Chapter thirteen
The morning was beautiful, lovely and sweet. The leaves and flowers around Papa Adaobi’s house were having a gentle dance, twisting and swaying graciously to the tune of the breeze as Obinna entered into his Prado Jeep. It is the kind of morning lovers would like to stroll together. His father had sent him away and he was filled with thoughts about where to go when his phone rang. It was his bosom friend, Emeka, the young man that Cobra nearly killed two months ago at the beautiful Lekki Beach. To his surprise, the Jeep refused to come alive. Without much ado, he decided to leave his mobile house behind in order to feel the raw flavour of the Lagos roads which he had missed greatly over the years. He knew this journey should take half an hour but due to the constant gridlock experience, he prepared his mind for two or more hours. And he knew that he would be hardly disappointed.
His journey started mainly at a terminus in Idumota. It was 7 O’clock and the entire area was full of activities of people trying to locate the particular “Molue” that will take them to their destinations. He selected the “Molue” when the conductor shouting at the top of his voice, calling names of various destinations mentioned “Ketu-Ojota”. The driver had a good knowledge of the city roads; he was now competing with so many other vehicles on the dual carriageway as he wove through traffic. Now, that the bus was on the move, he was experiencing the spices and flavour of living in a big city like Lagos. There was indeed a peculiar flavour with Lagos. The passengers were sharing in animated conversation about the latest happenings in the country’s politics and social life. One could easily notice Jonathan’s apologists and the firm believers of the Buhari’s change mantra.
The entire place had turned to a rendezvous of sorts as some of those standing found their trip turning to an ordeal, with male and female standing closely and intimately while the bumping ride continued to rub one passenger’s body part against that of another.
“I beg! Make everybody listen to wetin, I wan talk. I wan collect money now now. Make person no find my trouble, because I get plenty trouble, make una just corporate fast fast”.
Musa the serious-looking conductor announced from where he was hanging by the entrance. Musa had filled up the bus. Even after the seats, were taken, the aisle between the rows of seats were also occupied by standing passengers. Now, there was no place left for one to turn. He had commenced his ever-difficult task of collecting fees from the noisy passengers. There was no time to entertain any squabbles. It was either the person paid or the “Molue” would stop immediately and the culprit told to alight.
“Owa”! “Owa”! “Owa”! Musa screamed as he hit his hand on the bus. He had just alerted the driver of those wishing to disembark while at the same time; being on the lookout for others desiring to board the vehicle. Although, there were designated places for all commercial vehicles to stop, the “Molue” could stop, anywhere at any time to either pick or drop passengers. The bus had now come to the final bus stop uptown in a small suburb of Lagos, where the majority of passengers are getting off. Obinna who was now exhausted by the bus’ characteristic mode of operation and the cacophonous noise being generated from discussions bordering mostly on history, sports and government alighted from the bus. That he really had a good time was evidenced by the over-flowing smile on his face. At least, he had suddenly learnt that when it comes to discourses on sports especially the game of football, most Nigerians appeared to possess an expert knowledge of the coaching job. The “Molue” was now about to make a return trip to the bus park where it came from.
He had been cutting slow steps for the past ten minutes. The house was that of a very wealthy man. To be precise, he was a mega-rich businessman who had visited many parts of the world. The atmosphere was highly tensed up. Emeka was happy at his arrival but Obinna could see immediately that he was looking like one condemned to be executed. In fact, he was perplexed to see his once robust friend who often took him on beer-drinking spree with amara partially paralyzed after being hit by a mysterious and devastating stroke, just three weeks after the assault at the beach.
“Audu! Get the key of the car. We have to leave immediately. The pain seething inside of me is too much. My long-standing friend will accompany me for this all-important journey. You will take us to Oshodi to see Jagajabu, the great medicine man. You must not tell anybody about this!” Emeka warned in a weak and distorted voice.
“Oga, I don collect the key since...since. I no go tell anybody. I no be mumu. I get sense well well!”
Audu responded with a tremble. He was scared by the fire emitting from his Boss’s eyes which always tinctured his heart. He had tried in vain to work on his self to gain mastery over this unnecessary fear but all had proved abortive. This had made him give up the struggle. Mingling raw strength and goodwill, Emeka was carried into his 2015 Honda Pilot. Sadness was beautifully inscribed on the face of everyone in flawless cursive. Musa turned the ignition on and in a matter of seconds the engine blossomed a great deal. The car was now running on a good speed.
“Why are we running from pillar to post trying to solve the fiddle behind this strange sickness? I prefer you spend your money medically in the country or even outside the country. I don’t trust those soothsayers and medicine men. They always take advantage of people’s health problems to milk them dry’’. He spoke with a shy and throaty whisper while sprawling on the backseat.
