Must Read: Kumalo

6 years ago

Must Read: Kumalo

NKUTU- UME CAMPUS 3

GUYS! Yawa don gas o! Stanley was addressing his Hench men. They are seated inside a Shop smoking cigarettes. The mood was pensive.

It is still like a dream to me! It was like those guys were expecting us! We went to the hospital
reception together and I pretended like I was a patient while Vicious and Dagger went to the receptionist to ask for Kumalo’s ward. The lady directed them to the room and while they were on their way, she quickly picked the phone and made a call. Before you know it four plain clothes police men brandishing pistols storm the reception hall and the lady pointed towards the corridor that our men took. They said we are Egbesu Boys or something and they have been expecting them.

They did not even allow the boys to talk as they started beating and mal handling them. They took the boys upstairs to Kumalo’s room to ask if he knew them, but of course he wouldn’t know them, it will only confirm his fear that we are not done with him yet!

Stanley threw away a cigarette stud and lit another one. So they brought our boys back in hand cuffs kicking them out of the hospital into a stand by police Van! Stanley summarized.

And all this while you were there our men did not implicate you? Emeka the number four man asked.

No! They did not even look at my face and I am grateful for that! Stanley said. Thank God that they did not implicate me because I had my bulldog with me!

Haba Stan! Emeka exclaimed. Old boy! Hell would have been let loose o!

So what do we do now?

Naturally they would be taken to the station for interrogation. If they are not released after twenty four hours, it means there is serious trouble which may lead to a court case! Stanley explained.

None of us can go there to see them except an elderly person that can pass for their guardian or parent.

Then let us contact Mr Alozie, the HOD of statistics department. He is an XY. He can go there as a guardian to one of them. Emeka further suggested.
He is actually related to Dagger for real. He initiated Dagger himself during one of the end of year parties we held in his house three years ago. Stanley explained.
You mean am? Emeka asked.

Then that settles it! Another Hench man offered. Let’s go and tell him what has happened before things get out of hand. But Guy you get luck o! If to say those guys nab you with your dog ehn?

I know! No remind me again I beg! Stanley snapped. Meanwhile who don see Egbe?
Ol boy, no body don see that guy o! its like he dey dodge us. Emeka said.

Leave am! If I catch am eh? I go kpai am myself! He cause kasala keep for ground, he come disappear! Stanley said.

CAMPUS 3 BUS PARK

The park is busy with students boarding and alighting from shuttle busses and taxi cabs. The bus conductors are shouting the names of their destinations to attract passengers.

Abakpa! Abakpa!
Obiagwu! Obiagwu!
New haven! New Haven!
Campus 2! Campus 2!
The list is endless, as most of the students live off campus. Students rush into the buses going along their way while some are still waiting for their destination to be called, others are waiting for the school bus to arrive, having bought two way tickets from Campus 2.

Former Lord Egbe alights from inside a shuttle bus with a big size Bible in one hand and a white handkerchief in another hand, he chose a vantage spot opposite the bust stop pavilion and he began to preach.

Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand! The soul that sinneth, shall die! He shouted.

The Bible says and I quote ‘ come to me all ye that labour and are heavy laddened and I will give you rest’!

What does it profit a man to gain the world and loose his own soul in hell? I was formally in the world but now I am saved! Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!
I once was blind but now I see! Was weak but now I am strong! Glory to Lord God almighty! Glory halleluiah!

He preached on while the students listened, those that knew him came together to gossip, making faces and gesticulating frantically. They did not know what to believe because two months ago when the revered Reverend Father Mbaka had come to the schools mini stadium to preach on cult renunciation and many students had come out to denounce cultism, Egbe was not one of them, in fact some hawks men would have gone out to confess their sins and repent on that day but for the fear of Egbe and Stanley that were present at the sermon. If either of the duo had gone out, many cultist would have gone out too because in the real sense of the word, most cultist are living in bondage.

They have no real freedom, they are living in fear of their own lords who are very dangerous, they are perpetually indebted to the cult because they pay semester dues and so many unexpected dues that keeps them perpetually broke, they live in fear of other cultist, they live in fear of the man ‘o’ war, they live in fear of the school authority and they live in fear of the police.
When ever there is an emergency on campus and the Police and Army joint tax force patrol team storms the school, all hard men are afraid, afraid of the unknown, they take cover when no one is looking for them, fear of the unknown.

The Buccaneers run for cover, the Axe men scamper, the Burkinafasso change their positions, the Juris men vanish like smoke, the Vikings regulates, the Blood brothers diffuse into thin air, the Campus pirates turn to chameleons, the Eiye boys fly away, the Ku Klux Klan extinguish their flames, the Mafites turns under cover. The sinner, they say, runs when no man chase him. When the JTF might have gone, they will then come out from their various cocoons to ask the so called Jew men questions. Na wetin those police dey find sef? Na who dem carry? Them arrest any one?

The Jew men stayed but the hard men ran. When the tyre of a car accidentally bursts in the school premises, the Jew men turn to see what the matter is while the hard men run for cover, clear conscience fears no accusation!

Many of them are being expelled and jailed daily. Many of them are being lured into nefarious activities by the lords. Like Armed robbery, Political thugs and burglary. Many of them never bargained for what they eventually are faced with once they got themselves initiated, and there is no going back because of the oath of allegiance and secrecy taken. The only way out is death.

Some cultists have lost their hearing as a result of injury during the initiation, many have indelible scars on their bodies thus they cannot take off their clothes in public or in the presence of their relatives. Many have died and were buried at the initiation grounds and their parent still wonder when they would return from school. Many have been rusticated from school but cannot go back home so they loaf about in the city constituting nuisance to humanity. Many intelligent boys could not combine academic activities with cultism and because cultism takes preference in their school life they go down academically and ended up graduating with a pass or a third class result which is as good as useless in the country. Many have come to realize that cultism cannot help them in any way, rather it compounds their problems but it is too late to cry when the head is off. Many cultists would have repented for good and followed Christ on that day when Reverend Father Mbaka came to preach but they were afraid of what men like Egbe, Stanley, Danladi, Paschal and Maxwell would do to them.

And today Egbe stand in public and preached the gospel. The smoke from the gun he used to kill Jumbo is still swiveling in the air.