RENDEZVOUS

CHAPTER ONE

TEMPEST

'You are in serious soup today' ' pay me my money now ' 'the 5 crates of egg that I just bought, you smashed them all with your rickety bicycle' Awero grabbed Ajayi's garment from its shoulder ' I don't know how I lost the control' ' sorry for the loss' Ajayi retorted . ' Young man! You are joking, will sorry bring back my eggs or will it put the food on the table for my children?' ' You'd better dip your hand to that your wretched pocket and bring out my Seven Pounds Ten Shillings or else wahala will wear the same trouser with me and you today'. Awero was firing hot , her eyes like that of a rattlesnake in its fury. She's fully prepared for anything that will happen , nothing can appease her except her money.

Ajayi was pleading , he has no single dime in his pocket. As a matter of fact , he was just coming from Olode village where he went to look for a job as a labourer in a cocoa farm but was unlucky to be employed. 'Seven Pounds Ten Shilling ? ' where will I get that some of money? Me that have not eaten today' He was thinking and blaming himself for not been careful . His rickety bicycle was what brought him to the mess; he was descending the famous Apadi hill when his bicycle's brake began to malfunction , he lost control and eventually ran over 5 crates of egg Awero displayed on her Hawking wares along the road.

It was the general market day , Apadi market was filled to the brim. People were buying and selling while some were just Window shopping. Large crowd gathered around Awero and Ajayi.

Some were blaming and raining insult on him for not being care ' a person without money should always be mindful of the egg seller' ' a child that has no mother should try not to have sore at his back' a man said among the crowd. Others were begging Awero to pardon him and see the incident as an act of god, it has a reason why god allow it to happen. ' it's better to loose ones property than to loose ones life, Aje the goddess of commerce will restored back all your loss in multiple fold' they prayed for her. All their plead Awero turned deaf ear to, she kept on spitting fire like sango olukoso the god of iron.

Awero was a popular figure among the people , she's popularly known as abefele (blade) , a rattlesnake, destructive, tempestuous, and aggressive. The villagers always mind their business around her because of her lousy nature. Her husband ran away from home some months ago when he could no longer withstand her trouble.

Like a thunder, a hot slap sounded on the face of Ajayi , his sight spined and the sound reechoed several time in his ears 'Help!!!' Ajayi shouted as his sight went blackout 'don't let her kill me' ' Awero I will pay your money' ' give me till next market day' 'you can sieze my bicycle till then'

'who will wait till next market day ' Awero dragged him harder with the collar of his buba dress and tore it to shred. People were begging some were just looking and getting entertained by the display of Awero and Ajayi at the market square. 'Awero please don't hurt this young man , he promised to pay you the next market day' 'a creditor that refuse the pleading of his debtor is definitely asking for the life of his debtor' Babaloja the market head advised Awero and with an embarrassing gesture she hissed it off. 'How many of you has ever come to my rescue in order to put food on the table for my children' 'that unfortunate man called their father ran away and left me with two children to cater for' ' who among you here came to my aid' 'anybody that want me to release this man among you should bring out my seven pounds ten shilling' ' anything apart from that I'm not interested' she kept on dragging Ajayi to and fro as she threatened to beat her money out of him. Another heavy slap hit Ajayi's face , his tongue crawled out of his mouth, as he was trying to stabilise himself from the effect of the slap ; a violent push from Awero made him to hit his head on the ground and in two seconds Ajayi was laying lifeless on the ground.

Everybody thought he was pretending , maybe it's a gimmick to free himself from the claws of his creditor. They tried to resuscitate him but he was not responding. Alas! The man has gone. The crowd dispersed immediately and like a flash the market that was bubbling with activities suddenly became empty.

'Awero has killed Ajayi' the story was spreading like a wild fire in the winter. She was left alone on the spot to eat the animal she has killed. The fire in her eyes has quenched, her aggression has suddenly disappeared, her muscle was calm. She became as gentle as a lamb. She shook Ajayi maybe he will by any chance come back to life , poured water on him but all to no avail. ' E gba mi o!!' she yelled for help 'Young man , stand up , I'm not collecting the money again' ' I dash you, don't even bother to pay me back in the next market day'. Ajayi remain lifeless on the floor his tongue stretched out if his mouth. ' young woman, you are under arrest ' two uniformed men grabbed Awero from the back ' I did not do anything to him' she pleaded ' you will have the chance to explain when you get to our station' Her brain reeled and at once everything around her swirled in circle ; she began to blame herself ' had I known , I would have let him go his way' she said with tears rolling down her cheek looking at Ajayi's lifeless body on the dusty floor