“My good friend, you don’t understand. I will explain. The mouth and the nose are too close to be enemies. Thinking I will die, as a last resort, I have decided to make this journey. But I am not afraid; the physical combat between the bear and the tiger is not a threat to a lion’s kingship. We are going to see the great medicine man who did the money-making ritual for me many years ago. It has been long since we saw each other. You spoke about orthodox medication. I have already spent millions of naira yet the illness is getting worse by the second.” He snapped in agony.
“Money-making ritual?” Obinna asked like a virgin about to be deflowered.
“Yes, that was the reason why my wealth grew at an amazing pace. That is the secret why my garage was filled with very expensive and sophisticated cars worth several millions of dollars. And as you know, I have many grand mansions all over the world. That is the reason; I have no wife… That is the reason I’m not yet married to Veronica your cousin. And that reminds me…Veronica left my house this morning immediately I called you to come over. She gave the reason that, you did something really terrible to her. She wouldn’t like to set her eyes on you again and she never told me the….” He stopped abruptly. The car had screeched to a stop. They had reached their destination and the car was stopped a few yards from the shrine. Musa alighted and hurried towards the doors and flung them open. With the combined effort of Obinna and the driver, Emeka was carried to the shrine like a pack of cards. Audu was dismissed with a crispy one thousand naira note and instructed to go and guard the car by Obinna. He was very excited to receive the gift as he readily stampeded the spendthrift guy with a litany of praises.
Emeka prostrated on the ground and began begging the powerful spiritualist for a final solution to his health problem:
“All hail Jagajabu, the master of magic and fetish concoctions. You are the greatest guru and perfect master of occult mysteries. You are the only living grand master of the order of Astral and Terrestrial Hierarchy. You are the matchless defender of the ancient order of Lord Yima of Persia. First leader of the COMANS order of Nigeria, fellowship of the International Society Patanjali Yaoga of India. You are the curator of the White Eagle Ashrama of Tibet and Legate of the Great Brotherhood of Tibet. You are the expected Messiah and the worshipful master and Grand man in every plan, region and zone of the occult kingdoms. I desperately need your help!”
“What is it my son, tell me quickly?” Jagajabu replied and added, “The gods are not asleep, and they can hear you. Speak! The trees understand the language of the birds, likewise the ocean and rivers understand the language of the fishes! Speak!” Emeka cleared his throat and began: “I’ve been nursing this painful and debilitating stroke for the past three weeks and I’m afraid it could take my life. Please, I don’t want to die. Rescue me from this daily torture, pains and the ghost of death. I beg you in the name of our ancestors! The sickness came the following week after I slept with my beautiful housemaid. What should I do to stop the health problem and be healed totally?”
Jagajabu instantly stood up, took a long black rod, waived it seven times and chanted: “Ozabadi! Ozabadi! Ozabadi! The god of ancient magic, this job is for you. My son …you have slept with Sandra, the queen and angel of death! Unless you pay the sum of ten million naira for this ritual, you will surely die very soon. Ozabadi, the god of ancient magic, come and rescue your son…’’
“No amount is too big to pay for one’s life. I will get across the money tomorrow.” Obinna philosophized.
“You have spoken well my son…I will start the preparation of the most powerful magical concoctions for you immediately I see the money. The ball is on your court now.” Jagajabu advised while staring at a black wooden statue placed on a white cloth in his front.
“Thank you very much Jagajabu, I know there’s virtually nothing you can’t do. You will definitely get the money tomorrow. Thanks a lot!” Emeka concluded with a forced smile and turned to Obinna who had been busy quaffing a bottle of champagne. “Guy, we can begin to go home now. Please, call Audu”.
The streets were magically enchanting as they welcomed the mobile house running as a cheetah on the busy road. There were street lights and lights flashed from billboards displaying fat faces of politicians and celebrities. Noisy Yoruba cheerful music sounded from shops and restaurants. Obinna was still lost in thought. He was yet to understand why his friend had decided to take the extreme path for the sake of money. He could have done better to join his gang. Maybe, his love for women may have contributed to his choice of joining a deadly cult.
The truth is that Emeka could spend all his money on a woman he so desired. His insatiable appetite for anything in skirts was legendary and shocking. If there were a competition or contest for the man who had slept with the most number of women, he would surely win unopposed. His name could enter the Guinness book of Records as the world’s most sex-hungry man of all time. You would wonder why he had this crazy penchant to sleep with women the world over. The reason isn’t far-fetched. The juju or voodoo he did many years ago was that the more he slept with women, the more money that would come his way.
