Must Read: Sinister Affections

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: Sinister Affections

Insomnia hung aroung Tony. He rolled on his bed thinking about what happened that afternoon.



That girl….. What didshe call herself again, Zhara! He rolled again and hugged his pillow tight pretending it was Zhara. She was more of a chat-box and she was just too bold also but wasn’t all that friendly.
“so, you stay here too?” Zhara asked following Tony who was walking like a scared zombie to her house. He wanted to reply but she had already started talking again.
“obviously. You live here. Are you one of the maids son?”
Tony scratched his ears. His dressing wasn’t bad. Jersey and soccer boots. Why would she think of him as a maids son. He kept walking. The best way to treat her fvck up was to keep quiet and make her think she was talking to a tree.
“can we walk faster than this? My uclw will be mad at me” Zhara said again. Tony ignoredher as they were almost close to the officers quaters.



He stopped at the gate then showed her the directions to her house. She immediately said she was scared of the quiet neighbourhood. He walked her to the building then noticed it was Danladi’s building.
‘so, she lives close by. Nice one’ Tony thought.
She had left him and was already walking into the house without acknowledging his efforts. He was angry. People he helped less had thanked him profusely, here, he missed some matches for her and she couldn’t say ‘thank you’. He decided to play his taunting games on her.
“Yeah, you’re welcome” He raised his voice to make sure she heard him. She stopped trying to unlock the door and turned to look at him. He folded his arms immediately.
“I never said thank you” She querried and turned back to turn the key one more time.
“I know, since you could talk all the way here and found it hard to say thank you.. I thought…..” He stopped talking with an evil smile on his face.
“Thought what?” She asked a bit annoyed that a maid’s son was talking to her that way and even whinning her.



Tony strolled closer to her like the boss he was. He was really in charge now. “I thought maybe you didn’t know the short sentence ‘thank you’…. So I imagined you saying it and replied”
She looked at him and shook her head. “That was lame. You’re delusional” she opened the door but waited to hear him reply
“Okay Cruela, if that makes you feel good about yourself.” He was walking backwards, backing away from the house.
“My name is Zhara! Not cruela!” Zhara screamed at him. Her long hair fluttering in her face.
‘Yes! I got her name!’ Tony turned and walked straight to his house not more than two stonethrows to Danladi’s house. ”Whatever jare. Goodnight” He waved her off. He was sure she was watching him throughout his walk back home.
He got to the frontdoor and noticed it was unlocked. He thought his uncle was probably around buthis car wasn’t there. He was too occupied with thoughts of his new friend to think.




He opened the froontdoor and walked into the living room to see the shock of his life.

***************

Henry ran throught the bushy path that led to shindara’s hostel. There were several other paths to her place but he chose thisparticular one since it was more like a short-cut. He knew she’d have taken the path since she was in a hurry. They had a mission tomorrow and he needed to have one of his best students with him. He dialed her line again and heard a phone ringing in the bushes. He immediately slowed down and paced slowly into the bush. He dropped the call and located the phone where it was. The Iphone’s screen was already shattered and was only displaying white. He pocketed the phone and looked around for the sign of anyone inthe dark.
“stay here clement.If I whistle, come right away.” Henry left Clement hiding in the bush. He squatted and walked along the roadside searching for any trace of people. He saw light flash in the only uncompleted building around. No one needed to tell him those who hijacked Shindara took her there. He crept into the building through the window of one of the rooms. Slowly he located the door outof the room and was looking straight at the dark figures trying to have their way with another figure on the ground. He crept closer as they were backing him but his leg hit a brick and it shattered causing enough noise to alert the rapists.
”Sh1t. I don’t have my gun on me!” He cursed under his breath as a flaslight beamed white light at him.



The huge man that grabbed Shindara first charged at him. Henry side stepped and propelled a punch into his sides. He grabbed the man by his neck, lifted him and slammed him down in a chokeslain. The second man was now running at him as the first man was groaning in pain since heat was surging through his back. Henry picked a part of the broken brick and launched at at the man with the flashlight. The flaslight was tossed against the wall as the torch man held his bleeding head in pain. Henry dodged a kick aimed at his head. The first man was already getting, Painfully.



Henry saw he couldn’t handle all three of them so he whistled as loud as he could. The flashlight illuminated the room lightly as it was shinning on a wall. Henry saw the second man send another kick at him. It was too late to dodge. The kick slammed into his left temple. He saw stars twirling round his head and Shindara running playfully around the stars. Another thunderclap punch from nowhere slammed into his skull. The fist almost burst his skull open as he was flung backwards into the welcoming large arms of the big man. Henry heard Shindara shriek in fear as the man who was holding the flashlight before he got stoned in the head rushed at Henry to avenge himself. Shindara sprawled her leg on his path, he ran into it and tumbled straight into Henry waiting knee with his wounded head. He sreamed before collapsing in pain. Henry whipped his head backwards into the big mans face causing the big man to let go of him. He heard Clement run into the dimly lit room charging at the free man. He crashed into him and expressed himself with his fist.



Henry grabbed the propelled fist of the huge man and turned it. The man turned along with the twist and sent a backhand punch in rebound. Henry tacked the first hand on the man’s back and grabbed the second one with his other hand and tacked it along with the other hand. The huge man screamed in pain as Henry pushed both arms up to the upper part of his back.
“haaaa. Okay okay. Please just let me go” The huge man pleaded.
“you wanted to Molest her shey?” Henry asked gritting his teeth angrily. He was just barely holding himself from smashing the man’s Amala shaped bald head into the wall he was pressed upon.
“I’m sorry” The man pleaded again and groaned loudly.
“Henry, please let him go” Henry heard Shindara pleading.
“And you want to be a soldier this way. We can as well forfiet the mission tomorrow if not you’ll plead the cause of those rebelious soldiers” He barked ar her and she shifted backwards from him, Clement too thought it wise to shift away.
Henry wasn’t particularly angry about Shindaea’s pleading. He was angry about the fact that those men almost had their way with her. He was sure they had fondled with some parts of her body. Parts he hadnlt touched. He hissed angrilly and knocked the big mans head into the wall, he collapsed instantly.
‘No one touches Shindara except me’ He thought.
“Are you hurt? Are you okay?” He pulled her into his arms in a tight hug. Clements eyes almost popped out.
“I’m fine. They didn’t have their way” Shindara said amidst sobs. She sank her face into Henry’s shoulder and let the tears roll in silent sobs. Henry wrapped his arms round her tighter. He didn’t want to imagine how bad he’d have felt if he had arrived late.
“I’m sorry….” He said. Why he was saying he was sorry, he didn’t know. He looked over to Clement who had turned away from their display of public affection since he found it discomforting to witness the scene.



‘so, the rumours are true. Lt’ Henry get correct eyes’ Clement thought.
“Clement, great job.” Henry acknowledged his efforts as he walked Shindara out of the uncompleted building. Clement slowly followed them giving the enough distance to be called privacy.



A figure emerged from the bush watching Shindara,Henry and Clement go. It was Danladi. Henry had arrived and destroyed his little act of trying to play hero. He had wanted to join the fight against his men to atleast win some points. He had decided against that for some reasons. He stared visciously ay Henry in particular and eyed Shindar’s head that was rested on Henry’s shoulder.
“enjoy yourselves now. I’ll always have my way” He spoke to no one and growled. He picked his phone and dialed a number.
“Hello. proceed with plan B immediately I tell you to do so. In the mean time, make sure a particular Clement Okoro doesn’t make it alive tomorrow along with Henry.” He dropped the call and walked deeper into the bush.