The rants of an antsy girl

06/02/2020

Thursday

My Dad ordered my mother a day off from the shop. He is announcing the new plot he has been just acquired in Ondo.
‘I want to do something  different.' He told us.
'Something like what?'
'A fuel station. This land is close to the expressway and so I feel it's the ideal thing.'
My mother dropped her spoon and looked at him in surprise.
'You don't know anything about that!'
'Don't be so naive, Urowoli. I already made research, I even spoke to that my friend, the oil giant.'
'Garba?'
'Yes.'
Now I don't think the land and his dreams for it is really a good step to take or even think about. Or, most likely, someone is NOT happy about it; someone broke my Dad's bedroom window at night. I don't understand how he did not wake up to the sound of breaking glass, but he is saying something about having felt leaden when he woke up.
Somehow, it is comforting to know that a mysterious person is behind everything but even the mystery texter hasn't sent a text.
Now my Dad is bent on informing the police, also is downstairs with the security guys in the dark room, looking for something.
I go to them, despite my mother's insistence that I remain in my room till the air is cleared.
I am just in time to see my father talking to Mr Akhere.
'- a lot has happened, Akhere. I don't think my daughter is up to any lessons today.' He is saying. He is backing me, so he doesn't notice my presence. Mr Akhere does though, he sees me and stares at me, hard for a few seconds before shooting me a cynical smile.
'Yes. Yes of course... Sir .'
'Sorry for the inconveniences. I should have informed you earlier,'
'Don't worry sir. I understand.' He's unblinking gaze on me is uncomfortable, it makes me feel aware, makes me feel dirty and grizzly. I want to shrink inside myself.
After he leaves my Dad sees me and tries on his stern face- it is a complete fail because his fear shines through it.
The tech room is dark and opposite the door, about six monitors, showing parts of our house are mounted on the wall. There are wires everywhere and four swivel chairs on which four of the guys are sitting, looking at the monitors. There is a large desk under the monitors and there are keyboards and laptops on it, I even see an empty glass.
'Boys, what have you come up with?'
'Nothing yet sir. There are so many footages from the everyday by day' Kamaru says. I fold my arms across my chest, I suddenly feel cold despite my pajamas.
'How far Joan?' One of the guys asks without taking his eyes off the screens. It is the stout, muscular and they call AJ.
'I'm not here for jokes AJ! Look through yesterday night's footages quickly! The police will be here soon.' My Dad snaps
'Police oga?' Kamaru asks.
'Do I look like a bloody joke to you all! I pay for high priced security to you buffoons, and all I get is a smashed window? And a fire?!'
' Oga, Zita started the fire. We have nothing to do-'
'Shut up and get the bloody work done and I fire you all and eject you from those apartments!' he interjects.
My Dad owns the apartments they live in with their families, he's a big man.
'Okay sir'
My Dad leaves briskly and walks out of the house, through the lounge, I follow. He starts shouting as we get outside.
' haes! Suby!'
Suby, who was previously dozing on the bench, jumps up with a start.
'Are you a fool?!'
Suby gets momentarily confused and say, 'Sir! Yes sir!'
'Are you mad? Look at my window!' my Dad screams at him in infuriation, he points upstairs to his window, gaping a wide hole, wide enough for a dalmatian to pass through.
'Ah! Who do dis wan?'
'You are asking me?' then he turns to me. 'Look at this high priced idiot!'
My mother comes out then.
She begins to shout at Suby.
'What do we pay you for Suberu? Someone smashes a window and you don't know?'
I am seething but my heart melts when Suby falls on his knees and grabs my dad's leg, crying.
' Oga Phillip, abeg, I don't know how e take and happen! I no dey duty yesterday night!'
My Dad doesn't seem to hear him as he lands him a slap that will eventually haunt me. He starts hitting Suby on the head. My mother tries to pry him off the man. It is a pitiable sight to watch, especially since Suby is an old man. Not all that old, but some half a dozen older than my father, who is roughly fifty.
'Leave me Urowoli!'
I want to go and still my Dad, but I don't know what I might do to him. I don't know my next moves these days.
'Daddy calm down.' I say instead. I sound relaxed. Too relaxed and collected for the situation at hand.
Suby is holding his head.
'I no dey on top duty,' He sobs.
'Who then was on duty? Who the bloody hell?'
'Akan! Akan dey shift yesterday.'
Just then Kamaru bursts out from the house.
'We found something sir.' Just as they turn to go, a van pulls up outside the gate and Suby stands up to open it. It is a blue police van.
'This is uncalled for, Idemudia.'
'And a good morning to you too, Ofortokun.' A pregnant man, rounded, flat faced, says, jumping out from the van. A thin police man, his beret faded black, sure to have seen better days, seems too big for his head. He reminds me of desperate hunger.
'You could have come without your van.' My Dad insists obstinately.
'Well,' he starts to where the host of us are, Kamaru frozen in stance. 'Some of us have only police vans for our private transportation. Not everybody has fleets.' He gestures the three cars in the compound.
Now that I think of it, it is stupid that we keep boarding commuters to the shop when cars waste away like this.
'I sell cars after all. Let us go inside and commune.'
'Ahh... Yes. You sounded urgent over the phone. First, I need to greet my wife.' he says and waddles to my mother, he hugs her.
'My dear Urowoli! The muse of a thousand poets,'
My mother hugs him back.
'You still have this tongue of yours, sweet as honey. Welcome.'
My Dad gestures Kamaru, as well as Suby, who closes the gate, inside the house.
'And my girl,' He looks at me as he leaves my mother.
'She's the Unibenite right?'
My Dad laughs an awkward laugh and ushers him inside.
'Joan.' he says simply.
They sit at the Grand sitting room and My Dad asks Kamaru to say what he has to say. I cannot stop looking at Idemudia, who I discover is an assistant state commissioner of police, and his hungry follower. I fear that if the man walks more and tarries more, he would break in two.
'I apologize sir. We have nothing to offer except water, our kitchen burned not too long ago-'
'Which is why I have called you, Idemudia. Let's hear Kamaru,'
I sit on one of the plush chairs, Kamaru between me and the glass table, and eventually my father.
'We found a loop in the footage, around two a.m. It seems, it was tampered with. Like the cameras died-'
'Cameras? Cameras!' My Dad voice is rising. 'Was it the outside camera? What cameras?'
Idemudia who is sitted beside my Dad, pats the latter's hand and asks him to calm down.
'Anjola! Bring Campari from the bar and three glasses.' My mother says, as though she just remembered there is Campari. She could have just sent me since the bar is IN the sitting room. I guess she wanted to reduce the tension.
'Sir, three cameras specifically. They died within two minutes each. First, the one outside, close to the gate. Secondly, the one in the lounge, and then, lastly. The one in your room. They weren't altered but it seems they died or something.'
My Dad looks irritated beyond measure.
Anjola brings a tray and pours. Even if I am well past legal, I am not allowed drinks, I am not an undergraduate yet.
'They died or something? They died or something? Am I a joke to you?!'
'You need to relax Phillip.' my mother says tersely.
'I agree with the muse.'
'As soon as I am done with all these issues that have emerged because of your foolishness, I am firing you classified idiots!' He spits.
'Tell me what's good is this news?' he adds.
'Sir,'
Suby begins to cough then. He stops suddenly when my parents shoot him a look and tries to clear his throat.
'Sir,' Kamaru continues. His voice is shaky, I feel for him. 'We noticed that the man at the gate was there when before the first camera died, but when it came on two minutes later-'
'The time the second died?' my mother asks.
'Yes madam. When it came back on, he was no longer there.'
We all turn to Suby.
'Where were you Mister man?' Idemudia asks.
He sounds as if he is about to cry. 'I don tell oga say, I no dey on top duty. I was not in around.'
Idemudia sinks into the lushness of his chair and guffaws heartily.
'This is of utmost seriousness, idemudia.'
'Okay, I'm sorry. He speaks funny.'
'Who was on duty then?' Kamaru asks. He sounds very desperate to let himself off the situation.
'Akan, Akan!' Suby half sobs.
'Anjola!' My mother shouts, and Anjola who I'd previously not noticed, comes to her.
'Madam.'
'Bring the house mobile, dial Akan.' my Mother Instructs.
Idemudia asks that Anjola makes the call in front of us.
She puts the call on speaker. The person who picks is s woman with a ragged voice.
'We want to speak to Akan,' my mother shouts.
A little ruffling and the receiver says,
'No Akan! Akan is no more!' She begins to wail.
'What do you mean, Akan is no more? ' my father says. He sounds like the woman's reply is incredulous.
'Akan die! This morning we seen him in yunshion. They bury him and leave the head outside for motor to ride on... To shame the ancestors!'
'In the junction? Which junction?'
'Akan bury in Adolor, the place wey they are selling orange and food... Inside the yunshion where all the peoples have allow pothole and plenty potopoto.'
'Jesus Christ.' My mother exhales.
'Don't Jesus Christ anything! This woman is lying. Who are you madam?' My Dad says.
'Is me Christina, Akan wife.'
'Christina,' Idemudia steps in. He sounds grim all of a sudden.
'Send us pictures of your husband's corpse. In the meantime, we will be there.
' mbok! Abasi me! Is too much! I cannot!'
'Do you know who is calling?'
'No.' more wailing.
'Its Mr Ofortokun. Your husband's boss. Your landlord.'
She begins to beg then and agrees to send pictures via WhatsApp.
The phone clicks and the call ends.
'Akan, dead?' my mother broods.

