COZY (episode 4)

© Oby Chinyere

I couldn’t sleep through out the night, i patiently waited until I started hearing a c*ck crow, I guess the first c*ck crow is mostly by 3am, so I know in less than three hours from then the day will break fully, so I waited, I was very cold and so tired to even move my limp body, through out the night all I did was to think about my life and the main reason why I landed into such mess.

Why didn’t I go back when I had the urge to, I followed this strange girl from post to post and even decided to wait for her, now my eyes has led me to be beaten by soldiers, chained under the cold like an animal and will remain here till dawn.

Kaka was right when he advised me to be careful at the rate of which I womanize or better still the way I love women who are well endowed, i wish my phone has not being taking from me I would have found a way to call Kaka to come this morning before going to work, he is probably trying my line and I know those soldiers switched off my phone

I hate every one of them, especially the woman who enticed me to sit, eat and drink that my friend will come and pay and I bought into the idea with the hope of escaping from her when I’m done feasting, but I suddenly met my waterloo, life is not fair, those soldiers forget that I’m also human like them, how much is even the money that they decided to punish me this way.

I know is not just because of the money, this is the devil’s handwork, the devil misled me, I followed the steps not knowing is a trap, the devil dug a pit for me to fall into, and I foolishly fell into it, this was my own retribution, a punishment well deserved, if I forgets everything in life but never will I forget this.

I was just in pain and in cold, I started pleading to God to have mercy on me, if I have died tonight what exactly will I tell my creator, what will be my gain, what did I even die for, I would have found a way to defend myself, just like Adam did after eating the forbidden fruit, Adam has told God that it was the woman he gave him, that enticed him with the fruit which he ate and his eyes were open

So, if God had asked me, “Cozy, tell me what brought you here, it was not yet your time to leave mankind, you are suppose to have more sixty five years to live on earth, so what are you doing here…

And I will answer “my creator, it was one of the women you created that killed me, you blessed her with so much endowment and she wickedly flexed it in my presence knowing how weak most men can be, so I fell for her traps, and followed her until I got lost and found myself here, is not my fault, if you have not created those kind of women on earth there won’t be temptation…

I began to laugh at my own foolishness, as I thought of my answers again to God, so it was God’s fault that I found my self in this mess, how senseless can I be by not accepting my wrongs and try to be better, I don’t want to pass the blame rather when to accept my faults and try not to repeat same thing again I will become a better man, is not God’s fault or even the lady that I followed, it was totally my fault, I brought this on myself, I allowed myself to be mislead

My eyes saw and signaled to my brain, my mind created the image and gave me an Idea like this, “Cozy, this is the kind of woman you like, just look at those s€×y dressing, check her out, she is well loaded, so endowed, both front and back, check out the way the buttocks moves, just imagine having her all to yourself, you will be in cloud nine, enjoyment all through, …follow her immediately so you won’t loose track of her, you plan to stop this but you don’t get to meet this type of girls everyday, opportunity comes but ones and here is your time, be quick and follow her …

And that’s how both my eyes and mind deceived me and my leg followed and ended up here. Life is not just fair, had I know I could have looked away I would have said no and walk away but some temptations are hærd to resist.

I kept thinking to myself until I hærd another c*ck row followed by another and the morning light was beginning to form, and just then I started feeling sleepy, I wondered why sleep decided to come now, when I needed it to while away time, it never came.

And gradually morning formed and I saw cars moving to and fro, I was there looking out while trying to hide from passer-by so that I won’t be seen, I feel so ashamed of myself already.

I saw the gate opposite the shop opened, and the girl that I followed came out and face the same way she came from, she was going back, I whistled at her and quickly stopped myself from doing that again, I wish my hands are not chained I would have raised them high so that she can see me and I will make a sign of “waka” to her,

I wanted her to see what she has caused, how she led me to being chained like an animal,

she hærd mouth the first mouth whistle and turned, she looked towards the shop, I tried to hide despite how difficult that was, she looked behind her and continued cat walking, I breathed deeply,

I was filled with so much fury and hate, if I wasn’t in chain I would have giving her the insult of her life.

she kept cat walking and I just bent my head wondering what exactly was my problem, I looked at the girl with a different eyes from yesterday, and I see I was actually foolish, what is it about her that I almost got myself killed.

I looked up and saw a car driving out and it was the same guy that came out to welcome her with a k-ss yesterday, he drove out and face a different road from the one the girl passed.

I waited as I started counting people as they pass, I wanted to occupy my mind before the shop owner and her husband comes, I counted everything I can counted, despite I was feeling pain all over, my face and body was swollen, I tried not to dwell in my pain, I focus my mind on something else

And after sometime, a car drove and packed right in front of the shop, it was the soldier, his wife and one of the men he came with yesterday, not two this time, they came down and walked straight to me

“You are still alive….that’s good, hope you had a peaceful night rest and it was a good thing that you guard the shop for us, my friend was worried about you and woke everybody up this morning because of you, he doesn’t understand that your punishment was well deserved, you got what you wanted, I hope you have learnt your lesson…next time try not to be stupid…

The man’s friend stood very close, watching as the man unchain me, the woman looked at me in disgust and started laughing at me like frog, I wonder what she was laughing at with all her full mouth, I hated her and at same time i don’t i blame her, she was using the influence of her husband to act as she pleases, she went about unlocking her shop, the man loosed me free

After I was loosened up, at first I couldn’t move my legs and hands immediately, I was stiff, it looked like my wh0le body was paralyze, I was frozen at same s₱0t, I sat there trying to move my legs and hands, the man’s friend saw my struggle and came to assist me as I stood up to my feet, he did not leave me immediately until I was able to stand on my own and I gently started moving my feet.

I was limping as I move out, I hærd the woman’s voice, she was shouting and that made me to stop

“where do you think you are going, thief, you still haven’t paid your money, you must pay me my money before you leave this place…the chain is even small, me I will tear your cloth and bite you until you pay me my money…

I paused, and try to relax on something as she went on ranting, her husband sat at one corner as he lit a cigarette and started smoking, his friend was standing at same place he left me, he turned to the woman and said

“Madam, how much is the money, don’t worry I will pay for him, he has served his punishment, let’s leave him to go home…I will pay for him…

The woman was still ranting, calling me a thief, the man’s friend called out to the woman’s husband

“commander, please tell your wife to calm down, she should let the boy go home, a wh0le night in an open cloud, in chain for how much, the beating was enough for him and chaining him like a common criminal was just too much, I hated the idea of leaving him here in chains but I’m glad he is alright…

“you are weakening Jeej, remember the rules and follow it accordingly, you have to leave your feeling aside and focus, this how it all start and they will become arm robbers, so you have to make them understand what awaits them in future, this is just his little beginning and he will become a renown criminal in the future if he not properly handled, remember our next task so remain focus, leave that stupid sympathy aside Jeej…

“Sure sir, please his phone, he has not collected it yet…you took it from him yesterday sir…

“Go and check in the car for it…I left it somewhere there…

Jeej went to the car and searched for my phone, he later brought it to me, he squeezed something into my hand, and gently tapped me on the shoulder, I muttered a quiet thank you to him before walking out

As I was out of sight I opened my hand and saw it was money which will enable me to take transport back to my house, because I may probably fall and faint on the road if I decided to walk home, my house is very far from there and I wonder how I manage to walk such distance to that place without considering myself.

At least I was glad there were still human’s among the mean looking soldiers, even though I wanted to keep cursing them but because of Jeej I kept quiet and walked away, at this time blood has circulated all over my body, the stiffness was gradually lifting.

I stopped a motorbike which took me to my house.

To be continued…

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