STORYLAND

PARTY BOAT

It was Mills that came with the news that there was going to be a huge party on a yacht owned by one of the country's famous and vibrant billionaires. According to her, he was celebrating his 60th birthday and wanted it to be grand, exquisite, exotic, explicit and hard core. Mills was the socialite of my group of friends, so we weren't surprised when she told us about this juicy information.
     "But Mills, you know this kind of party would be strictly by invitation." Donna, one of my friends pointed out. Mills smirked and brought out 4 intricately designed invitations from her purse. We scampered for them and stared. The fat smiling face of Chief Obinna Okwonkwo stared back at us with the number 60 boldly written on it.
      "Osheey Barrrdesst!"  One of my friends Aisha screamed in her perfect imitation of Bobrisky's famous expression. "Where did you get these?"
      "Long story jorr!" Mills replied, waving her arms. "Story for another day. Right now, let's figure out what we are wearing cuz we killing it at that party. No dulling!"
    "Baddoo!" Aisha screamed again, hailing her. "Baddest girl that ever liveth. I trust you nah." We laughed and high fived each other.
      That was about a week ago. Now, I was on the yacht, eating assorted small chops and pushing it down with a chilled glass of champagne. Being the foodie that I was, i was more interested in the buffet table. Donna was seated beside me, downing a steaming bowl of cat fish pepper soup. Aisha was dancing, rocking one slim but handsome Alhaji. And as usual, Mills was nowhere to be seen. Knowing her, she was probably in a corner, rubbing one Sugar daddy's pot belly and securing some mad cash for the night.
      "Slow down oh before you choke." Donna cautioned me. "Before you embarrass somebody. Chop chop. You too like food."
    "Abeg leave me joor make I enjoy...." I said as I continued to gulp down food. There was no way I wasn't eating to stupor. In fact I was already thinking of how to package some of this delicious array of food take home.
      Mills suddenly appeared. She looked tipsy already.
      "Babe are you okay?" I asked her, concerned.
      "I'm okay oh...." She replied. "Chief Obinna introduced me to one of his friends. The guy is loaded. He has collected my contact already. In fact he was saying......"
      Before Milly could finish her sentence, there was a loud sound of something crashing. We turned towards the direction and saw that other people too were looking. But some were high and didn't care and continued dancing. There was another loud crashing sound and this time the music stopped. We were on our feet now trying to see what was happening when suddenly, people started running.
      "What's going on!" Aisha asked in a scared voice. She had stopped dancing with the Alhaji when the music had stopped and joined us. We held each other's hands trying to understand the reason for the commotion.
      It was a woman in a colourful iro and buba and magnanimous and stylishly tied gele who was charging forth with a group of Thugs, holding sticks and destroying things in their path. She kept shouting break it, break everything at the Thugs.
      "Modaran!" Mills screamed as she recognised the woman. "That's chief's wife. She don come scatter show. Run!"
       And that was how we started running. There was commotion everywhere. Before I could go far one of the Thugs hit me with a stick and I felt a sharp pain on my shoulder. I cried out in pain. I could hear Mills shouting sorry sorry egba mi oh as she received two knocks from another Thug. Aisha wasn't even hit but she was bawling like a baby.
     "Scattered them!" I could hear the chief's wife shouting and instructing the Thugs. "So you lied that you had to travel for an important business meeting on your birthday and you're here dancing and fornicating with girls young enough to be your daughters eh. And you left your family at home waiting for you with cake. Scatter them! Break everything! Nonsense!"
      To be honest I dunno how we made if off the yatch alive. If the yatch had not been docked by the shore and was probably out in the water we would have drowned. We pulled ourselves together and ran towards the road to find a taxi. Thankfully we found one and hurried inside. As the taxi drove off, all of us were silent for a very long time.
      "But that werey guy sha knack me that stick very well oh. I felt it in my brain." Mills suddenly blurted out, breaking the silence.
      "Shut up joor!" Donna screamed back at her.
There was silence again. Then we all burst out laughing hysterically, holding each other as the taxi sped to our destination.
       What a night.