Chapter 5 - Behind Bars
"This'll do just fine." Malik muttered, picking out the blue jersey top belonging to Anita. He quickly put it on to compliment the short knicker he had on.
Precisely, Anita actually brought home a shirt and a knicker yesterday and that's what he's putting on. Speaking of Anita, she could be seen lying down on the bed with her butt pointing at the ceiling. Her butt was barely covered by the bum short she wore and a black half-cut to compliment it.
Malik was trying hard not to gaze at her butt as the event of the previous night kept on replaying in his mind. They haven't said a word to each other after their escapades last night. He already concluded that it may be a one night stand but to Anita, it was more than that. She felt alive when with Malik and it was more than a lustful feeling.
Malik took her virginity, he turned her into the woman she was afraid of being. She couldn't even stare at his face and that's the reason she pretended to be sleeping.
Immediately he finished dressing up, he stole a glance at Anita and his gaze fell on her butt. He swallowed hard and quickly looked away.
"I'm taking a short stroll. I'll be back in a moment." He announced and made to leave.
Suddenly, something occurred to him. His boxer had a pocket where he normally hid some stuff. The boxer was lying on the other side of the bed. He quickly reached for it, thereby climbing the bed.
Anita also adjusted at that moment and they collided causing him to fall on top of her.
His eyes widened while her breathing got intense. He adjusted but ended up rubbing his hard-on against her butt causing her to let out a soft moan.
"I'm sorry." He managed to say not knowing what to do.
She flipped beneath him and stared directly into his eyes. His body was shaking, he was so nervous.
Anita could see it in his face. She almost burst laughing but knew better than to spoil the moment. He made to pull back but she captured his lips at once.
She broke the kiss after a short while and they both stared dreamingly at each other. As if possessed, they both reached for each other's lips and engaged in another hot kiss.
….
It was a bright sunny Wednesday morning. Malik could be seen walking into the park with his hands tucked in his pocket. He was putting on a brown knicker and a blue jersey top which belongs to Anita.
As he walked, his mind was filled with different thoughts. The event of yesterday replayed in his memory. He still can't get over the shock that Anita actually gave him his virginity. Mere thinking of her causes butterflies to dance in his stomach. He went a little hard on her yesterday which is the reason why she was feeling weak when she woke up this morning.
In order to let her rest well, Malik decided to take a stroll. The thought of his family changed his facial expression. He wondered what state his mother might be in. This is the first time he's coming to the park after his phone was stolen.
As he approached the edge of the park, a flickering light caught his eye, drawing him towards a small tavern nestled among the old trees at the far end of the park. The air was thick with the smell of fried plantains and the faint scent of beer, enticing Malik further into its welcoming embrace.
"Why haven't I noticed such a place before?" He asked himself as he stood before the door.
Pushing open the weathered door, Malik stepped into the dimly lit interior of the tavern. The walls were adorned with faded posters advertising local events and faded photographs of past patrons, their faces worn with the passage of time. The scent of fried plantain filled his nostrils and he couldn't help but to inhale as much as he could.
His face beamed with a smile on realizing that he wasn't fasting today also. Being a Muslim can deny one of many privileges. He stood by the door post for close to 2 minutes, checking out the room.
The room was alive with the sound of chatter and laughter, the clinking of glasses and the occasional burst of laughter filling the air. Malik staggered forward, nodding politely to the other patrons as he passed. He tried hard to weigh the thoughts of his family aside.
Initially, his plan was to find clues about how to get home in the park. Anita would be mad if she ever heard he visited a tavern.
He approached a lady putting on a green apron with a smile on his face. The lady couldn't help it but to reciprocate with a smile.
"You're new here." She said as soon as Malik got closer to the point that he could hear her speaking.
"I think so." Malik replied, scratching the back of his head.
"You think so?" She couldn't help but chuckle lightly.
He dipped his hand into his pocket and brought out a thousand naira. The only money he had, the one he found in his boxer to be precise. He dropped it on the table and pushed it to her.
He winked at her and she reciprocated with a smile. She pushed back the note to him and gave him a plate of fried plantain and a beer.
"Newbie offer." She said and his eyes widened.
"But not for everyone though." She added before leaving him there to answer other guests.
"This is shocking." He stated before munching on the slices of plantains lying on the plate.
But it wasn't long before his attention was drawn to a group of men gathered around a table in the corner, their voices raised in animated conversation as they shuffled a deck of cards. Intrigued, Malik approached the table, his curiosity conquering his taste.
"Na mind if I join una?" Malik asked, his voice tinged with the weariness of his journey as he gestured towards an empty seat at the table.
The men glanced up at him, their expressions guarded as they sized him up. After a moment's hesitation, they nodded their heads in agreement, welcoming him into their midst with a nod and a grunt.
Taking a seat, Malik felt a surge of nervous energy coursing through him as he watched the game unfold before him. The rules were simple enough: each player had to choose a card from the deck, hoping to uncover the elusive king hidden within.
As the game progressed, Malik found himself drawn into the excitement. He also wanted to play. Thank goodness he had 1000 naira. He placed a bet with his 1000 naira and his game began.
The card was shown to him, there's a king, a queen, a diamond and a heart. He was to pick the king. The card was flipped and was shuffled. Malik was watching keenly, his breath catching in his throat with each flip of a card.
"Point the king." Said the player seated directly opposite him. He's the one shuffling the game. Malik pointed at the one at the left end and to everyone's greatest surprise, he won.
He was giving the sum of 2000 naira. He staked again with all the money and ended up winning 4000 naira.
He kept on staking with any money he won and he kept winning. The other players looked on in astonishment, their grumbles of frustration drowned out by Malik's triumphant laughter.
