The secret of death episode 9 – 10
THE SECRET OF DEATH
(The Wise Done)
Episode 9 & 10
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Written by Author Nath
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In life, you have to take the pace that love goes. You don’t force it. You just don’t force love, you don’t force falling in love, you don’t force being in love – you just become. I don’t know how to say that in English, but you just feel it. Adaugo found herself in that situation. She could be seen in,side the kitchen smiling sheepishly to the very intelligent words of the young boy who she didn’t know, but his image kept reoccurring in her head like a camera, storing a picture. She wasn’t exactly sure when it happened. Or even when it started. All she knew for sure was that right there and then, she was falling hærd and she could only pray that he was feeling the same way. “What is even the hope of seeing him again?” she concluded in her mind then suddenly frowned.
Meanwhile, her mother, Alice had been watching her by the door. They now live in two bedroom flat. Evan had been working very hærd as a commercial bus driver. They had two more children; a fourteen year old son and a ten year old daughter. Alice looked older, but still beautiful like a woman in her early forties. She wore a trouser with a fairy top.
“Who is he?” She folded her hands at the door of the kitchen. Her voice startled Adaugo.
“Welcome, mummy.” she greeted pretending not to hear her. Enthusiastically, she packed more dirty plates to wash.
“Teenagers.” Alice smiled. “I asked you who he is.” she added, yet without leaving the door.
Adaugo never looked at her when she responded saying, “Mummy, who are you talking about? That reminds me..” she began while the mother walked in, well prepared for the gist. “Something happened to me on my way from shopping. Some men overtook a man in my presence. There were with guns! The funniest part was that I fell down by just the car’s breeze as if I was some kind of nylon.” she chuckled to see her mother surprisingly worried.
“Did they hurt you?” she asked her curiously.
“I had to close my eyes not to see my own death, but before I opened it… I… I..” she paused to remember the handsome face of Jimmy stretching his hand to her. Unknowingly, she smiled again.
“There you go again.” The mother noticed. “Who is he?” She asked for the third time.
“I opened my eyes to see him. He helped me up and spoke cleverly about help and life.” she never wanted to look at the mother again.
“So he’s the reason for your smiles.”
Adaugo didn’t reply.
“You have to talk to me. You’ll soon turn eighteen. What’s his name?”
“I don’t know, Mummy. He was in a hurry. He didn’t even ask me mine.” she replied without looking at her. After waiting for long, she felt her movement living the kitchen. The young girl exhaled.
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The day had become dark, twinkle stars shone in the sky, crickets ch¡pped in the lonely forests and the darkness called for death. Jubree had grown old but was strong enough to play underworld games. Even the hair on his skin had turned gray. He could be seen outside his mansion, seated beside a pool. Suddenly, a man staggered from the gate with hands on his wounded stomach where blood continued gushing out. It was the same man that Jimmy captured. Obviously, they tortured him, used him as a medium to send a message to Jubree. Seeing him, the old man straightened up from his seat like a bear while the man fell on his feet.
“H, what happened to you?” Jubree asked him. Though his name was Henry but was called H.
H p-nted. “The boy… the boy… The one I killed his mother years ago, he’s coming for you.” he waited to catch his breath. “He said Mekus has a message for you through him and your death is tomorrow.”
“Nonsense! What can a small boy do?”
“He said he will destroy you with spoken words. No matter how many security you put to guide you, he will come in,side unarmed and unharmed then you will beg for your life. Life and death lie in the tongue.” He quoted Jimmy and took his last breath.
Jubree stood on his feet, furious of the message which he believed came from a child. “Strong!” he called on his personal guide. The man arrived like a bouncer. “Take this fool out of here.” Jubree instructed.
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On the other hand, the air conditioner in,side the living room at the mansion suddenly became uncomfortable to Leonard when he received a latter from a named Emeka, a.k.a Mekus the second. Leonard had become old adult at the age of late forties. Though he looked rugged with tattoo all over his body. Obviously, he had not graduated from taking drugs he never knew was produced by his father. His first daughter was just 18, and schooling abroad. The mansion was just occupied by him, his wife and two more children. Others were new maids and old Kalu.
Nevertheless, Leonard shook the letter then read it out thus: “Flee now that you have the chance for there is no time after death. I will come to my father’s house tomorrow, you’ll mount your men at every corner of the house, lock the gate but I’ll still enter unarmed and unharmed. I’ll look upon your face with pity for you’d be foolish not to flee.” he folded the paper. It was as if the voice of late Mekus was used to write the letter.
