OKEZIE

(...continued...)

Okezie sat on the bench in front of his house as he wondered what he would do about the situation he had found himself in.

  “They will find out.” He said to himself and sighed.

When he saw Okoro’s call, one mind told him, ‘they have found out.’

            His conscience started pricking him badly.

  “Why did I do it?” he asked himself. He went inside, waiting for Ebuka to come and suggest what he should do next, since he was the architect of the whole thing. He kept peeping from his window to see if anyone was coming for him. He lay down but couldn’t rest. He got up and kept pacing his room.

  “O..k” Ebuka called as he got close to the house.

                Okezie hurriedly opened the door and pulled Ebuka in.

  “What is the problem?” Ebuka asked him, puzzled.

  “I think they have found out,” Okezie said jittery.

  “Found out what?”

  “That I took the money.”

  “Did anybody see you taking it?”

  “No but I have this feeling that they will trace it to me.”

  “Mcheew. Relax my friend.”

                Ebuka sat down on his bed.

  “Where is the money?” he asked.

  “I have it here.”

  “You should be thinking about what to get for Nkechi now instead of they finding out.”

  “Why did I listen to you?”

  “Don’t put the blame on me o. Did I push you?”

                A boy came and told okezie that some people were asking around for him and that some men on uniform were among them. Ebuka didn’t wait. He opened the door and zoomed off through an apian way by the side.

  “You better take cover,” he told Okezie.

  “Wait..” Okezie said to him but he was out of sight in no time.

                Okezie decided not to run. He sat on the bench outside and waited for whoever they were that were looking for him. Soon, the oga’s deputy came with the security men and they walked towards his room.

  “Don’t run o,” he shouted to Okezie.

                Okezie just sat there and watched them come close.

  “Welcome sir,” he said.

  “I thought you said you were sick?”

                Okezie sighed.

  “I am sorry sir,”

  “Where is the money?”

                Okezie brought the money from his pocket and handed over to the oga’s deputy who took it and counted.

  “What made you steal it?”

  “Sir it’s the devil o.”

  “You will follow us back to the office right away so you will explain to our Oga.”

  “Okay sir.”

           He got up and followed them. The oga’s deputy followed behind wondering what kind of person Okezie was.

  ‘An average thief would not admit being guilty without pressure,’ he thought. ‘The young man knew we were coming and didn’t even make any attempt to escape. There must be something about this.’

            When one of the security men hit Okezie from behind and said, “walk fast, olé,” he rebuked him sharply.

  “Don’t touch him again,” he said. “Till we get to the office.”

           When they were entering the car, Okezie sighted Ebuka who was watching from a distance.

  “That is the person who got me into all this,” he said and pointed at Ebuka.

        When Ebuka saw Okezie pointing at him and one of the security men, making advances at him, he ran. They left him, entered the vehicles and drove off, away from onlookers who wondered what Okezie had commited.

(...to be continued)

Chinedu Isaac