After dropping off Uche, we put a call through to Samson who was luckily in Lagos that moment. We did not tell Uche we were going to see Funmi because I’m sure she’ll not like it. Samson picked us up at a place closer to his house to make it easier for us. He took us down to his house saying Funmi’s house is a stone throw from there.
Sam: Bros you are looking good o, what’s the secret now
Me: Samo the boss, na God o.
Sam: Yes I know it’s God but I’m sure those Porthacourt babes too dey hmm, see bros Temmy self, D–n! I beg dash me your teddy now.
Temmy: (We all laughed) Sincerely I wish I can give you all the teddy including the beard. I wish I don’t have them at all.
Sam: That’s what all of you do say but I’m sure you wished for it while you were younger.
Temmy: Of course, all of us wanted it while in secondary school, I never knew it’s a burden like this.
Sam: So what do I offer you now. There is a joint close to this place, let’s go there and step down with pepper soup.
Temmy: That sound so cool, sincerely I don’t mind some pepper soup with well garnished smoke beef or bush meat. It’s been long I ate that, but we have to get back home today.
Sam: Today? You are not planning on sleeping over.
Temmy: Not really, though it all depends on how things unfold as it’s already getting late now
Sam: No qualms but still take something.
Temmy: Surely we’ll do. How’s life now?
Sam: Bros Temmy, we are managing o. School is on break and that’s why I’m around.
Me: Oh, what about your admission?
Sam: I’ve being admitted into Mechanical engineering. Please I’ll need your advice on how to cope there. I heard the lecturers are strict.
Temmy: They are not that strict, they just have ego. Just make sure you attended all classes, because they can set quiz test anytime. Attendance is very important.
Me: Especially for baba emeritus class, he’ll give you attendance form to fill every class.
Temmy: And if you don’t meet the required attendance percentage, don’t bother to write the exam.
Sam: What will happen if I write it?
Me: Have you heard of somebody scoring 80F before?
Sam: That’s ridiculous, 80 is a sure A.
Temmy: OYO, if you write baba’s exam without having required attendance percentage, even the VC cannot save you from 90F.
Sam: Na wa o!
Me: Hope you can cram very well?
Sam: Not really, I prefer calculation and I read to understand.
Temmy: That’s very good. It’ll make you a good engineer but will not get you a good grade. It’ll only make you average.
Me: My brother, if you want to have good grades in Mechanical Engineering or even Agricultural Engineering in that school, you must learn to cram very well. If your manual says “Corrosion is” and you write “Corrosions are”, my brother you are in . . .
Temmy: OYO. Whatever they give to you, give back to them the same way it was given to you.
Sam: That’s something o.
Me: And don’t forget to buy the manual. They will say it’s not compulsory but don’t be fooled because they will use it against you.
Temmy: You might not even use the manual but please buy it.
Sam: I heard that from somebody also. Thanks guys.
Temmy: You are welcome. Can we go to Funmi’s side now?
Sam: Surely, I pray she’s home though.
Temmy: Maybe you should call her to confirm.
Sam: That won’t work. It’s been long she pick my call. She rather calls me.
Me: Really? She doesn’t pick your calls? Since when have you noticed that?
Sam: When I was coming back home last week I put a call through to her but she did not pick up. She later called back in the evening. I’ve tried calling her like three times after that but she kept ignoring and calling back whenever she wants.
Me: But you’ve seen her since she came back from camp.
Sam: Everyday, except today. I’ve been out since morning. I came back not long ago. You should call her now or she doesn’t pick your calls too?
Me: No, she doesn’t
Sam: That’s weird. What’s happening with you two?
Me: That’s what I’m here to confirm.
Sam: What’s going her with her that she’s not picking people’s call?
Temmy: Since you came back, did you notice any strange behavior from her?
Sam: Except she now go to bar with her friends more often now.
We went to her house which was indeed a stone throw from Sam’s place. The house is on the third street and was designed similarly to Uncle Sam’s house in PH only it has more space and buildings. I guess it was the same contractor that built them with same design.
We entered the compound only to be told by their house help she has gone out with her friends. It was getting late and we were not planning on sleeping over and our journey back home will take at least 4hours barring holdup anywhere along the road. We decided to go to the said bar to see if we we’ll find her there and if we don’t, we’ll head back home.
“I’m more concern about her wellbeing now than our relationship. She going to the bar means she has started drinking again. What could have pushed her back to drinking on camp? was it an influence by her new friend or was it because we were apart for just some weeks? I really hope she okay”
She was far from okay when we saw her totally drunk sitting in between three guys who were taking the advantage of her drunkenness to sexually molest her by touching her at sensitive parts while she laughs on like a mad fellow.
Standing and staring like we saw ghost, one of the bar attendants approached us to ask what we wanted. We decided to sit round an empty table as we order for malts and “asun’ so we could stay there even though I couldn’t drink nor eat anything.
Sam: Bros Will, what should we do? Should we call the police?
Temmy: That might cause more trouble, we have to find a way of getting her out without causing trouble.
Sam: That is so unlikely in this scenario. Or maybe I should call her Dad?
Me: Her Dad is around?
Sam: I’m not sure but I saw him last week.
Temmy: We can’t call her Dad, it doesn’t make sense. Those guys are pure cultist and Funmi may have unknowingly put herself in soup.
As we were still discussing, thinking of how to take her out, I saw the Macho guy coming out from an inner room linked to the bar with a lady. He was holding Funmi’s phone. I guess that’s the reason why she doesn’t pick calls any longer. The guy jokingly shout on the three guys for making fun of his finacee as he took his sit by Funmi’s side with the other lady sitting by his other side.
Some minutes later, a group of guys and babes came into the bar talking loudly as they merge like three tables together. They were numbered up to ten or fifteen in number as I wasn’t really counting. They ordered for drinks and continued to talk loudly without minding others. There was one of the guys who came without a lady. He suddenly stood up holding his drink and went to Funmi’s table. Before we know what’s going on, one of the three guys that we with Funmi earlier, before the macho guy came, smashed a beer bottle on the guy’s head after which hell was let loose.
. We could not interfere neither were we save any longer. We tried to run out of the bar but we’re sent back after after we met some guys running into the bar with cutlass of different denominations. The three of us took cover and lied down at one corner. Soon, the fight was taken outside as majority of the guys chased themselves out of the bar. Looking towards Funmi’s table I discovered she, the other lady and the macho guy were lying down in a pool of blood. We rushed down to them and discovered the blood was coming from the guy’s body as he has being stabbed on the back. We carried him into the car while we help Funmi get into car as well as she was still drunk. The other lady only lied down to save herself as she left the place unscathed.
We rushed the guy to the nearest private hospital where they were attending to him. I used some of the money left on me from treating my mother to pay for his initial bills. Like a Yoruba adage says “that we are quarreling does not mean the other should die” (Bi a ba n ja, bii tiku ko). After dropping the guy in the hospital, we took Funmi to her place and always her to sleep. It was already late at this time and we were not planning to travel at night. We therefore decided sleep over with Sam offering us his room.
We went back to the hospital only to meet police men standing with the macho guy. We tried to go back as we sense trouble but the nurse who recognized us pointed to the police men that we brought him. The macho guy was awake but I thought he was under arrest because I could also the bar attendant and her manager with them.
Cop1: Hello guys (he extended his hand to me)
Me/Temmy/Sam: Good evening sir (I took his hand as she did same with Sam and Temny)
Cop1: Are you his friends that brought him here?
Cop2: He meant you are in the same cult right?