KELENNA

Fast

"Oh, that fast?" I said as the man behind the wheels screeched to an abrupt halt in front of a.. bush... bush??

Looking around, my brows pinched together in a deep frown. Before I could ask questions he swung the door of the mini bus open and got down.

"Sir, is something wrong with the motor?" I pestered and got no reply, he just moved a little further from the bus and faced the bush as he brought out something from his pockets.

My spine went stiff, we've been moving through the familiar routes out of Orlu city for the past 25 minutes and this short man has been down on the accelerator like he is on the run from some invisible chasers and now he has just stopped in the middle of nowhere?

All the famous mini bus 'rescue' stories around Owerri - where we were headed, flashed in my mind and fear took hold of my heart.

Have I become a... no! Victor and victim are not same, I'm the former!

I tapped my phone screen and it lit up.

6:35 a.m.

It was still early and the young sun was already hanging at a distance in the sky, about to witness my doom, but it doesn't seem like it has any intention to help. My mind worked fast as I was already imagining the worst case scenario.

Jehovah! How did I agree to this? Why am I here?!

I moved immediately, this man was short but he looks very sturdy with his short dreads, and seems to be around his mid-thirties, my 17 year old muscles should be able to put up a decent fight right?... right??

And why is this stupid door not opening?!

Oh my God it was locked!

Locked!!

Did I just get kidnapped in the morning on a 5th of June??!!

I trusted Jideka!

I began struggling with the handle but the door wouldn't bulge, my palms were sweaty now and has become clumsy due to exasperation.

Ha God abeg! This can't be my victorious en– wait!

The window!

My hands flew to it immediately and I pushed the glass to one side, thank God it opened. I poked my head out first, ready to jump out however possible.

Noticing my actions, the man reluctantly looked over his shoulder and said to me "Mr. man I'm pressed, I need to ease myself so can you be still now?" He grunted in displeasure.

"...."

I froze

What..?!

He wanted to... what??

"MTCHEEEEEEW."

I sighed out in relief, so that was it? Thank God o, I breathed out and my tensed shoulders relaxed. Shrinking back to my seat, I looked to his direction, but his stance was weird and I didn't really understand what he was doing.

"But bros, you could have just done this by the road side nah, no need to come to this kind of place."

"Can you just keep quiet?! Óhanaeze oga ama na nwoke na anyu nsi n'onwa ututu a eh? (Does the whole town have to know that a man is pooing this morning?) I can't do this by the road oga!" came his annoyed reply.

"Ahh, ok sorry o! I didn't know." I apologized and he hissed.

Silence.

Outside a goat screamed loudly and I rolled my eyes, isn't this the c**k's job in the morning?

I glanced back to the man and averted my gaze the next second.

So that was the case, he just wanted to defecate? Phew! I thought I was in hot soup for a moment here. This was probably why he was speeding like that before.

Yo, only s**t can do this to a man. I shook my head.

...

"That fast?" I asked again when we pulled up to a huge double black gate at Douglas and the man honked twice before killing the engine.

He adjusted the side mirror, gulped down a sachet of cold water, and leaned back on his seat. He didn't seem like he even heard what I said. Just waited for the gate to be opened.

"Na your default speech be that so?"

I blinked. I didn't expect him to reply.

"Emm... no, I am just surprised we've reached our destination. Because it's barely 20 minutes since you..."

"You no de s**t?" He scoffed. "We never reach!"

The intimidating gate protested with a loud creaking sound as two people dragged it open from behind. Like it wasn't used to being disturbed.

"Then why are we here?" I inquired more as he started the bus and the engine roared back to life.

"To deliver a message." The man said curtly.

Message? What message? Can't he call and deliver the message to whoever is the recipient? "Sir don't you have airtime on yo–?"

"I do." He cut me off again.

"But your friend did not give me the person's phone number, just this address and said to inform whoever resides here before continuing so I can't call, I have to deliver it physically." He calmly explained as he dove in.

Oh, I did not expect the patience in his voice.

