3 3 Saviour of The Night

The weeks that followed Olivia's sudden disappearance from his life weakened the hope that he had harbored in his heart of ever having a relationship with her. He had hoped that a miracle would bring back the goddess-like Olivia to him, to tell him what his life was like before now, but she didn't show up. Nothing looked like hope.

Seeing that she had left him for good, he decided to live a normal life. If it was anything near normal. Fortunately for him, he had written the password to most of his things in his diary, and that gave him ample opportunities to withdraw money from his bank after he discovered that he was two million naira rich.

Jerry started teaching English in the school, and nothing made him happier than to know that he was good at teaching English. He was enjoying every stay in that part of Greencity; in fact, the only thing he enjoyed most was listening to other teachers tell their experiences, especially the wayward ones, describing their evil deed enthusiastically, putting comma to every of their sentences, and using the appropriate adjectives to describe their escapades.

After school, he would walk about the area to see if there was anything to remind him of who he was, but nothing brought back the memory, so he decided to remain in his comfort zone: go to school, sleep, eat, and the rest, enjoying his new and perfect life.

Later, he joined a church and was active there, studying the bible as if it was the only thing in the world.

Sometimes, he would do some background research on his background, but he always met a dead end; in fact, when he got to the schools he saw in his certificates, they didn't give him helpful information. Even the numbers they gave him were either wrong or not available. And for four months, he kept searching all about himself until he knew there was nothing he could do to bring back the past.

Therefore, he decided to let it go- everything- because from what the teachers at his school had been saying, having a family can even be a bad thing. Nothing was as good as living alone; One got the chance to enjoy one's life. His laptop was very useful as he watched many films on it. Although he didn't know how he got the films on it but after the third month of trying to remember anything that could help him in his quest for knowledge of whom he was, he decided that he had to let go, and enjoy every bit of his life. People in the house, didn't know him and were only trying to make acquaintances with him, and he loved it that way.

It was with this mind-set he got out of his room on the night of October 30, around 12.30 a.m. The night was as dry as usual, the light had been off for four days, and all his gadgets had died from him over working them- he had used his phone to play game after his laptop went off. Even the sky had been dry ever since he woke in June. There had been no record of rain anywhere in Brown Valley, Greencity, and Suncity despite the torrents of rain in the other parts of the world.

Sitting on a chair in the dark night was cool and his heart lurched with happiness as he imagined himself living in a dark world for years. There was nothing that would be as beautiful as allowing the peace to endure for years. Jerry savored the moment as he stared at the beautiful outlines of trees, and watched the red light of a mast blink repeatedly from afar. He mouthed Nathaniel Bassey's song

Summer, Winter, Autumn spring.

Mountain, blue sky and the sea.

Rainbow sunshine and the trees

Jesus, maker of them all.

Everywhere I go I see you right there

In the beauty of nature, you shine al…

Something shuffled past him. He didn't know what it was, but he knew that he had to enter his room. So, he picked his chair, which screeched in the dark. He rushed into the house. Since he had lost most of his memory, he could conclude he was just four months old. As he turned to close the door, someone pushed the door with so much force that Jerry fell, but he rose up immediately, and the door closed gently. He could make out the outline of someone crouching behind the door.

'Who is there?' He said, whispering as against the noise he was expecting to come from his mouth.

'Shhh', the person hissed angrily like a snake, which tail was stepped on, that was ready to spray the offender with his venom. Jerry held his breathe.

Several legs shuffled outside his room. Now, that made him wished his room wasn't opened to the street as it was. The people outside were beginning to raise their voices, the air in the room reduced.

'Catch him'.

'He must not escape'

'Today must be his last'

Jerry was transfixed, and knew if he moved near that person there, he might be injured. There was no light to show him who the person was but he was beginning to understand from the people outside that this person was a gentleman of the night, and would receive immediate death sentence, if caught.

Feeling terrible, Jerry shifted weight from one leg to another as he wondered what could make this person become a thief especially when there were many opportunities opened for the young and old, the rich and poor, blacks and whites in Fortune City. In his few months in Fortune City, he had come to the realization that only a lazy person would beg in the private Island.

When the people left his arena, and decided to check other part of the area, with the hope of going back home satisfied that they had caught the robber, the power holding company of Fortunecity restored the light of his place. An accident happened two days ago that caused the felling of three poles.

The first thing in Jerry's room to report was the old fan, which hummed-on angrily like an injured cow. The heat began scampering for hiding as the air drew coolness into the room. The person before Jerry was panting hard, and held a gun so hard that if it were a glass cup, it would have broken. He followed the texture of the thief's body, and saw the most surprising thing since the few days he regained consciousness. He swallowed hard, even his Adam's apple made a loud noise in the night, making the thief glance at him. He was sure that he was seeing right; the thief was a lady.

He shook his head gradually, showing her that he wasn't going to be an ally, and that he wouldn't take side in bad things, that he had to do the right thing.

'I can't let you stay here', he said in a low voice; yet, loud enough for her to hear.

Sensing he would do what he said, she rose suddenly. Jerry moved back with fear, and raised his hands to prepare himself, knowing that thieves, who are threatened would do anything from maiming their attackers to killing them to elude being caught; instead of doing any of what Jerry assumed, the lady went on her knees, clasping her hands.

'Please, bro…' she said, with a silky voice, 'don't let them catch me'.

'But you are a lady, why did you join these people?'

'It's a long story. Please spare me and I promise you will not regret it. Someday, I will come back to help you'.

He felt sad for her, a young lady of not more than twenty-if his calculation was right- being a part of a gang of robbers.

'You can't help me… I'm the one that can help you, and what I want of you and from you is that you stop stealing'.

Immediately, she raised her hands in the I-surrender position, and cried out like one that had been shown a greater wisdom. Her mask was still on, making her look like a robot.

'I will not steal again'.

Jerry's eyes went to the wall and knew that he had to do something for her, and the first thing was to switch off the light, and the next was to shelter her.

'Alright, give me your gun till tomorrow', he said as he locked the door.

The lady looked at the gun and looked at him, then shrugged. She brought her hands forward, and looked at Jerry as if he has been forewarned. When she handed the gun to Jerry, he burst into a terrible laughter that jolted her.

'You do not mean you were using a toy gun?' He said and smiled.

He turned the gun in his hand, and for a fragment of seconds, wished the gun was real. So that he would use it to shoot himself later in the day, to end his trouble.

'Well, you have to wait till tomorrow. Sleep here' he said, pointing to his bed.

'No. Don't worry; I'll sleep here on the floor'.

'No.No. Do come and sleep here'.

She agreed and laid on the bed after putting off her shoes, but instead of sleeping, she sat at the farthest corner of the bed holding herself tightly.

Jerry switched off the light, plunging the room into utmost darkness, the only light that was reflecting in the room was that of the lights coming from the bulb outside shining through the curtain. He decided to lie down, to sleep.

Suddenly, the noise of the searchers came again and this time to his door. They knocked.