kalu was practically weighed down by that day's experience. He laid on the bed exhausted from the physical and emotional trauma he had experienced but too weak to catch sleep.
It was getting close to day break when he was finally webbed in by sleep.
"is it that the Rose i saw with my two eyes entering that compound was also a spirit or a supernatural human?" This was the question that kept him awake all through the night,
He was gradually analysing the picture of his encounter with those men, which was crystal clear, to himself, trying to understand what really took place. " how come she just disappeared as soon as she went inside the compound?"
But if he was being played by his imagination, if he was living in a world of illusion as the whole situation was now trying to make him believe, those men that robbed him wouldn't have confirmed the name Rose, by asking him why he was looking for her when he mentioned the name.
At least if such name didn't exist in the compound, they would have asked him the Rose he was talking about.
It was his desire to go to the market the next day, but he was obviously weak from that experience.
He woke late the next morning, and wasn't as active as he used to be on other market days.
The fact that he had already seen where the Rose resided was the only thing he could reckon as gain concerning his mission the previous day.
His thought switched to his savings which he had exhausted a good part of, in this same quest.
That was even the major reason he needed to go to the market so that he would be able to start saving again for he hadn't given up on the mission.
He had been saving from the extra profit he made sometimes from the goods he sold to the customers. And some other time he would have to go to other neighbours' shops to purchase the goods that were lacking in their shop for customers, he got incentives for such errand.
Abuchi didn't bother him that morning for the fact that the false presumption that he was still recovering from sickness was still in play.
He got prepared after others had left and dragged his feet to the market.
Abuchi was already taking care of the shop where he was in charge, when he saw him slowly walked into the shop that morning.
He was surprised and asked to be sure if Kalu had gained the strength to resume.
Abuchi would have preferred that kalu stayed a bit more at home, so that he could gain full recovery before resuming business..
He wanted to go further by asking him the reason he was not resting at home, but he finally decided to keep shut about it, knowing the kind of person kalu was. He knew that he did what seemed best to him without, considering anyone's opinion, once he perceived his action the right thing.
And he was also not the type that loved staying at home. Anything that made him not to come to the market on a business day must be something very critical.
After Kalu made it clear to Abuchi that he was okay now, and he had fully resumed.
Judging from his appearance, Abuchi who supposed that he was actually sick was inwardly glad that he had now fully recovered.
He left the shop for him After updating him about some slight changes in the prices, that just took place in the recent days.
kalu's mind was still occupied by the thought of what he really went through yesterday even as he was seated in the shop although he was lively in attending to customers. But in his free times, he would unknowingly dwell on the thought.
He had heard of stories of men making a lot of sacrifice for the sake of love, men going through hardships and difficulties for the sake of a woman they love and he had utterly criticised those men for such stupid acts as he would describe it not knowing that one day, he would also be at the receiving end of criticism for such an act, if not from anyone, from his own very self. He had tried as much as he could to let go of every feeling and to discard every thought of Rose but all his efforts were to no avail.
The customer that gave him the address of the spiritualist later arrived that evening for it was on Wednesday. He asked Kalu if his friend were able to visit the spiritualist, Kalu had told him earlier that it was his friend that needed the address.
The urge to tell the man every truth was there for he needed an advice on whatever might be his next step but the fear of his mission being exposed held him back.
He simply told the man that his friend later went there and was successful in his mission, "the spiritualist revealed to him where he discovered what he was looking for"
He wanted to inquire from the man if the spiritualist could be able to give him anything for protection for he would never want to go through what he went through the previous day again, but he couldn't ask such a question for he was too shy to do that.
" I think he was successful in finding what he was looking for" he reiterated in a bid to say something to break the silence that was trying to encroach.
" I hope your friend went back to show his appreciation after he had found what he was looking for?" the man asked "for it is good to show appreciation to the spiritualist when your prayers had been answered" he added " yes... I believe he would do so" replied kalu. " tell him, let him try and do so for the sake of next time" the customer advised.
As the customer was still speaking about the spiritualist, pouring praises on him, on how he had been the best spiritualist he had ever met, Kalu sited Abuchi coming to the shop, he mumbled in a very low voice accompanied with a hand signal to the customer to keep shut that his uncle was coming.