Leonard courageously flung the paper away, beat his chest then roared like a Leopard. “Your father dared me but ended up dead! Don’t be foolish to make the same mistake. I’ll have your head immediately you step into this mansion.” he boasted only him in the living room.
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THE NEXT DAY
The rising sun reflected on Jubree’s window where he meditated the very message delivered by dead H. He couldn’t understand what gave the boy such impetus to challenge him. He shook his head and briskly began to walk out because a brave man can be taken unexpectedly, but it is from unexpected that a brave man is known. He mounted gunmen from his gate to his bedroom. One could see them, gallantly waiting for their enemy that even a c*ckroach could be suspected. Jubree stood in,side his living room, waiting as told. The environment was as quiet as a grave yard too.
However, Jimmy had prepared to leave the house to the very house of Jubree. All stared at him, even Chris. They could be found in,side a warehouse. Jimmy looked at them all then began, walking out of the house. He wore a black suit, black shoes, a black wristwatch and a sunglasses which rested in his hand for the mean time.
“Boss” Chris interrupted his movement.
Jimmy turned.
“Are you sure you can do this alone? What if you fail?” he asked him.
“In order to practice success, you need to be brave; in order to overcome fear, you need to practice failure. When fear stands your way and wants to lead you astray, with all courage, step up in bravery, take courage in all that is required and face what you have to do and believe you can and will do it best.” Jimmy finally wore the sunglasses. All the men watched him step into the back seat of a black car then the driver sped off.
The car pulled over in front of Jubree’s compound. Though the gate was locked, but three huge men stood in front of it with guns pointing at the black Jeep.
Jimmy looked at them from the car, stepped down and the car drove away. For a while he stood by the road like a black ghost with hands in his two pockets, staring at the three gunmen. His dressing alone got them scared even with the AK47 in their hands. It was as if they were seeing a ghost. The arena was located at the fringes of the city; hærdly would you see a human passing there. Jimmy looked above the fence of the building to the beautiful house very quiet. Once again, death calls in the residence of Jubree when Jimmy boldly began to walk towards the gate.
“Stop where you are!” One of them shouted.
Jimmy stopped and placed his hands back into his pockets. His voice was loud that if there were neighbours around, all would have pumped out through their windows to know the merging town crier of this modern time. “Theodore Kinsley” Jimmy called the full name of the first man. Then continued. “I’m here to die but I’ll take you along. Since we’re all going to die, it’s obvious when and how doesn’t matter.” He began to walk again.
“I said stop!” The voice came again.
Jimmy stopped. “Jeffery Jackson.” he called the full name of the second man then continued. “I do not fear death! It is the fate —- the genetic and neural fate of every human being to be a unique individual, to find his own path, to live his own life, and to die his own death. Fred Matthew..” he called the last man. “Do you want to die? Do you want to lose, though surely you must lose. These things are easy because all evil is easy. Dying, losing, cheating, and mediocrity is easy. Stay away from easy!” he concluded while the men looked at one another.
“How do you know our full names?” Theodore asked.
“I’ve spent seventeen years studying my own death. Why wouldn’t I know someone who I know will point a gun at me and send me to the grave? I also know your relatives. Don’t be scared, they are in good condition if only death isn’t far from them bacause as you have my own death in your hands so their death lie in others hands. Death is always at our side. When we show fear, it jumps at us faster than light. But if we do not show fear, it casts its eyes upon us gently and then guides us into infinity. May we, and your relatives live long. May death guide us not to take us. I’ve come to kill your boss, open the gate let me pass” Boldly he began to walk towards them for the last time.
The men opened the gate without knowing when they did with the fear of the unknown embedded in them by Jimmy. Stepping in,side the compound other gunmen aimed their guns at him. The young boy stopped, once again placed his hands in,side his pockets. He called all their names and said with alacrity. “Do not fear he who knows you, fear he who knows your hiding h0le. You pray for the life of your relatives, but here you are to take another’s life. Who do you pray to? God?” Jimmy smiled. “There is only one God and his name is death, and there is only one thing we say to death; ‘Not today’ but if you wish to kill me, go ahead coz i would rather die a meaningful death than to live a meaningless life.” he began walking into the house.
