Who is Jason? " I asked as he gestured to me to sit down. " A long time ago" he started looking at the frame as if he was trying to remember something. " A long time ago" he repeated while I adjusted myself on the chair as I was anxious for him to talk. " I had gone out of Newriton , not for anything but to get drunk. Yes to get drunk, there had been a problem in
Newriton and the board think I wasn't putting in my best, they had suspended me for two weeks, that was how I got out of Newriton. I went back to my home. On one night, I decided to sweep away my bundles, so I drove around town to a club, I drank to stupor in the club that I forgot my car and headed home. I hadn't walked half the way when I saw a little boy in the streets being bullied by some touts, he was crying for mercy, he was obviously their errand boy. I couldn't help seeing the small boy being maltreated so I fought against those tout and took him home. After suspension, I brought him to Newriton, where he got trained as a fighter,I gave him a life, I changed him, he became a man of his own and decided setting up his house in town, during holidays, he wont stay in my quarters anymore, he would go to his house in town, from there, he got a girlfriend which he told me about. Her name as he said was Jane. He was the best fighter among his peers, he was strong, fast and always happy and then one day.." Sir Ajan stopped as tears choked his voice, the king of justice was crying, I had never seen him cry. I passed him my black handkerchief and he took willingly, " And one day, he stole" Sir Ajan said calmly handing back the handkerchief. " He stole a huge amount from the Treasury Units, he stole about 500,000 naira. " Sir Ajan explained, " Did you guys catch the money with him?" I asked for the first time, " Yes, it was in his room , in a bag under his bed, what confirmed it was a letter he had written to his girlfriend that he promise to provide the 500,000 naira she needed for her business " Sir Ajan explained calmly. " Hmm, am sorry sir Ajan, its really painful to see someone you trust betray you that much" I said calmly, " I had to send him away from Newriton, he didn't admit that he stole the money, he continued to say he was innocent. But it was crystal clear, if he didn't steal the money, how did the money get into his room?only he had a card to his room, he had no room mate" Sir Ajan said looking at the frame again, " But I and israel have separate cards to my room, the cards can be cloned you know?" I asked also staring at the frame, " The cards cant be cloned without a replica, if his card was cloned, then it had to be done through his card. He was the only one who had access to his Card" Sir Ajan explained. " Have you seen him ever since then?" I asked him getting up from the chair, " No, I had even taken the risk of going to his house in town, but he no longer stay there, he had sold the house" Sir Ajan said relaxing on the chair. " what of the security cameras in the treasury unit, why didn't they get him?" I asked, " Why did the Security Camera at Sir Jude house not get you?" He asked back , " Jason was the best agent in his set" He concluded . " Okay sir, am sorry for.." He interrupted, " You can go now Gabriel" he said pointing at the door, " Okay sir" I headed towards the door. " Gabriel" he called after I have gotten to the door, I turned back immediately. " I am proud of you, you did a great Job on this mission, but next time, be patient" He stood up while I nodded and went out.
It was truly painful to see someone you trust hurt you badly, it is the worst feeling on earth. " Has Sir Ajan talked sense into your head?" I heard a voice from behind, it was mark's voice, " Hmm, that betrayal" I thought to myself. " Hey Mark, how are you doing? " I asked turning to him, he was putting on a T shirt and a trouser. " Dont greet me, you screwed up our mission" he walked further, " Yeah, I know, but I also know who screwed up the most" I walked to him and he turned immediately, that was the real attitude of a suspect. " Who? " he asked with a serious facial expression, " Are you sure you dont know?" I asked back smiling at me, he was now looking really uneasy, " I dont know" he walked further, " You and Israel of course, you guys were busy planting cameras outside a building, if you guys have planted inside the house , we might have still be in the mission " I said smiling while he bursted into laughter, " You are never serious" He patted me and we walked further, " What did sir Ajan say?" He asked as we walked further, another attribute of a suspect, always want to know all.
