Middle Of Nowhere
As the man shifted to answer the phone, I listened intently. I could make out words like "Yes sir," "not yet" this time. Then, after a long period of silence, he turned and stared in my way, the phone still in his ear.
His gaze was fixated on me, as if the'sir' on the other end had just made a life-changing revelation. "Yes, sir, as soon as possible, sir." He hung up the phone and moved closer to me. I ducked once more as his hands approached, but he didn't hit me. Instead, he grabbed inside my pocket, squeezing his hand in and yanking my wallet out.
He opened it and looked through it, focusing on the identity card. Then he glanced at me, surprised that I was a corper. He picked up his phone again and dialed a number. He put it on his ear and went away, holding my ID card, to a position where I couldn't make out any words. He returned a few minutes later with the rifle and the phone still in his hand.
The words of Ms Enoh kept ringing in my ear. Why does she want me to do whatever I was asked to do? What does she think I would be asked to do?
“Move!” He said, using the gun to motion towards the door. I moved and stood at the door as it was shut. “Open it!” He commanded again. I opened the door and was faced with an open space of underlying bush. I just discovered I was in the middle of nowhere.
The house was apparently situated deep inside a secluded area with no other houses or neighbors within sight. “Kneel.” He said. I turned and he was already pointing the gun at me. “I said kneel!” He exclaimed. For the first time, fear gripped me.
I started to shiver as goose bumps covered my arms. I tried to kneel but my shaky kneels made me to fall over. I managed to bend, awaiting the painful slice of hot lead into my body.
The sound of the bullet was deafening. My ear drums echoed as it seemed particles were vibrating deep inside my brains. I waited for a few seconds, and when I couldn't feel any pain, I opened my eyes thinking I was dead already and the pains gone with my dead body.
I was expecting to be received by angels at the gate of heaven. I expected to be taken to Abraham's bosoms where I will stay and overlook those suffering at hedges and begging me for a finger drop of water.
Instead of seeing an angel when I opened my eyes, I saw the man tormenting me as he stood over me with a mischievous look on his face with the gun still in his hands and still pointing at my direction. The sound of the gun must have brought the attention of a second guy as a door was opened and he peeped in to see what was going on. They both spoke in a native language I didn't understand.
After that, the second guy went outside, and moments later, I heard the sound of a car engine come to life. “It’s time.” He said.
He removed the straps on my hands and motioned me towards the second door, probably to the awaiting car outside. I moved towards the door, and then stopped abruptly before opening the door. I turned and looked him in the face.
“Who are you guys and why am I being held here? What has ms enoh got to do with all these?” I asked, honestly expecting an answer. The man looked at me like he was contemplating what to do with me. As he opened his mouth to talk, the car honked its horn loudly.
He motioned me towards the door and we left the room. It was already evening outside. I suspected it would be close to 5pm. The car waiting outside was the same suv that I was abducted in. Its plate number was covered by a white leather beautifully cut to fit.
The back door was already open and I hopped in. The man closed the door and entered the passenger's seat as we drove off. We drove for 30 minutes to a destination I didn't know. We drove past shrubs, trees and scattered settlements.
The car got to a point on the road and stopped. The driver bent a bit, pulled his hands underneath his seat and pulled out a long gun, turned and pointed its nozzle on my chest. My heart almost jumped out of my chest. If I got scared over a pistol, this brand new AK47 sub-machine gun sent the shivers over me.
I looked in the direction of the man seated at the passenger's seat but he wasn't interested in looking my direction. This driver looked mean and angry. I would have preferred the guy that had been slapping me around all day to this mean looking man with a gun on my chest.
“Now listen and listen carefully.” He said, his hands firmly gripping the gun as he spoke. I prayed that the gun was on safety, least he mistakenly pulls the trigger and sends me to heaven.
“Stay away from Enoh from now henceforth. I don't need to tell you what will happen to you if you are seen beside her.” Things started adding up. The gun pointed in my chest was surely a government issued gun.
The white suv with a fine leather piece covering its plate number was a government issued vehicle, and these guys are working for the government. Who else in government will have such an interest in shutting me out from Ms enoh other than the deputy governor. It made more sense when the Motorola radio walkie talkie hanging at a spot close to the car radio called on pilot 4 to report for duty.
“Leave!” The guy said and I left the car hastily before he changes his mind. The man at the passenger's seat threw out my wallet with my id card as they drove off and left me in the middle of nowhere.
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DISCLAIMER: The word “Deputy governor” as used in this work is a phrase commonly used to depict a corrupt politician in the country. Its usage in this work extends to, but not limited to state commissioners, house of representative members, senators and members of both state and federal executive council.
I stood in the middle of nowhere, wondering what to do and where to go. I checked on my phone, it was dead; probably due to its battery that had not been charged. I didn’t know the direction to Lokoja from the place I was, but something tells me I wasn’t too far from it.
I waved on buses and cars passing, but none stopped for me. For once, I regretted not wearing anything thing that identifies me as a corp member. I had the habit of not wearing any of the Nysc outfit. Some of my poly chics were already thinking I was a full time staff at the school, so I didn’t see any reason falling short of the standard.
I only wore it during my cds and clearance. I waved the next car coming down my way and it sped past without stopping. The next was a bus, and when I told the driver I was going to idah, he looked at me like I didn’t know where I was going to. “you cant get a bus to idah from here, you have to get to Lokoja first.”
I asked to join them to Lokoja and he agreed. From Lokoja, I got to the park and boarded a bus to idah. I was so tired as I sat inside the bus, waiting for it to get filled up. The pain in my cheek and arms had ceased. I felt much better and relaxed now.
I had been through a traumatic experience and needed plenty of rest. I slept out on the bus. I awoke as the bus was approaching Idah. I felt revitalized. I could then reflect on the ordeal I had gone through. It was, without a doubt, the deputy governor had abducted me. But something nagged at me: it was plausible that I was released because they learned I was a corper, rather than the true threat posed by the guy working for Eco-bank.
What would have occurred if the guy had been abducted? I was certain Ms Enoh had not told him about her romance with the deputy governor. So it was probable that the guy might be abducted as well one of these days. I arrived at the park and rode my bike to my accommodation.
I made my way upstairs to my room. It was already late, and I was starving. But I needed to shower and freshen up before heading out to dinner. I dressed and left the room for dinner after taking a shower. After supper, I went back to my room with a bottle of red wine to drink myself to sleep because I had depleted the ones in my fridge.
Something caught my eye as I was going to try to open the door. It came from my next-door neighbor's room. Monica's voice was heard. She was clearly yelling aggressively at someone. That person was still in the room, making hushed explanations.