SACRED_OATHS

Author: Samuel Frederick

Episode 26: AN HORRIFIC SIGHT.

__________

We left the hospital that moment as Boma ordered. Even though I felt that he behaved too rash by ignoring the elderly woman in the ward, I also knew that he was doing everything for my protection. I understood how he must have felt to lose me for three straight days. I couldn't expect less from him.

Outside of the hospital, a black van awaited us there. I was asked to take the last row of the seats, while Boma sat at my right hand side, and Simon at my left, then we took off!

It was a rather silent drive back home for all of us. We were about eight or more people in the van, yet it remained silent as midnight. I was getting so uncomfortable with their unusual silence and their persistent stares on me, so I was prompted to ask, “What is going on here?”

“I asked you before, who did this to you?” Boma inquired, rubbing the bruises on my hand for emphasis.

“I was kidnapped.” I answered.

Immediately I said that, almost everyone’s eyes widened and their stares became intense. Boma’s facial expression changed to a frown as he directed his gaze at Simon.

“Did you hear that? Didn’t I tell you?” He asked, yelling at Simon.

“Didn’t I tell you to waste that idiot the last time we crossed paths? Have you seen the consequences of your actions?” Boma continued, almost shouting this time around. He looked really angry.

“Guy calm down, please.” A guy said from the front row. “Cool your temper.”

“You’re very stupid.” Boma retorted with anger. “Have you gone blind, or can’t you see my girl’s body? Take a good look at her skin for God’s sake!”

All of a sudden, Bauchi who sat a row before us, turned around and held Boma’s shoulder with force.

“Boss man,” he said, looking directly into Boma’s eyes, “just try to calm down a bit. We all know how painful this situation is, but no be only you the thing dey pain. We dey feel am too, badly.” He tried to console Boma as best as he could. With those words of his, Boma’s anger seemed to drop gradually.

“Big Tiny did this to you, didn’t he?” Simon who had been quiet all along, finally talked, referring to me. I nodded at that.

“How do you know him?” I asked, a little bit confused.

“I know the idiot.” He answered. “He killed one of our men this same way he kidnapped you. We caught him once and gave him a brutal beating, but I later spared his life. I asked him to go. I had hoped he would deliver a message to whoever sent him, and that they would all learn their lessons, but I regret taking that action now!”

“Mm. But why don’t we report to the police?” I suggested.

And at once, all their gazes fell on me as though I’d just said something stupid.

“Police?” Simon repeated. I nodded with raised eyebrows.

“Even the so-called police are in line with these people. I don’t think you know who these guys are. They have connections everywhere!” He explained, looking out the car window. “You have no idea who we are up against, Fifi. It’s nearly impossible for just anyone to contend with them and live to tell the story.”

“This is serious.” I mumbled, wagging my head, baffled. “So what do we do now?”

“First of all, you need adequate treatment for your wounds.” Boma interrupted before Simon could speak. “Secondly, you can’t go back to your house.” He finalized, and I looked at him abruptly.

“What? I can’t return home?” I asked. He just nodded.

“But I need to warn my friend, Miracle. She stays with me!” I argued. “I need to let her know what’s going on, face to face.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll do that for you.” Simon assured me.

“I need to see her myself!” I persisted. “I wouldn’t forgive myself if anything bad happened to her.”

“Okay, we’ll take you there, but not now!” Boma agreed. “It’ll be in the evening.”

“Cool. So, where are we heading to now?” I asked, relieved.

But nobody answered me.

__________

Two hours.

We had spent two whole hours on the road, yet, we hadn’t gotten to wherever I was being taken to. I kept demanding for our destination from time to time but none of them replied me, including Boma.

However, I noticed we had driven into a vast under-developed area with lots of thick bushes and trees around. We passed some houses and took a route that led to an inner, bushy road, and all of a sudden, the vehicle stopped moving.

“Get down!” Boma said, holding my hand as everyone stepped out of the van. I came down and looked around, observing the area.

“Where is this place?” I asked. He ignored my question and tightened his firm grip on my hand as we all walked along the narrow, bushy path.

We kept on walking for some time until we got to a huge black gate with a strong fence with broken bottles on the topmost level.

A guy among us whistled three times and knocked on the gate in a very strange manner, very slowly.

Almost immediately, the gate opened and a dark-skinned lady stood right behind the gate, with a machete in her hand. She hailed the guys one after the other as we all walked in, and then her facial expression changed to a frown on sighting me.

“Who be this one?” She asked ridiculously, looking at me from my hair down to my feet. Boma turned around and gave her a mean look and she bowed her head at once, looking terrified. After that little drama occured, we continued walking.

