TADE
Tade peeped behind the curtain separating his room from the living room for the third time.
"Ohhhhh" He mumured "Make dis woman comot nah"
He watched as his mother finally repacked her makeup kit and stowed it in it's usual position on the shelf.
"Tade!" She called
"Ma" he replied and walked into the room.
"I'm off to see Iya Gbenga, please don't leave this house, Salihu will come by to drop a new bale of clothes for me"
Tade's face soured 'No nah' he thought 'Not today of all days'
"Mama, but I have to go to church by Six" he said
"Church?!" His mother yelled "Dem no born you well, is it the church that is feeding you, Tade if you're not at home when Salihu deliver those clothes this house will not contain both of us" She hissed, tweaked her bright yellow gele that matched the rest of her outfit, picked up her handbag and stormed out of the house.
Tade sat on the steps in front of the house and waited on Salihu. He glanced at the cheap watch strapped to his left wrist, it was few minutes till Six, soon Kola would call for him.
He got up and walked a few paces forward and turned to stare at the rickety apartment he and his mother lived in. The walls were brown and so dirty he couldn't discern the original colour it was painted in, that is if it had ever been painted. The roof was rusty and leaked in several places. Most of the window shutters were broken giving free entrance to mosquitoes and other vile insects.
He sighed and shook his head but not after that day, after that day, things would change, after that day, his mother would never have to suffer again, instead of selling those nasty clothes, he'd open a boutique for her so that she can hold her head up high in the midst of other women. Yes, he assured himself, it was all for his mother, to give her a comfortable life.
Kola don show am the way, Kola don show am say good boy no dey pay.
He took one last glance at the road stretching to the end of the street. Seeing no sign of Salihu, he locked the house and dropped the key in it's usual hiding place.
He turned around and saw Kola behind him.
"Kola" he grinned
"My Gee" Kola replied bumping Tade's fists and patting his back "You don ready?"
"Yes" Tade said, nodding his head.
The two of them made their way around the cluster of houses Calling out to friends and replying greetings.
"Tade You dey go church?"
"Tade remember to pray for me oo"
"Tade, church boy"
"Tade where your Bible nah"
Tade shook his head, if only they knew...
It was not quite seven when they made it to the rendezvous point but it was already dark, it was the season where people ascribe the days as being 'shorter' and the nights 'longer'.
They were the first to arrive and while Kola chose to sit on a fallen log, Tade chose to remain standing, he was a bundle of nervous energy and he wondered how Kola could remain calm but then that was probably not his first time.
Not long after, the others arrived, three guys dressed in black.
Kola stood up and fist bumped each of them while Tade stood aside awkwardly.
One of the men came up to him "Na de boy be dis?"
"Yes boss K" Kola replied
Boss K surveyed Tade, from his low-cut hair to his button down shirt and plaid trousers.
"See as he dress, you think say na evangelism we dey go do?" He chuckled and his henchmen laughed along side him.
Boss K punched Tade's shoulders and he flinched
"Dis boy dey fear oo, you get de mind?"
"Yes sir" Tade replied
"Oya nah, make we go"
The site of the operation was Chief Olushola's house. Chief Olushola, a widower was a real estate tycoon, owning properties all over Lagos and surrounding states.
The house was enclosed in high walls and an iron fence but that was not a problem. Boss K had an 'in' with Ajayi, the gateman. He walked up to the gate, tapped lightly and the gate creaked open noiselessly.
"He dey inside?"
"Yes Boss" Ajayi replied "de money dey him study"
"Good boy" Boss K grinned "Go wait for us for location, when we return, I go settle you"
"Yes sir" Ajayi said and ran out of the compound.
Tade watched as Boss K dropped the bag he held on the ground and began handing out black masks and guns, he shivered as his fingers closed over the cold metal of the one given to him.
"No worry" Kola assured him "You no go use am"
Boss K led them to the door of the house and knocked. The door opened and he shoved the person inside the house.
Tade's breathing hiked, he could feel the sweat pouring out of his forehead and his shirt was already soaked despite the chilliness of the evening.
He took deep breathes " Do it for mama" he whispered to himself, trying to keep calm. He noticed that the others were already inside the house and he quickly followed them.
He saw a middle aged woman, probably the house help cowering on the floor beside chief Olushola who was being tied by one of Boss K's Lackeys.
Tade and Kola was left to cover both of them while the rest of the gang went upstairs to raid the study.
Tade surveyed chief Olushola, he was lying on the ground, his eyes closed, his breathing shallow. There was an angry gash on his forehead, he must have been hit by one of the guys. Tade wished the men to be faster so they'll leave the house and the Chief can be taken to a hospital.
"Tade" Kola called "I dey come, make I go piss"
Kola stepped out of the front door to relieve himself and Tade sighed he was feeling very uncomfortable and wondered why Boss K and his men were taking so long.
Suddenly, he heard a shriek and something shattered behind his head, he could feel blood trickling down his neck. Without looking back, he aimed the gun behind him and shot twice, he heard a gasp and a heavy thud as the person fell.
He turned to glance at the person on the ground behind him and screamed. All he could see was yellow, a bright yellow with two large patches of crimson.
He dropped to his knees pulling off his mask so he can see better.
"No...No..." He chanted "Not mama, mama is at Iya Gbenga's house ,No..."
"Tade" She whispered, blood sputtering from out of her mouth, the brightness in her eyes fading.
"No..." Tade clutched her hand with one of his own and stared at her glassy, lifeless eyes. Closing his fingers around the gun still in his other hand, he shoved it into his mouth and pulled the trigger.
