Beauty they say is.....
Wait I can't remember the phrase but I'll get back to you later 😂

CHIDI

"Oh My God" My mouth was wide opened, I couldn't close it. When I opened that door, I saw a beautiful lady sitting down on her bed watching the television that was by the right side of the room.

She causally looked at me and said "Hey you are one of those people that packed in" which I replied 'yes to, then she asked what I was doing in her room. I explained to her what I heard from outside and what I thought it was then she burst into laughter. ( dear reader in my life I'm not sure I have ever been as embarrassed as I am now).

When finally stopped laughing, she told me it was the movie she was watching that made her scream that way.

She started another round of laughter (at this point my self esteem was at an all time low), then while still laughing she asked "What were you thinking, that I was a damsel in distress and you would come in save me and swoop me off my feet. Then we will fall in love and live happily ever after ( well excuse me for being a fan of romance but I feel silly now admiting that's what I thought would happen).

Another annoying thing is that her voice Was so soft, so feminine, so melodious I couldn't get angry with her instead all these things make me feel more embarrassed. She offered me to come join her and watch the movie but I quickly declined (Hey don't blame me, a brother can only take so much).

I quckily left dashed out of her room and went back to ours. I didn't even mind that I was pressed and that's why I went out in the first place. I quckily l laid down mat beside Chinedu and willed myself to sleep. I closer my eyes but the scene in the lady's house kept on replaying in my head who's name I just realized I didn't know or ask for. "Nawa oo which kind thing be this" I said to myself. The embarrassment was just to much, I just wished I'll wake up tomorrow morning and find out this was just all a bad dream.

Translation

"Nawa oo which kind thing be this"- Hmm what kind of thing is this?

***

Well I came to hustle and hustle I shall

EMEKA

"I feel really awkward staying in this compound. I can't believe Njideka is staying here and to make matters worse, she is married". I thought to myself.

I thought about all this while still lying on the mat Chidi and Chinedu still sleeping by my side. I stood up and went to my bag and took my tooth brush and paste which I kept by the side of my bag. I opened the door and looked outside. I was not prepared for any kind of surprises ( By this I mean I didn't want to meet the wrong people if you know what I mean).

I saw no one so I went to the side of the house where supposedly the bathroom and tap were. I got there and saw the exact person that I was avoiding.

There just infront of the tap stood Njideka talking to another woman. I walked to the tap and tried my best to avoid both of them but of course women will always be women. The other lady said "Ahah neighbour, neighbour welcome to our compound oo, how are you doing this morning". I quckily said " thank you and I'm fine while avoiding eye contact. " won't you greet Oga landlords wife" she said again. I looked around to see whom she was referring to before rememberring that Njideka was one of the landlord's wives. "Good morning" I said and walked away before she could reply if she wanted to. I walked back to our room and sat down

" I'd rather stay with a smelling mouth than stay there and talk to you those women" I said to myself.

With that in mind I brought out a blue polo shirt and brown shorts from my bag and wore them. When I was done dressing up, I left the compound in search of a place to clear my head ( I can't lie to myself, I thought I had gotten over Njideka but I hadn't and it was eating me alive).

I went to the viewing center just beside center beside our house and sat down there. It was around 8:00am in the morning so the place was empty. I called the lady wearing an apron and asked her for food ( apparently it was a restaurant as well as a view center hmm good business). She came back with the rice and stew I ordered, then left alone to wallow in my thoughts.

I'm not surprised that the only thought that came to memory lane, I remembered how I felt when she left me and went to the city, when I whatever we had ended as she left. I felt like a part of me left with her and I could never retrieve it. I spent those days lonely and sad, now after all those years of suffering. She was back in my life again but now she is married to one top bellied man.

I searched my heart to see if I still had those feelings I had for her and I realised I did feel something for her but this time it is not lovr but hatred ( wow readers I guess there is truly a thin line between love and hate).

"I will deal with her for what she put me through" I said to myself. "All the pain and loneliness I felt she will feel" I said again. I noticed my hands were shaking shaking out of anger. I cracked my knuckles to subdue the shaking, then continued eating my food.

When I was done with the food, I decided to go on a stroll to clear my mind, just enough to be able to devise a plan to destroy my ex lover. I walked and walked to a point I didn't know where I was again and because I was so lost in my thoughts I didn't take note of landmarks that could guide me back home.

I was lost and I knew it. I looked around, to my left was an uncompleted building which looked very old. I guess it is an abandoned project left many years ago and to my right was an empty land filled with bushes.

I looked around again and noticed only one car parked a little bit far away from I was standing. I could barely see it's features but because I am an expert in cars, I could tell it was a Toyota Corolla. I checked my my wristwatch ( the funny thing about it was that it was the same wristwatch Njideka gave me years ago, ugh it made me hate her more) and saw it was 12:30pm. " How did time fly so fast and nawa oo I dey trek sha" I said to myself.

I want to take shelter at the completed building so it could think of a way back, I sat at the entrance of the building, it was a little high so I could swing my legs back and forth, suddenly I heard voices from inside the building and from what I was hearing they were men's voices.

"Shut up now, are you mad" I heard one voice say, "Better behave yourself" another said. I suspected that those guys kidnappers and I had to leave immediately (dear reader to make things clear, when I heard those voice the first time I stood up from where I was sitting and went inside house so I hear them clearly, stupid decision right? well I know don't rub it in).

When I decided to leave at first I tip toed to the exit but started running when I heard when I heard one of the man coming down stairs. I ran, I was almost at the door, to escaping when the worst happened, I fell. I hit my against an object and fell down hard. I shouted upon impact and clutched my knee which hurt badly. I didn't care if the man coming down stairs heard me or not, the pain was just unbearable.

