Dark Night episode 16
Dark Night
Episode 16
A story by Oladipo Daniel
It was early in the morning, everything laid in its place, dew refreshed the leaves before “things fall apart”. Who now will hold the centre?
Shadow and his police could not go straight to Chief’s house because it’s already late and dark. They went to their various houses with plan to meet in the next morning. Shadow’s flat remained locked, nobody in the compound has ever noticed or seen him in that morning, one of his officers came and banged at his door. “Oga shadow, open the door pls”. He made enquiry from the neighbors in next flat, but none claimed has seen his door opened, “maybe he went out as usual”. The police noticed the door was locked behind, he had a strong feeling that he was in,side. He called his line, rang but no response. Fear gripped him. He pleaded some of the neighbors for help and they broke their way in. Shadow laid flat on his bed half breathing. Jeez! Mr Shadow! Oga Shadow! Within a glint, the room was crowded like Onisha market. Some strong and able men carried Him, some by hands, some by head. They rushed him to general hospital but lot of complains and demands (he never registered with them, they have to collect card in the cause of emergency, buy this and buy that) so they left for a private hospital. Shadow was admitted and gave aid. They ins**ted cotton wool into a liquid and place in his nostrils to control his breathing before given a drip. “He will be fine”, the doctor assured them.
The officer thought for a while, he wondered why the second officer never arrived nor called. He decided then to check on him so far his place is not that far to the hospital where Shadow was admitted. Getting to his house, he saw two big cars outside. “Ehn! This man has visitors that’s why he never bothered to call. Let me check maybe something will fall in my pocket too because these visitors would be rich, see their big cars”, he pronounced. He advanced towards the house, heard the conversation going on in,side, he waited and listened but could not decode it. He stepped forward to the door and heard his own name, he got shocked and paused. “what the f_ck!” he exclaimed. He waited and listened again, then he heard them discussing about them and their mission. The officer was given money after he has exposed everything he knew and their next step to threaten Toyin (Chief’s wife). “Who are these people?” he asked himself. He remembered the elder’s say that “man heart is deep”. This is a person that we’ve working together and now becoming a spy like a maggot on our vegetable. So, we will be unlocking the riddles behind chief’s death while he’ll be locking it. How long has he been into this? He got confused if he should tell Shadow who recently on bed, will it not complicate his health? Or he should bump into their meeting so that he will know he heard everything. He truly wished to bump into them, but he got scared of his dear life. The people are wicked, they might terminate him as well. So, quietly, he walked back from the door, unknowingly, his hand smashed down a stainless cup on a table on his way out which created an awareness. “I’m done for!” without hesitation, he ran out but could not pass the front house to avoid seen. He faced the backyard, there, was a fence. “What the hell!” this is a dilemma: wait for them and loose his life or get himself wounded by climbing the fence. The best was done, he climbed and jumped to the other side. He breathed in relief and glad he made it. He was still on the ground resting when he heard a barking. “what again!” he got up and saw a huge bog coming straight to his direction. Now, it’s another case. He could not even look round the compound, ran to just a direction for safety. In his hidden, he saw clearly where he entered, it was kidnappers’ residence. The place was cool, there were people’s clothes – school uniforms and others. Now, I just know I’ve entered into a big wàhálà (mess). He held his head and made a solemn prayer. In there, a door that led to his hidden was unfastened, a girl of about 13 years was tightened, they tore her cloth and threw it on him unknowingly, closed the door and went away. He only heard the girl’s voice begging for mercy (please don’t kill me) and a big sound like a machine before a great silent followed. He knew the girl had gone, he heard how they shared her body. As one demanding for legs so also another demanded for head. Fear gripped his heart, it was this time he knew he has run into death house. Come on! He encouraged himself. Every time he tried to move out, the people movement always restricted him. He was kept at a s₱0t with no alternative till dusk. Meanwhile, the second officer has been searching for them, he met Shadow’s door locked. He tried his number too switched off, he returned to his house because he could not fathom their movements.
******
The time was around 7 in the evening, cloud was getting dark. The officer heard in his hidden that the guys were going out for patrol, he knew sooner they might on their generator as people like this always have light in their compound because money will not be their problems. He tiptoed out of his hidden, followed the same direction he entered. He bumped into the dog again, he nearly shouted out of fear, but the dog was just busy eating flesh. He waited for a while before he knew the dog noticed his presence but didn’t just care. So, he moved on lurking right and left, ensured he never get caught. He managed to get to the gate but found it difficult to climb because of the length. God that will butter his bread, he saw a bench very close which he used and scaped through. He climbed the fence, sitting on it while the fear to jump gripped his mind. At the bark of the dog behind him, he threw himself down forcefully, stood and flee away from the vicinity. He headed straight to the hospital where shadow was admitted, getting there, he fainted at the main entrance. Fortunately for him, some of the nurses recognized him and took him on bed for treatment. He has lost many blood because of the wounds he sustained.
To be continued
I’m very sorry for the unnecessary delay on this story. I promise to complete it this time around but it might not be daily episodes. Once again, please forgive me.