The Knife II
1106 Words
Joe could not resist the soldiers. There was nothing he could do. They didn't have to lift him off the floor. They just pushed him out the gate.
As they pushed him, Joe was observing. He was pushed past the room given to the tailors. Two women and a man stared through the window with commiseration, boldly written on their faces. He saw them staring and he could also sense wretchedness from them.
Two soldiers grabbed him and threw him hard against the wall. Two other soldiers soon joined them with five horsewhips and left. They were junior soldiers and weren't allowed to stay.
Joe could see Toby and the million soldiers he had promised. The whips kept dropping on his back and he wasn't feeling the pain but he was counting.
'Whaaa!', he thought. He must have misunderstood the order given to the soldiers. Each was dishing out twelve strokes.
'Wait! where's the knife?', he asked himself in his mind.
★★★ ★★★ ★★★
They threw him into the camp and threw his shirt at him. He was lucky. He could have been thrown in, naked. Virtually everyone came to him. They carried him to their usual spot so he'd rest on a wall. He already sustained injuries in his back, from the horsewhips.
"I'm alright", he said. "Just... I need to be alone, now". He stood up and went to a corner alone.
"Why was he beaten?", Ada asked.
"I don't know", Chuma replied. "Alex was there. Why was he beaten?"
"I don't know", Alex replied.
"How the f**k won't you know?"
"Well, I think they saw something with him"
"A weapon or so? A knife, I guess"
"A knife?", the two chorused, perplexed.
"Wait, how would he get a knife and what would he plan to use it for?", Ada asked, rhetorically.
"Well, we don't cut bread... or yam... or-"
"Shut up", Chuma said. "The Soldier was probably feeling insecure and hallucinating".
Ada was still perplexed as she showed compassion for Joe, in her eyes. "Maybe. Joe's always bothered and staring like a criminal. I hope he's okay".
The three of them walked to Joe, who was still wondering how the knife disappeared.
"Joe!?!"
"Joe, are you alright?"
"I'm... I'm fine... I'm", He stuttered.
"You're bothered, Joe", Chuma said. "What's it?"
"I said I'm fine!"
"Joe?", Ada whispered softly. "What are you hiding from us?"
Joe looked at them, with apologies in his eyes. "I failed you... I'm sorry"
★★★ ★★★ ★★★
"What happened? I don't want to go to him", Don asked Alex. Joe had been left alone as he requested.
"He's not talking", Alex replied him.
"Really? it's okay if you don't want to talk about it. I already know about his plan", Don started talking while Alex was still confused. "And look, I support him".
Alex was silent for a while with a confusing expression boldly on his face. "Wait! What are you talking about? What plan?"
"Wait! You don't know? What were you guys talking about?"
"We.. he was just apologising for something but he wouldn't say anything or give a reason... The soldiers claimed they saw a weapon with him"
"Oh... ok. I'll just skip the talking", Don said. "I believe he'll tell you all. For now, tell no one I said anything".
"Hey!", Chuma waved as he approached them. Don waved back. He was about to leave.
"Hi... How's life going?", Don asked and shook hands with Chuma.
"We've been cool... and just as usual"
" Good. I have to get back to the guy's over there", Chuma replied, pointing at Kalu and the other guys. Kalu waved at them and they waved back.
"It's alright. We'll catch up later".
Don left and joined his folks. Chuma waited for him to leave.
"What was he telling you? what were you guys talking about?"
"Nothing really", Alex replied, reminding himself not to mention anything concerning Joe's plan. "He was asking about Joe. He said he wanted Joe to get over whatever is still in his head before approaching him"
"Okay... That's cool of him.... I still don't know what he's apologising for".
"I just hope he hasn't done something.... something bad"
★★★ ★★★ ★★★
"Where the f**k did it go?!", he yelled, as silently as he could, at himself. "f**k! I f****d up a chance again"
He sat on the ground, meditating on how to kill Soko without the knife. A small ant crawled between grasses and Joe watched, while still thinking. He packed sand with his hand and made it drain slowly through his fingers.
"Grrrrraaah!!", he shouted at himself, made a fist and banged his hand on the ground. He looked at his palm and on the left, the knife slowly appeared. He slowly gripped it to confirm the reality of what he was seeing. He tightened his grip and got on his feet.
"What's with this knife?", he asked himself.
"A lot", Toby appeared and walked closer to him. "You haven't done it. Why?"
"I can't just kill a person... not after the promise I made"
"You have to be decisive with the weapon on your hand. It will tell you how to use itself"
Joe smiled, looking at the knife. He had already decided in his head. "Man's gotta do what man's gotta do"
"Do what you gotta do", Toby vanished into thin hair.
"Hey!", Don called.
"Hi", Joe replied. The smile was still on his face.
"What's up with the smile? A lottery?"
"Yea, two million"
Don laughed. "You're pretty good at playing along with a joke... two million dollars or naira?"
"Two million soldiers"
"Out there?"
"No... On our side"
"I don't understand what you're saying"
"I need to get everyone together, now. They have to know all about this".
"I was going to say that...."
★★★ ★★★ ★★★
Idris got out of the makeshift toilet, cleaning his wet hands on his cloth.
"Where were you when Joe was taken and returned?", Alex asked him.
"Taken? Where was he taken to?"
"Really? You didn't know?"
"No challenge is greater than purging in b*****e. It sucks"
Alex burst into laughter. "Thin people like you should abstain from purging. I once had to take care of a weightless broiler. That's what you look like".
"So what happened?"
"That's probably why we are here. Joe's gonna tell us something".
Everyone was already together. They all sat down, patiently and cooperatively.
"Greetings to you all", Joe began. "I have to say something that has been bothering me for days. I made a promise and I compulsorily have to break it to achieve a bigger dream. I'm sorry..."
- Writer
