(Image Source: urbansustainabilityresilience.wordpress.com)
Hello guys, hope the New Year has been treating you
well. This episode is a sequel to the
previous episodes and I hope you have enjoyed them so far. This is Episode 7.
Enjoy!!!
PHAMUS FOODS COMPANY
Dupe
had just arrived at the gate of Mustapha’s business establishment, still
deliberating on the best approach to take in confronting him about his giving
her a sexually transmitted disease. All the while she sat in the taxi that
brought her to Salaam Avenue, she thought of sending him abusive text messages
but her heart could not bring her to do it as she kept deleting each word that
she typed on her Blackberry Passport. It
was best for her to see him in person and bear out the venom that had
continuously built up inside of her. She alighted and paid off the taxi driver
and started making her way to Mustapha’s office. Inside the company’s complex,
there were workers loading bags of rice into a 911 truck and no one seemed to
have noticed her presence except for the gateman dressed in his official wear,
who addressed her in an accent that easily told her that he was from the
northern part of the country.
“Madam,
who I dey find?” He inquired while staring lustfully at her full figure.
“Is
Mustapha in the office?”
“Madam
, na my oga I dey call like that?” He replied in displeasure at the fact that
she had just called his boss by his first name.
“Look I
do not have the time for this your drama, is he in or not?” She replied while
sizing him up with eyes that looked like that she could see through him.
“Come sign
visitors book hia, oga dey office,” he replied while motioning her to the small
room that served as the reception.
But
Dupe was not in the mood for any formal activities and as such she stormed past
him and was heading for Mustapha’s office which she hoped to find easily since
it was her first time here. The gateman chased after her, repeatedly pleading
with her to at least sign the visitors book as the establishment’s customs
demanded.
She
found his office easily since every office in Phamus Foods Company had name
tags on each of the door posts. Without asking, she barged into the office to
find Mustapha seated with two men whom looked like his business partners. They
were in the middle of something very important as they were exchanging and
reading documents, but she was here on a mission and nothing was going to stop
her.
“You
Bastard, you wanted to kill me abi?” She screamed at him.
His
business partners were taken aback and were throwing glances at Mustapha and
the angry woman who had just joined them. Mustapha sat in silence and was
unperturbed by this outrageous behaviour Dupe had just displayed.
“So you
are going to sit there and stare at me like an idol without saying anything?”
There
was still no response from Mustapha. Instead he picked up the receiver of the
intercom on his table and called his aides to come to his office. In the
twinkle of an eye, two men that looked like that they spent all their lives
lifting heavy objects appeared and they were commanded by Mustapha to throw
Dupe outside the gates of the company.
“Gentlemen,
please throw this crazy lady and that crazy gateman out of my gates.”
Without
further ado, Dupe’s legs were in the air as one of the aides had lifted her
upon his shoulder and was heading for the gates. She managed to throw the
result of the tests that she had conducted on the floor of the office and in
the process bumped her head at the door post. Soon enough, she was outside the
gates screaming on top of her voice; every abusive word that came to mind. She
was also joined by the gate man, who consistently blamed her for his current
predicament. The workers inside the company as well as passers-by had a field
day staring and laughing at both of them.
The
gateman went ahead to engage Dupe in a heated verbal war blaming her for making
him lose his job at Phamus Foods.
“Madam,
see wetin I don cause for me? You don make Oga sack me.”
“What
is my business with this one my God?” She asked as she lifted her head to the
skies with her hands on her waist.
“Madam,
how my family go take survive? Work wey I never do reach 3 months.”
Dupe
was not interested in what he had to say, instead she was throwing every object
she could find on the ground over the fence into the company’s grounds while
releasing abusive words from her arsenal to the invisible Mustapha
“Mustapha,
my God will punish you.”
“You
threw me out like refuse. A whole me!”
“It is
not over o. I will disgrace you everywhere.”
After
the show of shame was over, she tried to pacify the gateman by offering him
some money while she flanked a taxi to take her back to the slum. She was
exhausted and too embarrassed to be seen anywhere around Salaam Avenue any time
soon. At the back seat of the taxi, she reminisced her recent ordeal in the
hands of a man whom had claimed to love her. She muttered under her breath.
“Love
is a bastard.”.
The
taxi driver stared at her through the rear view and asked to find out if she
was okay.
“Madam,
hope say all is well?” He inquired
“Oga,
just drive wetin you dey drive abeg. Nothing concerns you.”
He
simply nodded in comprehension.
Back in
Mustapha’s office, he apologized to his guests for Dupe’s unruly behaviour as
he carefully snuck the piece of paper he had picked from the floor into his
drawer.
“My
people, I am sorry for that girl’s behaviour. You know how women can be.”
“It is
alright man. Just keep her on a leash so that she does not ruin things for you.”
One of the men dressed in Agbada and a traditional cap to match replied.
“Let us
attend to important matters.” They all had a brief moment of laughter before
settling on the transactions that they had to take care of.
****
CHANEL 5
It was
7:55pm and Chinedu was already standing outside the doors of Chanel 5. He had
made sure that he had carried with him every item that the text message had
contained. He was still marvelled at the modus operandi of the Chanel 5
management when it came to recruiting people. He had asked Tunde questions
relating to this matter at hand, but Tunde had only advised him to go for the
interview and that there was no harm in trying.
