

By mid-morning, the other nation whose war potential was feared by the world had also lost all its military equipment. The outrage felt by the Kremlin was sufficient to blast aside its own censorship. All of the shining rows of Russian tanks, planes and guns were gone. In their place stood rank upon rank of wooden carts filled with manure, each bearing a neat placard with a quotation from Lenin: “Peace, Bread and Land.”


As for the protest meeting of the atheists in New York, barely had the group demonstrators marched into Times Square than God turned every one of them into an Angel. Arched, sweeping wings with feathers of purest white grew abruptly out of their shoulder blades, and over their heads appeared halos of bright gold. They had a frightfully embarrassing time of it trying to sneak away in taxi-cabs.


The announcers and reporters flying over Africa grew almost incoherent with tension as the second hands of their watches swept away 11.58, 11.59 and finally, the dot of noon. The BBC man however, chatted along as coolly as if he were describing a cricket match.

“As predicted,” he said, “the continent is now sinking. The rate is quite rapid; about that of a modern passenger elevator. There, the last church steeple has disappeared. The water is aswirl with floating objects. What a clutter people do keep around their houses! Now the hilltops are under…fifty seconds, fifty five… yes, she’s popping up again. Righto! Up she comes, good old Africa, none the worse for her little drenching!”


Landing craft raced for the shore the instant there was a shore to race for. The first citizen to be reached by a CNN reporter was a certain Chief Tayo Abidemi from the shores of the Lagos bar beach which now looked cleaner than it had been in years.


“Tell the viewers at home sir,” panted the reporter. “Did you really go under?”


“You no see as I wet?!” trumpeted the chief. “Water just enter all my room even as I close the windows sef. Abeg you get dry towel for there?”

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JeffreyJamez: The world never end na Royver.... shuoo!!

and sexysapphire, dont worry, I havent forgotten the other thread. this is a short story, Like an interlude

Exactly at 9.38pm, the serene, friendly voice spoke again:


Do not be afraid. I only want to convince you that I really am God and that I am visiting you this week.


This time, direction finders, hackers,police authorities and even the FBI and INTERPOL took a hasty fix as they all tried to track the source of the transmission. But no sign of trickery was discovered. The Vatican, suspected by some, was tentatively absolved.


On Wednesday, the newspapers gave page after page to the voice. The unanimous views of those scientists who could be reached for comment – some of them seemed to be in hiding- was that the voice was a man’s. A teacher of diction from Cambridge University insisted, from the accent, that the man was Massachusetts-born.


“If it were actually God speaking,” pointed out a professor of logic, "he would not find it necessary to use these electronic equipments."
"

Ministers of the Gospel were more reserved in their statements. “Even if the voice be not the Lord’s,” said an Anglican Bishop, “It reminds us of something too many of us forget. God is here with us.” Some pastors of smaller mushroom churches for some strange undisclosed reason closed up their congregations and went back to attending the Pentecostal churches they had originally broken out from.

Wednesday Prayer meetings across Nigeria were enthusiastically attended, most churches had installed radios or huge flat screen TVs. The third utterance consisted of only three words. To the indignation of those who believe God must be somber and funereal, the words were delivered with a fatherly chuckle. They were:


It is I.


Like the others, the third message somehow crept into the coils, condensers and motherboards of every electronic gadget in operation, including those of ships at sea that were designed for code and did not even have microphones. This suggested a possible answer to why God was using the radio. A pronouncement out of the empty sky might have caused panic. But people were used to hearing voices on the radio or television or over the internet. The Lord was being considerate.


His knowledge of human psychology was superb (This is not surprising when one comes to think of it.) the very brevity of his “It is I” message went far towards convincing those who had a liking for modesty and understatement.


