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‘Tonia’ someone echoed. ‘Antonia’ the echoing continued. I looked
up and found myself in the middle of a palm kernel vegetation whose beginning or
end I couldn’t determine
‘Antonia’ the echoing continued now more desperately than
before. I stood up and began walking to the east side trying to locate the
origin of the voice. I was lost; that was the obvious fact but I didn’t understand
why, why was I lost? How did I get here?
‘Who are you’ I asked in a bold voice trying to hide my fear
but there was no reply just the continuation of the echoing of my name. I turned
round at a spot confused. The voice seemed to be coming from nowhere and
everywhere
‘What do you want from me?’ I asked ‘Please let me know who
you are’ I begged tears rolling down my eyes ‘I’m lost’ I continued. But there
was no response; jut my name. finally the voice came to a halt. I stood at a
position; totally confused and lost. I decided to start climbing a tree realizing
that maybe I could see someone from the top. I started climbing going higher
and higher. The tree seemed to just keep going up with no peak but I continued.
Soon I became tired and started missing my step. I finally missed a step that
sent me straight to the ground. I opened my eyes and shook in fear as I was
about to land on the ground
‘Bad dream?’ a woman beside me asked. I looked sideways and
found the woman supposed to be Valerie. It all came to clarity; last night I was
kidnapped with Muna or sold to be precise. I looked to my other side and there
was Muna soaked in her own tears; her hands chained up to a static rod just
like mine and her legs too. Looking round, I realized I wasn’t the only girl in
that situation. A light skinned girl was opposite me; wounded seriously on her
left shoulder. Though the wound was dressed; I could determine how deep it was.
And then three other girls. I remembered the look on all our faces that night.
We were simply terrified kids. None of us was more than seventeen. I looked at
Muna; she was beginning to seem weak. I tried to jerk the chain off but it just
seemed to make the pain of my present situation off
‘Easy Tonia’ she cautioned in a caring voice ‘You’ve been
out for close to ten hours now’ she continued. Ten hours? The last time I checked
it was around thirty minutes past nine. I looked at Muna; she didn’t seem bold
enough to look at me
‘I’m sorry Tonia’ she finally said in tears ‘I know this was
all my fault and’
‘Shhh…’ I interrupted in a tiny whisper ‘No…. none of us saw
this coming. We would get out of here I promise you’
‘There’s no getting out’ the woman said walking to me. I could
tell the car was moving. I looked up at her and sighed; how did she hear me
‘What do you guys want from us!’ Muna yelled rudely ‘If its
money; my dad has it. What’s your number; ten million, twenty please just let
us go’
‘Mr. Osita Nzeribe right. Yes I know; CEO of Louise and Co
Nigerian PLC, one of Nigerian’s biggest entrepreneurs, married to two wives;
your mom being the second. He has being
away at Italy for close to three months’ Muna looked at her astonished
‘How did you know my father’
‘Oh I know all of your fathers and mother’ she said in
between a mocking laughter. Muna rolled her eyes
‘Yes that’s him’ Muna continued. Muna rolled her eyes
‘Yes that’s him’ Muna continued
‘Well Muna; daddy can’t help you’ Muna looked at her
perplexed
‘He died a month two weeks ago and the EFCC just dug out a
dirty deal your dad was involved in. your house and everything your father ever
built will soon be on lockdown’ she said without any sympathy in her voice. One
of the men in the bus with us; the one that grabbed me laughed. I looked in front
to locate the driver but couldn’t. we were obviously in a distribution bus and
the drivers were always blocked. Muna looked at her in both disbelief and
horror. I could imagine what was going on in her head; as if her life just came
crushing. She started sobbing louder than before. I wished I could pat her but
my hands were chained up. The woman looked up in anger and signaled with her
head to the second guy in the bus
‘Job; shut this one up’ she said. Job walked up to Muna and
used his elbow to hit her on her head which led her straight to unconsciousness.
