Oh matt!" I said in anger as the guard drew me up with force and pushed me to the ground again, "Go bring rope make we bundle am inside car" the guard said to another one who went immediately and came back some minutes later with a thick strong rope. " Where is your phone?" He asked as he made to tie me, " I didn't come with it" I replied trying my best not to cry, I actually decided not to carry my phone along that night as it was battery flat. They tied me down and carried me into a car, I was kept in the booth of the car, I was folded in like .
• Another punch hit me, it had been a night filled with punches, they all took turn in punching me and wiping me with something I could not see because I was blindfolded. I knew I was in a room as I knew when I was brought into the room, but I didn't know the place I was, I didn't know the location of where I was, I only knew I was in a room of a strange environment. They had stripped me of my gown, I was only putting on the bomb short and bra. I didn't even have the chance to see my almost naked self as I was blind folded. " See sexy girl like this, person no go know say na thief she be" One of the guards said in pidgin. " Hassan, ni be thief they call am, na spy" Another one said. " same thing, thief or spy, what's the difference?" Hassan asked him while they bursted into laughter. " By tomorrow, you go dey abroad" Another one said while they laughed again, " You sure say this one no go die for inside ship?" Hassan asked the rest while they bursted in laughter again. " She no fit die, na spy she be" Another one answered and they resumed their punching again, this time I had no option but to cry, not for any reason but for the fact that I was betrayed by one of my good friends, Mathew popularly known as Matt. If any other person could have betrayed me, it wouldn't have been this painful, I never expected someone from Newriton, my set mate will betray me. The rest are now in danger as for sure Matt will also betray them, I wonder how Gabriel is gonna feel passing through this kind of pain am passing through, he might just want to fight back, his temper and pride won't allow him stay still and receive such torture, he might rather just kill himself, he is stubborn and strong, he doesn't allow anyone take advantage on him, he might even involve himself in open fire with them, he live with the slogan " Never give up" , the mere thought of how he might behave when being captured made me burst into laughter forgetting that I was under torture. " This girl dey craze o" one of the guards said giving me a kick in the stomach region.
• yes, I remember Gabriel say he would be at the port tomorrow, he had wanted to know what they were shipping and with that he would be at the port. I knew he would come, be always keep to his words no matter what comes may. The only problem is that I was meant to go with him, but I will be no where to be found, " Dont worry Gabriel, I will also be at the port, not with you, but on chains" I thought to myself and smiled as I didn't want to receive another kick. Gabriel, Gabriel, a spy pass midnight. How sure am I that he wouldn't be captured tomorrow? It will be great fun being with Gabriel tomorrow in the same ship and going abroad. Just pray I dont die in the sea I have a kind of hatred for water you know. I didn't know when I slept off, but I knew I slept off in my thoughts.
°°
I whistled a song as I prepared for school that morning, I was on duty in cleaning the toilet again, I pray it isn't as bad as it was the first time I cleaned it. I walked into the sitting room and met Matt and Israel playing games. " Matt hardy, when did you come?" I asked him. " I came this morning, I had actually called israel to come open the gate for me " he said as he moved his body sideways holding the game pad. " Are you going for your cleaner work?" Israel asked me while they both bursted into laughter, " At least I am more better than the both of you who go about planting cameras." I said also smiling, " Daniel is the one slowing us down, he is always with the computer browsing about something I dont know, he is to slow in this mission, I should have broken Into the house a long time ago" Matt said while israel gave him a mockery eye " Broke into the house, you wey no get liver" Israel complemented while we laughed. " I think Daniel is being careful" I said though not from my mind, I dont like the Daniel of a guy. " Okay guys, its is time to separate the men from the boys, am going to work" I said smiling, " Yes boy go to work and leave the men" Israel said as I went out.
°°
Sir Jude was already in school, his class who actually the first class in the school so there is no way you enter the school without passing through his class. " Good morning sir" I greeted as I walked towards the changing room, " Yes, Goof morning Gabriel" he greeted back while I stopped and walked towards him with my back, " Sorry sir, how did you know my name?" I asked politely.
