AS NARRATED BY ADANNA
"Good evening " I greeted awkwardly, you won't blame me for that as it is my first time using a phone. " Yeah Good evening, please who am I on to?" His Voice echoed again, the way he talked almost made me believe he wasn't the same idiot I knew as Gabriel, he talked more matured. " Its Adanna, Adanna of Atata" I answered calmly, there was a long pause and then a shout " Ada!!!! Whoa, has Atata developed that you now use a phone? Ada, is it really you talking? " he shouted in happiness, I smiled to myself as I was relieved it was the same idiot I knew. " Which one should I answer first?" I asked him, " No one, just tell me, how are you? " he asked again, " Am fine Ogbakpo " I replied smiling, Alvana was also smiling beside me. " You promised you will come in some weeks" I said calmly again, " Hey, Adanna is already missing me o, look at you, when I come now, you start looking for my troubles, I ain't coming anytime soon. See you, you are missing me" he laughed, I twisted my mouth and frowned, " Am ain't missing you " I told him, " Then why are you calling me?" He asked , I knew calling this idiot wasn't the best option. " Becauseeeee.." I didn't know what to say. " Yes because what?" Je asked. " Because I love you!!" I shouted while Alvana jumped up in happiness. " Wait is this really Adanna or someone else saying this?" He asked , " It's me, its me Adanna" I said , " Adanna, I love you too" he also shouted while I smiled in happiness. " Then if you love me, then come back soon" I told him changing my once happy tone, " Nope, I gat work to do, but I will sure come back" he answered, " With whose phone are…" He interrupted me, " It's Alvana phone, he is here with him" I told him. " Whoa, I forgot about Alvana, let me greet him" He requested while I gave the phone to Alvana who was smiling happily, " He wants to talk to you" I told him an he collected the phone. " Hey boy" Alvana started, I couldn't hear what Gabriel was saying. " You better come back quick, else Mbe will take Adanna, I have been watching her for you" Alvana said again. " That's no problem bro, anytime" He said again and handed the phone to me. " Hello, Ada, I have asked Alvana to always give you his phone when you need to talk to me" Gabriel's voice echoed. " Okay, please come back quick." i told him, " I dont think so" he answered while I hissed. " Bye Ogbakpo, we will talk another day" I told him, he didn't want to go off until I had to give the phone to Alvana who put an end to the call. " Thanks Alvana" I gestured to Alvana while he just smiled and nodded . " Hope your waist is better now?" He asked as we walked along, I nodded. " Please dont ever tell Gabriel about that letter, from the way he talked, you should have been convinced that he didn't write the letter" Alvana told me. He was right, from the way Ogbakpo spoked, he didn't write the letter. " Tell me Alvana, why don't you associate yourself with our people?" I asked him as we got a bit close to my house, " Nothing, you know I came here as a stranger, I don't have time to make friends, I just have to work hard and make a living" He explained. " But how come you are now friends with Gabriel?" I asked him again, " Because I saved him from Mbe the cat, and moreover, he is also from the city" Alvana stopped, we had gotten to my house. " See you when we see again" He said as I made to enter my compound, " Alvana thanks once again" I told him, he nodded and walked away while I entered into the compound. " What a strange being" I said to myself turning to look at Alvana again, but he was gone.