The customer was able to understand and quickly diverted the discussion to the goods he had come to buy.
Abuchi came into the shop and took a book he had forgotten in the drawer and left immediately.
kalu revealed to the customer after Abuchi had left, that he didn't want his uncle to hear their discussion about the spiritualist.
Even if he claimed that he was making the inquiry for his friend, the fact that Abuchi knew and was familiar with his only friend was a fact that could never be erased.
He could easily get to John to know the reason he had patronized a spiritualist, from there, the truth would surely be exposed.
After the customer was through with purchasing what he had come for, as he was about to go, he asked Kalu for a compensation, for the address of the black magic custodian he obtained from him. "you have to give me something for the help, I rendered to your friend" he said.
Kalu, gave him some change in discount for his compensation.
In the evening of the that same day, after attending to one his big customers, who usually came once in every two weeks from another state, kalu was pressed and wanted to ease himself.
As had been the market norm, when one wanted to ease himself or quickly get something from somewhere else, one could leave ones shop under the care of ones neighbor instead of completely locking down the shop or if there was a trusted customer in the shop, he could as well leave the shop in the care of the customer.
As he had gone to urinate at the market rest room which was situated at the center of the market for easy and equal access to all the shops in the market, he left the shop in the care of his neighbor, a young servant like himself who was serving another master that had a shop in that line just like Abuchi, opposite there own.
The young boy who hadn't been long he came to the city but was light fingered, went into Kalu's shop to see if there was anything he could quickly steal from the shop, before kalu returned.
fortunately for him, as he pulled at the drawer where the money was kept he discovered that it was opened, kalu had taken the key with him thinking that the drawer was locked.
The young boy opened the drawer, and found a good heap of money in it, the money for all the sales that Kalu had made for the day.
He took as much money as he could to fill his two pockets in such a manner that the pockets would not get too swollen to avoid suspicion.
While doing that, he made sure that the other neighbors attentions was not on him at that moments for they were busy attending to their own customers.
The other two neighbours who were not attending to any customer where lost in discussion.
After he had packed enough as his pocket could hold without creating awareness, he quietly left the shop and went to his own shop.
When Kalu returned, he didn't notice in time that the drawer was open.
He attended to a customer who came later that evening as the market was already packing.
It was after he was paid by the customer and wanted to drop the money in the drawer that he put the key in the key hole, then he realized that it had been open all the while for the key couldn't turn. he was shocked by the abnormality of his action, for he had been in the market long enough to understand that no matter the depth of the trust one had for ones neighbour, one shouldn't extend the trust to money related issues for some good people got easily influenced and manipulated with money,
he had seen several times how the issue of money had brought deafening scandals between good neighbours. "but there is no way anybody would know that the drawer was not locked unless they pulled at it" he assured himself.
He was so sure that no one knew that the drawer was opened.
He never imagined that someone could come inside the shop and tamper with the drawer, so he felt no need to check if any money was missing.
The same thought of Rose and what he went through the previous day, had been the reason he forget checking if the drawer was locked before leaving with the key at the first place. A mistake he had never made before.
The boy whom he had left the shop under his care, was codedly monitoring him since he came back, knowing fully well that he might surely realize that some money were missing, he had already had in mind to deny being inside the shop let alone seeing any money.
Since he had succeeded in moving the money out of the shop without anyone noticing him, there was no more trouble for him for he could easily deny any allegation that came up.
Moreover Kalu would be outrightly blamed for leaving his drawer open before leaving the shop.
After Kalu had packed for the day, just like the other traders for time was almost gone. As he was going through his sells book to know if the sells made had corresponded with the money realized, as was the normal routine of all dedicated business men, then he realized that he was running short of five thousand naira.
He was alarmed at the instance, his forehead furrowed in a deep frown.
He knew that something was wrong somewhere as he re-examined the record and was now sure of the shortage.
His mind then started to awaken to some glaring facts.
There were some new notes that a particular customer used in paying him earlier that day and he had kept the money separate for he was fascinated by the newness of the money, and that was the very money that was missing.
He was sure that the only time he left the shop was that evening when he had gone to urinate.