On Thursday, another device was employed: a display of miracles for the ignorant and the superstitious. Miracles occurred about 50miles apart all around the globe. Most were modest affairs. Oranges in the Hobart Street Market in Fond du lac, Winsconsin, rolled up the wall and spelt out the words, “Men and women are my sons and daughters, and therefore brothers and sisters” in a pretty frame of worker ants. A lion in the Ibadan zoo got out of his cage, strolled along the roadside until he spied some goats and sheep in a field, and deliberately lay down with them. In the senate and house of assembly, there was an uproar as money paid into their accounts that day repeatedly found their way into the bowls of beggars and the pockets of laborers. Every single common Nigerian with a pocket, a wallet or a handbag had theirs full to the brim with naira notes that replenished themselves whenever the owner spent from it. A plane that had run out of fuel midair and begun to crash, remained suspended in midair above Ikeja main market until fire engines thrust extension ladders for the passengers aboard to climb down.


These miracles, small though they were, had a wildly infuriating effect upon many persons who had not seen it as any of their business to take not of the gentle voice on the radio. At an emergency senate/executive meeting called by the president of Nigeria, there was a near riot, with members hurling insults like “Thief! Armud ruobber! Wey our moni?!” back and forth and charging one another with a betrayal of rationalism and revolution. 7 senators from different districts resigned their posts immediately, a first for that honourable house.


The angriest man in America was Walter P. Valerian of New York, president of the association for the Advancement of Iconoclasm and Atheism. He summoned members of his association for a world conference in New York to stage a protest.



To be continued….

one more update and I'm done for the night

pls comments are welcome.

At exactly 9.38pm on the first Monday in August the strange, majestic voice was first heard over the air. Just why that day and hour were chosen nobody can say. As was expected, the immediate reaction was disbelief. People simply could not believe their own ears.

Chinedu Ofili of Onitsha, Anambra State, was sitting in his parlour playing with his son Mathew’s playstation and listening to the latest music release from Cool Fm on the radio. Suddenly the music faded out and the voice, deep, gentle, benevolent but firm, said:

This is God. I’m sorry I must interrupt you. A plan of Creation ought by rights to go forward under its own rules, but you, dear children of the Sun’s third planet, are so near to destroying yourselves that I must step in. I shall spend this week with you.


Chinedu stood for a moment, his mouth hanging open in shock.


“This yeye boy wants to do me April fool in August!” He thought,


He marched angrily to his son’s room. Matthew was sitting at his table, agonizing over algebra assignments.


“What did you do to the radio?” demanded his father.


“Me? Nothing o! Is it spoilt?”


Chinedu was deeply puzzled. He went out to see his neighbor Mr. Eze and knocked on the door. Mr Eze opened.


“Sorry bros,” Chinedu said, “Were you listening to Cool FM just now?”


“No,” Mr Eze replied. “I was watching DBS.”


“Then you wouldn’t have heard it then.” Chinedu muttered and turned to leave.

“Wait o, did you hear the voice too?” asked Mr Eze in astonishment. “My screen went blank and a voice just started talking about staying with us for a week! Ha, the thing fear me oh, my brother!”

Onitsha was not the only town that felt wonderment. By morning the news reports from all over Nigeria, then Africa, Europe, Asia, South America and Australia were in, and it was public knowledge that the broadcast had been worldwide and multilingual. Yorubas heard it in Yoruba, Japan in Japanese and South African tribesmen in Shi Ronga dialect. It had been heard in every radio, television, personal computer, laptop and phone.


“What do you think of it?” One man would ask another. Never were the humble words “I don’t know” spoken more often than that first Tuesday in August. A Guardian newspaper editorial writer risked a guess: probably a practical joker in the cable headquarters had hooked all the trans-continental circuits and satellites together for a few seconds.


The Sun went down. By eight the ammeters in the power stations were registering increased loads as listeners switched on. Television screens became mini-oracles for families to gather round and people who didn’t have power or generators willingly paid huge sums to have their phones fully charged and functional. Nor were they disappointed. Exactly at 9.38pm, the serene, friendly voice spoke again:

to be continued...

As inspired by George Sumner Albee.
All right's reserved.
Enjoy.

Mom was silent all the way to the school. I imagined she was thinking of Ayo and how he could have gotten himself involved with cultists. I tried making random conversation but she wasn’t interested so I finally gave up and busied myself watching the landscape and other cars go by.

The time was 8.30am. This was the latest I had ever come to school and I wondered what the prefects would say. At least my mom was here with me, she would do all the explaining.