CHAPTER TWO

BROTHER KASALI

The green colored taxi stopped in front of the gigantic Sheu Oil and Gas tower, a well dressed young man emerged from the passenger side , he brought out His wallet and rubbed the palm of the taxi driver with some naira bills "Ran ka Dede" He flashed his kolanut rottened teeth as he zoomed off the car. Babatunde found himself impressed by the magnificent edifice standing in front of him. Sheu oil tower is a tall building , one of his kind in sokoto, It's the headquarters of the Sheu oil and Gas Ltd , one of the leading indigenous Oil and Gas Company in Nigeria. " God! My fate is in your hand, let me receive your favour today " he said to himself as he approached the entrance gate of the tower. He's slated for an interview for the post of company's secretary. The interview would be 9am , he still have 30 minutes more to settle down. The security man led him to the reception where he was told to sit as he would be called up when it's time. Babatunde sat down , looked around and it seemed he was the only one there for the interview. He was a little bit happy , that would be a good development because the fewer the candidates , the better and greater his chances of getting the job. " I must get this job " he adjusted his tie. This would be the sixth interview he would be attending in sokoto but he had been so unlucky in the previous ones despite his intimidating Curriculum Vitae. He eventually settled for a teaching job in one of the private Nursery and Primary Schools. Half bread is better than none . He has Bachelor of Art degree First Class honour in English. He left his parent in Ibadan three years ago out of frustration and he promised them he would not be coming back until he got a good job.

" Mr Babatunde Aribisala" he was snapped back to the moment by the voice of a young and elegant lady standing in front of him " Are you Mr. Babatunde Aribisala" her Hausa accent made the name more beautiful " kindly follow me" she said and Babatunde followed gently. The enter a lift and the lady pressed the number 10 button which signified they are going to the 10th floor . Babatunde trying to gather courage which seemed to have deserted him began to recite Psalm 23 under his breath. According to his father "when you are faced with difficult problem, pray to God this way and solution will come your way" . Psalm 23 is always handy whenever it seems his courage is gone. The bell of the he lift rang and the lift stopped "Technology!!" Babatunde seemed to whisper to himself in admiration as the door opened and the two of them bursted to a hall way which leads to a door with an inscription " Personnel Manager office" The personal manager's office is a large fully rugged room , the ambience oozes out class and excellence expected of a high profile company like this. The air conditioner unit inside the PM's office droned a drab musical rhythm into Babatunde's ear. He moved his feet gently and felt the lush and smoothness of the soft ,expensive red rug which lay neatly spread on the floor . Everything in the office was in perfect shape. The PM was seated behind a large table full of files that were neatly arranged deeply engulfed in work as he was rummaging through a big file right in his front. The lady signalled Babatunde to sit on a chair facing the PM .This gave Babatunde some time to look round and give a quick , impromptu look of the PM " Bro. Kasali" Babatunde muttered under his breath , his eyes brightened up in their sockets " My eyes can not deceive me " he wiped his face with his handkerchief. The lady dropped the file in her hand on the PM's table and left the two men. All the while the PM's attention was glued to the file he was treating. He cleared his throat " Young man" he said as he looked up. He was surprised to see Babatunde sitting right in front of him " This can not be true" he rose on his feet and moved toward Babatunde like a man whose long lost son returned. Babatunde was also happy to be recognised by the personnel manager of Sheu oil and Gas Ltd. Babatunde and Kasali have known each other for years, as a matter of fact they practically grew up together in the same village in Ibadan. Kasali was the first graduate to come out of oloke village . He was the role model for most of the youths in the village. After his graduation from the prestigious University of Ibadan , he got a job with Lagos state civil service commission the reason for his seldom visit to the village . he only visit during Ileya festival.The last time Babatunde saw him was five years ago , then Babatunde was in his final year, he was desperately looking for money to execute his final project, Kasali was the one that gave his father the money when he heard through his friend who happened to be his own father. He came around for the festival as usual with his wife and their handsome boy and He left for Lagos the following day and Babatunde was not able to thank him for his kind gesture.

