A Place Called Darkness

Chapter 5

He could not afford to get caught, he thought as he tightened his shaky hands on the steering wheel. "oga, open up!"one of the officers demanded as he knocked on the tinted window. Of all days for Nigerian police to be active, they had to choose that day.

He was uncertain about what to do, if he where to open up they would definitely ask for driver's license; things would have been much easier if he had enough money on him to bribe them with, but all he had was a measly hundred naira.

"Oga, na you we dey wait for oo''. the officer added impatiently. Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead as he prayed fervently.
"oga." The officer started to bang on the window more harshly and attempting to open the locked door.

He wiped his forhead and clutched the wheel tighter trying to ease his heart which was beating so fast his ribs might give way. His hands where shaking like a tender leaf in harmattan. He needed as much time as possible to calm himself and think of a way out.

His prayers seemed to have been answered because seconds later he heard gun shots and immediately the officer's attention left him. He knew it must have been Ahmad and the rest, because he heard the word armed robber escape the officer's lips as he matched on the accelerator and sped away.

He felt a little guilty about leaving the rest behind but he had to save himself. He could not begin to imagine the look on Umma's face if he were to get caught. Her expression the previous day still tore his heart to pieces. The last thing he had wanted was to hurt her. But how could he explain to her that somehow all his problems seemed to disappear with every single drag? he knew no one would ever understand. He had found a way to deal with stress and pain, he had no choice.

He sighed, as he found the garage he was ordered to deliver the car to. He knew he had to leave the car somewhere partly because he knew it would definitely implicate him and also because he didn't even know where to sell a stolen vehicle without being caught. There must be something valuable he could sell, some rich folks can be careless with their property sometimes.

He began to search the car. He had begun to get disappointed until he raised up the carpet in the back seat where he discovered a small stash of money, seven thousand in all. It may not be much but it would be enough to get him to Abuja. He closed the door and quickly made to leave the area but stopped short when the enormity if his actions dawned on him. What if they got caught and led the trail back to him? he shuddered at the thought or what if they all got killed and the question of who got the car to the garage arose?. He had to make sure no one could link him to the crime scene. He scurried to the adjoining house which was more of a one room apartment where he knew Danladi and Movich where staying. He pushed the door slightly and it gave way, Movich and Danladi where never careful enough to close the door when they were high and he lnew for sure that they were high because he was with them when they smoked to their fill.

The whole town was deathly silent and dark even his breathe seemed to be making too much noise and his dark skin seemed to light the place up. He tiptoed to where Movich was sleeping and kept the keys by his head then carried his shirt and went out.

Hopefully, Movich would think he was the one who went on the job and was just too high to remember, hopefully if it would be traced, it would be traced to him, hopefully, Ahmadu and the boys will be long dead to confess otherwise. Or else, he is mighty screwed.

He dropped Movichs shirt on the ground and wore the canvass worn by Movich the other night then silently ran from the car door to the house making sure there were greasy imprints that can be traced from he door to where Movich slept before he left.

He immediately locked himself up in the room when he entered the house, his body still shaking from the earlier events. And later that night, he couldn't sleep but stayed awake staring at the ceiling, and jumping slightly at every single sound he heard. That wasn't the kind of life he had planned for himself. But life wasn't fair, it was not fair that his sisters had to be sent out of school because of a few printed notes; or he couldn't get the girl of his dreams simply because he was not well to do; it was not fair that his mother had to see him at his worst and that he had to assume the role of the head of the family rather too quickly in his life.
But somehow he found himself asleep a few hours before dawn, and had to force himself to the masjid for morning prayers. He was still on edge and knew that whether he liked it or not he must face his mother before travelling kr running away to Abuja.