C1 MEMORIES AND PRESENT

He knew it was already getting late. The night was moonless, but the street lights around penetrated deep into the night, making it seem as if it wasn’t nightfall yet. He never stopped running with his mask on to disguise himself.

And now, the crowd was after him, chasing him like hell. Suddenly, he took a curve and then a bend, and the penetrating street lights dimmed and darkness fell ahead.

As he ran into the darkness, the angry men withdrew. They knew he had escaped and nothing the police can do about it either, even when they heard the sirens.

“Too late, another criminal escape,” they said as they withdrew and walked their separate ways.

Quande Olaye never stopped breathing. And with his torn clothes still hanging on his nearly naked body, he knew he was lucky, lucky to have escaped alive, and with the bag full of stolen money still tied firmly to his right hand, he knew he had turned pro.

He was not ready to give up, certainly not now. Looking around in the dark, he slowly walked into hiding and then sat down on an empty broken box in the darkest part of the darkness surrounding him. His breath labored for a while and then returned to almost normal as he sat down panting.

The fear, and the anxiety, all crawled on his body like bees busy producing honey in their hives.

Minutes later, he felt a sharp pain all around his lower abdomen and he also noticed the usual pains all around his spinal cord region.

The pains seemed to rush through his entire body now and he knew if Richi doesn’t show up soon with the Range Rover, he won’t make it. He could still hear the sirens far away and his mind kept working.

What if the men chasing him a while ago never gave up on him?

What if the police release their dogs after him and then—

And then what a hell would happen?

He frowns at his thoughts and then lets them slip as fast as they came, all of it.

He has been in this hideout several times before and has never been caught, so why now? He whispered as he fought his climbing thoughts to a stop.

An hour ago he knew he was almost caught up there, but was so lucky to have escaped. He had kept on wondering in what direction Richi went but soon noticed the Range Rover had disappeared.

Now he felt so alone, he knew he never wanted this life, but now, he was already living it.

Suddenly he felt a chill, and nervousness spread through his chest region for seconds.

And the moment he thought he heard a sound, his heart pounded strongly in his chest. With his left hand placed on his heart region, he noticed his heartbeats were abnormal. Fears crawled through his mind as he screamed for help. But then, his scream couldn’t go that far, he felt weak and thirsty.

The thought that he was going to die, hunt him within, and the more he struggled to let go of this thought, the more he sees himself sinking in.

His eyes sunk into narrow slits and his weak hands drummed nervously on his kneecap, struggling to stay conscious. The cold breeze outside was tormenting his naked body now.

Where is Richi?

Has he abandoned me and taken the Range rover away?

Where the hell is he?

His thoughts ran weird and for seconds, he fought the more to suppress all of it but then, the memories of how it all started kept on lashing at him, taunting him, and now, more like killing him slowly.

His firm grip on the money bag loosened as his strength fail him, struggling now to survive he knew if not for the money but Gilly, his sexy wife.

He had never admitted to Gilly where he gets his money from but has always insisted he had a lucrative job uptown.

And now not just that he was dying but the memories of all the lies he has told Gilly was taunting him.

Memories of the past flooded his mind, he knew he has never been a good husband but a criminal—a chameleon criminal, and Gilly had no idea. The more he forced himself to stop stealing. The more he knew he can’t watch his family die of starvation.

He looked at the bag containing money they had robbed from Glassmosk bank and then looked away in tears. His thoughts tumbled for a while and then rose almost immediately when he suddenly heard a strange sound from nowhere but from somewhere, this time, he was too weak to go check it out. He managed to take cover in the dark but the sound became louder and this got his tired heart pounding faster against his hairy chest once again.

As he struggled to drag himself further into the darkness. He felt a strong hand on his shoulder. Struggling to fight it off, he heard a calm voice, more like a whisper. “Quande, it is me. I am sorry it took me a while to find you. The Range Rover is packed over there.”

Quande peered at Richi’s face in the dark and then at the bag of money on the ground. “You almost scare the shit out of me.” He mumbled. “I can’t walk, my legs hurt, take me up—”

“I will.” He didn’t let him finish. “You don’t have to ask.” He pulled Quande up carefully and then grabbed the bag full of money with his left hand.

