SWEET OLEANDER

Chapter 13

" It is Barrister Akpet," one youth with a husky voice replied
"What happened to him?"Mr Travis Ojong eyed the young man
"Police come carry am "
"Barrister Akpet?"Mr Travis Ojong asked to confirm that he heard what he said.Chief Akpet was an easygoing fellow and hardly hung around his wife's Bush bar. He was an executive of the cocoa farmer's association. A learnered man and business lawyer.
"Yes nor, Barrister Akpet," the youth affirmed.
"Ejeyi! Whey madam Akpet dey?"
The youth pointed towards the door. of the shop now crowded with people.
Mr Travis Ojong approached the door, shuffling through the crowd. At first, people tried to protest, but then when they turned to see who it was, they began to chant. "General!"
Soon, Mr Travis Ojong was inside the shop. Madam Akpet was dark-skinned robust woman of medium height dabbed her eyes countless of times as she sobbed. Her glowing skin was tanned with sweat, though her lavender fragrance still dosed the air mildly. The smell of  liquor drew Mr Travis Ojong's gaze to the ground. The liquor that spilt from the broken bottles formed puddles on the floor like the blood of Barrister Akpet did.
A few youths swept the debris in the Parker. Others got water and soap to clean the area. A few lasses stayed around Madam Akpet and consoled her.
She lifted her gaze to see the general"Ah.. General N ku obo"
"Oli e wa?" He asked
"Ehn?" She replied weakly staggering up but Mr Travis Ojong beckoned on her to sit.
"E le lan?"
" Ahhh... I don't know why these people will not leave my man alone oo. I don't know what  harm he has done them oo ", she began to sob and place her hands on her head. She perambulated from one point to another, panting and crying.
"Ejeyi! Madam Akpet, do not cry oo, calm down please, don't cry again, ehn"
She nodded. "My husband is not troublesome. He believes in peace", she quivered as she spoke
Mr Travis Ojong nodded in agreement. He had attended secondary school alongside the man in question.
"They meet him to settle their problems and even assist financially, but I don't understand what happened. He fell out with somebody. There was a deliberation, and my husband didn't take his side, so the person in question was furious. My husband warned him not to attempt anything funny because the law would take its due cause. In fact, he owed my husband money, and he hadn't paid up", she continued.  Mr Travis Ojong responded with alot of hmmns and Mmmhmmnns.
"Recently, we heard he fell sick and some of his folks accused my husband of bewitching him. Some people threatened to burn down the shop if their person died. Eventually, the man died and my husband occasionally came to check the shop, at wee hours. He also filed a police report of the threat. My husband kept the night watch here this night. They came to make good their threat, but he resisted. When they were going to overpower him, he called the police"
" You don't mean it? Madam, I am sorry to hear this." , Mr Travis Ojong said.
"Where is he now, I mean ya husband?"
"They arrested those involved, and he went alongside to document his account. Our son went with him "
"Ya son? "
"Yes, General."
"Which of ya sons?"He frowned and paused his fingers intwined behind him." Okay .. okay..okay.. Takim?", Mr Travis Ojong scratched his head.
"Takim" Madam Akpet nodded.
"Oh, the one who represented us during the Ekparabong marathon?"
Madam Akpet nodded.
Mr Travis Ojong flashed a smile. He could recall how the youngman spoke Ejagham so fluently, although he lived most of his life in the UK.
He chose to visit home as often as he could till he received his national youth service Corp (NYSC) callup letter after he had bagged a masters from the UK. The only reason why he couldn't serve in his state is because it's not in line with the rules and regulations of the one year programme.
What intrigued Mr Travis Ojong the most about Takim was his love for farming. I mean, who would have thought someone with his level of exposure would be interested in soiling his hands?
The last time he visited the family, he praised Takim and assured him that he was the pride of Ejagham and Ekparabong. He also told him he knew he would make a great state man and maybe governor of their dear state.  
      He also called him the chairman of the cocoa farmer's association. Takim laughed each time he called him that.
Mr Travis Ojong heaved as he parambulated the store, observing the breaks. There were six windows on each side, and each of them had at least a crack.
"I just didn't want to sit back idle at home. That was why I asked him to open this place for me. O we eeh! We close by 9:30pm, and we don't entertain brawls although we have a viewing centre. The purpose was to enjoy nature and be around our people, and now this? If I knew this would happen, I would not even have bothered myself at all, " Madam Akpet lamented.
"No, Madam, don't say that ooh. No talk soo. You know say we dey enjoy yaa pammy here well well, "Mr Travis Ojong said, hoping it would lighten her spirits.
"Nnyien, you dey try for us ooh. No mind those yeye boys, "one young man said.
"Ye ooh,you dey show us love oo. Nothing do you Nnyien we dey your side" another agreed. "We dey here. Na, here we give sleep this night. Make sure we see wetin go happen"
Madam Akpet nodded slowly and smiled. She heaved as she brought a chair toward.
"General, please.." She gestured to it.
"No, Madam Akpet, na you go sit down oh. I dey okay"
"Na outer General, be this. Na strong man n... Mummy, you down don", Another youth said.
"Vigilante go dey shook eye for dis side now. Make we see if dem go try am again. Nonsensical Nonsense, "another person said.
"Madam, did he go with his phone?"
"Yes, yes he did," she replied, startled like one who was about to fall asleep but got distracted. No sooner than later, she had sat she began to nod off. As Mr Travis Ojong tried to put a call through to Barrister Akpet, he said Bachot's contact popped at the top of his screen. Why is he calling,he wondered.
"My friend, my friend, ya man is still here oo.  The crowd is so much that... ehn... I have to wait my turn oo"
"That's not why I called," came the response. Mr Travis Ojong frowned and heaved. Bachot doesn't play with his stomach, but if there has to be something he called to discuss other than food, then... it is urgent.
"What is going on Bachot? My man relax yasef oo, I am on my way", Mr Travis Ojong said.
"My brother, don't worry when you come, ehn?" Bachot coughed as he assured Mr Travis Ojong.