THE PLAYER

 

She walked towards him with feline grace, a goblet of gin in hand. He took off his brown leather jacket and threw it carelessly on the lambskin upholstery. She came closer, her breasts heaving with delight and sat on his legs. "You didn't come back early baby", Dolly said, grinding her voluptuous butts on his groin. "Something came up in the studio, he said, nestling his lips on her neck. He slid ...his big veinous arm into her silky nighties and touched her soft naked skin. She offered him the goblet and he gulped down the content.

A lady came out from the kitchen into the dining room. He threw a glance at her with a puckered face and jumped up in shock. She smiled. "I can explain this baby, I swear", he blurted in utter disbelief. "Explain what sweet heart, that you are having an affair with my friend?", She said with a smirk. "Well done Dolly", she said. "I Knew you could do it". "Do what?", he said staring at Dolly. She moved away from him and stood beside her friend Mimi. Sweat trickled down his body now as he gazed at the women. Mimi, you set me up? You know how much I love you baby. I am sorry for my wrong but...". "But what?!, she interrupted. "You are one hell of a bastard. You sleep around with your girls and now, almost with my best friend? You are a dog Matt, a fucking dog".

Matt began to cough. Both young women exchange glances and stared at him. "I am sorry baby", Matt said with great difficulty. "I am sooooorrr...", He stuttered and grabbed his throat. "This is how you pay Matt, it is pay back time", Dolly said chuckling. Matt spew blood from his mouth, dropped on his knees still grabbing his throat. He fell to the ground and his big legs thrashed about violently. He jerked. Soon, he lay still. Big Matt was dead.

The Narrow Escape

She woke up from her unconsciousness, sneezed and opened her eyes. The naked light from the open window struck and she quickly shut it. She sat up, but felt a sharp pain in her head. She rubbed her head and threw glances about in the room. It would have been empty, but for the bed she lay on. Her bare feet touched the dusty floor as she stood up. It was cold. She tip toed across the room to the door and squeezed it's nob open. It revealed a long, lonely corridor. She wondered where she was as she walked down the corridor and suddenly began to hear meanings in the room before her. Her curiosity had the better part of her now as she moved stealthily to the door.

The moans became louder as she moved closer. "Where is this place?", she wondered. She stood before the door now, had a peek through the key hole and there they were, making love. At the sight of their faces, she remembered how she was dragged into a mini van. She screamed, but they were fast about it and zoomed off. Inside the van, they sprayed a powder on her face and she slept off only to wake up now. "Where was this place, Who are these people and what do they want from her?", Kept popping up in her mind.

As she made for another door, she kicked a bottle and the sound rang throughout the entire house. She shuddered. The couple became still and stared at themselves at the sound. The guy jumped down from the bed and got his pair of jean pant on. He pulled out a drawer from the table and grabbed a pistol. The lady hurriedly got dressed and grabbed a gun as well. Mimi was confused but ran back to the room she slept initially with all the speed she could muster. Before the kidnappers got out of their room, she was inside, panting. They trailed the foot prints on the dusty floor, closed in on the room, pointing their guns dangerously, ready to kill.  

Mimi heard them closing in. She looked about the room desperately for somewhere to hide, but there was none. She saw their feet from underneath the door and quickly lay ...on the floor feigning unconciousness. The female assailant opened the door. The man pointed his gun into the room and moved in stealthily. The woman moved in and they both discovered the girl laying still on the ground. They threw glances about the room, closed in on the girl and Blinky touched her neck. "Is she alive?", Slim Shady whispered. He nodded and looked around. They both heard a knock on the main door and exchanged glances. They moved slowly to the exit of the room. Shut the door and ran across the corridor to the main entrance to the house.

The knock was steady now. He signalled to the lady to respond. "Yea who is it?, she asked. "Na me, abeg open door", came the response. "Na Cobra", she said, grinning. He maintained a straight face and signalled her to move away from the door. "There was something wrong about how Cobra, the gang leader sounded", he thought. He moved back and insisted she moved too with gesticulations. She smiled as Cobra requested they opened up. "Na Cobra na!" she said but he pulled back still and stood behind door. She grabbed the key.

Mimi opened her eyes upon discovering that they had gone and got up. She wiped the streak of dirt on her face and moved towards the door. She opened it slightly and peeped. It was empty. She moved out, leaving the door ajar and made for the door at the left end of the corridor. She ran, fell, got up and continued running towards the door.

Slim shady turned the key about in the key hole and pulled the bullet proof door open. Cobra had an injury on his forehead. He signalled to her with his eyes to escape but it was too late. "Don't move!", one of the policemen ordered. "If you move, I shoot you!", he roared. Blinky heard the angry voices of the policemen, noticed how Slim Shady was moving back slowly and took to his heels. Two of the policemen swooped on her and the others went after Blinky. He ran towards the door that led to the corridor just as Mimi closed in on the same door, escaping for her dear life. He forced the door open knocking her to the ground. He stumbled as he jumped across her and fell to the grimy floor. The police swooped on him and pulled him to his feet. "You are under arrest", one of the men said almost cheerfully. They helped Mimi up. Her lips were bruised.