" Don't tell me that you are the one I'm to interview this morning" "Yes Sir, I was also surprised to see you here sir" "How did you get here" Kasali asked still in awe "I left Ibadan 3 years ago after graduation with the hope of finding a job here but I couldn't get" " I've been in this town since then trying to make ends meat" He concluded . Kasali picked up the telephone, dialed some number and told the person at the other end to bring a cup of coffee and biscuit for his guest. "Why did you come to sokoto when you can easily get a job in Lagos or Bendel state" Kasali asked further after dropping the telephone. " I wanted to be far away from home, I told my parent I'm not coming home until I get a job "

A cup of coffee and biscuit was brought for Babatunde by the same lady that called him up to the PM's office. "Kindly prepare the appointment letter for this gentle man" Kasali handed a file to her " he's to resume immediately " he said

That day was the happiest day for Babatunde in his 30 years of existence, a dream come true for him . Brother Kasali has came to his rescue once again. Whenever he's in a fix, an angel will always show up to help in the form of Brother Kasali.

He's now the official company's secretary for the high profile Sheu oil and Gas Ltd. Apart from his mouth watering salary and allowances, he was entitled to an official car , a two bedroom bungalow fully furnished to taste in one of the choice GRA in the center of the city. Within 3 months his living standard has changed , he's now rolling with the shakers and movers of the nation. His savings already was almost half of a million with several material acquisitions.

"Its now time to visit my parent" he decided one day " To show them how God has blessed him especially to show gratitude to Brother Kasali's parent for the help he had rendered to him all the while. He had little or no time with Brother Kasali because three weeks after his resumption in the office , Bro Kasali got a new and better Job in Canada which made him to relocate immediately .

All the plan Babatunde had for him he couldn't fulfil.

" It is not possible! God forbid! No! No !" Babatunde head began to swim as if he was in the middle of an ocean . His eyes bulged out of their sockets and perspiration drenched his dressed " How can that be possible" his lips began to shake and tears flow freely down his cheeks. Pa Adigun- Kasali's father lost his emotion too, it's like bringing back the pain of an old wound "he died two years ago while going back to Lagos after the Ileya festival, nobody survived the accident including his wife and their only son" "It was that shock that killed his mother too" He concluded.

Questions began to raise in Babatunde's head. This only happens in stories , he is now experiencing it first hand . "Bro Kasali , his God's sent angel , a ghost?" " Where is Bro. Kasali now ? "has he gone to start a new life somewhere else?". He couldn't sleep through out the night. " how I wish I can see him again" he said as he rolled on the bed with no sign of sleep in his eyes " but it's obvious he's gone forever"

CHAPTER THREE

THE GODS MUST BE JOKING

“The gods are angry about the land" the chief priest said as he parked his divinity accessories. He was invited by the king makers, chiefs and the royal family of the Odunbaku community to consult the God’s on their behalf. They want to know the reason behind the death of their two kings who died consecutively after their respective coronation . The first one died two days after his coronation ceremony while the second one died during the coronation process. These strange occurrences has caused fear to envelope the whole community, even the royal family has sworn not to produce or present any of their wards to assume the royal stool until something meaningful is done to avert the evil happening. “the gods are so furious about the negligence of our community toeards the sacrificial commitment made by our forefathers to them years ago" “ civilization and education has made us to neglect these spiritual commitments, that’s why this plague is befalling this land" chief priest concluded. Heavy silence filled the atmosphere, everyone was surprised to hear what chief priest said. “Baba! What is now the way out?” “how do we appease the gods" Chief Otun finally spoke while the other noded their heads in affirmation. “there is absolutely nothing we can do,the only solutions is the blood of another king, two has been taken already remaining the last one” “ let’s install a new king ,the gods will kill him like they killed the last two and then the plague will end" the chief priest dropped the bombshell there should be a better solution than this baba" one man from the royal family mumbled his eyes threatening to jump out of their sockets “no, there is no other way out, if we want peace, we must install a new king.” “ that new king we be the proverbial scapegoat that will take away the plague of the land" The chief priest sensing the anxiety and desperation perching over the faces of the people sitting, he quickly packed his bag and stood up to leave “ may the deities bless us all" he said and he left. Total silence engulfed the room ,everyone was dumbfounded, why are gods so angry , why can’t this bloodthirsty deities ask for something else apart the life of our kings? These and many more questions are going on in the the mind of the people without an appropriate answer to them. “My good people of odunbaku community “ chief Otun broke the silence “we’ve all listened to the chief priest" “ what is the way forward?” the people are obviously confused and perplexed “ The royal house" he focused his gaze to where they were seated “ who would you present to us as the king? Let’s be fast about it so that the land will be done and over with the plague “ “or should we give you sometime to deliberate on it?” This statement from chief Otun gave the royal family an outlet to vent their anger ,they became so furious that it almost resulted in a free for all