Two hours later, they were in Richi’s little room sharing the stolen money. Quande has bounced back, the fatigue had left him. Glancing at his share of money for a while, he looked away thoughtfully. He knew this is not the life he wanted.

What if one day, I get caught or get shot?

And what will become of my family?

That thought hurts badly. But he knew anything can just happen to a criminal.

Richi looked in Quande’s direction. He seemed to read his thought but prefer to be quiet.

Silence fell on them for a while and then suddenly broke loose, “Today you were brave. You outran everyone even without the Range Rover. You were unbelievable. I thought you would jump into the back seat, I mean the door was wide open as I drove, remember? Perhaps the chase was too close and you took the turn. That was clever and thoughtful.” He laughed and then stopped almost immediately. “This is what we always wanted, to be rich. But you know what? I almost thought today would be our end but so funny it wasn’t. We escaped. We are still breathing and we are still here.” Richi said, smiling.

When he noticed Quande didn’t smile, his smile faded and his face picked up a frown and then, he whispered instead. “I quit Quande, but I must be rich. And nothing can stop me from being rich, absolutely nothing. I must go look for better ways to make money and when I do get one way. Just one way, I shall become the most powerful man on earth.”

Quande glanced at him and then nodded in support even when he never understood what Richi meant.

********************

The morning was still fresh. It had gone thirty minutes past 6 am and Quande Olaye was already on his wheels. He was watching the traffic light ahead of him.

Immediately the light turned green, and he drove along and diverted through the T-junction. And as soon as he did, he knew he would soon be at Richi Oshogun’s mansion. Only a stone's throw now, he thought.

And at exactly 7 am, he pulled over at Richi’s huge gate, painted with black color.

He opened his car door and jumped out, leaving the door wide open. He hesitated for a while and then changed his mind. He walked back and closed the door. Satisfied it was locked, he started for the gate.

A few seconds later, he was standing by the gate. He hit it hard, waiting for the gateman to open the gate. He could see him peeping through the security window now.

Seconds later, he saw the huge gate move and then was pushed wide open from within. The gateman watched him walk into the large compound without driving in.

Quande stopped and spun around glaring at the gateman. “I—I—Is your boss in?” he asked stammering as he looked around for Richi’s expensive Jeep. He noticed it wasn’t packed outside as usual.

His eyes shifted to the gate that the gateman was still busy locking and then on him.

“Yes, he is in but with some visitors.” He shrugged.

Quande noticed his voice sounded honest but had some betraying notes in it. He stared at him again, this time thoughtfully.

He stood speechless for a while and then continued walking towards Richi’s mansion.

Richi’s mansion is an amazing architectural masterpiece. Quande never stopped wondering how on earth he lives in it all alone and why he kept his family far away in London. His thought was still busy when he saw three girls that were dressed to seduce, walked past him. They looked more like whores, he thought as he gazed at them once more.

They laughed at him as they walked past. He wasn’t so sure he loved what he was seeing. They appeared almost completely naked before his eyes.

Their breasts were not covered and their mini-skirts were transparent to see their tiny pants. Their perfume pierced the air around him. He almost felt like sneezing, but instead held back as he nodded in amazement.

Seconds later, he whispered, “What a hell is Richi doing with these sexy whores!”

He could still hear them laughing as they hurry out through the gate. He stood staring at them for a while before heading for the entranced door. He struggled to push the entrance door open but noticed it was locked.

How?

He questioned his thought.

Those girls just walked out, he reasoned.

Again, he tried the lock and then examined it carefully. It had a jammed lock, nodding his head in frustration. He pressed the doorbell instead. He could hear the sound of the bell echoing within and then a voice answering from within followed piercing through the door.

It was a female voice, he pondered.

Annie, is she home with the kids?

Is she back from London?

Richi never said she was and the whore girls? His thought was frozen. He knew he had to wait and see. The voice came up again.

“Who is that?”

He could sense the strength behind the tone. He got annoyed and answered loudly, “You should come and see—” almost losing his temper.

Quande’s mind was busy now.

