It was 6:00p.m. already; l was at MMC junction; James had asked me to meet him there. Few minutes later, a bus halted beside me and l saw two hungry-looking men at the back seat of the bus. Then, the driver beckoned me to enter and l did. "Good evening," l greeted the two men courteously. one of them hissed, while the other looked away, directing his gaze at the window. l swallowed a lump as l sat down on the other end of the seat, by the window.
"Give me your guns," the driver ordered.
Those two men slid their hands into their pockets and brought their guns out and l took mine and handed it to the driver. l hadn't noticed that the driver was a lady; perhaps, the cap and sunglasses she wore covered her face. She had now removed the cap and she looked differently. l kept staring at her as she drove, wondering why a lady should be the one driving when there were men who could do the job.
"Why are you staring at me?" she asked as she turned backwards, beaming broadly, exposing her natural beauty of gapped and white teeth set perfectly on dark jaw bones.
I shrugged delicately, nodding to myself.
"You are beautiful," l blurted out.
"Of course, l know that," she replied with a smile.
"What kind of a girl is this?" l asked myself.
The usual thing a girl would have done was to say 'thank you'. Probably, she was entirely different.
"What about James?" l asked.
"Don't worry about James; just relax and you will be just fine," she replied, again smiling.
I couldn't fathom the reason for her mischievous smile. Probably, it was her nature. l gazed at the men that sat beside me; they sat quietly as though they had been compelled to stay mute.
The bus came to a halt beside an uncompleted building. l said down, looking cautiously at the building.
"O' boy, leg out," one of the men said gruffly.
l came out quickly and followed the lady driver into the uncompleted building.
"You made it, brother," James said immediately he had seen me. He hugged me tightly.
"What is the deal?" l asked impatiently.
"Don't worry, you will know soon, and l promise you are not going to regret joining us?"
"l hope so," l said in a low tone.
Fifteen minutes later, two other men joined us. One of them was one-eyed, with an extremely fat belly. He was very tall, just like uncle Philip, and just then, l remembered Mum. was Mum going to actually leave for Dubai? And if possibly so, without me, because l had no intention of leaving Aba? l had already become fond of the city and James, as l believed, had shown me the way.
We had a brief meeting based on the robbery we were to carry out and, then, after the meeting, James called me privately to one end of the building.
"l have been trying to contact you for so long; what is the matter with you, William?" James asked rather softly.
"It is a long story, a very long one," l replied calmly, hoping that James would let it go without more questions.
"Then, l want to hear it: l think we still have some time before we carry out the robbery. And if it may please you, you can as well cut it short."
I kept quiet, shutting my eyes so tight to avoid the droplets pf tears that forced their way out of my eyes. "James, l......," the words seemed to have hung in my throat and l felt do bitter to have remembered Dad's death. The painful aspect wasn't that Dad's had died, but the cause of his death. l felt that if Dad had not cheated on Mum, he would have still been alive and well.
"My man, see, if you are scared of the whole robbery thing, then l would understand. l also want to get out of this kind of life, but l have just two operations to take care of so that we both can be rich and opt out of this dirty game."
"It is not about that, James. I'm not scared at all. The fact is that l lost my dad. The old man has gone to meet his ancestors," l said finally.
"Arusi, you didn't tell me this. I'm sorry, man, and, if you can't do the job, then fine. You could go have some rest; l will understand perfectly," James said soldy.
"James, I'm in this game. Let the past be the past, just let us do this and be over with it," l said confidently, looking at him straight in the eyes to let him know that l wasn't down emotionally, but was up to the task.
"No big deal, bro! l know say you be strong man," James said as we shook hands stylishly as we normally did when uncle Philip was still alive as our leader. We assembled together later on, ready for the robbery.
Her blouse opened from it's low neck, and her breasts were exposed. Tears sealed my eyes as l watched in silence how the four young men in black raped the woman in turn. The husband gazed with pity from the ground on which he lay, bleeding profusely, tied to a spot. The kids were locked up in the toilet and were threatened not to utter a word.
"Arusi, l think there is more money in that room; carefully search that room now," James ordered and l quickly walked into the room.
The room was exactly the size of that of Daddy.
l paused as l glanced around the room; l directed my gaze at the picture of the couple at one end of the room and slowly the faces in the photo seemed to change to those of Daddy and Mummy. l ran out frightfully into the living room where James and the others were.
"So soon; did you see anything at all," James asked as his eyes widened, probably surprised at how quick l was in searching the room.