“You are such a devil clothed in human skin”” you want to us to present a scapegoat that will take a way the plague upon the community abi? It will now make it 3 children of this family that will die in just a year “ one of them confronted chief Otun and the whole place became rowdy . The meeting ended with no meaningful resolution

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The veil of darkness has just been taken off the face of nature, spreading daylight out like a new blanket over odunbaku town. All had been generally quiet, as most villagers had gone out on their usual early morning round of activities. Ojo as usual with no where to go say on a bamboo bench in front of his mud house ,thatched with sedges and bulrushes, ruminating and brooding over his misfortunes in life. Actually life has not been fair to him . In all his life he has never known prosperity for once. Every year it has always been from one calamity to the other. Ojo the poverty personified that’s what the people call him . His cocoa farm was ravaged with pest and disease last year, this year his cassava plantation was gutted by fire . Everyone has deserted him , his wife’s family came to take their daughter away to safe the poor lady from malnutrition and abject poverty that has been the order of the day for Ojo. “ What is my offense olodumare" he seemed to whisper to himself in sadness but his thought was disrupted by the voice of mr. Banji who was calling him inside the house “this is where you are" he said as he peeped through the door “I’ve looked for you in your room" “yes! I’m just trying to get some fresh air “ ojo said trying to brighten up his face. Mr banji mounted his rally bicycle parked by the wall of the hut and slowly he pedaled it toward the road to the village square “don’t forget to check me around noon time at school , the man would be there around the time" he told Ojo while increasing the speed of the bicycle . Mr Banji is the new village school teacher that was posted to the community some days ago.,a well educated and disciplined man. Ojo would have been dead by now ,if not for the timely intervention of Mr Banji who saw him the forest where he wanted to hang himself. Mr Banji has been staying with him since then ,advising him and together they’ve been hoping and praying that things will change for good. He was even trying to get a security job for him in the city that was the reason he told him to check him in the school at noon so as to see the school’s board secretary who is coming for inspection of the school today.

Ojo was still seated on the bamboo bench when the entourage of the palace led by Chief Otun arrived , everybody including the chief himself bowed their head in their cultural way of paying homage to a king “kabi'esi o" they all shouted when they saw him. In astonishment ojo wanted to run away but wanted to be sure of what was going on so he stayed. “Baba otun, what is going on here" he asked obviously still amazed. “ Don’t panic, we brought you a good news “ otun began “the gods of this land has chosen you to be our king" “ you see the reason for the death of our kings in the recent past moved us to consult the Oracle, the Oracle told us that the we have been putting the wrong people on the stool,the Oracle singled you out as the only and the best person to sit on the throne for peace and prosperity to reign in this land" chief Otun concluded

“ the oracle must be joking, I’m not from the royal family" ojo complained “everyone in this town knows the royal family and since the days of our forefathers they’ve been the one that produces the king , how come the oracle is now changing the custom of the land? Something is fishy baba"

Ojo's suspicion is not totally unfounded. There has never been a time in the history of the land that anybody outside the royal family has ever become a king in Odunbaku. Even the year that the heir apparent was a young boy of ten years the whole community waited till he attained adulthood before they installed him as king

“Yes you are right" otun came in “but your case is totally different…” “Baba otun ! You are a wicked man, you think I don’t know what is going on “ “ the secret is all over the town" “ is it a crime to be poor?” “ why do you want me to be the sacrificial lamb all because I’m poor?” “ you want to use my blood for atonement against the evil ravaging the town abi?” “look! I closed my eyes if you don’t leave here before I open it , two visitors will meet Eledumare in heaven today" he threatened as he dashed to the mud bricked hut to take cutlass. Before he could return they’ve all disappeared

CHAPTER FOUR

THE GODS MUST BE JOKING PART 2

It's almost two months, the city is still without a king. The kingmakers has tried to persuade the royal family to present one of their kinsmen to ascend the throne of a their forefathers but non was ready to become a sacrifial lamb for the atonement of the land of odumbaku instead they promised to foot the bill of all the expenses that will be incurred during the coronation if anybody in the land is ready to become the King.

The throne was vacant , the land needed a king but there was nobody to assume the office. Everyone in the city was aware that the next king has to die before normalcy can be restored to the Land. Nobody is ready to die.