I opened my eyes in horror. This was happening. My life was over
‘Miss Valerie right’ I called in a shaky voice. She looked
at me and let out a small smile
‘Yes…..just Valerie. I’m twenty four not fifty’ she laughed.
She seemed to be the only one relaxed in the bus. The girl beside me hit my
legs with hers. I looked at her and she gave me a stern look; something like a
warning.
‘Oh your fellow recruit is trying to pass a signal. I advise
you to listen to her’ Valerie said laughing
‘Are you traffickers, drug pushers… what are you guys’ I pushed
out ignoring the girl’s warning
‘Antonia’ she called looking at me sternly. I looked at her.
Her eyes were tired and sunken ‘Give up the interrogation or you’ll be the next
person to be knocked out’ she warned firmly looking sideways at Valerie in a
bad way. Valerie stood up and walked up to her
‘Come on Asher’ she said stooping beside her eyes ‘Owoade
right?....tell Antonia how you got that wound on your shoulder’ she continued. Asha
carried her head away in disgust
‘Oh………….okay’ Valerie said standing up ‘Job!’
‘I tried to fight Valerie’ Asher snapped in fear. Swallowing
as tears try to come down from her eyes. ‘That’s how I got the wound on my
shoulder’
‘I was just coming
out of my school. We had just finished arranging the hall for the valedictory service
that’s sure to go on today. As the acting senior prefect, I had to stay late to
help. As I left the school around seven in the evening. I saw Valerie, Job and….’
She paused ‘The other guy. Job tried to grab me and I resisted that when
Valerie came to help’
‘To cut to the crap; she was stabbed with my hair pin. It’s
a defense weapon’ Valerie interrupted.
‘Someone’s waking up’ The second guy interrupted
‘How long has she been out Sparrow’ Valerie asked
‘Precisely fifteen hours now. She just needed an excuse to
sleep’ Valerie laughed
‘Poor girl was tired’ the girl jumped up. She had a
frightened look on her face. I remembered the first time I saw Ebun. She was
nothing like all of us. Unique was the best word to describe her. She was very
petite and could be mistaken for a twelve years old kid anywhere. Her big curious
eyes and small mouth gave her a squeaky look. Immediately she sat up; the first
thing she asked wasn’t where am I or what do you want from me. She asked what
the time was
Valerie laughed; so did Job and Sparrow. Ebun didn’t seem to
get what was funny but we all did though we didn’t laugh
‘I know what you guys are expecting me to ask; but I asked
that question last night and you told me I’ll know with time. I’m waiting for
time to tell me but for now I just want to know what hour of the day it is’ she
rushed out in a fast smart voice that made me look at her in admiration. She didn’t
seem relaxed none of us did but with the way she handled herself in a situation
like the one we were in made me wonder
‘It’s eight’ Valerie finally answered. Ebun looked up at her
chained hands and sighed
‘I wasn’t chained before’ she observed ‘My back itches’ she
continued. Job laughed again and Sparrow likewise
‘She’s the smart one isn’t she’ Sparrow asked in between laughters
‘Yes… But there’s another like her’
‘In whose Cargo’ Job asked opening a bottle of water
‘Ju’s’ Valerie said plainly. Sparrow nodded
‘Job… help Ebun itch her back’
‘No please no…….’ Ebun resisted but it was too late. Job
grabbed her roughly and tore the cloth that covered her back and began
scratching her, injuring her seriously. I carried my face away so did Asher. Why?
I asked myself. Why the wickedness and the display of ruthlessness
‘That’s enough!’ Valerie finally commanded which made Job
stop. He stood up and kicked her aside then walked back to where he was seated.
Ebun sobbed for the next fifteen minutes. I cried with her imagining what she
might have gone through. I looked at Valerie; she was reading a copy of Genevieve
Magazine with no interest of the present situation in her face. ‘I’m dead’ I thought.
My final judgment was that they were ritualist. How was I going to get out……
that was a question I knew no answer to………….TO BE CONTINUED
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