Chinedu
was dressed in a white shirt, a black trouser, and a tie to match holding an
envelope which contained the items he was asked to bring along; eight passports
and two new SIM cards. There was minor activity going on outside the club in
addition to a drunken man that had just been thrown out by the bouncers. He hit
the floor like a pack of cards and was vomiting every liquid in his system. The
bouncers seemed to be very angry with him.
“Baba
Hafusa, I don tell you make you no dey drink wetin pass you.” One of the
bouncers said to the drunk man who was lying in a pool of his vomit.
“No dey
tell me that thing for your life again.” Baba Hafusa replied in a slurry tone
which showed that he had drank more than his body system could contain.
The
bouncer said nothing in return, instead shook his head in pity at the nuisance
this old drunk had just made of himself.
Chinedu
was just trying to take in the picture of the little drama that had just played
before his eyes, when a black Mercedes Kompressor pulled up behind him. He
turned around to see who had lost his driving skills when the driver engaged
him in a conversation.
“Are you
Chinedu?” He asked in a croaky voice.
“Yes. And
is that the reason why you want to hit me with your car?” Chinedu replied him
in an angry tone. He obviously was not happy with the way the driver had pulled
up his car behind him. He now noticed that the driver was dressed in a black
sweat shirt and wore dark shades which concealed some part of his identity.
“Come
with me.” The driver replied him choosing to ignore the rude manner in which he
had just been spoken to. He pressed a button the steering wheel of the car
which granted Chinedu access through the passenger’s door.
Chinedu
stepped into the car whose air-conditioning was at work; and was about
strapping on his seat belt, when a hand came from behind his seat to cover his
nose with a handkerchief. He struggled to get free of his hostage situation but
in few seconds, he was dizzy and passed out unconscious. The last words he
heard were
“You
too dey talk. You be woman?”
Chinedu
had just been taken hostage by two armed men who had no intention of harming
him. Instead, he was supposed to be presented to his interviewers without him
remembering the route to the venue of the interview.
Soon
they were on the ground floor of a building which appeared to have been
abandoned by the owner to natural circumstances. Chinedu had been blind-folded
all the way there with his hands tied behind his back. He soon regained
consciousness after being unconscious for over an hour. His belongings had been
confiscated. He was seated on the dusty floor and could hear distant voices
that seemed to be talking about him. The smell of burning cigarettes had filled
the atmosphere around him, therefore he was certain that he was not alone and
probably had eyes staring at him.
“Mrs
Ayobami, are you sure about this boy? I cannot take chances o.” A man said
“Leader,
just relax and let all this drama play out. It is too late to turn back now o.”
She replied
Chinedu
could not believe his ears. That was his Landlady’s voice. What was she doing
here with kidnappers? How did he offend her for her to have had him kidnapped?
Sudden sweat had begun form under his armpits and urine gathering in his
bowels.
“Look
Iya Oloja, if he misbehaves I have no choice than to end his miserable life.”
The male voice spoke again.
“It won’t
come to that I promise you.” Mrs Ayobami replied.
On
hearing that he was going to be killed, Chinedu began to scream and begged for
his life to be spared. He still had his blind-fold on, and could barely tell
where he was. All that mattered to him was staying alive at any cost.
“Please
o, don’t kill me o. I only came for a job interview o.” Chinedu was in tears
that had been soaking the black cloth that was used to cover his eye from the
rays of sunlight. He struggled with the rope that restrained his hands but
could not break free instead his wrists had begun to bleed.
“Iya
Oloja, look at the coward you brought me. I need a strong man, not a school boy.”
The male voice said again.
“Leader,
please relax while we await the arrival of the others. We have a long night
ahead of us.” Mrs Ayobami said while trying to reach the remaining members of
The Stakeholders over the phone.
“I just
hope you are right.” The leader replied.
****
ANITA’S RESIDENCE
After a
shower that seemed to take forever, Dupe put on her blue gown that revealed
some part of her thighs and her slender legs, some light make up and silver ear-rings
that complemented the necklace that she had on. She had called Anita over the
phone on her way back from Mustapha’s office to tell her that she was going to
spend the night at her place. Anita had initially frowned at the idea, but
could tell that something was off from the way Dupe sounded over the phone.
Thus she had no choice but to grant Dupe’s request. After all, they were
friends and were currently having emotional issues.
Dupe
stepped out of her gate wearing slip-ons, as she looked at both ends of her
street in search of a motorcycle that would convey her to her friend’s place.
Soon an Okada rider approached her position and she gave him details about her
destination but first she had to stop at a wine shop to buy some alcohol. This
was what she needed at this sad moment in her life. She needed something to
help her cool off and at the same time forget Mustapha.
On the
motorcycle, she pulled out her Blackberry and sent Anita a message through BBM.
“Babe,
I don dey come. I go bring shayo and suya.” She texted
“Dupe,
you wan kill me? You know say my mama dey house.” Anita replied.
“That
one concern you. She fit follow us shayo na.”
“You
don dey mad. I dey house sha. Just turn up.”
Dupe
smiled to herself as the wind played with her hair while the motorcycle sped
off to her destination.