"Ojo! Play the game and stop shaking like a goat before the slaughter slab" Adigun said jokingly. They were deeply engulfed in ayo olopan a traditional cultural game majorly played by elders and the middle aged in Odumbaku land. This is what they use to unwind and relax after the hectic day . under the Odan tree , their usual spot for the game , there were several people watching the two people playing the game. They will cheer up the winning side and make jest of the one loosing . if you are somebody that gets easily angry by what people say ayo olopon should never be an option for you at least don't play it under the Odan tree in Odumbaku because they will abuse you including your family if you by any means loose a game

Ojo is presently the one on the loosing side and people were really making jest of him to the extent that he was confused of what step to take next " we don't have all day Ojo, if you want to sleep here you can since you don't have a wife at home , as for me my wife is waiting for me" everyone bursted into laughter "stop being disrespectful Adigun, do you realise you are talking to our next king? " one man among the crowd said jokingly " you mean the one that will take away the sin of our land?" Another one said and this time the laughter was louder and more demoralising ." sincerely Ojo" Adigun paused the game to face him" you have to consider the proposal of the kingmakers, you will be a king for some days and enjoy the royal life at least for once in your lifetime " "just a day of enjoyment is better than a hundred years of suffering" another boisterous laughter followed.

Ojo left the game venue angrily and held towards his home. He couldn't take it anymore. The insult is getting too much. Is it a crime to be poor ? He has become the laughing stock to every dick and harry of Odumbaku. The news is all over the land. The people now know that Ojo is the one the kingmakers is proposing to make the king. Many are saying he should take it at least he would be useful for himself and the community for the first time in his life time. His heart is so heavy with grief, tears are flowing down his cheeks freely. This will be the last straw that breaks the camel back. " I will end it today, nobody will stop me this time" "not even Mr. Banji " " He should have allowed me to end it the other time, by now I would have been in the heaven resting" "he kept telling me all will be will but instead things are getting worse" "from frying pan to fire"

A lot was ravaging his now heavy and confused head as he took the narrow paths that leads to his hut. "The gamallin 20 I kept on the roof top would be the solution this evening" " I would end it all" he concluded . To his amazement he met Mr Banju seated on the bamboo bench in front of the house . Mr Banji flashed a brilliant smile as he saw him approaching the house. " Mr. Ojo welcome" "I have been waiting for you" Ojo was surprised to meet him at home by this period " I thought you said you are going to the city " Ojo inquired " I had to come back when I heard the news" "which news?" Ojo asked as he took his seat beside Mr. Banji " why didn't you tell me that the kingmakers has chosen you to be the next king? "' that's the good news we've been waiting for" in amazement Ojo kept his gaze on Mr. Banji " it's like this one doesn't know what is at stake" he thought in his mind . Mr. Banjo continued to tell him how the Almighty has finally answered his prayer and decided to visit him in a miraculous way " he uses the foolish things if this world to confirm the wise " he said as he speaks on passionately to convince Ojo that the situation is divinely orchestrated to turn his condition around. " This religion has turned his head " ojo seems to whisper to himself as he look at Mr. Banjo in awe obviously confused on which to believe; either the chief priest that says whosoever become the next king shall die or Mr. Banji that claimed the the situation is for his miracle to manifest.

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It's already a year. The whole land of Odumbaku were basking in the frenzy of celebration. It's the one year anniversary of the new king Oba Ojo Olagunju (ekundayo 1) the odundun of Odumbaku kingdom. It was a whole week of celebration with a lot to drink and eat . Many people came even from neighbouring towns and communities to felicitate with the king and the people of the Land. Nobody cooked in their house for that whole week, just get your way to the city center , there was always food available for each households and guests morning,afternoon and night.

The entertainers both the singers and the dancers were present in their hundreds to add colors to the celebration. It has never happened like this in the history of the land. The last one year has been the most peaceful and flourishing for the entire kingdom. No calamity was recorded or experienced. The happiest of the people were the farmers , their farm produce came out bountifully during the harvest " eledumare has finally smiled in us" one of the farmers confessed as he joyfully brought his isakole ,the yearly return to the king. Infrastructural development of the town was rapid, many of which was facilitated by Mr. Banji the school headmaster who also doubled as the Special adviser to the king.

Baba Awo, the community's chief priest was relaxing on an arm chair under the tree in front if his house when Adekeke the heir-apparent of the royal family walked in obviously furious .