As we got closer to the school compound I saw a large number of cars parked around at the school gate. More vehicles came in through the gate with us and we struggled to find a good parking spot.

“What’s going on?” I thought to myself and then saw that Admin office was surrounded by parents. Angry parents. My mom sighed and grabbing my hand, steered me towards the principal’s office. As we approached I looked around and realized most of the classrooms were empty.

Apparently it wasn’t only my mother that had been alarmed by yesterday’s happenings. Parents were sitting in the corridor with their children, talking in agitated tones while their wards strolled around aimlessly. Some of the teachers were there as well but none dared caution the wandering students.


“Where is he? He should have been here by now!” One of the parents, a big fat man, said.


“Ever since the last teacher’s strike this school has gone to the dogs!” Another one growled.

It looked like they were going to start a riot soon. The security guards came and stood at the principal’s door to prevent any mishap but this only angered the crowd further. They shouted and screamed until finally the vice principal came out. There was a sudden hush.


“Good morning Sirs and Madams. You are all welcome to our school…” She began timidly. Her nervous disposition infuriated them and soon they began to complain again.

“What have you done to ensure the safety of our children?!”

“See this woman oh, does she think we came here to play?”

“Where is the principal?!”

The crowd got louder and the vice principal’s words could barely be heard over the noise.

“I assure you we are doing everything in our power…it wasn’t our fault…a contract has already been sent out to fumigate the school…” Her voice kept getting lower and lower as the crowd grew angrier. One of the male teachers walked forward and tried to calm them but was pushed violently away by the big fat man. They started exchanging words and pretty soon it looked like they were going to progress to exchanging blows.

A loudspeaker crackled and came to life, its high pitched whistling sound drawing everyone’s attention. We all turned around to see the School Principal, Mr. Adedeji. His head was still in a bandage but he looked far better than the day before. He stared stoically at the crowd and they all fell silent, except for the big fat man.


“Where have you been Oga?” The fat man bellowed.”Is this how you behave in this school? I have a good mind to remove my child...”


“What’s his name?” the Principal said, interrupting his tirade.


The man paused. Then, “Akin, Akin Shittu.”


“Mabel,” Mr. Adedeji barked. The vice principal jumped like she had been electrocuted and came to his side.


“Pull out Akin Shittu’s file. If his school fees have been paid please refund it. Do the necessary paperwork. He is no longer a member of this school.”


“Yes Sir,” The vice principal said and hurried back into the office.


The other parents gasped. The big fat man, Mr. Shittu, seemed disoriented.


“Wait, you can’t do that…I didn’t mean I wanted to remove…”


“Then what did you mean, Sir?” Mr. Adedeji asked, staring straight at him. Mr. Shittu wanted to say something else but the woman by his side, probably his wife, jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow and he kept quiet.


“I lost a staff yesterday.” Mr. Adedeji said abruptly, now facing the crowd of parents. “A promising young woman whose fiancée has been crying on my neck since then. Three more teachers are lying critically ill in hospital. They were hit by vehicles and bitten by animals as they tried to save your children from the unusual incident that occurred yesterday. I am aware that three children lost their lives and I have gotten up from my sickbed, discharged myself against the doctor’s advice to personally visit the parents of these unfortunate children one after the other.”

“Do you think we are happy with what happened? Do you think we couldn’t have avoided the ugly incident if we could? It was an unforeseen circumstance, an accident, one in which I myself nearly lost my life in as I believe what happened to me and what happened at the school was related somehow. Do you think we like it knowing that we were responsible for those children when they died yesterday? Please if you want to remove your children from the school, then do so. It would ease the burden on us. I would however have you know that the same thing happened in nearly all the schools in the district. More lives were lost, more casualties happened. What saved our students was the fence which prevented a lot of them running into the streets.”


“It’s true.” One of the parents spoke up. “My neighbor’s children go to Ampoko secondary school. They said no less than five students and three teachers lost their lives.”


There was an audible collective gasp from the crowd.


“The same thing happened at Emeto and Supreme College.” Mr. Adedeji said, shifting his glasses. “So you see, it wasn’t peculiar to our school alone. The local authorities have called a meeting for all the community hunters to ask if any of them is using illegal methods in their hunting practices. So things are actually getting done.”


