Chapter 10
1107 Words
John lead them into the house, a passageway stretched down to the end of the building, having apartments on the right and on the left, facing each other and a back entrance at the end of the passageway. It was a room and parlour apartment.
According to the woman, Shola's apartment was the third on the left hand side. The passage was dark with rays of light coming in from the entrance and the leaked roof serving as the only source of illumination. Spiderwebs covered the entire ceiling. Aromas of different cooking compensated them for the gutter smell that pierced their guts while coming. Loud music played in a room. In another came shouts of grown ups playing video games. In a different one, soft moaning of a woman erupted. Meanwhile, some apartments were as silent as a cemetery -- including Shola's apartment.
John stopped by the doorstep, hesitant on knocking. All of a sudden, worry and anxiety was written on his face. His nervousness didn't go unnoticed by those following him.
"What is wrong?" Susan asked softly.
He cleared his throat, exhaling sharply and faked a smile.
"Nothing," he replied.
He knocked on the door sluggishly the first first time. No response. Then knocked harder the second time. No response still. He pushed the door slowly, then discovered it wasn't closed.
As they entered the room, dreams were dashed, hopes were failed, expectations were cut short, upon the sight of what they saw.
What did they see?
The parlour looked untidy and unkept: clothes scattered around, three bottles of Trophy beer, still smelling fresh, towered on the table. Beside the couch, a rat dragged away a nylon of leftover fish. And a plate of spoilt noodles sat under the table. Susan turned back, about to leave, John held her by her wrist.
"Where are you going?" He whispered.
"Don't tell me we are in the correct room," she whispered tartly.
"Just be patient and..."
John was interrupted by the fart and accelerated snore of a pudgy man with puffy breasts, scattered on the couch. He was only in boxers, which irritated Susan the more.
All eyes fell on him, watching him snore heavily and scratching his belly.
Jones walked to the table, bending over to the bottles he tilted one of them and it fell on the carpet floor, waking up the sleeping beauty.
John raged at Jones with his angry look, but Jones only scoffed. It was clear he did it on purpose.
"Yay, the genius is awake," Jones said sarcastically, looking at John with a mocking smile.
"Who are you people?" Shola spluttered in confusion. He was obviously not fully awake, but could still see people in his sitting room. Then his eyes widened, cleared. Jones was the first person he set his eyes upon in front of him.
"Who are you?" He yelled, fear in his voice.
"Shola it is me," John said
Shola's ear twitched after hearing John's voice. He twisted his neck to the direction of the voice.
"FM? Is that really you?" He asked, picking up his eye glass from the stool beside his couch.
"Yes, it is me," John said. His bassy voice turned shaky, his eyes wet with tears. Susan, Mike and Jones stared unbelievably at John being emotional.
Shola puts on his glasses his face turned to John, towering beside Susan at the door.
"Femooo!" He jumped from his chair to meet John. He gave John a wide hug, handshaked him multiple times joyfully, then locked him again in another big hug.
He ran his hands through John's face, feeling his check, "it really is you FM," he said with a wide smile glued to his face.
"Yes, yes, it is me," John smiled.
He hugged John tight again, with John also holding him tight as well.
The entire room was filled with emotions. The remaining inspectors - Susan, Mike and Jones- were dumbfounded. Their hearts softened at this side of John they saw. They watched the happy reunion going on well, until Shola headbutted John on his nose, shattering their softened hearts.
"What was that for?" John questioned, holding his nose ridge from bleeding.
Shola walked to the window by his couch head side. He squinted his eyes through the bright ray of light that flooded his room as he opened the luverese, ignoring what John said. Susan bent over to John, patting his back. While Mike and Jones had their eyes on Shola, still shocked and surprised.
"Oh no it is bleeding," she said, looking concern and worried.
John charged toward Shola at the window, leaving Susan to her concern.
He turned Shola around by his shoulder, fuming into his eyes.
"What is the meaning of that s**t?" John asked, holding his bleeding nose.
Immediately, Shola held John by his shirt's neck, pushing his back against the wall.
"The meaning of what?" He shouted, raging into John's bulged eyeballs, "meaning of what? Answer me!" He pinned John harder to the wall, standing at level with him. Susan and Mike wanted to stop Shola from the madness, but John restricted them. Jones stood by with a malicious smile on his face. It was clear he was enjoying the show.
"I don't understand what you mean," John said, coughing and choking from Shola's strong push to the wall.
"You don't understand, really?" Shola pinned harder, now choking John, "you don't understand how I covered up for you, you don't understand the betrayal, how you were supposed to be there when I needed you. What don't you understand, let me know?" He hissed at John, clenching his teeth.
Susan was perplexed by Shola's words, what he meant by the things he said.
"It was a mistake," John said, gasping for breath. Mike immediately pushed Shola away, releasing John. He gasped, choked and hiccuped after the release.
"A mistake?" Shola ranted, "I could have been jailed or even dead, and you come here pretending nothing happened.
"Just try to hear him out," Mike said, helping John up on his feet.
"Hear him out? And who are you?" He turned to John, "what do you have to say?"
"I am sorry," said John, still catching his breath.
Jones didn't move an inch. He kept smiling and enjoyed the show.
"Sorry? It's too late for that," Shola said walking into his room, and came out putting on his singlet, "you all have ten seconds to leave this place."
They all stood perplexed and worried. Where would they go if they leave? John glared at Shola who stood furiously by the opened door. He gulped down a cupful of saliva, guilt stricken.
- Writer
