The Evening Of The Morning

009

Boga, who was familiar with Juju, voodoo or whatever you call it, knew that putting grass in the barrel of the gun before shooting would neutralize the juju the man was using. But from how confident the man stood before him, and the aura he emitted, Boga guessed that he wasn't using juju, that he was juju.

"Don't be afraid." The man walked around the crashed Hilux and held Boga, who was shivering, on his shoulder.
"Look," The man pointed towards Agbo. "Your friend is dying. I can help."

The man moved to Agbo, laid him straight, then like one that was dead, he crossed Agbo's hands on his chest and placed his hand on Agbo's temple and closed his eyes. Boga who watched closely saw the bullet slowly drilling out. Abruptly, Agbo, who drifted in and out of consciousness, took a deep breath and was fully conscious. He was just in pain not too long ago and saw a golden gate with bright light behind it each time he closed his eyes.

"The way to doom is always beautiful." The man he later recognized as Magaga said.

"Thank you." Agbo barely uttered. He was loss of words.

Magaga waved a dismissive hand and did the same for Goba. Goba, who had no fatal injury, saw everything go down. He watched the bullet in his leg painlessly drill out, and felt his skin rapidly heal. After healing Goba, the man, still with his eyes closed, took a deep breath.

"Don't tell anyone about this." The man said, touching each of them. when he touched Agbo, Agbo felt energy surge through him as did the other two.

Magaga left three confused men standing in a circle.

"I feel like I can fly, kill a lion and still run to Owerri. At the same time." Goba said. "Who...what was that?"

"His name is Magaga." Agbo said, poking the bullet holes in his T-shirt.

"When did he tell you that?" Boga asked.

"I don't... I don't know." Agbo replied, looking at both of them.

"And he said we shouldn't say his name out loud." Goba said, his Barret in his hand.

"Who said?" Boga asked, looking more appalled.

"The man." Goba barely uttered, shocked, not even realizing when the man spoke to him.

"Well, you heard what the man told us. We better not talk about it." Boga looked at Gabo and said, "Or even think of going to the Church to give testimony."

"What?" Gabo said, "Why are you looking at me like that? I won't give a testimony!"

"I am just saying." Boga recalled a time Goba's daughter wandered to the corridor, while he laid drunk on the couch. Of course, he didn't mention that in his testimony of how God allowed nothing to happen to his daughter until he met her there: at the corridor, behind a locked gate.

"You know they steal kids in my neighborhood."

"It is not..."

"I get it," Agbo Interjected, "You guys are as fit as footballers. But our post is empty."

They moved back to their post and drivers, who had passed before then would wonder why the soldiers weren't at their post, and would probably drive the remaining distance filled with paranoia, pondering what might have happened. The night held no more surprises. Sharp six A.M, Squad Bee arrived and relieved Squad 4or of their shift. They told them about the crashed Hilux, and they, too, went to see the corpse.

Agbo left that day with an orgy of feelings coursing through him. When he got home, he leaned on the kitchen door and watched his wife stir soup for a long time. When she noticed him, she said, "Welcome." still concentrated on the soup. "Go and shower so we can eat." It was a one-bedroom apartment and he moved to the room. There, his son was playing with broken hangars; using them as guns. He imagined what the mood would have been like if that man hadn't shown up.

Apart from that first night when he felt as energized as a horse, he spent most of the nights in silence, and when his wife touched him, he gave excuses, saying that their daughter was still awake. A night before his shift began, he dreamt of the golden gate with the bright light. The gate was opened and he stood astride, above the threshold. Part of him in, the other, out. Voices, quite angelic, beckoned him in, while Magaga, standing outside the gates beckoned him out. He took a step. Couldn't tell which, but he felt it was the right one. He woke and sat up with force. His body was fully pespirated.

Squad 4or's shift started. The feeling was the same for his brothers. When he reached Boga's house, Boga said he couldn't sleep since that night. At the station where they signed and collected their guns, they met Goba, and he felt the same way, he couldn't sleep, but he did his wife every night. On the roaster, however, Squad 4or was to work the morning shift.

That week they were on edge and would, many a time, elapse their shift into the evening and brothers of Squad Bee would wonder why.

"I can't help but notice that the squad likes here more now. You guys once used to itch to leave here. Not even a call to complain that we arrived late. Odikwa mma?" One of Squad bee's soldiers, Jure, said to Agbo. Agbo didn't reply. Boga and Goba were in the Hilux that would convey them to the station where they submitted their guns. Agbo entered the back seat. And they silently drove to the station.

Agbo touched his wife that night but she was not in the mood, but still; to satisfy her husband and to be a good wife, extended a lazy side booty.

The next week, Squad 4or got the night shift and they briskly moved to the checkpoint even before four P.M.

That night, few cars passed by, but they weren't more than ten, not counting the ones they didn't see while in the bushes looking for the man.

"We shouldn't all be here." Agbo said, "At least one person should watch the road."

"Will you volunteer?" Boga asked.

"I should be here." Agbo replied, "He saved my life.

"Well, he didn't save mine, and I am not going back." Boga said and move forward.

"Why are you guys arguing." Magaga voice sounded and Boga stopped in his tracks. He thought it was in his head as before but Magaga literally spoke. "Did you hear that?" Boga was aiming his gun around.

"Yea. Bring your gun down!" Agbo told him.

"You should hear your Friend. " The voice sounded again. Boga slowly dropped his gun and Magaga emerged from the shade of the bushes.

"You shouldn't have abandoned your point. I would have come to you."

No one replied or uttered anything.

"Let us go back." Magaga said, "I will tell you all to you want to know."