Chapter 1

I woke up this morning to prepare for church when I received a notification on my phone. I ignored it because I was in the shower. I mean, it’s Sunday! Who calls this early on a Sunday? Please, I wasn’t up for that.

After several rings, I finally finished my bath, dressed up, and picked up my phone to check the time when I saw the six missed calls from an unknown number.Then someone knocked at my door. At 6:23am?

I was alone in a duplex that contained five flats. My neighbour across the hall was a nurse who had gone to work, and... I heard the knock again.

“Who’s that?”

“It’s me, Onome!”

My roommate? Home? Today?

I hurriedly opened the door.“You finally show up today after months of..."

I was suddenly shoved back in the apartment by a guy pouting a gun at my head. Another held on to ONOME, who was looking totally scared.

"Move," the gun pointer said.

Before I could utter another word, the room was filled with three other guys.Oh my!. What did she get herself into?

“Heiys!, lie down for the ground!” Gun pointer shouted at me. He was definitely Nigerian.

I quickly did as I was told, face down on the ground. The one holding my roomie remained quiet while two got down to work, ransacking my perfectly arranged space.

I hate rowdiness.I really hate rowdiness because I was beginning to panic.

"Kay, I swear to you that it’s not here! ...please?” I heard my roomie plead.

What are they looking for? One of the three had remained at the door, looking smugly at her. He was obviously the leader with his air of command.

“Shut up!” her captor yelled, shoving her to the ground beside me.

“Kay, we can’t find anything,” guy three said after kicking my papers off the way.

Guy Four joins them at the door, chewing on my favorite chocolate candy."Nothing, boss.”I tried to control my anxiety as the crowd started to get to me. I need air!

“Are you ok?” My roomie whispered beside me.Off course I’m fine... I’d told her about my condition, and here she was, breaking the rules of our agreement! Then she asks if I’m fine! Arrgggg!!!.

“Sit up," a sultry voice says.I didn’t need to be there twice. I sat up and did my breathing exercise with my eyes closed. I didn’t care that there was a gun pointed at me. I just wanted to breathe.

“Open your eyes.”I do, and I am shocked at the close proximity of the leader. He’d squatted in front of me, staring at me.I knew those eyes! They looked so familiar. Suddenly, he looks away, taken aback by my stare.I watch as he takes fast steps backward, turning away from me.

“Let’s move out,” he simply said, and off they all went. Shutting the door on their way out. Mr. Familiar Eyes stops to give me one last look before he walks away.

“Thank you, Father!” My roomie breath.

She crawled to me in haste. “Are you alright? Were you hurt?”

She tried to touch me, but I swatted her hand away. It was enough that my apartment was in a mess, and strangers had almost killed us. Without looking at her, I pulled my angry self upward and rushed to the kitchen to wash up roughly.

If my family could see me now, I would be a laughing stock. I proved them right by not knowing how to handle'me' and now, a break-and-entry case in the UK. Shutting the tap, I hastily wipe my arms clean and storm to my room, leaving a perplexed roomie. Yeah, right. She ought to be!

**

I woke up the next morning feeling extremely tired. I didn’t sleep. Not after the drama last night. Everything about the night kept me up, especially those eyes. I knew that I knew that guy somewhere. And he knew me too—probably the reason why he took off and

Knock knock“Uyghur! .. Onome! What do you want?’’

“Urmm, can I come in?’’ She asks

“Sure..”“Are you sure? Because I think you should come out.I frowned.

Something was up. She had that ‘tone’

I leave my bed to open the door.Not again..

There stood Onome and the guys from the night before. All three of them, except for the leader, were masked. My roomie looks defeated and worked out.Did they return?

 “What do you want now?” I asked rudely.

Frankly, I didn’t care if they came to finish what they started.

I was already tired!😩.. my anxiety level was up there. 

They look at each other in surprise. Apparently, no one challenged them. Well, I was of a different breed.

“Babe, please calm down,” she pleaded.At this point, I was no longer mad at her. I just wanted this to be over.