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What? I couldn't believe it, I couldn't believe I Adanna actually called. I was on the bed on my room when she called, Israel was also lying on his bed, like always, he was playing a game. Should I call it the happiest moment of my life? Yes, Its the happiest moment of my life. I had planned on going back to Atata the next day, but I wanted to make it look more like a surprise to Adanna, so when she called and asked when I would be coming back, I told her its no time soon. " So like seriously, you didn't give me the phone to greet her?" Israel asked angrily, he had actually wanted to speak with Adanna but I had refused giving him the phone. " See, the one I talked wasn't even enough at all" I answered him, " Why lie to her that you dont know when you are coming back?" He concentrated more on his game. " I want my coming back to be a surprise to her" I answered and he nodded. The screen on the wall came on to bring to view Morgana's face, she was doing the face scan. Israel pressed a button and the door opened , Morgana walked in. " Hey, How are you doing now?how do you feel now?" I asked her as she sat on a chair in the middle of the room, she was putting on a black trouser and a white top, she had a white palm slippers to match the white top. " Am good, you know, I have been thinking of something?" She started. That was Morgana she only come into our room whenever she had something to say, she doesn't come unnecessarily like Christiana. " What have you been thinking of?" I asked, " I dont think Matt was our betrayal" she adjusted herself on the chair, Israel sat upright on the bed. " Why think so?" Israel asked her, " I dont think, Sir Jude will want to expose him if he was our betrayal, Sir Jude knows perfectly well that I am a spy, he know there is a tendency for me to escape, he wouldn't want to expose himself or his workers for any reason, he might have said Matt just to give us the wrong impression like he has done" She concluded staring directly at me. " You know I think she is right? Sir Jude is more smart than reveal the real identity of any of his boys, especially one from Newriton" Israel told one in particular. " You are right, then who do you think it is?" I asked Morgana, " I dont think , I know who it is" She said confidently, I adjusted myself on the bed in anticipation of what she had to say. " I know it is Christiana" she smiled, " Yes Christiana" She added.. " Why Christiana?" israel asked, but Morgana wasn't listening . " She is more strange than you are" Israel turned to me smiling. " You see, during the course of our mission, she has never been around, I had never met her at home, where has she been?" Morgana asked again, " Maybe catching fun " I suggested, " I know you will take sides with her Gabriel, You will surely take sides with her" Morgana turned to me with a serious expression written all over her face. " I am not taking sides with her, you shouldn't see her as the suspect because she has been no where to be found" I said calmly , Israel was just watching us all along, he paid more attention to the game. " I know one day , this betrayal will be known, so let's cool down" he never took his eyes off the game. " Am leaving for Atata tomorrow" I tried changing the topic, " So soon?" Morgana asked. " Yeah, he is missing Adanna" Israel chipped in. " Who is Adanna?" She asked while we all kept mute, Israel eye moved slowly to me, " who is Adanna?" I asked him back. " Have you guys of the guy who stoled from Newriton some years back, they call him Jason" I said changing the topic again, at the mention of the name Jason, Morgana turned sharply to me. " Have heard pretty much of that name but have never met him" She said, " Sir Ajan is very fond of that name " She added. " How do you know Sir Ajan is fond of that name? " I asked, " Hmm, I have heard it from him number of times" came her reply. " Why are you leaving tomorrow? " she asked standing up from the chair, " I have nothing to do at Newriton again, Sir Jude has escaped and young Carl is trying his best to track him, I need to go to my family, dont you think your fiance might also be missing you?" I asked as she walked towards the door, " Yes, he is surely missing me, I will also go back home very soon" She said as the door opened and she went out. " I think I will come pay a visit to Atata one day" Israel never took his eyes from the game. " You know I also suspect Christiana?" He continued with his game, " Why should all of you suspect Christiana?" I asked , I wasn't trying to defend her but I couldn't imagine Christiana betraying us even if I knew she was a bit bad and loose. " Remember to tell Adanna about me o" Israel said now dropping the phone,he always gets serious on issues about Adanna. " Wait, Israel why should I tell her of you?" I asked him as I fetched my bag and briefcase. " Because am your friend Bro, she should know about your friends you know?" He asked but got no reply. " I seriously think Christiana is the suspect " he said and started his game.
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You guessed right, I was on the mango tree by the stream, I had gotten to Atata the previous night, I had informed my siblings early this morning not to tell anyone one of my return. The previous day's Journey was hectic, slow and steady had stopped five times to drink water as it wasn't in good form. This had provoked the passengers that we had almost beat up the old driver. I got home around 11pn that day, thank God my parents were outside looking into the sky like young lovers. " Oyinbo" My dad has called as he sighted me, my mom's happiness couldn't be estimated, she opened her arms for me and I ran into them. She had taken my bags, my school bag and the bag containing what I bought from the city, I had brought a lot if things back home. I have even deemed it fit to buy a phone for Adanna and that was why i was on the Mango tree by the stream, to surprise her.. I sat in a branch of the tree, I was wearing a red short knicker and a red top. " This foolish tree has never bear mango" I thought to myself as I looked around the tree. " I heard the whistling of a song, I looked down and behold it was Adanna approaching alone, she was with her water pot and walking like she was counting her steps. Her walking steps was perfect, not like those of other maidens of Atata who walk like warriors. I smiled to myself as she bent and dipped her water pot into the stream. " Should I jump down?" I asked myself but decided against it. I held a branch if the tree and shook it thereby creating a rustling sound with it. Immediately I did that, Adanna left her water pot and started running away. I was shocked as I jumped down the tree and ran after her. " Jason, Please, Save me!!!" She shouted. " Jason?" I thought to myself.