CHAPTER SIX: ODOGWU AND THE MYSTERIOUS GIRL
1082 Words
The entire town was alive with celebration.
It was a grand occasion organized by the church, an event meant to appreciate men and women who had contributed greatly to the growth of the community. Important personalities had gathered from different cities and kingdoms. The church compound was filled with colorful decorations, expensive cars, traditional dancers, and the joyful sound of drums echoing through the air.
But above all the important guests present, one name stood above the rest.
Odogwu White.
The moment his long convoy of luxury vehicles drove into the compound, excitement spread like wildfire.
People began whispering.
“Odogwu has arrived!”
“Odogwu White!”
Children ran beside the cars while elders adjusted their wrappers respectfully. Youths brought out their phones to record the moment.
When Chibyke stepped out of the car, dressed in a perfectly tailored white traditional attire with a red coral bead around his neck, the crowd could not hide their admiration.
He carried himself with the calm confidence of a man who had conquered life.
The priest welcomed him warmly and led him to the front seat reserved for special guests. Beside him sat His Royal Majesty, the king of one of the most powerful kingdoms in the region.
During the fundraising session, different people made donations. Some gave hundreds of thousands, some gave million.A
But when it was Chibyke’s turn to speak, the entire church fell silent.
He stood up slowly.
“My people,” he began humbly, “everything I have today is by the grace of God. It is only right that I support the house of God and the future of our youth.”
He paused and smiled.
“I will donate two hundred million naira for the church building project.”
The church exploded with excitement.
“ODÓGWU!”
“Odogwu White!”
The priest raised his hands in prayer immediately.
But Chibyke was not done yet.
“And also,” he continued calmly, “I will sponsor twenty youths from this community to study abroad.”
The excitement that followed shook the entire building.
Some mothers began crying tears of joy. Young men and women shouted in disbelief.
The priest kept blessing him repeatedly.
“My son, may the God of heaven continue to increase you!”
Even the king sitting beside him nodded with deep respect.
Indeed, Chibyke was not just rich.
He had the heart of a king.
The Journey Back
After the successful event, the convoy of cars moved slowly out of the church compound.
The king had decided to ride in the same car with Chibyke.
Inside the luxurious vehicle, the two powerful men were having a relaxed conversation while the convoy drove along the busy road.
“You have done something remarkable today,” the king said.
Chibyke smiled modestly.
“It is nothing, Your Majesty. When God blesses a man, he must remember his people.”
The king laughed deeply.
“That is why they call you Odogwu White.”
Their discussion continued as the convoy moved through the crowded city road.
Street traders shouted their goods.
Buses loaded passengers.
Motorcycles zigzagged through traffic.
Then suddenly…
Chibyke’s eyes froze.
Among the crowd walking along the roadside, he saw her again.
His heart skipped violently.
“Mma…”
The same girl.
The same face.
The same mysterious presence that had haunted his dreams for years.
Without hesitation, he leaned forward.
“Driver!”
“Yes sir!”
“Park the car immediately!”
The driver quickly slowed down and parked along the busy road.
Before the bodyguards could even react, Chibyke had already opened the car door and stepped out.
Immediately the guards followed him.
But when Chibyke looked around desperately…
The girl was gone.
He turned left.
Nothing.
He looked right.
Nothing.
His breathing grew heavy.
He searched the crowd again and again, but the girl had disappeared like morning mist under the rising sun.
What Chibyke did not know was that at that exact moment…
The girl he was searching for had already entered a public bus that had just driven away from the bus stop.
Inside the crowded bus sat the young lady.
Her name was “Beauty”, also known and called by Mkpurumma by her late grandmother and father.
She had seen the convoy park.
She had seen the expensive cars.
And when the people on the street started shouting—
“Odogwu White!”
“Odogwu!”
She looked through the bus window.
Her eyes met the tall handsome man stepping out of the luxurious vehicle.
She studied his face carefully.
Then she smiled softly to herself.
“Hmm… he is cute too,” she whispered quietly.
She admired him briefly like every other person did.
But she had no idea that she was the very person he had been searching for all this time.
The bus moved away slowly with her inside.
The King’s Suggestion
Outside, Chibyke was still scanning the road desperately.
The king finally stepped out of the car as well.
“My son,” he asked calmly, “are you looking for someone?”
Chibyke nodded slowly.
“Yes… Your Majesty.”
The king looked around.
“Well, that should not be difficult for someone like you.”
Chibyke looked at him.
The king continued confidently,
“If you have the person’s picture, simply show it on television and social media. In less than one hour, the entire country will help you find the person.”
Chibyke listened quietly.
Then he smiled gently.
“Your Majesty… it is not that simple.”
The king looked curious.
“Why?”
Chibyke paused for a moment.
The truth was too complicated to explain.
How could he tell the king that the girl he was searching for had lived in his dreams since childhood?
How could he explain that she appeared in his dreams as he grew older?
And now…
She had suddenly appeared in real life.
The king would never understand.
Chibyke simply smiled again and changed the subject.
“Your Majesty,” he said politely, “how is the palace renovation project progressing?”
The king immediately began discussing the project enthusiastically.
Chibyke nodded as if he was listening carefully.
But deep inside his mind…
He was still seeing her face.
And somewhere far away in a moving bus…
Mkpurumma sat quietly by the window.
Not knowing that fate was slowly preparing the moment when Odogwu White and the mysterious girl would finally meet.
- Writer
