THE LAST CALL

THE LAST CALL - Ch2

Chapter 2: Tensions and Temptations

The afternoon heat simmered over the rooftops of the bustling neighborhood as the school bell rang, dismissing students who poured out of dusty gates like water breaking through a dam. But Kelvin, Jerry, and Timi didn’t go home immediately. After their tense meeting with Principal Okoro, they took separate paths for the rest of the day, though the weight of his words echoed in their minds like a haunting drumbeat.

Kelvin wandered the streets alone, hands in his pocket, his mind a battlefield. He kicked a rock absentmindedly, his ears still ringing with the principal's warning: “The grave is full of boys who thought like you.” It wasn’t the first time he’d heard something like that. Mama Kelvin had said it too, many times, with tears running down her cheeks and a trembling voice that cracked like old wood. Yet somehow, coming from Principal Okoro, it landed differently.

As the sun slid lower, Kelvin found himself outside the half-constructed building where he often met up with Jerry. The skeleton of the building stood like a relic of broken dreams—no windows, no doors, just concrete blocks and rusting rods poking out like the bones of a giant.

Jerry was already there, perched on the edge of a ledge, smoking and staring into the horizon. He barely looked up when Kelvin joined him.

“Still thinking about what that old fool said?” Jerry asked, passing the cigarette.

Kelvin shook his head. “He doesn’t understand. Nobody does.”

Jerry laughed, bitter and hollow. “That’s what I’m saying. They live in a different world. We survive in this one. We don’t have options like they did.”

Silence fell between them. Below, kids played football on a dusty street. An old woman pushed a cart full of boiled corn. A drunk stumbled out of a bar, singing an off-key song about lost love. Life in their part of the city was always moving, yet somehow, it felt stuck.

“I talked to Rex today,” Jerry said suddenly.

Kelvin raised a brow. “Yeah?”

“He’s got something lined up. Friday night. A real job. Not just lookout or messages. This one’s big.”

Kelvin hesitated. “What kind of job?”

“Electronics store in town. Owner’s rich. Always keeps cash. They say security’s light. We go in, get what we need, we’re out.”

Kelvin leaned back, troubled. “I don’t know, bro.”

Jerry turned to face him. “What’s wrong with you these days? Ever since Timi started hanging with those church folks, you’ve been acting different.”

“It’s not that. I’m just thinking, that’s all. A job like that... we get caught, we’re gone.”

“And if we don’t? We eat good. We show the world we’re not nobodies.”

Far across town, Timi was deep in thought too. He sat on the porch with his sister Ejiro, who was twisting her hair while humming a gospel tune. Their compound was small but clean, a bright hibiscus bush blooming near the wooden fence.

“You’ve been quiet,” Ejiro said. “More than usual.”

Timi exhaled. “I think Jerry and Kelvin are going to do something bad. Real bad.”

“You tried talking to them?”

“They won’t listen. Jerry’s too angry, and Kelvin’s... lost. I don’t even know if I can reach him.”

Ejiro paused, looking him in the eyes. “You can’t change anyone. But you can stand for what’s right. If you really believe God’s calling you, you need to stop waiting and start walking.”

Later that night, Mama Kelvin paced her living room, wringing a handkerchief. She had heard things—rumors from the neighborhood, whispers about Rex recruiting again. Her knees hit the floor as she cried out to heaven.

“Lord, I’ve prayed, fasted, done all I know. Don’t let my son be swallowed by this world. If this is his last call, make it loud. Let him hear You.”

At the gang hideout, Rex sat with his legs crossed, gold rings glittering on his fingers. Kelvin and Jerry arrived, greeted like celebrities by a half-dozen young boys already in the system. Music blasted from a corner speaker. The room smelled of sweat, cheap perfume, and weed.

“Friday night,” Rex began, “we change the game. You boys ready?”

Kelvin felt his stomach twist. “What’s the plan?”

“We hit the store at midnight. Easy access through the back alley. No alarms. Two men inside. You’re not to talk. Just act. Got it?”

Jerry nodded eagerly. Kelvin hesitated, then nodded too.

Timi, however, had made a decision of his own. That same night, he returned to the church. Pastor James was still there, cleaning up after a youth prayer session.

“Back again?” the pastor said, smiling.

“I think I need to choose,” Timi said. “Not just believe, but act. I don’t want to end up like them.”

Pastor James looked at him carefully. “The first step is the hardest. But it’s also the beginning of freedom.”

Meanwhile, in the shadows of the hideout, Kelvin stepped outside to catch a breath of fresh air. From across the street, he heard the faint sound of singing coming from the church. He saw a small group of youths, arms raised, swaying gently. And at the center, Timi—eyes closed, lost in worship.

A lump rose in Kelvin’s throat. He turned away quickly, but the image burned into his heart.

Later that night, lying in his room, Kelvin stared at the ceiling. Thoughts raced through his mind. His mother’s prayers. The look in Pastor James’ eyes. Timi’s peace. Rex’s promises.

He sat up suddenly, covered in sweat.

“God, I don’t even know if You’re real,” he whispered, “but if You are… I don’t want to die like this. Show me something. Anything.”

Outside, thunder rumbled faintly. A storm was brewing. Inside him, one had already begun.

End of Chapter 2