"Who be that" the men said said and before I could blink my eyes, a dark man wearing all black infront of me. He was so muscular and I noticed a tattoo on his left bicep. Before I could bask in all his features, a slap landed on my on my face and I passed out.

When I regained consciousness, four men stood infront of me. Two of them holding guns and the other matchets. I looked to the side and saw a young lady tied with ropes on both her feet and hands and get mouth was gagged. I tried to sit up properly but found out I was also tied up. Pain throbbed from my face no doubt from the place I was slapped earlier. I closed my eyes to try and subside the pain.

"Who are you" a voice said. I open my eyes only to see the same man who slapped earlier. I noticed he was the only one wearing all black, the other had a touch of red to their clothing so I guess the man talking to me is the leader. "Who are you" the man repeated. "M...M..My name is E...Emeka sir " I stuttered and went on telling him how I found myself at the entrance of the building even though he didn't ask me all that. " Is that so" the man said after I was done explaining my story.

The lady tied up by the side attempted to shout which was not easy because I mouth was gagged. One of the men went over to her and Kicked her, she quickly stopped making any attempt to move talk less of shouting.

"Boy are your parents rich" the leader asked. "N..n..no they a..ar...are not infact they are in the village" I stuttered again managed to complete a sentence.

"Then we have no use for you now, so I think we will just kill you or what do you think ehn" he said (wait if not for the fact that this was a life and death situation, I would asked if he was stupid to ask for my opinion in a matter that involved my own death) "Sir please I will do anything sir, please don't kill me" I begged.

"Hmm anything you say" the leader said while looking at this man suspiciously. "OK then untie him" he ordered. I was surprised, but I also disturbed because I didn't know what they will want me to do.

"There is something you will do for you us" the leader said. "We have to know if we can trust you" he continued. He gestured to one of his men who then left the room in a rush, then he continued " We are going to give you another option in exception to dying which is that you join us "
( Wow who knew my life would come to this, me Emeka Okoye the best student in my school become a kidnapper. Wow life has a way if writing some funny scripts for us to play)

Shortly the man who left the room earlier came back with a calabash that had a red cloth tied around it. He dropped it infront of me.

"Drink it" the man said. I looked inside the calabash and saw a reddish liquid, it looked like .... Oh no it can't be. I watched alot of Nigerian films but nobody told me all those things happen in real life. To be sure I asked " Sir please what is this" I asked. "Blood, our blood" he answered. Then he continued "This is our initiation, it's either you drink and join us or we kill you because from here there is no going back ( the way he said it. Like they gave me a choice to walk away and I declined).

I wasn't ready to die yet so I accepted and to drink the blood, human blood (eww). After I agreed, the man infront of me pick up the calabash and handed it to me. I brought it close to my mouth and took a sip. At that moment a million thoughts went through hit my head at once, realising that these guys are not just your normal, average kidnappers. They were, they did more diabolical things to carry out there missions successfully and Oww the taste of the blood was awful ( dear reader a little advice, don't try this at home, you will instantly regret it). I dropped the calabash gently but I was urged to drink more of that red stuff so I did.

After the whole drinking blood business. They told me to say some words after them, swear my allegiance to them till I die.

They promised me money and not just a little money but wealth and to tell me that they were serious, they gave me a big stack of cash to take and do as I please with it. I was content with all this, after all I did come to Abuja to hustle for money. I believe it doesn't matter how you make money as far as you make it. Then they told me I was a full member of their group now.

Then I was told to wait, they had a mission to execute that night. The leader to one of the guys wearing black and red who's gang name was Sniper to brief me on the details of the mission they had that night. Sniper then pointed to the lady and told me that they were to stop her off that night and collect the ransom from her people at a particular point. He told me what I was required to do and when to do it.

Nightfall came quickly that day, before I knew what was happening it was already 8pm. The leader who was called 'Capo' told us to lead the girl to the car and carry some ammunition while at it. Soon enough we hit the road and were on our way to the location.

When we got there it was so dark, I looked around and could not see any building at all, we were surrounded by bushes. I was told to go with another man called 'Rambo' to go with and wait at a place that they pointed out. As we went I held a torch light and a pistol ( I didn't know how to operate the gun but I felt it was easy and of course I didn't want to tell the others because may or may not have bragged about being the best hunter in our village). Rambo on the other hand held the hostage occasionally slapping her to cooperate or keep quiet.

We finally got to the exact location we were to drop the girl off and immediately I heard a voice freeze from behind us "I'm done for, I don enter one chance" I thought to myself.
Rambo was still stubborn shouting "Who be that, if you know say dem born you well show your face" and as if the people decided to take Rambo on his challenge came out, lo and behold it was not the police but was every Nigerians worse fear, the Army.
"Ewo" I shouted before darting into a run. I ran as fast I could before 'bam bam bam' I heard gun shots, I fell to the ground and everything went dark.

Translation
Ahah- This is a Nigerian exclamation that comes with shock

Oga- It means boss in Nigerian pidgin language.

Calabash - Clay pot

" Who be that"- who is that

Ewo: This is also a Nigerian exclamation. It used when one is in shock or when calamity befalls a person.

"If you know say dem born you well"-
If you know they gave birth to you normally/peoperly.

"I don enter one chance"- I have entered trouble

That's the end of this chapter guys. Men that was long.

Please write your comments, do you think Chidi is dead?. Do you like Chidi? What do you think will happen next.

I really must appreciate of you who have taken out time to read this book and comment. I can't forget the voters too. Please do more vote more and comment more Thank you.

See you in the next chapter.😉😉