“Kekere, Kekere!” he heard someone scream his name as he made his move to attack Tayo who was finding it difficult to open his car door as a result of his confused state. Kekere paused at the sound of his name and quickly made a sharp turn as he hid the knife he was holding so as not to draw unnecessary attention to himself. “Na when person wan busy dem go dey call person anyhow?” he murmured as he turned slowly, to catch a glimpse of the person shouting his name. “Na Rabiu sha. Chai,” he bit his lips hard. “Wetin this bobo dey find? Na so he come call me when I dey with woman last night. Na me go kill am.” He forced his way between the flowers not caring about the hard work the horticulturist had done and destroying some of the flowers in the process. “Ehn en, Rabiu wetin happen,” he questioned.
Rabiu who didn’t realize Kekere had arrived behind him was startled at the jingle of his voice. After Sly, Kekere was the most dreaded tout in that hood. He was always tasked with dirty responsibilities, if he isn’t making the kill or leading the fight squad, then he is in jail; his favorite holiday spot. He was friends with the policemen who patrolled the street, having been picked up numerous times.
Rabiu answered Kekere, panting as he spoke, “Baba Sly say make I update you say make you abort the mission.” “For why na?” Kekere retorted. “As I dey reason you so ehn, black scout don hear the matter and dem go soon land here.” Black scout, was street lingo for policemen. The name was based on their mocking opinion that the police force was simply a bunch of Boy Scouts in a different uniform. As far as they are concerned, policemen only camp on roads; making roadblocks with wood and tyres while receiving bribe.
“Shuo, shey na local or special?” Kekere asked Rabiu. “Na them Rambo o,” Rabiu responded. “Kekere, you no dey hear the sound of the instrumental?” He continued. Instrumental was street word for siren. Kekere nodded his head to affirm the urgency of the situation and they both jogged out of the hospital premises. They were never scared of the local police, but Rambo, which was their code for SARS (Special Anti-Robbery Squad) – they don’t dare!
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Tayo slammed the car door after him as he waited for Osato. She walked sluggishly towards the car. Too much had happened in a day and so she wasn’t sure if going home with Tayo was the right thing to do. What if he wasn’t going home? After all, Johnson was still missing.
“Are you going to get into this car while we go out and look for my son or would you rather have me drag you into it?” Tayo yelled at her, not minding the attention he was calling to himself from puzzled passersby. Osato couldn’t delay any further. Tayo had been totally unpredictable today, and she should rightly be blamed for that. It was wise to avoid another drama, and so she hastened. Tayo pushed the ignition the moment Osato was seated in the car. He put the vehicle in reverse motion and navigated his way out of where he had parked.
“Tayo!” he heard someone scream his name from afar. He kept his leg on the brake and looked through the rear mirror to see who was calling. It was Mr. Idemili. He was now walking faster so as to catch up with them. The sudden chaos had beclouded the joy of the day; no one except Mr. Idemili cared about Osahon who had put to bed earlier. The series of events that unfolded had formatted such a beautiful memory from their brains.
“Is Johnson alright?” asked Emeka who had now arrived beside Tayo’s car. Neither of them answered him, and so he asked again “Is my grandson alright?” “I think she is in the right position to answer those questions sir.” Tayo blurted out as he gave Osato a disgusting look. “Daddy, Johnson is missing,” declared Osato. “Missing? How? I mean, you said you left him in the house. What do you mean by he is missing? Is this a joke or something?” Emeka asked confusedly. “Dad, Musa took him away,” Osato muttered, “Took who away? Why? Where? Wh..” Tayo cuts in rudely. “Your daughter, I mean Osato, has been sleeping with Musa.” “What?” Emeka exclaimed, “Yes. So, Musa thinks he is the father of my kids, your grandchildren.” “Osato, what is this irritating allegation that is being laid against you?” Emeka gave Osato a questioning look. She rubbed her hand on her lap as she attempted to answer, “Dad…dy.” “Wait a minute. Why are your jeans soaked in blood or am I mistaken? Where is Osasu?” “Daddy, Osasu is in coma,” “What do you mean? Where is she?” “She is in the ICU sir,” Tayo replied him diplomatically. Emeka opened his mouth in surprise, he couldn’t comprehend what was wrong; John died, Johnson is missing, and now Osasu is in the ICU. “What is wrong with her?” he asked.
The couple looked at themselves in disappointment and with remorse as they answered in synchrony,
“She slipped and hit her head.” The first thing they had agreed on since the misfortune started. What could they have said? Emeka shook his head in disbelief and then spontaneously yelled at the both of them, “will both of you get out of that car and take me to my daughter now!”
Clueless, Tayo opened the car door grudgingly and stepped outside. Osato sat back in the car. It was getting dark already, but she didn’t want to be seen with blood stains all over her body. As Emeka and Tayo got set to make their way for the ICU, they were accosted by two men who were dressed in Red polo tops with SARS written on them. Both men hung AK47 rifles on their shoulders. One of them, a bald man with a Herbert Macaulay mustache was quick to introduce himself.
“I am Inspector Farouk Alade, chief Scorpion of Lagos State SARS. Which one of you is Mr. Emeka Idemili?” He directed the question at both men. “I am,” Emeka responded, and then asked Farouk “how can I help you?” Farouk smiled mischievously and faced Tayo, “then you must be Awotayo Coker.”
“Yes, I am Awotayo Coker,” Tayo gutted out. Inspector Farouk turned and whistled as he beckoned to three other officers from the Toyota Hilux van they came in with. Emeka was swift to ask, “What is going on here inspector?” “Both of you are under arrest for conspiracy and murder of George Elliot. Anything you say or do can or will be used against you in the court of law.” Farouk turned to his officers and concluded, “Cuff their hands, they are highly dangerous.”