He was certain now that someone had tampered with the drawer while he was easing himself, he realized that he was wrong all this while for thinking that no one would know that the drawer was opened.
He went to the neighbour whom he had left the shop in his care to inquire if anyone had come to the shop while he was away, his mind was far from suspecting the boy.
The boy pretended not to be fully aware of what went on during that time, he claimed to be busy attending to his own customers. "i wasn't fully concentrating on the shop, for some customers came to my shop at that time" he claimed.
"is there any problem" he asked to show concern. "yes, I just noticed that some money are missing in my drawer" kalu replied. "didn't you lock your drawer while leaving the shop?" he questioned
" I forgot to do that, it was really a mistake on my path" Kalu admitted.
The boy was so happy, that he had cleared himself, he had been waiting for that question from Kalu since he returned from easing himself and now that he had finally cleared himself he went home gladly.
Kalu after searching everywhere in the shop and his entire pockets without seeing the money, was left with no other choice than to go home, worried on how to explain to Abuchi about the lost money.
The boy that had taken the money, on his way home decided to branch to a nearby fast food joint to immediately start squandering the money for the money could land him into trouble if the master should find such a huge money on him, he would surely think that the money was his.
So he knew that the money had to be cut down as low as possible for him to be safe at home.
When he got into the fast food joint, he made his order which entails of the most expensive food and wine in the joint, for he was confident that he could pay for anything, with the amount of money in his possession.
After he had finished eating and drinking, he dipped his hand in his pocket as he wanted to pay but couldn't find the money anymore.
He was sure that the money was in pocket when he left the market and was still in his pocket when he got into the fast food joint.
He searched every pockets on his body to the extent of almost stripping himself naked but still couldn't find the money. The only money on him was the Master's money, the money he realized from the day's evening sells.
He wasn't willing to spend a dime from that money for he knew that his master, could definitely send him back to the village just for misplacing even one naira, he wasn't willing to go back to the village at that time.
The boy was held by the management of the fast food joint for failing to pay for his order.
He was engaged in cleaning and washing to make up for his debt, And it led to his suspension for he couldn't come back early , he had to work until it was dark that day.
kalu was so worried when he got home, how would he begin to explain to Abuchi about the missing money?
Had his savings as at the moment were up to that amount, he wouldn't have been bothered he would simply replace the missing money without any one knowing about it.
Now he only had one thousand naira in his savings, which was not up to half of the money that was missing, moreover he was still seeking for fund for his uncompleted Mission about Rose.
he was sure that his uncle would never mete out any punishment on him for misplacing the money. But the legacy he had built over the years of being extra careful when it came to business he would never wish to destroy.
After he had made up his mind to let his uncle know about the missing money, and was ready to face any reaction that the report would trigger from him.
As he was bringing out the money to arrange so that he could go to the sitting room to give account of the days transaction together with that of the other servants, he found the money he had been looking for, in a pocket where he couldn't remember putting any money, the same pocket he had searched several times.
He was suffused with a mixed feelings, feeling of surprise and elation.
He couldn't imagine putting the money in that Pocket, he was sure that finding the money in that pocket was something extra ordinary something he couldn't explain.
But he was glad anyway.
There had been few occasions where Kalu had experienced such an unbelievable situation.
There was a time in one of such occasions whereby one of the other servants, the one who came almost the same time with him became jealous of how Kalu was placed above every other servants including himself in the house.
The fact that Kalu appeared to be smarter and more careful than the rest of them, seemed to him to be the reason he gained such a respect from the master, not considering the fact that Kalu was Abuchi's nephew.
That particular servant wanted to tarnish kalu's image so that he could lose his position as the head-servant in that way being the next senior servant he would take over the position.
On a particular day, the servant went to Abuchi's room and stole some dollars in his bedside drawer.
The dollars was sent to him by one of his friends in America.
The servant was there when Abuchi was discussing how the money was sent to him with one of his friends in the market.
He was the only one among the servants that knew about money.
In the morning of the next day, the servant made sure that he woke up very early and was monitoring Abuchi.
When Abuchi came to the sitting room to watch the morning news as usual before getting ready for business, the boy sneaked into his room. Fortunately for him, as he opened the drawer he found the money lying on top of the sells record that was there.