Title: Hope
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"See this boy o, I know the names of everyone in this school, as long as you work here, I know your name" he said while I smiled. " Okay sir" I simply replied smiling as I made to walk away. " Can we meet for a drink this night, about this your joblessness stuff, can we meet and talk?" He asked but I shook my head and bit my lips. " Actually, I will be busy this night sir, can we make it tomorrow night?" I asked politely again while he nodded firmly. " If that's okay, you can go let me mark my pupil assignment " he said smiling, I also smiled and walked away. " He might just give me a job in his house" I thought to myself as I changed into the cleaners cloth. " That will be another head start for our mission o" I thought grinning happily. " I didn't see you yesterday" I heard Tobi's voice as I step out of the changing room, " were you suppose to be looking for me?" I asked smiling. " That's is not how to reply to my greetings" she replied. " You didn't greet, did you?" I asked again. " Why weren't you around yesterday?" She asked, " I wasn't on duty yesterday, I only have to work Wednesdays and Fridays" I answered, " Why are you even asking?" I asked, " Nothing, just thought you were sick" She replied as she made to walk away, " Am boring right?" I asked after her, " You are more than boring" she replied while I nodded and went towards the toilet to start the day. Surprisingly, the toilet wasn't as dirty as the first day I entered into it, it was a bit neater today and thus making my job easier. I was done before 12:00pm, which was the normal time for school break, I bought some snacks to help myself with and then went home to plan for the night.
• " The number you dialed is switched please try again later" came the reply from my phone when I tried calling Morgana that afternoon as I walked home, she isn't met to switch off her phone, she knew we had plans for the night. I called up to five times but got the same reply, switched off. I then called Christiana. " Hello, Gabriel are you really the one calling me? I thought you have forgotten about me" Christiana said calmly over the phone. " How are you?" I asked , " Dont ask me anything, you are ju…." I interrupted her " See, am sorry, there is work to do and no time to call, am sorry" I apologized, that was only what she needed to hear, sorry. " Okay, am fine and how are you?" She asked. " Am also fine, what about Morgana? Is she at home?" I asked her , " Nope, she left since yesterday night to probably be with Sir Jude" Christiana said calmly. " I hate that girl" Christiana said again, "why?" I asked smiling, there is no one Christiana doesn't hate. " She is too bossy and annoying, I slapped her yesterday" Christiana said laughing, " You did what?" I asked pretending like I didn't hear her the first time. " I slapped her" she said again. " Why!!!?" I asked angrily. " She made me angry, and I slapped her" Christiana said without an atom of regret. " Did she slap back?" I asked, " No, she dare not" Christiana said again. " Okay,bye, call me when she returns home" I said as I realized I was still walking on the road. " You can't even say something sweet like, I love you and the likes" She said forming an angry tone, " Bye jare" I said and put an end to the call. " Morgana should have just told me she doesn't wanna come with me rather than use sir Jude as an escape route" I said to myself still walking home.
AS NARRATED BY ADANNA
" Why are you always Moody these days" my mom asked me one evening, we were both in the kitchen preparing food. " Moody as how mama?" I asked her pretending not to know. " My daughter, I know you too well, you haven't been yourself these days, always quiet and thinking " my mom said again. " Nothing mama, that's how I just want to be" I said smiling. " my daughter, I know its because of that son of Omiyi, Gabriel. " my mom said laughing this time. " It's not a…" She interrupted me " Dont worry, he will come back soon" she said still laughing, " Mama, will he come back to me?" I asked her as I finally fell in. " Come back to you as how?" She asked me, " I love him Mama" I said shyly while she bursted into laughter and I twisted my mouth. " My daughter can love o, so you can love someone after sending away almost all the young men in this village" she said still laughing. " if he truly loves you Ada, he will come back. If he has true love for you, you will feel it right here" she said touching the left part of my chest. " Mama if he doesn't come back, I won't get married o" I said jokingly to my mother, " Why won't you? You dont want me to see my grandchildren? You have failed " she said clapping her hands like the way market women does when gossiping. " But mama, I pray he comes back" I said as I swayed my waist to get palm oil from a corner of the hut which serves as our kitchen " No wonder all the boys in this village are dying for you" she said while I swayed more and she bursted into laughter.