...

My Dad leaves with Idemudia, Kamaru who took the footages, transferred to a drive, Suby and the other tech guys.
The picture is gory enough to make me not eat the food my mother ordered. Her white maxi cooker is not here yet.
I wonder who will do the cooking since Zita is practically a vegetable. Me? I laugh.
Despite my dad's orders, my mother calls Laju and Destiny.
'We live in fear now, we are fugitives in our own house. Someone hacked off one of Akan's legs.'
'Who's Akan?' Destiny asks.
'The new security man we hired last year.'
'Chai! I feel sorry for him.' Destiny says. He doesn't sound in the least sorry, he has never been sympathetic towards anything.
'You guys should be safe o. This 2020, everyone wants to make it by force. In short, I don't understand Daddy o, why is he angry and all- he slept all through as they broke his window.'
'I tire o,' I chirp.
'Don't talk about your father like that. I don't know what happened, he is usually a very alert man.'
'Indeed.' I say again.
Laju offers to come home to serve as therapy to my mother's troubled heart but my mother herself refused.
'The university is safe my dear. Imagine if Ebiekutan was in school, your father won't have to worry much.'
I am deeply annoyed by this.
'Really? What you can think of is how I should have passed JAMB? So I won't be a bother? My God!' I say and walk out.
It's so pathetic that she can even say that, that too in the middle of such crisis.
I call Efosa when I get to my room.
He is very busy. I assume that, since he doesn't answer his call.
After a while, a call comes in, I pick up my phone excitedly and my heart drops with disappointment when I see it's not him.
It's a private number.
Oh My God!
Oh dear lord...
I pick it. My heart is beating so fast it almost falls out of my mouth.
'Hello!' comes a chilling growl. It's not like those voices you hear in the movies. It is spine-chilling, it removes every warmth and strength you have in you.
'Who- who is this?'
'If only I could tell you, life will be biscuit.'