But there was a day, he would never forget in his life. He had just returned from a month’s holiday in France and was richer with millions of new currency. He thought of sleeping with a teenager as his next victim. He knew how to lure and seduce any daughter of Eve. Money was his bait in this ungodly adventure and no woman had ever escaped from his deadly hook. After an affair, he would undergo a certain money-making ritual and the woman would start getting thin and gaunt, as if she had been infected with a deadly disease. The more the woman got thinner, the more money the affluent guy would have on a daily basis. Then within one year, the unfortunate lady would die suddenly, but the he would get richer and richer.
That fateful day, he started eyeing his new housemaid; Sandra was a very beautiful and charming young lady. Her enchanting and voluptuous carriage could turn a saint into a sinner in seconds. She had a seductive physique that could make any man swoon and beg for love. When he set his eyes on her, he was head-over-heels in lust. He wanted to have her there and then. He admired her from head to toe and called her instantly into his expansive living room to have a chat with her. Pronto, Sandra was there and the he began his lecherous moves to woo the delectable housemaid who was in her late teens.
“Hey, Sandra, from today onward, you cease to be a housemaid. Your beauty is out of the world. You are a queen and the goddess of beauty!” he said enthusiastically. “Take, this is the sum of two million naira. It’s all yours. You cease to be a housemaid from today, but on one condition. And that is...”
“Sir, that’s just no problem so far you will make me rich. I will give you my body and soul. I promise, to make you happy,” Sandra replied in a most alluring way, shaking her backside in the process.
The ethereal beauty and charm of the angel of death had captured and imprisoned the wayward young man. He stood up when he couldn’t control his libido again, and said in a most sexy and lascivious style: “Please, let’s go inside my bedroom immediately. Oh…lala. Oh…lala…my gosh! I can’t resist your celestial beauty and charm again...” He cooed gently. The eagle-eyed dog was very happy after the two hours of frenzied life in his cosy bedroom. He thought that she would go the same way like hundreds of women he had played with. He handed her money instantly but he didn’t know that he had bitten more than he could chew and swallow. The fact was that she was a very powerful queen of the extra-terrestrial world whose main duty was to kill any man who slept with her through her metaphysical powers.
“I had earlier thought of asking you about Sandra, where is she? Obinna asked as he was now coming back from the inexhaustible warehouse of the day’s surprises.
“Well…well…she disappeared from the house and nobody has seen her around the area again. Forget about that evil omen. After the monkey has eaten the banana given to him by his owner, he decided to challenge his owner for a wrestling contest. You heard me promise Jagajabu the sum of ten million naira. You got to go to bank tomorrow morning to help out on that. Delay could be dangerous, you know. I hope that I wouldn’t get broke and penniless over this sickness like an accursed pauper. I’m afraid; I am realizing the meaning of life without a wife and children. You see that my palatial mansion is already looking like a ragged and decrepit abode for mad people. The house is fast becoming a shadow of its former structure. In truth, sowing good seeds should be the watchword for every human being so that one can live a peaceful life bereft of heartaches and sadness”. He pontificated with a heart filled with grief.
“What are friends for? You can count on me but I still have problem with the ten million naira. That is really a whopping amount of money. I just want to believe that you have found the solution to this terrible state health. I hope the help will come real quick, so that it doesn’t get to the point where you find it difficult to breathe. However, I would like to use one of your cars tomorrow for the bank transaction. I have really developed a serious fear for that death trap called commercial buses in this city. They really killed me this morning.” Obinna spoke with a gust of laughter.
“Oh…that wouldn’t be any problem. Thank you for your concern and goodwill”. Obinna snapped.
“You are welcome…don’t mention.” Guy…what do we eat for supper? I got to go out now and buy some good stuff from shoprite.” He capped up the conversation with a blissful smile as he headed for a bottle of brandy on the table.
The following morning, Obinna paid a whopping sum of seven million naira into the spiritualist’s bank account and fraudulently embezzled the rest. He had yet to learn the wisdom of avoiding the temptation of stealing from the wrong people despite his years of experience in the crime world. He never foresaw the implication of this criminal act as Jagajabu felt disappointed and vowed to revenge the insult. Nobody had ever toyed with him and gone scot-free
Emeka was still full of hope thinking that he had found the solution to his terrible state of health. He expected a call from his master in the occult world but it never came. Within a space of two days, his health condition had degenerated to the extent that he couldn’t go out again. The excruciating pains were all over him. It got to a state that he couldn’t sleep all day and at night. A week later after the visit to the spiritualist, he died a painful death in his palatial mansion like an accused pauper.