Inside of this gate, there was a two storey building painted brown and a small car parked in the compound. It seemed like so many people lived there, judging by the quantity of clothes I could see hanging on the wires.

As we walked along the corridor that led to the house, a funny, strong scent of alcohol and smoke engulfed the air, as well as ashes of cigarette littered the ground.

When we got into the house, just as I expected, I saw people inside with several bottles of alcohol on the table, including females; talking, laughing and drinking together. When they noticed our presence, they all became quiet and directed their gazes at us, particularly at me.

“This is your new home.… for now.” Boma said and I looked at him, disgusted by the appearance of all I had just seen.

“Nancy, Rita, you guys should meet us at my room… and bring your equipment along.” He called out to the two indecent ladies who were sitting on two other guys’ thighs. Then, I was directed to a room upstairs as he followed behind me.

Unlike the corridor and the parlor downstairs, this room was different and well furnished. The air in the room reeked of Boma’s very own cologne, and I could almost taste his essence around me.

“I know this is all new to you, but with time you’ll get used to it.” Boma said after we sat on his bed, still holding my hand firmly.

“Is this where you live?” I asked, looking around the room.

“Yes,” he answered. “Don’t be afraid, I’ll make sure nothing happens to you. We are not bad people here.” He assured me softly.

Shortly after he spoke, we both heard a soft knock at the door. Boma asked the person to come in, and the two ladies from downstairs entered inside. One was with a first-aid kit, and the other held a stainless steel plate and what looked like a pack of orange juice in her other hand.

“I’ll leave you alone now.” Boma said as he stood up and released my hand. “Just eat, have a shower and if possible, sleep to your satisfaction. When it’s dusk I’ll wake you up and take you to your friend as I promised, okay?”

“Okay.” I nodded with a slight smile. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He smiled back and looked at one of the ladies who was right beside him, and said: “Rita, after treating her wounds, make sure you find something comfortable for her to change into. Do you concur?”

“No problem, boss man!” The lady replied. “Your wish is my command.”

Finally, Boma winked at me and left the room.

__________

I woke up and felt the presence of someone sitting next to me, tapping me repeatedly.

“Aunty wake up, boss man dey call you.” The person said, still tapping me.

I opened my eyes clearly, only to see one of the ladies who had treated me earlier, sitting beside me.

“Did I sleep off?”

“Yeah, immediately you finished eating. It’s been three hours now.” She said.

“Oh. Please spare me a minute.” I excused myself from her so I could use the bathroom. “I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

After easing myself, I followed her downstairs, to the compound, and then outside of the gate. Out there, a small car was parked with all its glasses tinted and closed. She opened the back door and asked me to get in and I adhered, then she shut it from outside.

The first thing that hit my body was the car’s soothing air conditioning. Sitting beside me was Boma; Simon sat at the driver’s seat while Bauchi occupied the passenger seat beside him. I exchanged pleasantries with all of them and they asked about my welfare in turn.

Afterward, Simon turned on the ignition and reversed the car and we hit the road.

Bauchi entertained us with his jokes during the ride. Within a short period of time, we arrived in my street, right before my gate.

“Why don’t you just call her outside?” Boma suggested. I gave it a quick thought and complied at last. I dialled Mimi’s number repeatedly with Boma’s phone, but she wasn’t picking up my calls.

“It’s not going through.” I exclaimed.

“Is it ringing?” Simon asked.

“Yes, but she isn’t picking up. I’m sure she is inside now. Let me just go in.”

“Do you need me to accompany you?” Boma offered nicely.

“No, I’m fine.” I assured him. “Trust me.”

Satisfied by Boma’s sudden honest smile, I opened the car door and came out, and then I went into the compound. Mimi’s slippers were the first things I spotted at my doorstep, which undoubtedly meant that she was inside. I tried to open the door but it was locked, so I called her name repeatedly as I knocked.

Out of frustration, I pushed the door with all the strength I could muster and it opened forcefully, almost tripping me down. Instantly, I shivered at the horrific sight before me.

My eyes widened in shock, and before I knew it, a loud scream escaped my mouth.

Lying in a pool of her own blood was the lifeless body of my dear friend, Miracle. Tons of cuts and wounds filled many areas of her body, especially her face. She seemed to have been raped and killed brutally in the process, telling from the excess blood that flowed out of her private areas.

I covered my mouth with my hands to suppress the loud sound of my screaming as tears gushed from my eyes, then I ran away, out of the room, never to return.