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The Blue Water hotel sits close to an artificial tidal lake that feeds from the Calabar River which in turn flows into the Atlantic Ocean. A natural captivating tarn where the management had thought it wise to set up water sport activities, including fishing. It was here, inside the secluded shade of one of the shady mangrove trees that stood boldly a few meters away from the Baboon Bar that the Free-Hands conveyed their first meeting at the Tinapa that Monday afternoon. The group had actually split up into two with Skinny and Lizzy first making the trip on the high cable car that took them and three other curious visitors to the secluded lake. Skinny and Lizzy had posed as two couples in love on their honeymoon and had stared quietly at the three other passengers, an elderly looking man and two ladies, with one of them obviously his wife and the other their daughter. They had all stared quietly at each other, exchanged silent greetings with the nods of their heads and then had all turned their view to the spectacular sight on the ground as the glass covered cable car freighted them along the long lines of strong parallel wires. They all disembarked and made it on a speed boat to the lake where they came ashore and made it on foot towards the well organized bush bar, crafted intelligently with baboon sticks, this including the tables and chairs.

The two high ranking members of the Free-Hands opted for a secluded spot away from the few tourists around and far from the eardrops of the three bar attendants and the two security guards in mobile police uniform. They selected an isolated table, gave their orders to one of the barmen and waited patiently for the others to arrive. Few minutes later, a wide smile on his face, Victor with the towering bulk of John Bull beside him made their way to their table, after spotting them from the bar where they had first made their way casually. They bought two bottles of Carlo Rossi red wine, took few sips while still sitting on the baboon barstools and pretended to be on their own. They chatted, gawked at the few beautiful women around and then finally made their way towards Skinny and Lizzy with their drinks in their hands. Lizzy was the spotlight of most of the men and women around with her spectacular plaited hairstyle and her colorful spaghetti dress made from African print.

“ All eyes on you.” Skinny had earlier told her as they made their way to their table.

“ Dem go look taya!.” Lizzy had responded, cat walked gracefully towards the shade of the big mangrove tree, dropped her slim shape into one of the chairs, and then finally scanned the curious eyes on her with her big brownish sunshade still covering her seductive eyes.

“ Boy –o – boy. Sweet, beautiful setting.” Victor announced on reaching their table, his grin now wider.

“ This place no easy at all. Nice setting.” John Bull also announced, dropped his big frame into one of the baboon chairs, and then measured the strength of the chair with his weight. “Strong- Chair.” He added with a smile.

They noticed two police officers with rifles and noted their occasional curious stares at their table from their position. The four members of the Free- Hands, being the smart criminals that they were suddenly brought up a hot gist and they all concentrated on their funny tale, laughed out happily, sipped their drinks, smoked some cigarettes and temporary ignored the policemen and all the other curious eyes on them as they secretly waited for their boss. None of them knew how he did it, but the familiar shapes of the two dogs as they move towards the bush bar brought out the reality that their boss was around. All eyes, including the two policemen and barmen all paused in what they were doing and stared frightfully at the two beast as they escorted their master to the setting, flanking him by both sides. One of the policemen quickly jumped up from his position and stared surprisingly at the approaching figures of the creatures – man and beasts, as they made their way confidently towards the bar.

The policeman made to confront the rich looking guest, but the occasional snaring looks from the two beasts cautioned him and moreover the guest could be one of the movers and shakers of the Tinapa. He had better tread carefully, he cautioned his mind, and then forced himself to gaped amazingly as every other person around was doing.
Smoke with his two trusted dogs by his side made his way to the bar, ’Plaintain Boy’ by Timaya, filtered out from some hidden speakers at the background. He climbed into one of the bar stools as the dogs took their positions protectively on the floor beside him. He spoke with a grin on his face at the two frightened looking barmen behind the counter. His eyes from his dark shade quietly took on the drinks on display.

“ Too bad you don’t have drinks for my dogs. No wahala. Give me a bottle of Johnny Walker red label and ice.” He requested still grinning.
The two barmen stared at him, make to say something at once, but both paused between the line, stared at the dogs, then back at each other. One of them finally nodded and hurriedly fetched the drink with a smile. He arranged the bottle of Jonny Walker with a bucket of ice and a glass cup in front of the wealthy looking guest with a smile.

“ Good.” Smoke exclaimed, uncorked the bottle of Jonny Walker, filled his glass to the brim, and then took a sip, smirking at the two barmen who stared admiringly at him with a smile. He ignored some of the curious eyes on him, but noted the presence of his gang under the mangrove tree. Then fetched out his loaded wallet, extracted a note of hundred dollar bill, and pushed it towards the barman who had served him.

The two barmen stared amazingly at the note and the one who had served the guest snapped it up hurriedly with a broad smile and the note disappeared fast out of sight.

“ You can both enjoy yourself with the balance.” Smoke grinned at them, picked up his drink and then sauntered towards his gang with his two dogs flanking him side- by- side. He stared at his lieutenants with a grin, pulled the empty seat at the end of the table and then dropped his frame as his two dogs also took a space not far from him. John Bull his eyes on the dogs, adjusted his big frame on his seat and stared warily at the two beasts.

Smoke stared at the two uniformed police men whom he noticed were still staring suspiciously at him and then waved to one of them to come over. And as expected the more curious one among them, a thin constable in faded black uniform swaggered towards their table, and firmly planted himself few inches from the group, his eyes stared at the two dogs and the gang suspiciously.

“ Hello, policeman, please tell the barman to give you what you want, you and your officer.”
Smoke told him with a cynical grin, and stared back boldly at the now smiling policeman while he calmly stroke one of the dogs on the head.

He then dipped his finger into his caftan pocket, extracted a slim gold-case, flipped it open, selected a rolled weed and ritually lit up then blew thick smoke across the table with a wide grin. He then flipped two hundred dollar bills from his pocket to the perplexed looking constable.

“ Tell oga say we want privacy. Make una share this for the weekend.” He continued as noted that the sergeant’s eyes although far away were fixed on what was going on from where he was standing and must have noted the exchange.

The constable did a double take, snapped the bills and hurriedly stuffed them into his trouser pocket, and then turned to his officer to see if he had noticed the exchange and was not too happy when he saw the sergeant smiled broadly at him; his glistering eyes took on all what had transpired between them.

“Okay, sir.” The constable saluted Smoke.” Thank you sir, we are with you. Please you should all feel free. There is no problem. We are in -charge here.” He rolled out hurriedly unable to hide his excitement.

The gang watched him amusingly as he mopped his sweaty face, shifted his rifle from one hand to another, and then sauntered away. His earlier confident swagger was now gone, instead he drifted away like a cast dog.





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