“I cannot commiserate strongly enough with the families of those who died or were injured. I can only imagine what you are going through and I feel terrible for your loss. I can however let you know that I am not sleeping on my job. I will continue to ensure the safe keeping of those you place under my care to the best of my ability. You know who I am. You know what I can do.”


By now the whole gathering was listening with rapt attention. Mr. Adedeji had this air of authority around him, you could almost touch it. He looked from one parent to the other, straight in the eye, his gaze unwavering, and slowly the confidence of the parents that had eroded the day before sprung back to life. One by one they dispersed, getting into their vehicles and zooming off. I escorted mom back to the car, casting a final proud glance at my brave principal as he was accosted by the Shittus earnestly pleading for their son to be reinstated.


“Your Principal is a strong man.” She said and I nodded.


“He reminds me of your father. I hope he comes home soon so he can fix this your senior brother’s issue.”


“It’s all right mom,” I said. “And don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. Our Principal is a sturdy and trustworthy man.”


“Yes, I can see he is quite…principled.” She said, and then laughed. I laughed along with her, relieved that she had finally relaxed. I waited until
she had entered the car and waved as she drove off. Then I rushed to my class eager to see and talk to my group of friends. I hoped Deji and Ayo wouldn't do anything to upset mom until I got back.




Little did I know that I wouldn’t see her again, not for a long while.

Lawconfessor: I could not help holding my tears back as i read through- its quite touching.

Though the update ain't much, i just love it.....i love that mum too.
Well done Roy, u re good. More power to ur elbow.

Thanks! And the flowers are lovely!

gennysq: Roy! After dis long absence, make u drop anoda update ooo

Done

“What’s all this, what is Deji saying?” Mom shrieked looking very alarmed. “Who are you joining Ayo?”


“Good question!” Deji said, turning back to Ayo.


And then it happened.


Ayo’s fist came out flying so fast all I saw was a blur and Deji’s head snapping backward. Mom and I screamed simultaneously as Deji recovered and charged Ayo, knocking him to the floor. As they scuffled on the ground Ayo’s shirt came loose and his skin exposed to show multiple ugly linear scarifications, like the type our Further Maths’ teacher inflicted on students with his whip, only a hundred times more horrible looking. Mom went down into the melee and dragged Deji off Ayo, while I continued to scream at the both of them to stop fighting. Deji finally got to his feet, firmly held on to by mom, Ayo was on his knees and rose slowly, a devilish grin on his face.


“First blood, brother.” He said.


“Bleep you!” Deji shouted, “I don’t care if you are my elder brother, I’m not letting you join any stupid cult! I’ll fight you all day if I have to!”


“Fine words from a man whose mouth has been cut open.” Ayo said quietly.


It was then we noticed Deji’s upper lip. A deep gash beneath his nose oozed blood slowly and Deji wiped it off.


“First blood indeed,” he said smiling although his whole body was still trembling from rage. “I’ll definitely pay you back…”


A resounding slap from mom almost knocked him down again. We were all so stunned even Ayo took a step back. Mom looked at both of them her eyes blazing, I didn’t think I had ever seen her so angry.

“What the hell did I do?” Deji cried in protest.

“Shut up!” What do you want to pay back? Is it your elder brother you are talking to like that? Come’on go and sit down!” Mom screamed.
Deji stared at her in shock for a moment, then quietly obeyed.

“Mom, you shouldn’t have slapped him, I was the one who…” Ayo began. It was as if mom had been waiting for him to say something, anything. Her hand came down again hard but this time on Ayo’s cheek. The sound was so loud I knew it must have stung badly but Ayo hardly flinched. He just stood to his full height, which was a head above mom’s and remained silent.

“If you like grow to the size of an Iroko tree, I’m still your mother!” Mom was still shouting. It was quite upsetting for me seeing her in such a mood, it seemed so…not her. “Now you stand there and explain to us what has been going on with you! Temi…”

“I want to stay mom!” I said quickly.

“Who is driving you? You think I want to send you off to that your school where people are dying anyhow? I intend to follow you and talk to your principal so don’t worry about lateness! Go and sit down beside Deji. I’m sure your elder brother whom you used to look up to as a mentor would be proud to tell you about his plans of being an armed robber or cultist. Sit down, Let’s all listen to him!”

