“If what you’re saying is true, then I have the perfect plan to expose this Dave of a guy.” Mr Akindele said with a sinister smile.

“Really?” My eyes shone brightly.

“How do you intend to do that?” I asked with so much delight.

“Don’t bother yourself Mr Gerald. Just leave everything to me, and I assure you that you’ll get positive results.”

“Ok, thank you so much.” I said smiling widely.

I was overjoyed, and I had smiles over. Finally, the long awaited hope was near. Now I felt confident, for Mr Akindele to assure me that he’ll give me positive results then there should be no reason to be bothered.

“Mr Akindele will definitely make me a free man once again.” I said aloud, smiling like a kid whose mum just got him a present. If only I knew that I was far from the end.

****

“Mr Gerald Samson,” the judge said with a stern look.

“You are hereby sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for instigating an assassination on Miss Susan Adepoju.”

“Please… please…let me go. Please…” I begged as the bailiff dragged me out of the court room.

I opened my eyes in shock, sweating profusely as I struggled to catch my breath. I looked around, it was still dark. It must have been around 2 am.

Fear instantly gripped me, what sort of nightmare did I just have.

I hardly prayed but the fear in me caused me to start speaking in tongues. I didn’t mind waking up Chairmo with my prayers, and even though I had forgotten how to pray I kept on saying whatever thing that came to mind.

Spending fifteen years in jail? Ahh! I was not ready for that. I wasn’t ready to waste a whole fifteen years of my life. My only hope now was on Mr Akindele.

*****

I had a splendid evening with Josephine. I never thought she would feel so good. I was glad that I had started liking her for who she was, at least that could make our marriage work even though I barely cared about it.

After what Josephine did to me on the bed that evening, I was convinced Josephine was gifted. We had the kind of s*x I refer to as “out of this world.” Damn! It was insane. Gerald didn’t realize the benefits that came with Josephine. To me Josephine was a full package, aside her beauty, getting married to her would immediately turn me into a multimillionaire.

I was there for Josephine; to make her feel better after the evil Gerald had done.

Speaking of Gerald, “I feel so much pity for him.” I said as I burst out laughing.

Everything was moving smoothly, who says the good guys always win? Well not this time.

After that splendid evening with Josephine in my arms, I bade her farewell and left for my one room apartment.

*****

It was already late; just few minutes to 10 pm. There was thick darkness as “NEPA” failed to carry out their duties as usual. I was only able to see with the help of my phone flashlight. I brought out my keys and was about opening the lock when I realized it was broken.

“Oh no!” Thieves must have broken into my house. My neighbourhood was becoming too insecure, how would someone break into my house by this time.

I didn’t even have any relevant property except for my television set that I had bought after my youth service program.

“These boys done too dey worry for this area o,” I said to myself.

I couldn’t wait to pack into a better house when I get married to Josephine. The boys in the area were becoming something else, last week it was Mama Ada’s store they broke into just to steal garri. Pathetic hungry thieves.

I removed the broken padlock from my door and I pushed it open.

As I walked in I was surprised to see my television still intact, I looked around but nothing was missing.

Only God knows what this guys stole this time. I checked my kitchen but nothing was missing. What could they have come for? I searched for more than thirty minutes just to see if anything went missing but everything was still there.

“Ah ah! This is a new one o.” I said.

Breaking people’s padlock for fun? Do they know how much those things cost? It’s just a matter of time before I leave this nonsense neighbourhood.

I sank into my bed without even taking off my clothes. I was tired and I needed rest. In less than two minutes I was deep in dream land.

Suddenly, my sleep was cut short by a loud bang on the door. I thought it was my annoying neighbours so ignored it.

“Hopefully, if I ignore they’ll go away.” I said within myself.

The banging continued, this time even louder. Who in his right senses would knock on someone’s door by this time.

“Mtcheew.” I hissed. I was forced to put an abrupt end to my sleep. I picked up my phone and checked the time; it was past ten.

“What’s all this?!” I exclaimed. I had gotten to the height of it with these neighbours.

“Who be that idiot wey dey knock my door like say him wan break am?” I asked.

The knocking continued but there was no answer. It seemed this person was very crazy.

“Who be that??” I asked again still there was no reply. I got up from my bed, enraged as I marched to my door. I was about opening it when a call came in.

It was from Mama Ada, the woman that they stole from her shop the previous week. So it was she knocking on my door, this woman must be very stupid.

“Hello!!”

“Hello neighbour…you dey house?”

“Madam what is it? Which kind nonsense be this? Ehhn! By this time of the night, for wetin na?”

“Neighbour answer na, you dey house?”

“What do you want?” This lady kept adding to my anger.

“Some men them been come your house before, my children see them from window.”

“I don’t understand.”

“E be like the men come find you…but you been no dey house. The thing now be say them dey your house now as I dey follow you talk and them carry big big guns.”

“JESUS!” My heart stopped beating, men with guns? What for?

“Hope say you no dey house? Because them dey very huge and…”

I quickly ended the call as panick enveloped me.

These men meant business; they had began trying to break my door.

My heart beat loudly, my system was destabilized and sleep vanished instantly.

Whoever these men were it was obvious they were after me and my life was at stake.

“You better open this door!” A thick voice roared.

“If you open the door, we’ll give you a fast death but if you make us pass through the stress of breaking this door then you should prepare for a slow and tormenting death!” He thundered.

“Death??”

“Please… What wrong have I done to deserve to die?”

“So you thought you could go free, You are the reason Danjuma, my brother from another mother is in jail. You bastard! You tipped the police and you think you can go free? I laugh.”

Danjuma’s friends? Those guys never show mercy. Ahh! I was doomed, That was definitely the end of the road for me.

“Tiger! Break this door fast make we teach this guy lesson.”