Anike: Episode 24&25

Anike:Episode 24

I got back to my apartment, Happy wasn’t
home, I went to her room but to my
surprise, she had packed all her things, not
even a single pin was left. The whole room
was clean.

Prince’s threat really scared her, so I
thought. I went to my room, lay on the bed
still brooding, I was hungry but I had no
appetite. I wanted to cry but I was tired,
Prince disappointed me, after all the
sacrifices I made for him. I choose not to
keep a boyfriend not because I don’t have
admirers but because I thought he
deserves to have me alone for himself at
least for now.

I was even scared for happy, Despite his
riches, connection and power, he never
abused it. He doesn’t use his power to
destroy people. I just hope he won’t hurt
happy.

“What has Happy gotten herself into” I said
to myself. I’ve never seen Prince threathen
someone like that before, he sound like he
meant every word he told Happy. I doubt if
it’s an empty threat.

Come to think of it, people are wicked o,
what did I do to deserve this from her. I
even gave her #1.5M yesterday. She said
she needed it for her boutique. No wonder
her boutique business is running down, an
adage in Yoruba says ‘ If you are betraying
someone secretly, bad things will be
crawling into your life secretly too’.

I called my Mum, Okiki is now awake and I
spoke with him. I told her to let me know if
they need anything because im not
prepared to go to Lagos any time soon, not
this week. Prince started calling and I didn’t
pick it, when the calls was getting annoying,
I switched off my phone.

★★★★

“What a bad day” I said to myself as I
stormed on my bed to sleep.

First it was infection, then my brother’s
surgery, Prince’s wrong accusations and a
friend’s betrayal, all in one day. I travelled
from school to Lagos, Lagos to abuja and
from Abuja back to school. What a day” I
thought as I drifted to sleep.

The next day, Governor Mark called me, he
apologized on Prince’s behalf. I deceived
him and told him have forgiven prince and
it’s over. Who am I to say no to the
governor. He was happy and ended the call.
I remembered Prince said something about
his net worth. I decided to find out on
goggle since the federal government had
already instructed all government officials
to declare their assets. I entered his name
on the search box. I wondered why I did
not think of this before now.

The results came up, then I saw the option
for his net worth. I clicked on it and I
couldn’t believe what I saw hundreds of
million US dollars. And I’m very sure this
people will never declare their full assets.

No wonder he said he can buy me anything
money can buy other heaven. He can keep
his money to himself for all I care.

A week later, my brother was discharged
from the hospital. I had also completed the
doses of the drugs I was given in the
hospital, so I went back to the hospital for
a rechecked. Luckily infection was gone.

I still refuse to pick Prince’s call. When his
calls persists, I bought another line and
registered it. When he discovered the line
was no more available, He sent his men to
my place to pick me up and I refused to
follow them.. I even thought they’ll take me
forcefully but they didn’t.

“One of the men called him to tell him I
refused to follow them. He ended the call
and told the others that Prince said they
should let me be. So they left after taking
instructions from their boss. I knew he’s
traveling to Dublin the following week, more
reason why he's desperate to see me.

When all his effort to reach me proves
abortive. He stopped reaching out. He still
send me money weekly. I sent him a
message on Facebook to stop sending me
money but he wouldn’t listen.

I finished my lecture for the day, I was
about to enter my car when one of Happy’s
friend approached me.

“Good afternoon Anike”

“Good afternoon….Tara, right?

“Yes, I checked at your house yesterday but
you are not in. I’ve not seen Happy for
three weeks now. I thought she traveled
before and doesn’t want me to now her
whereabouts. But now I’m worried, I’ve
been calling since and her phone was
switched off. I also checked at her
department I was told she hadn’t been
attending lectures for weeks now. She’s also
not online. I just hope she’s OK” she
informed.

“Happy moved out of my house weeks ago,
though we have issues to trash out. I called
her number severally, it wasn’t available. I
thought she did that just to avoid me. But
now that you mentioned she’s not been
attending lectures, I don’t know what to
make out of that” I stated.

“May be we’ll have to report to the school
authority” she suggested.

Something is fishy, and I can only trace it to
Prince.

“No Let’s wait I promise I’ll find her. But if
I can’t in the next three days, then we’ll
report” I said and she agreed.

I entered into the car. “You can join me, if
you are going home, I’ll drop you off” I
offered.

She entered into the car and I drove out of
parking lot.

She alighted at her bus stop that is before
mine. I was alone now in the car, so I could
think.

“Something is not right, I didn’t meet Happy
in the house that very day, all are things
are gone too. Prince already called her
before I left his house in Abuja. I hope
prince hadn’t abducted Happy. He said he’ll
make her life a living hell. Prince is not that
kind of person, I wonder what he’s up to. I
silently pray she’s fine.

