A Night in Ubini

Uteh Quarters, Aduwawa, Benin City.

It was 2PM and the typical Benin Sun ravaged. In an uncompleted building, two area boys sat on cement blocks smoking weed.

"Dat babe wey I nack dat day na waste." Mopol said, as his black wrinkled lips curved over the brown wrap.

"Wetin happen? She nor sweet?" Kele Kele, his companion asked, although more concerned about the 'igbo' he was wrapping.

"The kpekus dey smell, brotherly!"

"Nor mind dis olosho for street. Dem nor sabi baff."

They both laughed mildly. Their hairless chests laid bare with only boxer shorts covering their unclothedness.

Osama - another area boy - entered. His big Jean was almost falling off his tiny waist. He seemed to enjoy it. They clapped their hands and snapped their fingers.

"Make una give me smoke, my guys." He carried a block close and sat. Kele Kele handed him a wrap.

"You nor go ever buy." Mopol said.

"Nor worry. After d package dis nite, I go buy full sack."

"Na dat house we go still hit na?" Mopol asked.

"Yes, my nigger. We go enter around one. Lite nor go dey. Tharty minutes, everywhere go burst."

............................

MarketSquare, Sapele Road, Benin City.

They - Kelechi and Etinosa - saw with their 'corner-eyes' how people looked at them whenever they walked on the streets holding hand. They enjoyed it.

Posture maintained, they entered the supermarket to shop for bread, biscuits and butter. Etinosa craved for these three every night, and the baby had just six weeks left to stay in the womb, according to the doctor.

Kelechi shared a scrap-like office with an old man (who's miraculously yet to retire although his look gave him age 80) at the Ministry of Agriculture, behind the city's library complex.

"The doctor said our boy weighs 2.5kg" She had gone for antenatal examination at Central Hospital, just about 8KM from where her husband worked. Then wasted hours at her friends shop waiting for him to close from his always littered office.

"He's a big man already" Kelechi's smile was huge as he rubbed the belly.

"I can't wait to see what he looks like."

"He'd be as beautiful as you." He poked her nose.

"But he'll have your eyes." She hit him lightly.

.........

Somewhere at Uruora. 1:47AM

She tossed like a coin on her seven-inch mattress, stretched and almost went back to sleep.

The sound came again: heavier and consistent. It had to be a dream. But it wasn't.

She heard the burglary proof ring loudly on the floor, and immediately caught cold. Still frozen on her bed, she saw someone climb into her room. Then another. The moon outside wasn't bright enough to see their faces.

"Common, get up!" Mopol shouted.

Seme didn't know when she got on her feet. "Please don't do anything to me. Please".

Kele Kele entered and flipped his torch on. Their faces were uncovered. One had a gun, and the other two a knife.

"Please, don't hurt me." Seme continued pleading.

Osama walked close to her and slapped her accross her face.

"Bros, abeg" Seme said, crying. She saw them laugh, although she didn't hear it.

"Who sey make you com yarn pidgin. Wey your phone?"

She pointed to it beside the bed. Kele Kele got it.

"How much you get for this house?" Osama quizzed, while Mopol and Kele Kele rummaged the rather empty room.

Seme walked briskly to her wardrobe and gave the wad of cash to Osama who stuffed it into his pocket.

"Dis one na everything?"

"Yes, yes," Seme said quickly, still crying and shaking.

"Dis house too dry!" Kele Kele said and smashed a mirror on the floor.

"Since you nor get better money to give us, oya open make we do."


...............

Etinosa tapped her husband to listen to the noise. It was the shrieking cry of a young girl.

"Baby, can you hear that?"

"What?" He heard the sound before she could respond. "That's Seme!" He sprang to his feet and reached for his trousers.

"Baby, where are you going?" Etinosa was beyond surprised. The speed of his thoughtless reaction.

"She's in trouble." His trousers was already on his waist. He was wearing a t-shirt now.

"Let's call the police" Etinosa struggled to her feet.

"You know our police." He was heading for the door.

"Baby!"

The sound of the door slam was the response she got.

.........

He saw the window open, and some people walking about inside her room. The fence was too easy to scale.