He placed the money carefully in his pocket and sneaked out of the room and went back to their own room, the room that all the other servants shared together.
He was in there room monitoring kalu as well.
Immediately that kalu left the house, for Kalu had been known to leave the house earlier than the other servants, he sneaked into kalu's room and hid the money somewhere in kalu's wardrobe. He then prepared for market and left with the other servants who were not aware of what he had done.
In the evening of that day, the servant's ear was on the ground.
He was expecting to hear Abuchi complain about his money, but to his greatest surprise, everywhere was calm, there was no such complaint.
Even throughout the week there was no sign of the master searching for the money.
His plan had been to suggest to the master for the whole rooms in the house to be thoroughly searched had he complained about the missing money.
The boy sneaked into Kalu's room to check if the money was still were he had hidden it, but he couldn't find it there.
He also sneaked into the Master's room and found the dollars in the drawer the way it was before he took it.
He repeated the same thing and the same thing happened again. He repeated it up to four times and same result emerged those four times.
Then he knew that there was something extra ordinary that was bringing that money back to its place, for he was quite certain that Kalu never noticed that the money was in his wardrobe.
The servant was the first to realize that there was supernatural power that went with Kalu. And that power made it difficult for people around him to identify his flaws even though they were many.
Clara inspected the environment as she alighted from the taxi and got into the compound, the over grown flowers in the compound caught her attention. She could have shapened the flowers right away but she was too tired to do that at moment.
She stood at the balcony of her apartment staring at a piece of paper hanging on the handle of the door as she was about to enter inside.
There was only but one person who could drop a written note like that, and that was the mother.
She had always used that means to communicate to Clara that she was around each time she didn't meet her at home.
As Clara opened the piece of paper, there was this puzzled look in her eyes as she glanced through the words written in the note.
The mother had informed her that there was an urgent need for them to see.
"what does she want us to discuss again" she mumbled as she squeezed the paper in her hands.
She opened the door, and went inside the room still wondering what the problem could be that the mother needed her urgent attention.
She got seated on the bed neglecting the fact that she had to change her clothes.
" we have already discussed the marriage issue and I have promised her that I will get married, what else does she want to discuss with me so urgently" she pondered in her heart.
As she was still pondering on the note the mother had dropped, a knock came on the door, "has she come to check if I am back?" she whispered to herself.
As she got to the door, she decided to check who the visitor was before opening the door, when she peeped through the door hole, she saw the huge figure of Alex standing.
That was the last person she wanted to see at that time.
She stood close to the door weighing the two options in her mind at the moment.
Should she just open the door and ask him to go that she was just coming back from work and needed to rest or should she just ignore the knock, whenever he was tired of knocking he would quietly go by himself.
The first option appeared to sound rude so she went with the second option.
She went back to the bed on laid down.
Alex knew that she should be back from work by then, that was why he came. After he left the previous day, when Clara told him that she wanted to go out, he felt offended by the way he was discharged by Clara and the way his gift was rejected, so he hadn't been around again till this evening.
He knew that Clara wasn't happy for the answer he gave to her that day, now he had come to iron things out with her.
He had really thought about the whole thing and came to understand that for him to win Clara's heart, he had to believe in whatever she believed.
Even though he didn't believe, he had to at least pretend to believe, that was one of the little lessons he had learnt from Clara's mother about Clara's behavior.
After he had knocked for sometime without response, he was left with no other option that to go, though he was not happy about Clara neglecting his knock, "maybe I should come back later" he consoled himself.
he was certain that Clara purposely didn't want to see him for the door was locked from inside. which means that someone was inside.
After he had gone, Clara started to feel remorse for treating him that way, the first option now appeared to be a better option to her.
"I would have opened the door and told him to come back next time, in a polite manner instead of keeping him outside... there is no way he wouldn't know that I am inside" she blamed herself as she slowly unbuttoned her shirt.
She was too tired to go and see the mother now, that day was one of the rare days when she had to work over time.
She decided to leave it tomorrow so that she could even use the opportunity to get that picture of the herbalist that had stolen Rose's body.