★★★★

I got to my apartment and changed into a
top and short. Afterwards I called Alawode
secured line, I’m not sure which country he
is presently. All I know is that he’s I’m not
in Nigeria.

I placed the call. “Your access code please”
the receiver said from the other side.

“364IM7J” I replied

“Hold on for some minutes please this call
will be forwarded” The receiver’s voice said.

5minutes later, I heard his rich baritone
voice which I’ve missed but I tried to put
myself together.

“Hello”

“Anike!”

“Admiral Gabriel Alawode! Where’s Happy?”
I asked authoritatively.

“So you called because of that low life girl,
after avoiding me for three good weeks!”

“That does not answer my question, where
is she?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about”

“Oh! You think I don’t know. OK let me
burst your bubbles. I heard your
conversations with Happy before I left your
house and I heard all the threats.

“Stay out of it Anike, that girl needed to be
thought a lesson”

“I won’t stay out of it, where is she, where
did you keep her”

“Anike I’ve been trying to reach for three
good weeks now but to no avail, what
you’re doing to us is not fair”

“I’m talking about someone’s lives you are
talking about us. See there is no more ‘us’
Just tell me know where she is”

“Did you just say there is no us. Then your
friend will rot in prison”

“Prince you really disappointed me, I
thought you are one of the few people who
doesn’t abuse their power”

“Anyone who messes with you, messes with
me and won’t get away with it”

“Why are you making another person’s
business yours, I can handle my friend you
don’t have to interfere”

“Really”

“I know you still held her because the two
us are not on good terms, don’t pour your
frustration on her. You are the one who did
not trust your girlfriend enough and that is
on you”

“Please hang up, if you don’t have any
better thing to say” he said angrily.

I quickly sobered up. “Prince, I’m on my
knees please release her. I know she did
wrong by poking into our affair. Please
release her” I pleaded crying

“Don’t overwork yourself she’s OK, I just
want to torment her a bit, so stop crying”

“Do you agree to release her now”

“What about us?”

“We’ll talk about that later, I want Happy at
my door step today. Then we can talk
about us”

“Request granted” he said and ended the
call.

True to his word, In the evening my Door
bell rang and I checked the peep hole, it
was Happy in flesh and blood.

Question: People like Anike are rare and very difficult to come by this days.... Will she forgive Happy after pleading on her behalf to be released?


Episode 25

I opened the door and She walked in and started crying.

“Anike, I’m sorry for betraying you, I shouldn’t have done what I did, not after everything you’ve done for me. Jealousy made me do it”
“Jealousy! You said you can date him, then. He’s still old or is he now younger?”

“I know I said so, I know he’s rich but I haven’t seen a man spent for a side chick like that before. At some point I even thought you are using jazz on him. Seeing all the thing he’s doing for you, I regret throwing away what belongs to me. Anike you have the whole of Admiral’s heart. See the way he handled the lecturer’s case. He loves and pampers you with everything he has and I became jealous all of a sudden.

Anike it’s not about the material things that made me grow jealous, you treat me well with everything you have, but the fact that a powerful wealthy man like that is under your finger tips is what arouse the jealousy the more.

I started plotting ways to separate the two of you for months. But couldn’t come up with anything, I know he trusts you so much.

Telling me about the infection was an opportunity, you told me you haven’t informed him and I know he’ll be mad if he hears it from someone else but I had to lie about you dating his friends just to make my story juicy” she confessed.

“Happy you betrayed me, I even stopped you from doing runs, I started paying you the money you make on weekends. I fund your boutique, I bought you a car, I feed you, you never brought a grain of rice into this house and you eat. I cloth you. What else do you want me to do that I never did. Once I get an alert, you get an alert too. I’ve been grateful enough for what you did for me. I will forever be indebted to you for connecting me with Prince Alawode. But you still choose to destroy my relationship with him” I said pouring out my heart.

“Please find it in your heart to forgive me, I’m truly sorry”

“So where have you been since?” I asked Happy.

“I received a call from Prince Alawode and I knew my cover had been blown, I started packing my things. I moved it into my car, I was about to go out and some guys took me, one of them drove my car. I was blind folded. I only opened my eyes and met myself in a dark room.
They didn’t touch me, I was fed only cereal and water. I begged them to release me but they didn’t listen to my pleas. I even thought they were ritualist.