And so saying, she sat down on the chair closest to Ayo who was still standing tall and unmoving. There was silence in the parlour for some time.

“Temi, go to the kitchen and get the first-aid kit.” Mom said, her voice calmer than it had been a few seconds ago. I jumped up and rushed off, brought the first- aid kit from the kitchen cabinet and rushed back. I didn’t want to miss anything.

“Mom I’m not a cultist and…” Ayo began but mom cut him short.

“So what are all these cuts and bruises on your body? Is that belt-mark? Has your father started flogging you with belt? Or were you flogged in a dream as a kind of spiritual attack? Tell me let me hear! I may not be of your generation but that doesn’t make me stupid! Now talk true or beat me up since you are now ready to fight everybody!”

She turned her attention to Deji, cleaning up the wound on his upper lip

“And you, Deji, instead of you to see how you can support him, it’s to start threatening him with ‘First blood’? Tears started streaming down her cheeks. “I thought I raised you boys better. What will your father say?”

“You did, Mom!” Ayo said suddenly coming out of his still-life posture and kneeling at our mother’s feet.

“These aren’t initiation marks,” He cried, tears welling up in his eyes now, “They are punishment marks! They flogged me because I refused to join their group! I just wanted to handle things my way, prove to them that I’m a man without having father interfere. Don’t you understand? They’ll respect me more!”

“Bullsh-ow!” Deji yelled as mom pressed hard on the wound. “Mom, wait let me talk! Is this something he should be keeping a secret, even from me? I’m supposed to be the closest person to you bro, and you couldn’t confide in me?”

“So that you’ll do what?” Ayo interjected,glancing at him.

“So that I can support you! I would have sent them a strict warning, I would have used my fellowship head, he has experience with such things.
Or we would have told father so he can send some soldiers out to deal with them. We would have made them all know you are untouchable!”

Ayo smiled ruefully. “And that, dear bros, is the reason why I didn’t confide in you. Who wants all that attention? I want these guys to know it’s my decision not to join!”

“You have been watching too much of Spartacus!” Deji shouted but mom shushed him and turned to Ayo.

“My son, are you telling us the truth that you haven’t been initiated?” She asked him quietly.

Ayo looked at the ground. “Yes ma.”

“Alright then. I understand your wanting to handle this like a man and I applaud your effort. But now that I know you don’t expect me to keep out of it. I’ll tell your father as soon as he returns tomorrow. In the meantime, you are not setting a foot outside this house today.”

apologies. I have test today.

[size=16pt]DAY 5: THE FIRST TEAR[/size]

I woke up with a sense of foreboding. In fact, I couldn’t remember when last I felt so generally sad. The events of the previous night had left me feeling depressed and anxious.


I looked at the time, it was 7 o’clock. I had forgotten to set my alarm clock and yet I had woken up early by my standards. Sleep didn’t seem to carry as much interest for me these days. I struggled out of bed, catching my flowing pink nightie on the door handle as I shuffled out of the room like a zombie.


I walked to the bathroom and opened the door without knocking. Deji was the only one inside, brushing his teeth although the smell of iodine in the room told me Ayo had just left. I shuffled to the bathroom mirror, collected my toothbrush as Deji handed me the toothpaste, poured some of the gooey red stuff on the bristles of the toothbrush and went to work on my teeth.


“No snide remarks today?” Deji said jovially although his face remained strained.


“You have to tell me what’s going on.” I said, spitting out some of the foamy toothpaste from my mouth to make myself more comprehensible.
“I’m his sister, too. I’m not a little kid.”


“You really want to know what’s going on, you greet me first.” Deji replied with a smirk.


“Good morning bro Deji.” I said and he jumped back in mock fear.


“Ah! No fight from you this morning? So tey you add bro inside!”


“Stop it Deji, I’m serious.” I paused, “and also scared. Why is Ayo covered in machete cuts and bruises?”

Deji finally stopped his feeble attempt at playful banter. He sighed and went back to vigourously brushing his mouth. It looked like he was going to brush out his teeth with the way he was going.