"Beginner's luck, eh?" one of the men grumbled, his tone tinged with envy as he eyed Malik growing bundles of naira notes.
If there's one thing Malik is good at and that's prediction.
The other player seems to understand and is made to cheat in their next game. At this point, Malik already accumulated fifty thousand naira.
"Let's go again." The player said staking a sum of fifty thousand naira.
Malik was already confident about himself. He made to bet again but someone stopped him.
He looked up to see Anita and his senses returned back to him.
"I told you not to come here." She said and dragged him up.
"I'm sorry. I forgot." He replied picking up his money.
"I'm sorry I've to go..Maybe next time." He said to the player and both he and Anita turned to leave just to find out that their way had been blocked by four guys.
Everyone in the tavern was looking at him meanly. He knew for sure that he's in for a hot soup.
"What's the meaning of this?" Malik stuttered.
"You cheated." He heard the voice of the player betting against him. He's already up on his feet.
"I didn't.. Everybody was here.." Malik stammered trying to convince everyone.
"You didn't, right? That's what we are about to find out." The player said, rolling his sleeves.
"How?" Asked Anita as the others gave way. One of the guys carried the table away.
"Me and him.. One on one." Said the guy and without giving Malik any chance to object, he lodged a blow which Malik narrowly blocked with his arms. The weight of the force pushed him backward.
"I warned you." Anita whispered, folding her arms together.
Malik, on seeing that he's left to his fate, decided to fight back. He handed the money over to Anita, folded his fist, with his gaze on the guy's legs.
"Come on Boy." The guy urged him to surge forward and he obeyed without thinking. He made to throw a punch but the latter side stepped and gave him an elbow strike on the back which pushed him to the floor.
The crowd was cheering for the man who wore a smirk on his face. Anita made to go help him but two guys blocked her way.
Before she could ponder on her next move, the weathered door pushed open and two men on black uniforms stormed in.
"Hands up Everybody."
....
"Clang!"
The iron gate was pushed open and the Sergeant pushed Malik into the cell. Another suspect rushed towards the gate but the Sergeant was quick to shut the gate.
"Release me.. Let me go." Cried out the Suspect.
"Ode!" The Sergeant spat and walked away.
Slowly, Malik turned around and drew backward till his back was against the wall. The cell was emitting an offensive odor that caused him to sneeze out loudly.
"Oga! Cover your noise." One of the suspects cautioned and Malik nodded.
It wasn't up to a minute before he sneezed again. It was so urgent that he didn't get the chance to close his nose.
"I warned you to close your nose." The suspect said again but this time, his tone was harsh that he was forced to rise up.
Fear gripped Malik instantly. This man was approaching him with a kind of force he couldn't withstand.
Not after he just finished going one on one with the player. The man aimed his fist directly to his face. He closed his eyes awaiting the drastic collision.
Even the eyes of the other suspect that made to outsmart the sergeant were half closed.
Suddenly, they heard the sounds of laughter. It was coming from the man that aimed to punch Malik.
"Author." He called, punching him lightly on the shoulder.
Malik hasn't recovered from his shock yet. He stared directly into this guy's face but there was no sign of recognition.
He's sure he hasn't seen his face before.
"Which of the Author is that?" Asked another suspect in the opposite cell.
"The Writer of 'Mind and Machines.'"
"Author Malik." Another suspect voiced out.
Malik was scared, shocked, frightened at the same time. Most of the people here seem to know him and that's sickening.
"What are you doing here Author?"
"I was arrested with some other guys in the tavern." Malik answered back. The guy that wanted to punch him took a seat beside him so as the guy that made to escape.
There were three in that cell and in the opposite cell were two suspects.
"Did you gamble with those thieves?" Asked one of the guys from the opposite cell.
"Thrives?" Malik couldn't help but reply back with a question.
"Those gamblers are thieves. They stake with stolen money, they're the reason why I'm here." The guy said again.
"I actually gambled with them and I won fifty thousand naira. I made to leave but they didn't let me. They insisted that I must fight with one of them and then the Officers burst in and arrested me including three others." Malik narrated.
"So where are they?" Asked the guy seated beside him.
"I left them on the counter. The Police forced me down here." Malik replied.
"Those scallions.. They must have bribed the Police. Someone has to come and bail you or you'll rot behind bars." Said another guy.
"But my family is far from here. I'm even lost in this region and I don't have any money on me except the fifty thousand naira I..."He stopped trying to think of where the money is." I gave it to a friend."
" She must have run away with it. "
"No. I trust her. She won't do that." Malik disagreed.
"Even if she didn't.. She can't get you out of here. These police are crazy when it comes to the matter of the tavern." said the other suspect who was silent all these while.
Malik stood up with a heavy heart and walked to the iron bars.
"A... ni... ta.." He stressed out the name while staring at space.
....
"A..ni..ta"
She sprang up instantly with sweat dripping down her face. It was as if Malik was calling for her and indeed he was calling for her.
She had warned him earlier about the dangers of the neighborhood and some zone he shouldn't be near but it seems he was paying a deaf ear. And now, he brought trouble not just upon himself but upon them.
The money Malik gave to her was seized by one of the Officers and she can't possibly go to the station. They won't answer her or might even lock her up also. She has been thinking of how to get Malik out of there. The mere thinking of it caused her to drift off earlier
She doesn't even know his family or where he hails from. There's a slim chance of getting him out of that cell. The bail is 50 dollars. It'll take her up to a month before she'll be able to raise such an amount of money.
She jumped down from the stairs and an idea popped into her head. There's a way she could save Malik only if she's not too late.