Until today when I got a call from Prince. One of the guys gave me the phone and I spoke with him. He said

“Happy this is just a tip of the iceberg, You messed with the wrong girl, you should be thankful, I hate shedding blood I would have waste you without a trace. I’m just doing this for now because she’s worried sick for a betrayal like you.

Happy if you touch a single strand on Anike’s hair, I’ll kill you and I mean I’ll kill you without leaving a trace”

That was all he said, he did even gave me the chance to apologize.

He said he already ordered the guys to release me because of you. He said I must sign and undertaking which will be filled in police station. I signed andundertaking, it says anything that happens to you is going to be on me.

“Eh ya….”

“Have learnt my lessons please forgive me and help me apologized to him. He also said he’ll make sure I graduate in this school without a certificate”

“Ahn..ahn! But seriously you shouldn’t have played such pranks on him, do you think he wouldn’t find out the truth”

“Help me beg him please, I know he’ll listen to you”

“I don’t talk to him again since that day, I only called today because of you, I just found out from Tara today that you are missing, I knew he’s behind it, that’s why I gave him a call. Have already cut all ties with him before today”

She knelt down and held me. “Eh…I’m finished, Anike please you have to talk to him, you have to mend your relationship with him or else I’ll be the one to face the consequences” She pleaded holding my legs.

“I’ll talk to him, please get up and stop kneeling like a little girl, a big like you”

“Thank you”

“Go and get your things back and move in”

“Ha….Prince Alawode will kill me. He warned me sternly to stay away from you. We both know he’ll find out”

“I’ll ” I exclaimed.

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll stay with Tara. We just have few months to graduate”

“OK, then. If you need anything don’t hesitate to tell me”

She left later. I had to call Prince again, because I don’t understand why he won’t let the girl be.
I called his secured line again

“364IM7J…..”
“Hello”

“Have you seen her”

“Yes, but why all the threat nau, you even said she won’t graduate with a certificate”

“I’m protecting you, that girl could endanger your life”

“Prince keep your protection, I don’t need it. She’s a good person it’s only human for her to act like that”

“What’s wrong with protecting the love of my life. Anyway I didn’t mean those threats, I know her to be a good person too, I just want to put her on the edge so she could tread carefully around you”

“Better, you’ve done enough to her please let her be abeg. Good day!”

“Anike, don’t hang up. I’m coming back to Nigeria by the end of the week, I’ll see you then”

“If you think I’ll come to your place when you return, then you are a joker except you’ll kidnap me the way you kidnapped Happy” I scoffed.

“Anike…I’m not a kidnapper o, I just want to scare her that’s all”

“Whatever”

“I have a meeting now, I’ll call back later”. Please replace your sim, so we could talk”
“I wont replace it, thanks for today anyway” I said and hung up.

The next day was my visits to the orphanage. I visited the orphanage every months. I had already bought the things I’m taking along with me the previous week. I believe in giving back to the society.

One of the children at the orphanage called me aside when I was about to leave.

“Aunty Anike, I had a bad dream about you” Lily said.

She’s one of my favorite at the orphanage.

“How bad was the dream, Pretty?”

“I can’t really explain, but I saw a man who instructed to pass a message to you

“What’s the message?” I asked.

“He said you must pray and seek God’s face before you take any decision that has to do with your future”

“Alright dear, thanks”
I left the orphanage and drove to straight home digesting what the girl said.

★★★★

I went to school on Friday afternoon to return some text books I borrowed from the library. From there I went to the supermarket to get some things for my sick course mate. I went to her hostel to visit her. I spent little time with her before I left.

I left the hostel around six and I drove back home. I honked and waited for the gateman to open the gate. He opened after what took like forever. I drove in and I noticed some men in Navy Uniform. I looked up and saw the Boss himself sitting on a plastic chair in my corridor.

“What’s he doing here” I asked no one in particular He has never set foot in my house before.

I made to reverse before the gate was closed.

“Lock that gate” he commanded the gateman and I wonder if he’s the one paying his salary. He obeyed and locked the gate.

Good, I locked my doors and stay put in the car. For like ten minutes I was there and he was watching. He later walk up to the car and knocked the window.

I didn’t move, he knocked again and I whined down.

“What?” I asked

“Get down” I did not answer him.

“Anike stop being stubborn and get down from the d--n car!” He ordered.

I turned off the ignition, took my key and Gucci handbag and alighted.

“You! I pointed at the gateman, follow him when he’s going, maybe he could get you a job because you have no job here again. I promise you, I’ll see to that” I lash at the gateman.

“Madam….”the gateman called out but I waved him off I made for the door and Prince followed. I retrieve the key from my bag and unlock the door. Two of the naval officers also followed us in.

...TO BE CONTINUED

Blessing Edet