"Ok that–"

"So you fit shut up now??" And back was the harshness! I just zipped my mouth shut and decided not to ask questions again.

The view that greeted us inside the compound made me sit up straight, the temperature around dropped and I felt chills in each breath, marble tiles stretched across the entire ground, at the left end was a small fountain and just a single tree was in the compound.

Just when I thought I had seen enough plot twist and drama in my life, I looked forward, curious to see the type of magnificent mansion that'll be in a place like this...

Lo and behold.

I saw a HUT.

A mud sculptured palm-branch-roofed HUT!

Behind a huge gate, in the middle of a vast compound with tiled grounds, artificial fountain and a single tree.

WHAT. THE. HELL???!!

I was indeed so excited for this potential vacation spot!

I opened my mouth to bombard the driver with questions, but he glared at me through the side mirror.

That don't-you-even-dare glare again.

Funny enough, he looked just as surprised as I was. So why was he acting like I was the strange one?

He packed in front of the hut house and got down, the two men who had opened the gate came down to us, they looked to have been expecting him... or rather... me? The first man, wey wear fine 1500 just de flash me some kind looks de nod head.

The second man, faced the driver "Oga Efon?" he asked, extending his hand for a shake.

"That's me" the driver confirmed extending his hand to accept the greeting gesture.

"I'm Maazi Munweuba."

Munweuba? I own wealth? Which kind name be that one? Is he the president or what?

I sized him up.. well, he is actually dressed like one though, but what on earth are they doing here as gatemen?

He continued "The His has been expecting you..." taking a glance inside the bus "...and the boy."

And the who?? My stomach dropped. I hope I didn't hear that correctly.

I became alarmed instantly. Instinctively, I looked around in search of any other boy that could be present apart from me.

I shook my head to signal I'm not moving an inch to step out of here, talk more of going into that creepy hut but the man just looked forward and said. "Let's go in."

I sulked back into my seat even more, not intending to get down at all, but surprisingly they didn't force me and just moved on with the driver inside.

I sat there in eerie silence, feeling like I had just stepped into a modern desert... or ancient one? Because there's no logic behind having a place like this just to build a mud house in it.

Or maybe the mud house had always been here for years and they just built a confusing exterior to cover whatever in it up.

A few minutes passed, I looked around once more, and my eyes caught a word inscribed on the wall of the hut - IHWIRRIW? I stared longer, trying to make sense of the words and to be sure I was even seeing the right thing.

But after a few seconds I was sure I wasn't seeing things, it was ih wirriw.

What kind of word was that? And this is supposed to be an.. English? French?.. or Hausa word? That means what?

It certainly wasn't Igbo.

Nothing was in good terms with logic in here, this was weird!

My gaze darted around once more, this could actually be a golden opportunity for me to escape from here before things goes south o, I fit run with this bus... e go de faster.

This was a brilliant idea, but I don't even know where Jideka told this driver to take me... and when I turned back and saw that the huge gate was locked, I sighed.

Just how long are we spending here that they had to take the stress of closing back that gate and reopening?

There was another pin drop silence for another four minutes, and just when I mentally prepared myself to be here for at least two hours or more, they alighted from the hut.

Seeing the driver, who was called Oga Efon earlier, I released a breath I didn't know I was holding. I don't trust this man, but I don't trust myself even more.

There was another guy that looks to be in his early twenties that came out with them, but he stopped at the entrance, not moving further out with them.

His silhouette looked strangely familiar, but thinking I'd know anyone from this kind of place is exactly why I said I don't trust myself.

And if he thinks same about me, judging from the way his gaze followed me like a hawk even through the window glass, then I'm glad the social distance rule existed and hope he remains loyal in abiding to it.

The two men went ahead to pester the almighty gate again while the driver got in immediately and ignited the bus, having no plans to entertain my questioning looks.

He swerved the steering and soon we were on the highway again, but it wasn't long before we finally arrived at our destination. I was a bit surprised again that it didn't take up to thirty minutes and was about to ask my 'default speech' as he had called it but a glare from him and I knew I had better shut it.