°°
The evening was cold, birds , monkeys and squirrels could be seen jumping from trees to trees, rustling of the trees and the noises from new applicants into Newriton were the only noise that could be heard . The applicants stood on 20 straight file dressed in all black, I could point out those who wouldn't make it through trainings, they were those uneasy ones who were putting on stern faces and shouting at their colleagues in thick voices. I soon spotted sir Ajan come out and stood on a high platform in front of the fighters, he was putting on a smile, the same smiles he had put on when he welcome my sets into Newriton. " Whoa, You are all looking good " He started looking round, his eyes soon went up and sure he spotted me on the tree which I was, he only smiled to it. " Welcome To Newriton" He shouted and the fighters roared in happiness, some of them could be seen punching themselves to show how strong they were, this drew laughter from most of the staffs who were standing on the platform with Sir Ajan. " You think this is the end? They will get you, If not here then in Atata. One day, your skull shall also be used for exhibition Gabriel" I remembered the words of the guard who I had killed in the ship, the words stung me , it sent cold shivers all over me, I was scared of his words and his words remained a mystery. " I think I have to go back to Atata " I thought as I climbed down the tree, " I must go back " I said to myself again as, " God lease keep Adanna and my loved one safe " I prayed as I began walking away from the scene. " It is said that many are called but few are chosen…" I continued to hear Sir Ajan Voice as I walked away.
AS NARRATED BY ADANNA
" Thank God say you no die o" Linda, another sibling to Gabriel, and the fourth child of Omiyi said to me one evening as she sat in my compound peeking cassava with me. She is the most troublesome girl in the entire village, she has this hatred for guys and doesn't hesitate to fight into a fight with them whenever they offended her. Though she is younger to John but she looks more aggressive than John. There was a big gap in out age difference but the relationship I have with Linda makes us look like age mate even if I was more older . " So if you had died now, by now I would have been here eating Akpu" Linda peeled on laughing while I gave her a friendly punch. " That guy that saved should be praised" She added while I nodded, " His name is Jason" I told her as we gradually reduced the rate at which we peeled the cassava, " Jason, the name self sweet" she complemented while I smiled, " When is Ogbakpo coming back?" I asked, Ogbakpo was the name we gave to Gabriel when we were much younger, it meant a fool in their local dialect, I had actually learnt the name from Linda, she always called him whenever she was angry or had a quarrel with Gabriel and they end up fighting. The name used to make Gabriel angry then but as time went on, he didn't give a dime about it, he had just pretend like he didn't hear you. " Aunty Ada, he is no more a Ogbakpo o, he already has sense" Linda corrected laughing while I also smiled. " He hasn't written home yet, my dad could not operate the phone he bought for him, dad hasn't even bought a sim for the phone" She added. " Wait, you mean Gabriel bought a phone for dad?" I asked her as I continued to peel the cassava, " Yes but he forgot to teach them how to operate it" She said focusing on the peeling. " But even if dad knows how to operate it, does he have his number" I asked while she nodded, " He had written his number on a paper he left before he left for the city" She explained while I smiled. " Please can you give me the number?" I asked standing up from the floor and dusting my butt, " Aunty Ada, do you have a phone?" She also asked, " That guy from the city, Alvana, he has a phone" I explained while Linda nodded. " Aunty Ada, you like Ogbakpo bah?" She also stood up, " I dont like Ogbakpo, I love Ogbakpo" I said twisting my mouth, " Hmmm, I pray I love one day, but that's impossible" Linda said as she turned to go, " Let me go and thief the number" She added and ran out of the compound in a boyish manner, " I really do love Ogbakpo" I said to myself smiling.
• It was in the evening of the next day that I got the chance to see Alvana again, I had purposely gone to the stream hoping to see him and sure I did see him coming back from the farm. " Adanna, this one you are here without a water pot, haven't you bath since morning?" He asked on sighting me sitting on a stone close to the stream, " Yes Alvana, I had come here to have my bath" I said also smiling, "wow, I got here at the right time, its gonna be a clear show on the cross" He smiled standing beside me. " Alvanna, I want to beg you for something?" I told him while he put on a serious expression, " Ada, I hope there is no problem?" He asked as his serious expression now changed into a smile, Alvana is always smiling. " No, Alvana I only need you to call this number for me" I told him as I brought out a piece of paper on which I had wrote the number on. " whose number is that?" He asked while I twisted my mouth and crossed my leg " Its Gabriel's " i said shyly while he bursted into laughter, "Is this Love? Soon now you will start pretending you dont love him" he smiled as he dipped his hand underneath his wrapper and brought out a phone. " When did I pretend I never loved him?" I asked him, " Do you love him?" He asked smiling, " Yes I do love him" I told him shyly, " Then dont be shy to say it, let the world know you love him, he proud of him" he collected the paper from my hand and typed the number into the phone, " Yes I do Love him!!!" I shouted with Joy, Alvana smiled and Nodded, " Yes You do Love him!" He also shouted. " Take" he handed the phone to him, " Start talking when you hear his voice" He added. I could only hear a beeping tone, I did not hear any voice. The beeping suddenly stopped and I heard a deep breath on the phone, " Hello, its Gabriel on the line" I heard the long awaited voice, it was thick and smooth.