"Baba awo what is going on now?" he asked after the usual greeting befitting the elders " it's like you and your deities are now using double standard " "How?" Asked the chief priest " the gods did not hesitate to kill the two of our kinsmen that was installed as king before Ojo" "it's over a year now ojo is still hale and hearty , nothing is wrong with him" " is that not double standard? " . The chief priest chuckled , adjusted his cap and sat uprightly " Ojo's case is so different " he cleared his throat "he's a child of ore that can never be sacrificed to ore" "he is an initiated and can never be treated like an uninitiated" baba concluded. Adeleke opened his mouth in awe his eyes were threatening to leave their sockets " let me even burst your brain" baba Awo shot back in exaggeration "henceforth , Ojo and his family has become one of the royal families of the land, they will be entitled to the throne as your family is" " your gods must be joking" Adeleke yelled as he left Baba awo in anger.

CHAPTER FIVE

BEHIND THE TEARS

" let me check what's going on online " Adigun said to himself as he laid on the couch after a hectic day at work coupled with the notorious Lagos traffic , he felt so tired as he scroll through his cell phone. His job as a lawyer and human right activist is so tediously demanding especially for a bachelor like him Its already telling on his relationship as his fiancé is beginning to complain about his unavailability when she needed her the most. Finding nothing that really catches his fancy online, he settled for his bed as he will have to leave as early as 5 a.m tomorrow morning if he want to beat the traffic along the third mainland bridge. He barely closed his eyes when he began to hear noise coming from the other apartment of the compound " These people has come with their wahala again" he complained " I pray they resolve their issue on time and allow the compound to rest" he said as he covered himself with the duvet

Mr. and Mrs. Fred has been a mess the whole compound has to deal with for quite a while, there will always be something to fight over by this couple almost every night and the ripple effect of their their fight on their neighbor is sleeplessness especially Adigun whose flat is the closest to theirs.

What always baffles their neighbors including Adigun is the fact that no matter how tensed their fight or argument is, when you see them the next day you won't believe they had fought the previous night as they will be laughing and cuddling like some love birds.

"This episode of the fight is not gonna end soon" Adigun murmured as he stand up from the bed to go get some water . The noise is getting louder and the sound of glassware being broken echoes in the air. " I just pray this man will not kill his wife one day" he was thinking as he opened the fridge ,brought out a bottle of water and poured some into the cup. He was about drinking the water when he heard a bang on his front door. " who can that be " he said while he looked up to check the clock on the wall which read 12:15 am. The knock became intensed and this time accompanied with a voice " uncle Adigun! Please open the door don't let this beast kill me" That's obviously Mr Fred's voice , Adigun recognised immediately " why is she coming to my flat ?" He asked as he rushed to the door. He opened the door and Mrs. Fred rushed in with bruises all over her body, Adigun closed the door. "Madam what happened?" Adigun asked but Mrs. Fred ignored as she was panting heavily " what about your husband?", I hope He's OK" he further inquired. " I can't say " Mrs Fred managed to answer " he wanted to kill me and I had to fight back, I hit him on the head with a flower vase and ran out of the house " she concluded " You hit him on the head? What If he die ?" " to hell with him , somebody that wanted to kill me, look at my body everywhere is bruised" she began to open her body for Adigun to see " I have really suffered in the hand of this mam, there has never been a peaceful day for me in that house" she began to cry. Adigun was confused and he began to wonder what she's still waiting for in the house of a man that constantly and steadily abuse her " I think you should leave him if you really love yourself because this man will eventually kill you or render you incapacitated one day " Adigun was forced to talk " leave him ? , where will I start from? I love him and he loves me. He's all I've got" Mrs Fred said with tears rolling down her cheeks. Adigun was watching with astonishment . "madam if you love yourself you should find something done as soon as possible and I can help you if you would allow me" he advised. He barely finished his statement when they heard a loud bang on the door " so you are hiding in your man friend's apartment abi ? you better open this door now before I pull it down Ashawo" Mr Fred screamed from the outside . " Me , boyfriend to a married woman ? God forbid " Adigun said to himself as he was so surprised to hear him say such things and so embarrassed by the attitude at the same time . " I think you have to go back to him before he do something stupid he told Mrs Fred , he unscrewed the door and open it for her to leave suddenly he felt a bang on his head , the pain was so severe that he began to feel dizzy and weak his head is swelling and his feet could not hold him anymore he had to look for a support. " next time you will learn not to interfere with husband and wife matter " Mr Fred said as he dragged his wife by hand while they both leave Adigun's apartment.