• John is a younger brother to Gabriel, I had seen him the previous day on his way back from school, he had greeted me as he normally does. " Aunty Ada, good afternoon" he greeted, " Our lawyer,how are you" I asked him smiling , who doesn't know that John wants to be a lawyer, always destroying people with his Umuede secondary school grammar, " Am fine fine, how are you too?" He asked me, " John, have told you that in this village, you dont ask you elders how they are" I corrected him. " That is a mere show of illiteracy, how are you is not a disrespectful question" he said while I nodded to avoid more of his insults. " Have you heard from your brother?" I asked him, " Nope, my bro didn't deem it fit to write a thing home " he said, " When is he coming back? " I asked again, " Aunty Ada, you must be suffering from malaria you know, I said he didn't write home and you are asking when he is coming back" he said laughing while I also smiled. " Hmm, does your brother have any fiance?" I asked him, he looked at me with surprise " No he hasn't gotten a fiance, but I know of a girl he loves so much" he said, I felt my heart cut. " She is the most beautiful maiden of Atata, Aunty Adanna" he added smiling while I bursted in laughter. " Dont worry, he must marry you" he said again, I gave him a punch and he ran along. " Aunty Ada, shey you love him also?" He asked from a distance, I only formed a frown at him, " Yes I do love him" I said to myself as I swayed away to the stream.
AS NARRATED BY MORGANA
The pain was too much to bear, they didn't pity that I was once a girl child, I was tortured almost naked , I was flogged with cane and dealt with punches. Once they opened my eyes to see myself, I had no choice than to laugh, a laugh of regret, a laugh which hungered for revenge, a laugh to hide my sorrow and pain. They brought a mirror to me to see myself, I was a nightmare of who I used to be, my lips seems to be more than its normal size, there was blood on my face but I kept on smiling as I awaited my death. It would have been better to die in the street than dying as a spy. I took a look at myself, all my pride was gone, all my dignity was no more, there was nothing to hide again as a girl as it was a clear show on the cross. I flashed back to back in the days of training, once I had injured my arms and Matt had come to back me to the sick bay, I had seen him as a brother, he was kind and good, he was funny and full of goodness. That was life, those you see as good might be bad, and those you call bad might be angels but our eyes are closed to that. " Please am hungry" I said to one of the guards who was sitting and watching over me. " Oh, you wanna eat your last supper?" He asked while I nodded still smiling with my blood shot lips. " You still get mind ask for food" another guard said while I nodded and they bursted into laughter. Why shouldn't I ask for food? Jesus Christ my saviour ate his last supper so I should be given the chance to eat before being shipped or killed. " Let's give her something" One of the guards said to the others, " We dont have food o, we only have drinks" another one said to me, " Anything will do" I said smiling, " Open her mouth " Another guard said while two of the guards forced my mouth opened, in my presence, one of them pulled his trousers and urinated into my mouth while the rest bursted into laughter, I could not hide the tears behind the smile again as I let it go, yes I let it go,spy or no spy, a female child shouldn't be treated like this. I bursted into tears as I rolled on the floor in the bid to free myself and fight back but I couldn't as the ropes held me tight. They bursted into laughter again and threw kicks at me. I pray I die in the ship, I know whatever they are shipping me for, it isn't something good.
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It was 7:00pm in the night of the same day, I was dressed in my spy uniform, all black except the white shirt . My black jacket was equipped with knives, I had two guns, each on the sides of my waist. I knew they were to depart by 9:00pm, I had seen it in the laptop. I wore my black mask and took the keys to my bike. For once I used the helmet of the bike not for any reason but to prevent myself from being seen on masks by the people of Lagos. I drove off to the port in high spirit, I was also going with anger as I was disappointed in Morgana for disappointing me, she could have just told me she was scared, I would understand. The way to the port is filled with bushed on both side, there is a big road in the middle of the bushes, big enough to even convey trailers. I stopped in a far distance from the port, I then parked my bike among the bushes and walked through the bushes, I could hear the wailing of humans, they were crying and begging for mercy. There was a big ship in the ocean, and before it were young teenagers tied with chains. I was hid myself with the bushes as no one who know there was someone there. I could see some guys in police uniform parading the place while some boys in suit were counting the people to be trafficked. I checked my time and it was 8:30pm, I had like 30 minutes more before they depart. Suddenly I heard a car stop and other men in suit got down with them was a young lady in chain, she was wearing only a bra and bomb shot. I cleared the bushes well and stared again at the young lady who was being dragged to the others who were now led into the ship, I recognized her immediately, it was Morgana. I felt the anger burn in me, this is the kind of moment where I discard all my trainings, I dont believe in keeping calm in situations like this. " Its now or never" I said as I cocked my gun, cleared the bushes and brought down one of the men in suit. The rest got alerted immediately as they started shooting randomly into the bush. I stood up and changed my position as I brought down another man in suit and then a police man.
AS NARRATED BY MORGANA
When I heard the first gunshot, I knew my hero Gabriel was around , I had hope in life again.