“Ayo is in trouble.” Deji said, between mouthfuls of toothpaste. He spat out and rinsed his mouth and sat on the bathroom sink. I continued to brush my mouth as I paid attention to what he was saying.

“He was approached by a cult group in school some time ago. I’m not sure when but I will hazard a guess of about 3months ago. “


“That was about the same time he started skipping classes!” I exclaimed and Deji nodded.


“I noticed his change in behavior too,” he said. “I tried to ask him what was wrong but he refused to tell me anything. Mom and dad have been so busy they don’t seem to have noticed the changes in Ayo. The silent retreat into himself and away from family discussions, the constant physical activity as if he is training for something, the skipping of classes…I was thinking of reporting him to dad but decided it would be better if he did it himself. I wasn’t very sure it was what I was thinking it was, you know?”


I nodded. I had also noticed these changes but initially felt it was a passing phase, maybe academics were getting to him, or maybe even a girl at school since I had caught him once or twice making midnight calls in secret. It wasn’t until a few days ago I had started becoming worried.

“Well, after the bruise on his stomach the day before, I got worried. I told a friend of mine in campus to have him followed, to know where he went, if he was still going to classes.” Deji sighed. “He told me Ayo had walked into one of the notorious student halls and come out less than an hour later holding his stomach. And then he came home and said he had been clearing the bushes.”

“Your friend waited for him until he came out?” I gasped. “Are you paying for his services?”

Deji grinned. “You don’t know Bolaji. He considers himself to be Nigeria’s Sherlock Holmes, always talking about how he will go into crime fighting and detective work. It was all fun and games to him. Anyway, I confronted Ayo about it when he got home but he refused to say anything so I had to let it go. Now I wish I hadn’t.”

I noted the sadness in his voice and a chill ran down my spine. Had Ayo already been initiated? Deji looked so forlorn I reached out and touched his shoulder.

“Don’t worry, you did the best you could.” I said. “Remember, you are his junior brother. He is supposed to be the one looking out for you.”

“Yeah but, who looks out for him? Dad is just happy he’s into physical activity and I can imagine him dreaming of Ayo becoming a soldier. And you know how mum is, too sweet to notice the ills in others.”

“So, did they…” I held my breath.

Deji shook his head. “I don’t know. I tried talking to him last night but he wouldn’t say a word. He didn’t even acknowledge my greeting this morning.”


“You should tell Dad,” I said. “It’s the only thing to do.”


“Dad is travelling today, don’t you remember? What’s the point of telling him if he isn’t around to enforce anything?”


We stood there in silence for some time before Deji got up without a word and left the bathroom. I finished up and had my bath and went to my room to get dressed. I wasn’t particularly looking forward to going to school today after yesterday’s incident but it seemed stayig at home wasn’t that condusive either. I got dressed and went into the parlour for my breakfast.

Mum was seated at the table, thoughtfully eating baked beans and bread. Deji was at the table too, picking through his breakfast aimlessly. Dad kept bustling in and out of the parlour carrying some documents, fixing his tie, wearing his uniform and mumbling under his breath. I couldn't see Ayo anywhere and assumed he was either still in the boys’ room or had dashed out before any of our parents could see his wounds.
I went to the kitchen, served myself breakfast and came to join my mum at the table. She looked somehow worried.

“What’s the matter mum?” I asked

“Eh?” She looked up at me and smiled, “Oh, nothing. Eat your food, I want us to get to your school on time so I can speak with the principal. I tired calling his number yesterday but it kept saying ‘busy’”.


I gasped. I had totally forgotten about our school principal. I went on to tell mom about his accident.


“What? What’s happening? What kind of accident is that?” Mom exclaimed. She genuinely looked like she was going to cry now and I immediately
regretted sharing the story of the incident with her.


“First your father is being called for an emergency meeting for goodness knows what; Ayo is stuck in his room with a fever…” She shook her head,
“And now I can’t even feel safe that you are going to school with accidents happening left and right…what is all this?”


“Take it easy mom,” I said, trying to encourage her with a reassurance I hardly felt. “I’m sure it’s all right.”