THE RAPE OF MAMA

So lay a woman struggling

Twas a gruesome sight

Her breast were slashed

By whites with fearsome might

Crazed brothers with raucous laughter

Standing about her with killer machines

She whimpered at approaching white

Poised to ravaged her spot of cupid fire

None felt nothing

Yet she whimpered

As he climax with great labour

With small balls in lust fire

SAINTLY FROGS

Evil in saintly cloaks

Roaming with shrill croaks

Lashing out slimy scourge

On insects meek and sleek

Eyes popping and rolling

Tracking caterpillars sliding and falling

Even when in cocoon

Hoping to perch on moon

Striking like lightning

Spinning slimy web

Entrapping for the tomb

Destined butterfly in womb

HUNGER

Every man stoops
At thy presence so reminding
Man’s fiendish friend
Serenading at jagged windows

Thou art invited always
As I neglect and delay
Juicy ball and half moon
From attending mild walls

Thy nature
Loyal and faithful
Attending ceremonies
Without  invitation

Oh nature’s beauty
Ornament of God’s scheme
Man will unto thee
Forever stoop

Travails

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she weighed the options before her. She sat on the couch, fondled the rope in her hand and stared at the bottle of poison. She sobbed bitterly, but was convinced about her desire. She wanted to get away from the suffering and humiliation. Each time she looked at her husband, she saw a stranger. There was scorn etched on his face. He spoke words of love but his eyes betrayed his true feelings. She felt estranged in her own home and thought about the last time he was home - some three days ago. She was cleaning up the kitchen and then he came to inform her that he was leaving for work. She walked towards him with a smile, hugged him and planted a kiss on his lips. They were cold and numb. In his eyes was the reminder of their sad experience. His eyes was teary, but he managed to look good and said goodbye.

Osayi's body shook violently with grief. Tears rolled down uncontrollably now. She pulled up her blue blouse and mopped her eyes and running nose. She picked up a ball point pen and a piece of paper that lay idly on a stool beside the couch. She scribbled on it, wrote the last word and dropped the pen. She went on her knees, squeezed her eyes shut and tears flowed freely. She began to mutter prayers of forgiveness. "I am sorry Lord, please forgive me", she prayed fervently with bitter sobs punctuating every line. Finally, she rose to her feet, her vision was blurred with the tears. She wiped her eyes with the back of her palm and stared at the ceiling fan. She replace the glass table underneath it with a wooden stool, climbed and made a noose of the rope. She descended, sat on the couch and wept some more. Soon, her mobile phone rang and she picked it up hesitantly. "Hello mummy", she answered. "I am fine", she added, her voice laden with grief and her mother noticed. They talked some more and she hung up. She dropped the phone and stared on the floor. Her eyes were wide open, but she was deep in thought. The thought of her sad experience had assaulted her troubled mind again. 

It was December 23th, 2012 at exactly 1:30am. A group of six armed bandits attacked their neighbourhood. Osaze was awake and could hear the screams from his neighbour's apartment. He quickly woke Osayi, his newly wedded wife, who was fast asleep. She grumbled upon waking up and shuddered at the screams from their neighbor's and the angry voices of the robbers. "Armed robbers honey!", she screamed but Osaze quickly signaled her to be quiet. It was barely a minute before the men of the underworld began to bang on their gate, ordering them to open up. Osayi was shivering with fright now. Her heart beat furiously against her chest. She quickly picked up her mobile phone with visibly shaky hands to call the police. Osaze was scared and confused, it was his first experience. 

"Open the gate o! Otherwise if we enter, una own don finish!", the voice rang in their heads. With shock, they heard the robbers slam a heavy metal on the wall leading to their bedroom. The men were trying to bore a hole on the wall with a sledge hammer. They both ran to the sitting room and Osaze mustered courage and said, "bros please come and pass the gate" as he opened the door and padlocks on the iron bars. One of the robbers hit him on the head with the butt of his gun as soon as they gained entrance. The couple lay on the ground, begging for their lives. "Where is the money?", one of them roared as they began to ransack the house. "Inside", Osaze said as he felt the sharp pain inflicted on his side by the robber's boot. He got up to his feet at their command and led them to the master's bedroom. He opened his closet and brought out his suit case. One of them took it while the other broke into the drawers and picked some expensive jewelries and some money. He led them back to the sitting room amid much beating. They made him lie on the floor and asked who the lady was. "She is my wife", he said still facing the ground. "Just take anything you want, but please don't hurt her", he pleaded. They all laughed. The leader of the gang stared at Osayi who was in her nighties. He could see her half naked body. He pulled her up and grinned at her. "Please, don't kill me, please. Just take all you want, all the money, anything, but don't kill us", she begged with a panicky voice. Osaze pleaded with them some more, but got more beating instead. He felt another sharp pain, but this time, on his head. One of the bandit hit him with a short axe. The gash oozed blood. The gang leader pushed her on the couch and and began to unbuckle his belt. She screamed, but her husband wept helplessly in the pool of his blood.