“You’re coming with us,” one of them said.Said “What?!” I blurted it out.

They grab and blindfold me. I could feel Onome hitting and yelling over their heads to let me be, as I literally couldn’t do much. My personal space was invaded, and I was already panicking, something my captors didn’t notice. I passed out before we got to the exit.

**

Adam’s POV

I couldn’t believe it was her. I haven’t been able to shake off the feeling of bitterness since last night—no, since that day.

Kamsi didn’t recognise him, and it wasn’t her fault. We had both grown since the last time we saw each other. But those features of hers remained the same. a dark-skinned beauty with straight athletic legs, a perfectly honed body, and a round face. not to talk about her.

Adam! Focus! 

Where were these boys?' They should be here by now.

I heard the engine of my car as it pulled into my driveway. Living in this mansion alone sometimes keeps one up to date on the slightest change in the air.

Good! They were here!

I hurry down the stairs, masking again. Haha! What a joke! I hid in my own house to hide from a woman. My guys would laugh for days on end, or they would witness this.

I see one of my boys carrying her bridal style. She looked dead.“Is she…?” I start, but they shake their heads in negation.

Pheew! “What happened?”

"She passed out before we even left her apartment.”

Strange.."Take her upstairs to the room,” I order.

The other two unmask and settle down on the couch while Will carries her up the stairs.

“Boss, what’s going to happen to the merchandise?” Kwame asks.

I had forgotten about that

“We have to find it. I’m sure that Onome girl is hiding it“.

“That’s a lot of money if she sells it,” Antione says.

“She’s a sharp one. We searched all her hideouts. Nothing." kwame commends

“Oh, she will bring it out of hiding... Trust me,” I smirk.

I wasn’t known to go soft on my merchandise, not when it had to do with my money. My business thrives on the honesty of my customers. Yeah, droppers. You must have guessed right. I’m the guy that everyone is warned about—the one no minor should come close to. The bad influence’.

The drug Lord… 😂 just kidding..

But I’m not.

Chapter 2

After my studies, I carved out a life for myself here in the UK, even if it wasn’t the right life. But what was ever the right kind of life? Was it written somewhere that we were all supposed to retire from school as employees of one big company? I mean… I’m not exactly doing what my family would be proud of, but I’m doing it.

“Go and get her." I say, referring to Onome.

Two of them left. Too bad Kamsi got caught up in all this.

I need my stuff back, and I was going to get it, no matter the cost.

Even if it meant using their friendship as a tool, so be it.

***

Kamsi’s POV

I wake up in a strange room, feeling better but tired. The last thing I remember was seeing those guys back at the house and...Oh my God!

Was I abducted? Did they take me by force?

Where was Onome? I… 

The door opens to reveal the ‘guy’. Same guy whose eyes seemed familiar.

He was masked again during the day, duh! I may just be waking up, but my brain is already active. Who covered their faces during the day when the sun was up and shining?😒

“You’re up,” he starts.I raise an eyebrow.

ok..

We stare at each other until he leaves the state door and walks to the vanity. There was a vanity, of course, and it has very little male stuff on there.

“Are you OK?” He asks after what seemed to be like an hour.

“Yes, I’m fine. Just a bit thirsty.”

"That won’t be a problem when your friend gets here with my stuff.”

Really? Then why did he even ask if he didn’t care?

I sigh and look away, folding my arms over my chest.

I might as well remain quiet.

“What are you doing with a friend like Onome?” He asks, killing my moment of silence.

Shrugging, I shake my head and say, “Because she’s my friend” . Wasn’t it obvious?

Chuckling, he blurts out something that hits me hard: “If you have more friends like that, you are sure to get into a lot of trouble."

"What do you mean?” I frown 

“You will find out soon.”

And off he goes, locking the door behind him.

That was strange. He looked like he was up to something.

Suddenly, the door opens for all of them. I mean, all of them. Onome, the goons, and him, I tensed at once when they shoved Onome to the bed.

She landed right on top of me.“ Hey! What's wrong with you?

