"Huhuuu" Axel hooted at the stack of 10k notes in Joseph's wallet. He, Ben, & Joey sat down in a circle formation, Joseph's phone, jacket, & snickers in the middle.
"93000", Axel beamed, splitting it in three equal parts.
Joey & Ben, each gave him back 10k
"Za Rachel" (For Rachel)
"Kyakabi blads", (Thanks brothers) he fistbumped them with a smile.
His younger sister had been a sickler all her life. He had left her home with his mother, telling them he was going to hussle as always.
He was the man of the house & had been for three years since his father passed. He had dropped out of highschool in Senior three to assist his mom to make ends meet,
He'd primarily taken to masoning at construction sites but their competitive & seasonal nature meant he had to find other sources of income.
The three friends helped alert one another on any new gig. Masoning, drug dealing, heists, they'd done it all. They'd also taken to scouting online for older women, but had later added men, although unlike women, it was only to rob them.
Axel was the most successful, owing to his better looks & charisma. He scarcely had any no's on his record & Joseph was just another day at the job.
"Olowoza tunajamu meka?" (How much do you think we'll get from this phone?) Ben took a bite from his rolex.
"Nga asaatu" (300k at least), Axel spoke with his mouth full.
"But man leero okikoze" (today you really did it), Joey tapped him at shoulder.
"Haha maani, weeki biri nga muzanya" (Haha man. For two weeks I've played him), he bragged.
"Nze newunya. Bi guy ebyo oba bibera wo bitya?" (I wonder how these guys can actually exist), Ben jeered.
Axel's phone rung to see his mom calling..
"Maama nzija!" (yes mama I'm coming), he reached to get up.
"Yanguwa! Ono atabuse (Hurry your sister is convulsing), she wailed.
Axel needn't have to recite it, his friends simply escorted him.
"Kino kinsuseko. Mulina mutwala mu dwaliro kati" (This is beyond me now, she needs to go to a hospital), the clinic nurse declared.
"Banaye tetulina sente za dwaliro" (We cant afford a hospital", his mother pleaded, Axel holding at her.
"Eh, mulina osala amagezi kubanga..." (You have to otherwise), the nurse warned.
She prescribed them another set of medications sending them back home.
Axel couldn't sleep all night. As man of the house, it was his duty to provide & now it seemed he had to provide much more. His mom wasn't going to be able to provide hospital bills, not with the rent & food already burdening her.
He was early in the morning to meet with Pascal, their local pawner of everything stolen.
"Kumi netaano!" (150000), Pascal declared.
"Yii Pasi nawe, S8?? (Come on, Pascal. For an S8?", he protested.
"Kumi netaano!" (150000), Pascal repeated.
Axel shook his head, taking out the memory card. He turned to give his friends..
"Ah ah, blad" (No, brother), Joey declined.
"Genda ogule eddagala lya Rachel (Go get Rachel's medicine), Ben added.
His latest heist had earned him 200000 so he gave his mother three quarters of it
"Naye sente zino ozijawa mu bwangu?" (But Axel were do you get this money so fast?), his mom stirred a pot on the stove.
She worked as a local cook using the front of their home as base of operations like most of their neighbors.
"Kwata sente maama! Nina ogenda ononya ekyokola! (Just take it mom. I need to go find work), he rested the three fifty thousand notes down next to her.
He walked into her room she shared with Rachel & saw her sleeping soundly. He didnt want to bother her so he returned to his own, throwing on another shirt.
This search was taking him to the city centre as he had literally asked everyone in the immediate neighborhood.
He scouted street by street, shop by shop, for openings but in vain. The few who engaged him wanted at least a S4 certificate but he didn't have that either.
As he wound up the day, he saw an employment agency & they asked him to pay 50k for registration to help connect him. Being desperate to find something fast, he pleaded to pay 40k so he had something left to return home & try again the next day.
look out for chapter four.
