The Encryption

Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2
“What is this for God’s sake?” Jumoke stared at the encryption, completely flustered.
“You have 3 days to crack this code…watch your life crumble before you” she read, utterly confused but none-the-less frightened. Sitting at the reading table in her bedroom after work, she read the note repeatedly, staring at the coded message, not understanding a single thing. The coded message was a complete jumble of weird shapes with little spaces between them.

“This is a wavy line, this is umm a… what is this meant to be? This ought to be some sort of sick joke.” She groaned in frustration.

The sound of her phone ringing snapped her out of her daze; she picked up the device and stared at the unfamiliar number.

“Hello?” she breathed into the phone, rubbing her eyes.

“Hello, did you get my package?” asked the raspy voice on the other end. Immediately her head shot up from her palm and her breath caught.

“I take that as a yes. You have 3 days to crack that code, nothing more.” the caller said with utmost seriousness.

“P-please, w-who are you? Why did you send this? I don’t understand”

“The content is not to be disclosed to anyone at all, you would do it on your own” he continued ignoring her questions.

“What happens if I don’t crack it in 3 days?” she asked, standing slowly from the chair with the phone pressed tightly against her ear.

“You just wait an hour after and find out, Olajumoke.” He spat out her name venomously.  “Your life would crumble before your very eyes.”

“Ah God, please, why me?”

“You just keep your mouth shut and figure it out. I’m watching you closely.”

“I beg-” The call ended on that note and she felt weak-kneed after. Within seconds, she found herself on the floor with a thud, pushing the chair aside. How was she to do this, under such short time?

Three quick and urgent knocks came from the door.

“Madam?”

It was Maryam; the housekeeper, knocking. With the words of the caller still in her mind, she stood up and quickly hid the papers.

“Come in.”

In rushed a worried looking Maryam. She was in her mid-fifties and had been the housekeeper for as long as Tobi and Jumoke had Bimbo in their care. She was tested and trusted and part of the inner circle of people who knew about Bimbo’s birth.

“Madam, mo gbo ariwo, kilo sele?” She asked if her boss was okay, having heard noise.

Jumoke forced a smile,
“Nnkan o sele ma, mo ko dide ni.” Nothing happened I only stood up.

On hearing that her boss was okay, a wave of relief evidently washed over her. “Oh okay ma, e sa rora.”

She laughed; telling her to be more careful and her employer smiled in return and thanked her before she walked out.

As soon as the door shut, Jumoke’s façade crashed and her real emotions of fear and worry came over her once more.

Opening the drawer, she stared at the code again; she had considered using Google but didn’t know what to put into the search box. It looked like something Bimbo could’ve drawn in class.

Looking to the left of her desk, she stared at the last piece of the package; the photograph of her pregnant sister “How did he know?” she questioned herself, glaring at it in anguish.

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Meanwhile, in another house somewhere in Ikeja, some men discussed in a dark attic.

“My guy, you do well, she don get am” the first man said,in reference to the package

“Good,” another said.

“But that woman ehn, she look like she get brain o, if she crack the thing nko?” the third person asked, clearly worried about the whole plan falling apart.

“Crack am for where? Oga calm down. why your body too dey shake like this?” said the first guy in between laughter. “Baba here know wetin him dey do, if he talk say she no fit crack am, she no fit so Chima calm down.”

“Okay o.” Chima replied and the others laughed .

“See as you resemble woman”one teased

“Shut up,”  he countered and more laughter followed
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