I had had it with all the games! It was going to stop right now! I was probably wasting my time because the next line of action stunned me. The ‘familiar eyes’ guy pointed a gin at him, turning off the safety mode. That was bad, right? I have watched a lot of Van Damme movies to know what that meant.

Onome’s reaction scared me because she was already on her knees on the bed, pleading.Guy 2 had also pointed a gun at her.

We were going to die, oh my Lord! I thought I would have kids, grow old, and die peacefully in one garden somewhere in Milwaukee! I’m too young to die!"Where is my merchandise?" Familiar eyes ask“I swear, I don't."

A shot fired over my head. I died! .. 

To be continued...

Chapter 3

The Past

It's a typical street in Lagos, one with so many small shops, ‘Aboki’ spots and ‘Bolli sellers at almost every house”. Half of the street is messy and muddy from the rain that fell overnight. It’s almost 6:00pm this saturday evening, a perfect time for the kinds to come to play, the big aunts gather to ‘gist’ about the latest happening in the ‘adugo’.

A pair of eyes follow the young lady all the way from the popular bus stop to the building very close to the only Church in the street. Just as those eyes were about to squint for a closer look, someone made a clapping sound from behind him.

“Poaw!”

“Ogbeni!” A familiar voice calls out, laughing hard.

Those eyes shut in exasperation.. Not again.

He couldn’t just leave his house in peace and return in that same vein. Someone had to mess up his evening.

He bites down on his teeth, jaws moving impatiently as he controls his rising anger. For the love of God, a grown-ass man like himself should have some quiet time!

Jerry turns to stare into the laughing face of his friend, Hakeem.

“Guy..” he starts but Hakeem beats him to it with another slap to his shoulder. Not painful but loud enough to draw attention.

“J!, my guy!. What were you looking at with your eyes looking so tiny?.. Aha!” he smiles. Perfectly aware of how he made his friend feel.

Everyone knew Jerry koko of West End to be a calm but calculated guy. One who minded his business but was the guy that even the kids knew to be the ‘sweet uncle’. Hakeem smirks and turns in the direction of the lady he was ogling a while ago.

“Guy, you no get chill pill for that babe o, aha!.. Your eyes still dey chook like..”

“How far?, chill na!” Jerry exclaims

“Ogbeni gba gbe jare!.. My friend, forget that thing!, “Hakeem winks “ But you know say the match na draw sha?” he asks

Without turning, Jerry knew why Hakeem had changed the subject the moment another male voice was heard.

“Eyan mi!, ki lon lo?, my guys, what’s up?” Abiodun asks.

“How far, wetin dey play. Mo kan ni ki ja de. I no know say i go meet awon alori buruku” Jerry said with a straight face.

Abiodun was a cool guy but he had a big problem of letting go of simple matters. The slightest thing keeps his mouth running. He could keep a secret.. For a short while. He is well known for ‘not’ keeping secrets actually. A like-able young man.

Both men look aghast!

“Iya eh!” Hakeem burst out, pushing two open palms at him, in his face!.

“Emi!, O lo ri bu ru ku!” Abiodun asks, raising his voice.

Jerry purses his lips, watering down thier insults. “ Yes, Una be Olo ri buru ku” he adds.

Abidon fists his hands and starts to hop, throwing fake blows at him while Hakeem just gives him the dirty eye and starts to walk away.

“Oga, if you don finish, you go come open your door make we chop”

“Wo!.. i no go gree!. You go vomit that your tongue today!” Abiodun rants on.

Jerry starts to walk away, heading after his other friend who was likely going to invade his kitchen.

“See, if you don jump finish, meet us for house”

“Ah!.. Me!.. J!.. Emi!.. Wo bi!..”

Later that night, alone in his bed, Jerry tosses and turns restlessly. His mind, preoccupied by thoughts of Simisola, the pretty girls from two streets away. If anyone had told him that he would come to like a girl as simple as Simi, he probably would have planted a fist into the evil soothsayer’s face. But a life would have it, their paths had to cross and something just changed.