Osayi rose to her feet, climbed up the stool and put the noose around her neck. She made it tight and kicked the stool. The noose squeezed her throat and her lungs choked. She struggled, kicked and gasped. Soon, there was the jangling of keys at the door. Osaze opened it with his mother - in - law behind him.      

The Victim

 

Her breath came in short gasp. She cowered behind the sofa, her eyes bleeding tears. She could hear him pulling a cord in the closet and cursing with rage. She whimpered with fright and prayed to God to intervene, only then did she hear him coming. Her heart stopped. He pushed the bedroom door and screamed for her to come out. He threatened, cursed, his eyes sparked with rage. He forced the wardrope door open, looked into it and slammed it shut. He bent to check under the bed. He tossed the glass table out of his way and shattered the flower vase. "Come out or if I find you out myself, you will be dead! I will kill you, I will kill you with my hands", he roared. Omo was confused. She knew her husband, Ehis too well to keep hiding. She knew he meant it. It was better she came out and take the beating, but the overwhelming fear for him held her down. He walked up to the sofa, and there she was. "Oh baby please, baby please, I am sorry" She cried. He pulled her by her hair and dragged her out. She grabbed his arm and made feeble attempts to free herself. He punched her in the face and she fell, hitting her head against a broken piece of the vase. Soon, blood gushed out of the gash. Her husband was possessed with rage now. He went for the cord and she managed to get up and tearfully said, "baby I am bleeding. I am bleeding, Oh God!". Without a word, he came upon her and whipped her with the cord. She fell as he lifted his arm a second time and screamed.

Catherine jumped up from her sleep and ran to the hospital bed as Omo jerked on the bed, pulling the drip cord fixed on her right hand and it's stand. "It's okay", she said. "He is not here, your husband is not here". Omo opened her eyes. She looked surprised upon seeing Catherine, her best friend and then noticed too that she was on a drip. "Where am I?", she asked with a weak voice. "You have been unconscious for two days now baby girl, your husband almost killed you this time", she said. Omo bit her lips as she felt a sharp pain in her head. She closed her eyes and sobbed as her friend consoled her.

Ehis picked up his black berry smart phone and scrolled down his contact list. He stopped at Cathy's, dialled and pressed the phone against his ear. "Hello?", her voice came along as he stuttered with a panicky voice. "Is...is she still unconscious?", he asked. "No, she just woke up", she replied and hung up. "Em...em can I talk to...", he stuttered still and discovered he was disconnected. He redialled severally but Catherine ignored the calls. He quickly picked up his car keys from his wall unit and hurried out. He locked the door behind him and then the padlocks on the iron bars.

He made for his Range Rover sport jeep and clicked on the automated key system. The car said hi with a quick short sound and a flash of it's light at him. He got in, switched on the ignition, revved the engine, engaged the gear and zoomed off. Moments later, he drove into the parking lot of a super market, parked and dashed in. He got some beverages and fruits and headed for Guobadia Hospital, GRA, where his wife was admitted. Upon arrival, he exchanged greetings with some of the pretty nurses and made for the private ward she was admitted. It was first class, homely and expensive. There were some cute paintings on the wall and of course it was well air conditioned.

Omo was sitting up on the bed now. A Part of her hair was shaved to allow a plaster on the cut on her head. Her eyes were swollen and patches of red adorned her face like make up on a wizened face. Her arms had the prints of the whip, every single one. She was a sight. Her dad and five brothers gathered around her as her mom consoled her. Catherine got her a glass of water and she drank. Soon, there was a mild rap on the door.

Ehis squeezed the door nob and let himself in only to be taken aback by the sight of his in-laws. He walked close to the bed and again he stuttered, this time, a greeting. "Goo...good afternoon sir, good afternoon ma", he said. Instead of a response, Omo's dad was warning Pete, Omo's eldest brother to stop. "No no Pete! Pete!", he cried as the young man grabbed Ehis' neck from behind and squeezed his arms around it. His arms revealed taut muscles and Ehis was gasping for breath. "Pete! Pete!", both parents screamed as Ehis dropped down on his knees with the plastic bag spilling it's content. They all struggled to get Pete's arms off his neck. The hospital's security was alerted and some burly men came and joined in the struggle to save a man's life. Soon Omo cried out with the loudest voice she could muster. "Leave him alone, LEAVE HIMMMMMM! Everyone stopped and looked at her direction including Pete who let his prey go. "He is my husband and I still love him", she said and sobbed bitterly. Pete was shocked beyond words. In his confused state, he looked at his little sister, shook his head and left the room. Ehis was still coughing. He had had a close shave with death. He kept coughing as the security men excorted him away.