For days, we kept going from places to places begging for food and money. Felix was very displeased with me in all through our journeys, he looked bitter and frequently swore never to forgive me till he have his revenge. We seeked refuge under bridges for almost two months and in those months, it was hell. Most times I dreamt of been chased by Wumi with a cutlass with deadly intent, or my father throwing me into the well. One night I dreamt Ajumoke was in pain in the labour room, she was finding it hard to deliver the baby and then cursed me before she died. I got scared, I cried and prayed for forgiveness but the nightmare got even worse, the thought of my death kept reoccurring to me and it got me terribly ill. Guilt was gradually eating me up, I had committed a great abomination, how could I had slept with my half-sister…
I do deserve death. Ajumoke was the cause of it all, she was too clingy, she had lured me and I fell for it like a fool. I wish I could explain, but of what difference would that be. I had to advice Felix that we relocate far from Lagos, I suggested we go back to Asaba to see mother but he refused and advice we go to someplace new and start life afresh. After another month of hiding within Lagos, we had gathered enough money to travel to Abuja, a place we believed our lives would turn out for good. Slowly, Felix and I had begun to get back our lives, we couldn’t go school but we but we started a small business of selling recharge card and snacks around Nyanya bus-stop. Two years later, the business kept growing and we had enough profit to afford a single room around Maraba.
It was there we met Lilian a neighbor who stayed all alone in the room next to us; she was nice and soon feel in love with Felix. For months, she would come help us cook using her own money for everything, she became more than just a friend to us, she spent the night in our apartment and most time Felix goes to sleep in hers. All through they were together, Felix was happy and so was I too for him. His happiness and forgiveness was all I wanted. One day, Lilian had us follow her to a party, it was in that same party I first came in contact with Jennifer. My encounter with Jennifer was like a scene from a romantic movie and so was it memorable for that was the same night we last saw Lilian. Felix told me that while he had come to hint me on how to get Jennifer, he went back and never saw her amongst the crowd.
That night, we searched everywhere for Lilian but never found her or any trace of her. We asked around but were shocked on realizing no one in the gathering knew her, not even Jennifer whom Lilian claimed was her friend. Infact, we realized no one had invited her to the party. The next day, we broke open into Lilian’s apartment and met it totally empty, her phone wasn’t going through, my brother and I searched for weeks. We never attempted to bring in the police into the case knowing how easy they could turn around for blames, Felix suggested we let it go and never speak of it. After about seven months of Lilian’s disappearance, on a Wednesday evening, my brother and I were seated under an umbrella where we sell recharge cards and snacks. Suddenly, we saw two military vans trailing a black tinted-glass armor jeep roughly halted in front of us.
Soldiers jumped out in dozens and started flogging everyone around the vicinity. Many traders and pedestrians scattered away. Before I could figure out which direction to best escape, it was too late as I had been surrounded. I felt a hot pee flowing down my trousers while I stared into the strong faces forging towards me with long wipes. The soldiers all looked like they had come for a kill. From the tinted armored jeep appeared a man in a more decorative military outfit. He majestically walked up to me where I knelt trembling, he had a black shade on his eyes and held a walking staff. The other soldiers paved way for him to have access to me. I concluded he was the boss. “Which of you is Felix?” the boss asked in a very stern tone. He looked deadly, I hinted myself of the implication of messing with his kind.
“Him sir” Felix voice quickly came to live as I turned to see him pointing towards me, It was then I realized he was also kneeling right behind me. I was stunned with my mouth wide open. Before I had the chance to deny my brother’s false identity upon me, heavy blows began to rain on every part of my body. The more I cried, the more kicks and blow I get, it went on and on like they wanted me to pass-out, and yes I finally did pass out, more like I died.