He had not thought of a strategy. His emotions were in control. They had to be. If not for him, she'd probably be somewhere else, not here.

He wanted her close. It was easier that way. Etinosa would suspect nothing.

He ran back to his house for his pistol. Etinosa's plea was barren. Seme was crying louder now. He knew they were raping her. 'Those bastards!'

Standing to the side of the window, he aimed at Mopol's head, shot, and missed.

........

"Bleep!" Mopol screamed and fell to the floor bleeding. That would be his last word. The bullet had hit his neck.

Osama got off Seme quickly, grabbed his gun and dashed to the corner of the room. Kele Kele was shaking violently in another corner.

Another shot and Kele Kele was hit on the chest.

"Bullshit!" Osama shouted. He wasn't going to die in the corner. He shot severally at the window area and waited for a cry. He heard nothing.

Seme was still on the floor : a mix of sorrow and dread.

...........

With the little light from the moon, he saw his wrist hanging loosely on his hand. One of the bullets had hit him as he tried to take a shot at the last guy.

He collapsed to the ground as the pain rang through his head. 'This was stupid. I should have listened to my wife.' He walked stealthily to the fence and struggled over it.

His hand was burning.

............

Osama confirmed his friends dead and was too angry to shed a tear. He pointed the gun at Seme and left three bullets in her.

He picked the torch and jumped out the window. He had heard the 'modafucker' walk away. He was going to find him and leave a bullet in his chest. For his friends.

Outside the window, he saw the gun that had killed his friends. And blood. He traced the latter to the fence. He jumped over.

The blood trail led him to a house. A mini-flat it looked like in the darkness. He walked round the house looking for the easiest way to break in.

He got to the kitchen window, and surprisingly, the light was on.

"No way na!" He said to him sef. He had never been so confused.

..........

Etinosa tried to tie Kelechi's hand in the kitchen. Her eyes were filled with tears.

"See what you've done to yourself"

"She needed help!" The loudness of his own voice surprised him. She didn't deserve to know the truth. He had created a new story about himself when he met her. He loved her and didn't want to lose her.

He did marry her and started a new life. But his old life never left, at least, not completely.

"We need to go to the hospital."

The kitchen window came crashing down. Kelechi and Etinosa jumped, and went low on the floor. After few minutes, Kelechi stood and outside of the window was his half-brother, Osama.

"Brother," Kelechi said.

"I nor be your broda" Osama replied.

They had thesame father. He had three wives and children he couldn't even count. More than half of them became criminals just like Osama and Kelechi. Osama's mother was Bini while Kelechi's mother was Igbo. While tribal differences separated their mothers, criminality united them.

Osama raised the gun at Kelechi who immediately lifted his unhurt hand.

"I'm so sorry about what happened."

"You tell police sey na we be d theif. You carry dem go show dem our guns so dem go leave you. Olokpa nack us for Oko while government con nack you work."

"Broda, nor vex. I didn't have a choice."

"Na thunder go fire dat your mouth. I nor be your broda. Because you go small skool, you feel sey na you smart pass."

"No be so." Kelechi knew he was going to bleed to death.

"You forget sey na me teach you street. Sey na dis street moni you take go skool. I nor worry. Den you come fall my men. Dat one, I worry".

Kelechi knew his brother was going to shoot. He needed to quickly think of a plan. His wife was still on the floor.

.......

Etinosa's head was burried on the ground. She was sobbing and praying silently. She was too young to be a widow.

She heard the gun shot, and her heart skipped a beat. Then another. And another.

........

Osama hurried away.

Kelechi fell over his wife. She died quickly.

"No!" He kept screaming.

Osama had walked closer to the window. While he kept his brother distracted with his talk, had decided to shoot his wife in the neck. She was on the kitchen floor, and he knew he could easily shoot her.

And so he did.

.........

Etinosa screamed out of her sleep, sweating profusely.

"Sweetheart, what is it?" Kelechi asked.

"I had a nightmare." She felt her baby over the protruding belly.

"Let's go back to sleep."

Then came the loud ringing sound of the burglary proof hitting the floor.

The End.

oh manh!!!

germaphobe:
oh manh!!!

Read this story again today, and I'm just amazed

woooow