A SYSTEM

CHAPTER ONE

Located on one of the sidelines of the dual road, he glared up. It was almost dark and the sun was setting. Sure that everything was okay with no car coming on both ways, he prepared to cross. The first leg touched down, the second and step by step he was on the move to the other side of the road.

Araku was in his car, at full speed driving. He had last week installed a new model of speakers in his car. The music played boomed, sending waves to both him and those in the environs.

The outsiders threw shades of curses at him for making the noises as he drove. To them it was supposed to be a peaceful and not a pollutant day that pierced through their ears.

Araku knew that, however it was a capitalist state where everyone was for himself and God for us all that breezed the air. Araku cared less about their feelings, as long as he was happy, the world was.

Araku saw the man, the man too saw Araku, but he was old and his reaction was slow, so too were the brakes applied by Araku, the panic confused Araku. Instead he pressed the accelerator and boom; he hit the man down by his right side. The street that was quiet all this time sparked after hearing the cries. Hurriedly, multitudes run to where it came from.

Araku on seeing what he had done did not want to stay there any longer; he was planning for an escape. He increased the car speed with intend to leave. The crowd that had outnumbered blocked his run away, trapping him. The first instinct of Araku was of him to close all the car doors. He shut them. Araku profusely sweat as he saw the people approaching him. They were angry and most of them were carrying with them something: stones, pangas, clubs and sticks.

Thank God, dad installed security features to this car, Araku thought as hope filled him.

The security feature was his car being armoured and bullet proof with advance ballistic protective.

The thought of his dad made him ponder fast and an idea revealed itself, he had to phone him. He dialled the number. Sorry the number you have called is not available. Please try again or leave a message. Again he tried, not once but many times and still it was the same message. His father being unavailable.

“Pick up, pick the phone,” Araku said as the crowd that was afar had approached the car.

They started by banging it first with the sticks and clubs they had carried.

“Not the car. It is expensive.” Araku said out loud.

They did not hear him, he had closed the windows, and he remembered that fact too. He turned into an audience watching as they did what they thought well.

He saw the ambulance arrive, somebody had called for help. The medics picked up the man, laid him down on a stretcher, carried him into the ambulance and drove away.

No sooner had the ambulance gone than he heard police sirens from a distance. He smiled, a chance to get away had arrived.

The people who had clustered in the scene of accident spread themselves out leaving a space for the police to march towards Araku’s car. The people were keen to see what would happen.

The commanding officer having accessed them by their expression gave a short speech. He guaranteed the people there that justice would be served. The officer also informed them that investigation would be held; the prime suspect, for the time being would be held in custody and presented to court the next day.

One person, another and slowly they all dispersed but not that far from the scene. They wanted to be sure that the law would take cue of the evil committed there. The police approached Araku and signalled him to open up the car doors for them to help him. He acknowledged the assistance.

Roughly did they take him out of the car and Araku had no choice but to accept that treatment. It was the only viable option for his survival that remained. However, he was keen to mark each police man that treated him badly. The police who slapped him on his shoulder, he crammed his identification number, the commanding officer for dragging him out of the car like a dog, he memorized his name.

When out, he was handcuffed and slowly taken to one of the police cars to the back seats. His car was also carried by a heavy vehicle that had turned up with the motorcades of the police cars. The sirens wailed as the entourage of cars begun their journey to the police station.

The crowd that was viable turned their heads back to where they were before they had heard the cries.

“Rich kids, very problematic,” said one of the police officers that occupied the back seats of the speeding police car where Araku was.

Araku was silent, he did not respond, in his mind he was planning for revenge. All this policemen will pay for their disgraceful acts. I will call father, when they ask me to make that one important phone call.

Araku was beaten by the police men who occupied the back seat with him because of his arrogance to answer questions asked of. Instead of crying, he laughed out loud at them while speaking nothing, and the more he behaved so, the beatings were increased. Blood started oozing from him.

“Stop it,” the commanding officer told them.

For the remainder of the five minutes till they reached the police station every police became occupied. Some were on their phone; others dozed off while others stared at the town they passed.

They reached the police station.