Adigun could not sleep through the night as his head was aching badly even after taking some analgesics to suppress the pain. ". I will sue this bastard" he swore to himself " first thing tomorrow morning, I will report him to The Center Against Domestic Violence before he kill that woman" he concluded.

Early in the morning , Adigun drove directly to the CADV's office to report the case and two officer was given him to invite the couple for interrogation. During the questioning, Mrs Fred denied the fact that her husband abuse her , she even went further to state how loving and caring her husband his since they got married two years ago. She said her husband only had a little misunderstanding with Adigun the previous day over a parking space and that might be the reason he reported them. The case was later dismissed for lack of substantial evidence and credibility.

It's been over two weeks since the incident happened and Adigun has been minding his business in the compound he make sure he avoids interaction with anybody especially Mr. and Mrs Fred. On a sunny afternoon, Adigunwas in the supermarket to buy some groceries when he bumped on Mrs. Fred , he tried to dodge her but it's obvious she's seen her already as she walked towards him with a dazzling smile "Uncle Adigun, how are you ?" She said as she stretched her hand to shake him but Adigun ignored " I'm so sorry for the other day but I had to do that I don't want to loose him " Adigun looked on in amazement " look at the car outside" she said as she pointed to the Toyota Venza parked outside " that's the gift I got for getting beaten that night , so don't blame me for the choice I made i prefer to be crying inside a Porsche than to be smiling on Okada" she continues "poverty is not good my brother " she concluded carried her groceries and left. Adigun still standing and wondering whether he heard right or he's dreaming. The statements kept on ringing in his head as he drove away "its better to cry inside a Porsche than to be smiling on okada . what's this world turning into? " he asked himself again and again

CHAPTER SIX

THE FORBIDDEN FOOD

It's a beautification evening, the time of the night with cool breeze , the big boss was moving around the garden as he always do. The water sparkles ,every tree of the forest swerves in melody and every mountain jumps in ecstasy. 'The boss is around ,what an opportunity to be alive' the birds sings with their sonorous voices. On hearing the foot steps of the boss, the man and His wife began to run from pillar to post finding a place to hide, eventually they settled at the back of an Iroko tree, plucking the leaves of the tree to cover their nakedness.

The big boss, pretending he's unaware of what is going on, searched everywhere he knows they always stay but couldn't find the couple. 'Mr. Adam! Where are you?' He eventually speaks 'I've got a gift for you and your wife' Mr Adam further covered himself with one of the branches of the trees while Mrs. Adam was shivering and about crying but her husband covered her mouth with his hands.

The boss chuckled and called again 'Mr. Adam you are keeping me waiting, come out now'. Realising there is no reason to hide anymore, the couple came out timidly fastening their hands on the leaves that covered their public places. 'Boss you came at the wrong time' Mr Adam muttered 'wrong time? How do you mean and what's that on your body?' Boss asked 'we heard your voice and we are ashamed because we realised we have no clothes on , so we looked for some leaves to cover our body till my wife would be able to sew some clothes for us' Mr. Adam explained. Disappointed but still has to hide his feelings 'how did you know you were naked, have you been eating the forbidden food?' asked the boss. 'It was Lucifer that came around and tricked us to eat the food' Mr.Adams stammered. Obviously furious Lucifer surfaced from nowhere and bowed before the boss and said 'Your majesty Sir! Its so pathetic and quite disappointing that Mr. Adam would accuse me of deceiving him when I've not even set my eyes on him for days now' he faced the couple and asked 'when did I decieve you? Why are you lying in the presence of the big boss? Have you forgotten that all liars shall go to hell?' Mrs. Adam started crying but Lucifer ignored her and continued explaining to the boss 'Sir, I did not trick Mr. Adam I only had an Innocent chat with his wife this morning and went my way, it was their decision to make sir' he concluded. Obviously feeling so ashamed and looking so foolish Mr. Adam with head lowered and his eyes staring at the ground lost his emotions and joined his wife crying. 'Boss! , I'm sorry. It was the wife that you gave to me that insisted I take the food and I said you will not be happy when you find out but .....' 'the blame now goes to the woman abi? You want to blame the Big Boss for giving you a companion?' Lucifer snapped as Mr. Adam began stuttering but eventually had to keep quiet . Silence filled the air as the couple were so ashame to look up. Mrs. Adam was uncomfortable with the leaves on her body but regardless she fastened her hands on them so as not to reveal any of her natural endowment.