"Ohhhhh" He mumured "Make dis woman comot nah"
He watched as his mother finally repacked her makeup kit and stowed it in it's usual position on the shelf.
"Tade!" She called
"Ma" he replied and walked into the room.
"I'm off to see Iya Gbenga, please don't leave this house, Salihu will come by to drop a new bale of clothes for me"
Tade's face soured 'No nah' he thought 'Not today of all days'
"Mama, but I have to go to church by Six" he said
"Church?!" His mother yelled "Dem no born you well, is it the church that is feeding you, Tade if you're not at home when Salihu deliver those clothes this house will not contain both of us" She hissed, tweaked her bright yellow gele that matched the rest of her outfit, picked up her handbag and stormed out of the house.
Tade sat on the steps in front of the house and waited on Salihu. He glanced at the cheap watch strapped to his left wrist, it was few minutes till Six, soon Kola would call for him.
He got up and walked a few paces forward and turned to stare at the rickety apartment he and his mother lived in. The walls were brown and so dirty he couldn't discern the original colour it was painted in, that is if it had ever been painted. The roof was rusty and leaked in several places. Most of the window shutters were broken giving free entrance to mosquitoes and other vile insects.
He sighed and shook his head but not after that day, after that day, things would change, after that day, his mother would never have to suffer again, instead of selling those nasty clothes, he'd open a boutique for her so that she can hold her head up high in the midst of other women. Yes, he assured himself, it was all for his mother, to give her a comfortable life.
Kola don show am the way, Kola don show am say good boy no dey pay.
He took one last glance at the road stretching to the end of the street. Seeing no sign of Salihu, he locked the house and dropped the key in it's usual hiding place.
He turned around and saw Kola behind him.
"Kola" he grinned
"My Gee" Kola replied bumping Tade's fists and patting his back "You don ready?"
"Yes" Tade said, nodding his head.
The two of them made their way around the cluster of houses Calling out to friends and replying greetings.
"Tade You dey go church?"
"Tade remember to pray for me oo"
"Tade, church boy"
"Tade where your Bible nah"
Tade shook his head, if only they knew...
It was not quite seven when they made it to the rendezvous point but it was already dark, it was the season where people ascribe the days as being 'shorter' and the nights 'longer'.
They were the first to arrive and while Kola chose to sit on a fallen log, Tade chose to remain standing, he was a bundle of nervous energy and he wondered how Kola could remain calm but then that was probably not his first time.
Not long after, the others arrived, three guys dressed in black.
Kola stood up and fist bumped each of them while Tade stood aside awkwardly.
One of the men came up to him "Na de boy be dis?"
"Yes boss K" Kola replied
Boss K surveyed Tade, from his low-cut hair to his button down shirt and plaid trousers.
"See as he dress, you think say na evangelism we dey go do?" He chuckled and his henchmen laughed along side him.
Boss K punched Tade's shoulders and he flinched
"Dis boy dey fear oo, you get de mind?"
"Yes sir" Tade replied
"Oya nah, make we go"
The site of the operation was Chief Olushola's house. Chief Olushola, a widower was a real estate tycoon, owning properties all over Lagos and surrounding states.
The house was enclosed in high walls and an iron fence but that was not a problem. Boss K had an 'in' with Ajayi, the gateman. He walked up to the gate, tapped lightly and the gate creaked open noiselessly.
"He dey inside?"
"Yes Boss" Ajayi replied "de money dey him study"
"Good boy" Boss K grinned "Go wait for us for location, when we return, I go settle you"
"Yes sir" Ajayi said and ran out of the compound.
Tade watched as Boss K dropped the bag he held on the ground and began handing out black masks and guns, he shivered as his fingers closed over the cold metal of the one given to him.
"No worry" Kola assured him "You no go use am"
Boss K led them to the door of the house and knocked. The door opened and he shoved the person inside the house.
Tade's breathing hiked, he could feel the sweat pouring out of his forehead and his shirt was already soaked despite the chilliness of the evening.
He took deep breathes " Do it for mama" he whispered to himself, trying to keep calm. He noticed that the others were already inside the house and he quickly followed them.
He saw a middle aged woman, probably the house help cowering on the floor beside chief Olushola who was being tied by one of Boss K's Lackeys.
Tade and Kola was left to cover both of them while the rest of the gang went upstairs to raid the study.
Tade surveyed chief Olushola, he was lying on the ground, his eyes closed, his breathing shallow. There was an angry gash on his forehead, he must have been hit by one of the guys. Tade wished the men to be faster so they'll leave the house and the Chief can be taken to a hospital.
"Tade" Kola called "I dey come, make I go piss"
Kola stepped out of the front door to relieve himself and Tade sighed he was feeling very uncomfortable and wondered why Boss K and his men were taking so long.
Suddenly, he heard a shriek and something shattered behind his head, he could feel blood trickling down his neck. Without looking back, he aimed the gun behind him and shot twice, he heard a gasp and a heavy thud as the person fell.
He turned to glance at the person on the ground behind him and screamed. All he could see was yellow, a bright yellow with two large patches of crimson.
He dropped to his knees pulling off his mask so he can see better.
"No...No..." He chanted "Not mama, mama is at Iya Gbenga's house ,No..."
"Tade" She whispered, blood sputtering from out of her mouth, the brightness in her eyes fading.
"No..." Tade clutched her hand with one of his own and stared at her glassy, lifeless eyes. Closing his fingers around the gun still in his other hand, he shoved it into his mouth and pulled the trigger.