That voice sounds strange and who could that be? He also knew he would soon see—

See what?

Was it another woman with Annie’s husband and doing what with him?

His anger grew.

What a hell is Richi doing?

Has he lost his mind?

He felt his bones screaming at Annie’s betrayal.

A few seconds later, the door was thrown.

Suddenly, his eyes fell on a beautiful fair complexion young lady who looked like a maid. I thought he once spoke against the idea—the idea of having a maid around, he pondered.

He got his mind wandering as he glared at her again. She wasn’t dressed well. Her breasts were oversized in her tiny white bra. And her protruded buttocks glued offensively to the transparent short skirt she wore. The moment she turned around to close the door. Quande could not help but close his eyes.

What?

Was she trying to seduce me?

Even if she was, why was she not having her pant on? She also seems to be bouncing her breasts on her chest as she wheeled around.

The more he fought so hard to look away the more her body got Quande imprisoned in her world.

Quande struggled to control his eyes which were almost corrupted by the seducing lady in front of him. Now, he felt his body fighting against the seduction.

He coughed to ease the lust that was piling up within and then asked, "have I seen you here before, I mean in Richi’s home?” He walked closer to her and frowned. “Who the hell are you?” he demanded whispering.

She put on a tempting smile and then placed her hands on her large breasts as though inviting him to caress them.

Quande was disgusted and he wanted his question answered.

Seconds later, her voice came like a nightingale and Quande knew she was ready to take him into her world of seduction by force. She seemed to have all the powers to trap a man under her skirt, he pondered. He glared at her as he watched her painted lips move.

“I’m Charmdola, the housemaid to the Oshogun family. I was recently employed and perhaps that’s why we have not meant. You are welcome sir and how may I help you?”

Quande stared at her again. She appeared too bold for a maid. He looked around for a while and a thought crept in. She must have long taken over Annie’s bed.

What a hell is wrong with Richi?

Has he run crazy?

Three whore looking girls just left the house and here again, a maid that doesn’t look any different from them and possesses so much sexual power.

He walked his eyes over her once more. “What did you just say your name was?” He asked and watched her smile again.

This time, he watched her place one of her fingers to her lips and then the other hand on her breasts that had protruded from her tiny white bra that couldn’t get hold of it.

She licked her lips and then replied, “Charmdola.”

Quande lifted his hands to his eyes. “That sounds interesting, if I may ask. What part of Nigeria are you from?” Now, he got his eyes fixed on her.

She took another posture, this time a more sexy posture, and then narrowed her eyes at him.

Staring at her more closely he could see her nakedness right behind her clothing—everything!

When her voice suddenly came, he felt a chill.

“Well—let's just say that is my little secret. But I will tell you since you are getting more interested in me.”

Quande wondered what a hell she was talking about.

Is she out of her mind?

Was she thinking he wanted her?

The smiles on her face, the way her curved lips moved, and the way her breasts stood on her chest revealing her firm nipples behind her transparent cloth were becoming more tempting.

He ignored it, pretending he never saw anything. He wanted to ask what she meant by the little secret but instead waited for her to finish.

“I’m from Calabar and—”

“Hmm—” Quande interrupted her, “oh, I see, but you don’t look it—any way is your boss in? I will like to see him.” Staring at her more closely, he could see her nakedness right behind her clothing—everything!

She felt disappointed. She wasn’t happy the conversation didn’t go her way. She gazed at him with an admirable lust and then without answering him a word, she backed out.

She disappeared upstairs in search of her boss. Quande watched her as she turned around and started for the staircase. Her appearance was so tempting but then, she knew he cannot fall for a whore.

His thought shot up again.

Is she Richi’s maid? Or—

She said she is from Calabar and those girls are hot!

What is the matter with Richi?

He has a beautiful wife in London. Now he is cheating on her and playing around with different girls.

What strange madness!

Does he want to die young and on top of women?

He has too many women around him already these days. His thought diverted when he saw Richi climbing down the staircase.

“Hello Quande, quite a while. Where have you been? Please don’t tell me you have been in Nigeria and not come to say hello to your most trusted friend!”

Trusted?