The big boss took a deep breath and said ' I brought you here to enjoy yourselves , I cater for your upkeep, your feeding and your wellbeing, just a little test of integrity you failed woefully. Henceforth, I remove you from the list of my daily supply, the upkeep and provision for you family now depend on you solely. You will go out of this place and begin to cater for yourself. You the wife I forbid you from marrying another man aside this your husband , he shall be the only man that you should have affection for whether he takes care of you or not , you have to stick to him and him only with respect and honor. Also, for you to realise what you have done I therefore increase your pain of labour a little bit' he signalled the security guards to lead them out , they both held firmly to each other sobbing as they moved out of the garden. Mrs. Adam laid her head on her husband's shoulder crying profusely,Michael the head of the security guards with his flaming red eyes commanded the couple to walk faster and the big boss watched them leave in total disappointment, He shook his head and was about leaving when he rememberd Lucifer was still standing 'You fool and unrepentant rebel I'm sure you know you are condemned already, I will be watching you' the boss said as he left for his abode. Lucifer was left on the spot obviously happy ' how is that my fault' he said ' I only gave a suggestion what they decide to do after is their responsibility' he concluded grumbling as he began to walk away. 'Shebi, you said when they eat the food they will die, why are they still abi? Abi you lied to them?' He was talking to himself 'sorry I forgot you can never lie' he giggled as he walked briskly and vanished

CHAPTER SEVEN

I SAW MY LATE DAD

"Ade you are not fine at all" mum said as she held my two hands together with tears in her eyes " you were caught severally talking to yourself, your colleagues in school complain about your irrational behavior of late, Adeoluwa have you been doing drugs? " She asked with broken voice "Mum , I've told you severally I'm fine" I muttered with a speech enveloped with frustration. Tears rolled down her cheeks, the sight of this sent a cold shiver through my spine . Like every loving mother, she's worried about the mental health of her only son; a 300 level medical student who is gradually loosing it mentally while she watches helplessly.

I never wanted her to be this unhappy infact I can't stand seeing her cry this way but how would I explain to her that I've been seeing my late Dad for the past three days and we've been having series of conversations .

"You have to see a Doctor " wiping off her tears with the edge of her wrapper "I have booked an appoint..." "I have been seeing my Dad for the past three days" I snapped as I struggled to mutter the words but the look on her face is a proof that the statement buttressed what she has been saying about me going crazy "Your Dad is dead, I know you love him so much but you have to come to the term that he's gone and you can't see him again" "He told me where he kept the documents we've been looking for" I added and that was like a bombshell, she looked at me in disbelief " Mummy I know it sound crazy but believe me it's true, I found the document exactly where he said I should check, under the foot mat of his old Mercedes Benz packed in the garage " This statement calmed her down a little bit." Did you say you find the documents " she asked with all of her attention on me. I handed over the old brown envelope to her , wiping off her tears she opened the envelope and found the document intact. Her face glitters with smiles as she browsed through the papers, she looked up and obviously she's confused whether to believe I'm not crazy or to take me to the Doctor who will cure me of my mental illness, with a smile and teary eyes she beckoned to me for a hug.

Dad died about a year ago and we have searched the entire house for the documents of some of his properties all to no avail until he showed up on Friday night while I was coming from a night class to tell me where it was kept. Honestly, I'm also confused, am I going crazy? How is it possible for me to see my late Dad face to face let alone having conversations with him this and many more questions keeps flying around in my mind. Singing joyfully, my mummy picked her phone,dialed my sister's number and danced her way to her room as she was sharing the good news with her " Oluwatomilola, God has done it o," she kept on singing living me alone in my room. So many secret was revealed to me by my Dad unbelievable things that is better kept secret for the sake of unity and the togetherness of the family. I cant believe mummy can do that to my Dad, though he said he has forgiven her and warned me not to act in such a way that will ridicule or disrespect her but I'm still surprised that my two sisters ; Aunty Tomi and Aunty Sade are not his biological daughters. According to him,they belong to Mr. Rasaki, Dads official driver who happened to be Mum's secret lover. Who will believe me? Is that truly my Dad who talked to me or the after effect of the marijuana I was newly introduced to by my colleagues in school? Yoruba says the dead has no business with the living. Somebody help me before I finally loose it.