They had met at the popular Cemetery bus stop the night of the carnival.

That one night at the bus stop was all it took to change everything. E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.

***

Simisola scrolls through her chats, bored out of her mind since there was no power. A message comes in, catching her attention quickly. Her heart skips at a glance.

It was from Jerry.

It wasn’t a direct chat but a group message. He seemed to be addressing the issue of the bad electric supply and why the Youth head wasn’t saying anything in that regard.

A whatsapp group? One with every youth in the area? That discussed all and everything?

A big YES!.

It was fun to catch all the drama in the group chat and get to observe them in real life when they aren’t even aware.

The group was a mix of the street touts, the cool-heads, snubs, bad babes and big dudes in the area but somehow, not everyone knew who was who. Not with the hidden Dps, and cloned profile pictures. Even the ‘agbas’ were not left behind.

A few notifications interrupt her thoughts when she spots Jerry’s response. She laughed out loud at his outburst.

He was by far the most expressive human being in the group. True that he was unknown as she hasn’t even gotten around to asking who this ‘Jerry’ guy was. But he was a force to be reckoned with. His written English was spot on!. In fact, when he had sent a voice recording a couple of weeks back, she couldn’t help but listen over and over until she fell asleep and woke up with drool all over her phone screen… imagine the personal disgrace.. Gosh!.

Just last week, she was this close… this close to identifying this interesting personality but missed her chance when she got home pretty late from work.

“Ah!, you just miss am, he don go house!” her neighbor, mama boy-boy shrugged. She’s heard he was coming around her street to see the landlord. Apparently, they were close relatives. All plans to be home early enough proved abortive.

Soon.. soon, she would meet this Jerry guy and put a face to…

A resounding knock hits her door!.

“Who is that?”

“Simi!, open the door!... it’s Cynthia joor!”

Cynthia was her room mate.

“You are just coming?”, she asks as she opens the door wide to usher in her friend.

´Before nko?... the usual happened´´Cynthia says

Thoughts of the daredevil flew from her mind. Her favorite human was back.

To be continued... 

Chapter 4

“Ok!.. ok!.. I will show you where it is!” I heard Onome yell.

Was I still alive? Slowly but surely, I open my eyes to see everyone else in the room. I felt okay. Onome was looking alright.

So who shot who?

‘Familiar eyes’ closed the gap between Onome and himself, pressing the gun hole to her temple.

"I will not hesitate to kill you and your friend as an example to others, am I clear?” He threatens 

Onome nods hastily.

With a nod from him, two of them leave, pulling her along with them.

Pheew! That was close.

“Get up!” He orders I quickly jumped off the bed.

‘Guy 3’ and ‘familiar eyes’ motion to the door, indicating I move.

We leave the room, heading down the stairs behind Onome, straight out of the house.

“Get in the car." Guy 3 hisses.

Na wa o..

Parked out were two cars, the blue Ford Puma occupying Onome and the guys, obviously waiting orders from ‘familiar eyes’ while the other was going to take us three. We get in and pull out of the driveway at the same time.

Following the Ford, we drove awhile until we arrived at a secluded area that looked like an abandoned warehouse.

The next thing I see is guy 1 pulling Onome out, gun to her back, as they stroll into the structure.

A minute later, they emerge, a satchel in hand.

“Got it, boss!” He announces 

“Good..”

They get in and start the engine.“Errm, what happens to us now?” I ask quietly.

‘Familair eyes’ throws me a glance and looks away as our car starts as well, driving behind them. Rudddddeeee 😒😒😒😒

We arrive at our apartment thirty minutes later.

´Familia eyes’ alights and stalks to the Ford. He talks to Onome for a while before opening the door.

My scared roommate shamefully mounts the stairs and disappears into the building without a backward glance! Just like that! 🤨🤨

That’s it!. I’m so done! Done!! 

‘Familair eyes’ walks back to our car and peers in through the window."

You are free to go,” he announces.

You bet I was. I hiss angrily and push the door open.

“Hey, be careful,” he advises.