The men became dumb like zombies. One of them realized himself then shouted, “F-ck you and death!” He opened fire at him. Luckily, Jimmy had made it into the house already. The man ran towards the door, releasing several bullets at it, but another pushed him away.
“What are you trying to do? Kill that boy? Did you actually understand all he said?”
“I do not care about the death bluffing!”
“Our families are into this from what I understood.”
The men argued amond themselves while Jimmy stood face to face with Jubree in,side the living room. No other person was in,side the house but both of them, staring at each other with hands behind Jubree’s back. Jimmy never took off the sunglasses neither did his own hands leave his pockets. Not even a scratch on his suit. As they gazed without a word, gunshots escalated outside. They did nothing but to listen to it like a breaking news until the last gunshot.
“What did you do to my men?” Jubree broke the silence.
“Nothing. They’ve just killed one another.” Jimmy looked around the house saying, ‘The higher you build walls around your heart, the h-rder you fall when someone tears them down.I sent you a message that I will come in,side this house unarmed and unharmed. It was mere words to you. Some say a word is dead when they are said, but I say it just begins to live that day it was said.”
“Why are you here?” the old man asked.
“You sent for me and my mother to be killed. Now, here I am to kill you.”
“Why couldn’t Mekus do it himself?”
Jimmy chuckled. “When you cannot move a mountain, it’s only because you were meant to climb it. My mentor, don Mekus the first, wanted to use me to tell you that you’re like a shrub that can be uprooted by someone as small as I am.” Jimmy pulled his suit, reached the dining table, picked a table-knife, rushed the man and stabbed him to death. He stood up from the dead man, breathing heavily. He had been stained with a lot of blood. He hung his suit on his shoulder, walked out of the house to see the gunmen dead. He didn’t even care. When he walked out to the gate, his driver was already waiting for him. He entered the car majestically and left.
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Meanwhile, Leonard at the mansion had done the same. One could see him shouting at his Mounted men like a mad man. “No one, I said, no one must cross this gate without you putting a bullet in his head!” he commanded. All men took their positions as if a hærdened criminal was on his way. However, Leonard had sent his wife and children away. Nevertheless, quietness trailed around the mansion. Suddenly, the sound of an helicopter hovered above the building. Leonard ran out to see the metal bird wanting to land in,side the house.
“Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!” he ordered his men. Instantly, bullets started raining in ascending order. Yet, the helicopter never moved away. The men exhausted their bullets thereby giving way for the sound of the helicopter alone. As they stared above the sky, drugs started raining down from the metal bird. Leonard looked at them to see that they were the same drug he takes. Bemused, he stepped backward for the chopper to land. It finally did thereby bringing silence in the arena. Already the noise has attracted people but no one could near the house.
Nevertheless, Emeka stepped out of the chopper, wearing a white hoodie, white trouser and white Snickers. He looked around the compound. Already, Leonard and his men had became scared. Emeka could see it in them.
“Why do you look surprised, Leonard?” Emeka began. “For more than seventeen years, you never knew that the drug you take is made by the same company you run.” He stepped out to where everybody could see him very well. Kalu also came out at that point. The young boy raised his voice saying, “I am Emeka Emeka Ikenga! The blood of my father runs through my veins! I am the true son of my father therefore I fear no evil neither do I fear death! You might be strong but I am enlightened. The strong overcome their opponents, the mighty crush them, the shrewd outwit them, but the enlightened transcend them. I know more than you do, Leonard.”
The man looked at his men and ordered them saying, “What are you waiting for? Kill this kid!”
“You can only kill that which has fear in him. I am Emeka Ikenga. The blood of my father runs through my veins. I fear no death. A man cannot possesse anything as long as he fears death! But to him who does not fear it, everything belongs. My father was courageous, so I am. A man with outward courage dares to die; but a man with inner courage dares to live. Death is nothing, but to live defeated is to die everyday. You cannot kill me. I’m not afraid to die. I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” He concluded and brought out a gun.
“Wait!” Leonard cried. “How do you know i killed your father? You were still in the womb and you’re very young now. What you were told isn’t what happened.” he added fearfully.
“This young boy knows more than you do. Moreover, Death is a distant rumor to the young.” he pulled the trigger at him while others opened the gate by force and took on their heels….
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Adaugo was in the kitchen when the door bell rang. She briskly walked to the door, opened it to see Jimmy standing there with blood stains. The young girl didn’t know what to think. She was totally confused. “Mummy!” she called out loudly…..
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TO BE CONTINUED