Securing The Bag (The Lagos Hustle)

Treasure Map

FUOYO

It took Jess a full hour to show up, a very nervy hour that had me pacing and thinking while the lingering effects of my earlier drinking reduced until I was clear headed and as sober as the pope.

By the time the knock sounded and Jessy called out, "it's me"
I opened the door immediately and grabbed her in a hug. "I really thought we'll never see again"

She seemed happy to see me although you couldn't be too sure with girls. She returned the hug and even gave me a peck on the cheek. "say the truth, you thought you'll never see the treasure not me"

We separated but I still held her hand, "no treasure is worth half our friendship"

"Abeg, make we hear word" Kanaku rebuked me from behind and she ran to give him a hug too.

We exchanged pleasantries and a little small talk but I know Kanaku was thinking the same thing I was; what was in the back pack she had placed on the floor?

Finally she rescued us from the suspense and unzipped the bag. "I'm sorry I couldn't call yesterday, I was so caught up with it, then I had to consider the pros and cons before I could make my choice"

"pros and cons?" Kanaku asked

She waved her hand, "just an old habit of mine...so I unwrapped the package and i've been reading it ever since..."

I held my breath, "is it the map?"

"no, I didn't see any drawing of any kind of map. It's the diary of the first man to take the satchel of Eziza as his own"

"you mean the general?" Kanaku asked

"yes"

We watched her retrieve a huge book from the bag; it was as big as the most detailed study bible if not bigger.

She watched Kanaku and I marvel at the ancient book,

"easy with the pages...it breaks easily" she warned as Kanaku lifted it to the light

"you read it all?" I asked

"Yes, twice....it's only half full. You won't believe what it contains...for years the diary was just an avenue for him to pour out his lonely thoughts and complain about the natives who resisted their invasion, until he became a colonel and led the raid on the benin palace. There were hundreds of valuables that they looted. According to him, one of his men detached a necklace from the deity but he didn't add it to the inventory but decided to keep it for himself, apparently it looked good with his uniform. From that point his entries become less coherent and more like the ramblings of a mad man...He really believed it was a necklace with mystical powers, he was drawn to the stones and began to torture some captured palace slaves till he learnt more about the Legend and the sacrifices the people made to the gods. He even writes about trying the sacrifice one night....the first time he actually put some gold coins and slit his thumb to squeeze a drop of blood but the next morning the coins were still in the bag untouched. Enraged, he executed the palace guard who told him about the excercise and continued his frantic search for answers until his men raided a small cave on the outskirts of the kingdom, where some displaced natives had run to seek refuge. One of the captured men was an elderly man the people believed to be a messanger of the gods," I glanced at her and she smiled, "That's how he phrased it in the book...the man was the high priest...."