He’s been the one with a mask all day. He should be careful, not me.

"I hope you realize how dangerous this life is." I shot back.

He laughed. Imagine this person!

“Not as dangerous as yours."

What did he mean by that?

Anyway, giving Onome an earful was on my mind right now. And boy, was she going to get it! 🙅🏾‍♀️🙅🏾‍♀️

It’s been two days since Onome and I had our fallout. I was an OCD patient on the way to recovery. The least she could do was give me my own space and not use her unorganised lifestyle to spoil my own.

Having OCD meant that I had to do deal with my nerves.. insecurities.. and fears. I don’t know how I managed to survive those days surrounded by the hoodlums, being abducted but here I was, in my bathroom.. having weird thoughts as I scrubbed off those thoughts off my body.

I was tired. Tired of living this way.. living in a cycle.

“ God help me” I muttered brokenly as tears well up on the inside of me. I wished I was ‘me’ once again.

A confident lady who wasn’t scared if nothing. I wished I was the old me that wasn’t afraid to live like I should. I wished.. wished so bad that I didn’t have to push people away because of how insecure I was.

I shouldn’t feel like this but I couldn’t help it!. My life wasn’t put together no matter how hard I tried. No matter how hard I fought! Fresh tears flow down my eyes in pain. I shouldn’t feel this was!

“Arrggggg!!!!!!” I scream out as I felt my anxiety rise. Oh Lord.. not again! Please help me!. I cry within me.

Chapter 5

Days later...

It’s my boss’s birthday and the office is buzzing with excitement. For a UK based company, they sure celebrated like Nigerians.

You could feel the excitement in the air as soon as you walked into the sky-scraped building. Despite the fact that I wasn’t even six months old here, I was already assigned a task to make today a success.

Now I had to be wary of my habits because I given kitchen duties.

“Hey gurl!” Ashanti.. 😎, yep.. that’s her name.. Ashanti, my all-day- super -hyped colleague called out as she waltzed into the office kitchen, catching me wipe the cabinet. I feigned a smile and turned to her “Hey.. what’s up?”

“I have the cakes and drinks out back, I need help bringing them up here”

“ The elevators not working?”

“ Too many eyes.. I’d rather do the stairs”

“ The stairs!.. Shanti!” I exclaim

“ Just playing..” she laughs “ But I need help with ´em stuff in the car”

Ashanti was Jamaican. There were lots of Jamaican immigrants in this part of UK.. one would think they were in competition with us Nigerian. But nothing spoil. All na hustle.

I head out after her to bump into a hard body.. I knew that presence anywhere without looking up.

“Babes..” Steve drawled

Rolling my eyes, I slide past him but he makes to grab my arm. We played this game all the time to know that it was going to be futile. I dodged and swerved to face him.

He smirks “You look great”

Yeah right..”I have duties, Steve. Go away” I say and walk away, passing my ‘cubicled office’.

“I’ve got you babe!” He roars across the hall.

My office space was largely populated by the ‘English’ but my department, Editing, was mostly populated by the ‘blacks’ from every other place in the planet. We dominated that Department that the ‘blue bloods’ wanted to be cool like us. Ha!.. if only they knew what demons we fought 😂😂.

Steve, a distant descendant of the royal family of Scotland was one of those ‘wanna-be Africans’ who tried too hard. Apparently, no one believes him.

In twenty minutes, I’m back in the kitchen.. resting my arms lightly on the zinc, after washing my fingers a million times over.

I thought I had overcome this habit.. apparently not. I think it returned after my encounter with them boys 😒😒😞.

“Party’s started, yoaall!” A shrill voice screeches

Ashanti..

As I hurry out into the hall to join the small party, I catch our ‘Boss’ standing right on top of the make-shift red carpet flanked by a younger man. African.. hmm.. typical of him.

I walk up to him to wish him well when I stumble and almost fall but was caught by the man beside him.

“Easy..” he says

Not again.. not that voice.

To be continued... Please like and share if you love to get more.. thanks (Winks)