“Let’s put on the television,” Deji suggested, getting up and walking to the TV.


“No, not CNN again,” Mum groaned. “I tell you, those people know how to give somebody high blood pressure. I want to relax.”


‘Who’s putting CNN?” Deji said with a smile as he surfed though the channels. He finally stopped at a channel showing something on fashion and left it there. It was mom’s favorite show and she laughed when Deji came to the dinner table and forced her out of the chair.


“Watch this for a few minutes, I know how you like Debra lane,” He said with a grin. “This slowpoke of a sister will need another fifteen minutes before she finishes her breakfast, at least you would have relaxed a bit by then.


Mom gave the slightest hint of a protest but obviously liked the idea as she sat down with a smile and Deji grinned. I mentally made up my mind to slow down my eating as much as possible so as to allow her enjoy herself before we left. Deji came and sat beside me.


“Ayo is in bed sick?” I whispered, alarmed.


“He just said that to have an excuse to stay in bed until they both leave.” Deji whispered back. “He’s fine. Refused mom checking him out and pulled the bedsheet covers over him to cover his wounds.”

Dad came out, looking very smart in his uniform.


“I have to leave now.” He said. “We are all to gather at headquarters and then we’ll take a flight down to Abuja. Everything is being paid for by the government. It must really be something important.”


“When are we expecting you back, Dad?” Deji asked trying hard not to look anxious.


“Oh, they said the meeting will just be for a day.” He said, “I should be back by tomorrow evening latest.”


“Alright then,” Deji said, and went back to picking at his breakfast.


“Is anything the matter,” Dad asked. His eagle eyes had caught Deji’s uneasiness.


“It can wait, Sir.” Deji replied. “When you come back.”


“I hope it’s not another handout?” Dad replied, his eyes narrowing. “The way schools demand for money these days is something else…”


“It isn’t handouts dad. I just want to discuss something with you.” Deji replied and glanced at me meaningfully. “Man stuff.”

I glared at him indignantly and dad chuckled. “Oh. Okay, no problem, we’ll talk tomorrow.”

There was a honk outside and dad nodded.

“That’s my transport. You people be responsible while I’m gone. Deji, where is Ayo? You all should look after yourselves and mum…”

“Honey, you are only travelling for a day!” Mum said, getting up to hug him. “We’ll be alright.”

“Okay o.” dad smiled and mum escorted him out of the house.

“Why’d you say manstuff?” I said, facing Deji squarely.

“I didn’t want dad to suspect anything, you know how he can get if he feels there is any unresolved issue in the house. Don’t worry, I’ll tell him when he comes back.”


“Tell him what?” Ayo said as he suddenly entered the room.

He was wearing a light blue jeans and a cotton long stripped long sleeved shirt that covered his skin completely and effectively. No one who looked would be able to see a single cut. He walked with an effort but generally kept a straight gait and his face was blank.


“Tell Dad what, Deji?” Ayo repeated.


“Nothing much, just that his son is being cut to pieces under his very nose.” Deji replied.


“And what will you gain from telling him that?” Ayo said, coming closer. “Do you think I’m still a kid that will start to cry if he shouts on me? This is a matter I can handle myself, I’ve told you already…”


“Listen bro…” Deji began,


“No, YOU LISTEN!” Ayo shouted suddenly. His voice rang out so loudly that I thought I heard the windows rattle. “My business is my business! What do you think he’ll do, huh? He’ll probably get me transferred to another school! Or maybe you think he’ll send armed security men to follow me to school everyday? Do you realize how that will affect my reputation, my schooling? I’ll be viewed as an outcast!”


“If you join them then you are already an outcast!” Deji yelled back. “You are an outcast to your family! And family should always come first!”


“You better keep your mouth shut, brother..!” Ayo shouted, coming even closer. I stood up from my chair in alarm.


“Or else what ‘brother’!” Deji said, also getting up, his fists clenched .


“What’s going on here?”


We all turned and saw mum at the door.

adebayo201:

You'll get used to me dont worry. I'm an acquired taste

tohero: Ds story is doin me tin-rin-rin
.
We'll done bro!

hopefully it will end up doing you ten-ren-ren too
thanks man.