Must Read: Shadows

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: Shadows

10:17am Friday, 13th 2015

The 30-seater luxurious bus was parked right in front of the English department building. Most of the students who paid for the camp had arrived, Emma and the class rep were on ground to load the bags and foodstuffs into the bus . Students already in the bus were deep in exciting conversations, laughters everywhere, everything seems right and there was absolutely no doubt this camping would be a great one.

10: 23am

Mary: What is wrong Lanre!?? I thought we discussed this, you already agreed to go with me so why the hell would you change your mind now ??

Lanre: I’m sorry Mary but i thought i told you…..

Mary: (cuts in)….. yea! You told me you had a dream! Why are you so primitive and superstitious? I can’t imagine anyone would believe such crap in this jet age!

Lanre: please Mary, listen to me… just once okay? I know what i dreamt about, there’s danger on our way

Mary: Oh really? And you got to know that because you dreamt about it? You know what?

You should have said you don’t wanna go with me instead of putting up all this drama.

(Picks up her luggage ) I’ll see you on Monday when I’m back. Have a lovely weekend. Bye….(walks out the house)

Lanre: C’mon Mary! Wait! Hear me out please.

He watched as she slammed the door behind her. She stood outside the door weeping, Lanre was lost for words, he had no idea what to do, the dream had been clear and specific, it meant there is danger ahead. His bag had been packed and his luggage was carefully placed on a stool, just a few feet away from him. He sighed, a thousand thought on his mind, he thought to himself “i won’t go to the camp, i can’t, i shouldn’t…..i can’t” he cleared his throat, looked at his luggage, shook his head and then he spoke…

Lanre: Mary……! Wait for me, let me lock the door, we’re late already.

She smiled to herself.

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

“Maybe they are not coming ” a voice said from the back of the bus
“No! I’m sure they are on their way” came another voice.

Emma stood up, thought about something and smiled to himself.

Emma: we’re just wasting our time worrying about Lanre and Mary! Maybe both of them are in their room doing something now
Everyone laughed!

Temmy: Haaa Emma! Doing what ? You this corrupt minded-fellow

Timothy: Doing that thing that your father and mother shouldn’t have done but they did it and produced something they shouldn’t have produced….. they produced you!

Another laughter roared from every corner of bus until someone exclaimed “ Hey look! They are here! Lanre and Mary are here”
Everyone looked towards the direction that was pointed at. Emma spoke again.

Emma: you see! I told you they were doing something, look at the way Mary is walking….. she’s not walking straight like before!
Everyone laughed.

When they got to the bus, Mary apologized for being late and offered a flimsy excuse. They both found a place to sit directly in front of Helen and Halimat. Temmy sat cuddly with Daniel while Uche and Timothy silently peeped on her exposed cleavage.

The class rep sat in front beside the driver and behind him was Moji and Emma. There were 28 students and the driver, Mr. Kamoru. There were two empty seats in the bus. The driver started the engine and began to move, everyone was silent, lost in their individual thoughts until Emma spoke again….

Emma: This reminds me of a movie i saw some years back…..the students were going on an excursion in a bus like this, there was an accident and they all died…….

Everyone including the driver raised their voice and shouted at him as he was laughing out loud, apparently enjoying the commotion he just caused.

Class rep: we are going camping not an excursion so Emma shut up your mouth.

Emma: Oh….. that’s true!

Silence again…..

Emma: But there was one i watched that they were going camping too , when they got to the camp, a wild animal came from the bush and ate them all, including their driver…..
Kamoru …. the bus driver shouted from the front, he didn’t understand what was said but he heard “driver ”

Kamoru: Ori re daaru (you’re mad) …..To ba tun sooro nibe un…..(if you speak again there)….. O se oriburuku (Wicked -headed )
Hahahahahahaha

Emma: Mr. Kamoru doesn’t want to die! What an imbecile and a good for nothing toxic waste of human spermatozoa
Unfortunately, Mr. Kamoru doesn’t speak nor understand english

Kamoru: Ki lo so?? (What did you say)

Emma: Mo un kii yin ni ( I was greeting you)

Kamoru: O se gan! ( Thank you very much )

The rest of the students couldn’t hold their laughter at this point. Lanre laughed too and then gave a sigh of relief. Maybe the dream was just total nonsense, he thought to himself.

12:09pm

It was a good day for traveling, the express had no traffic and the sun hasn’t risen yet. Lanre couldn’t sleep even though half of the students had fallen asleep already . The ones who were awake were busy with their phones, some had novels to read. Lanre looked at Mary whose head was on his shoulder, she snored a little and that brought smiles on his face.

Suddenly there was a jerk as Kamoru, the bus driver slammed on the breaks, the tires screeched and the bus jolted everyone up.

Someone shouted “ Jesus”: and in no time everyone was on their feet as the driver maneuvers the bus to a stop. “What happened??? ” everyone kept asking…

Class Rep: It’s alright everyone! The bus driver said he just crushed a cat that ran into the road from a bush.

Female: Seriously? He almost killed us because he hit a cat?

Kamoru: Olongbo Dudu mo ni ke! (It was a black cat)

Temmy: And so?

Lanre: Guys! It’s a bad omen to encounter a black cat, not to talk of killing one!

Emma: Hahahaha… i told you we’re all going to die on this trip!

Everyone shouted at him again, they were still abusing him when a loud bang came from the bus entrance, they all looked and saw a man, completely dressed in black overall and a black round cap, he was looking down so no one saw his face, he went to the front of the bus, limping on his feet, he hit the windscreen three times and finally spoke.

Man: You killed my cat!
Everyone froze!!

Lanre: Uhmmm…. guys! I think we have to leave now!

Daniel: Really? Now? This trip is just getting fun mister!

They all laughed as the man watched on, still no one, saw his face.

Lanre: i think he wants us to apologize for killing his cat

Timothy: Apologize?? His Cat ran into the road, he should be the one to apologize for almost causing an accident

Lanre: The man or the cat?

Timothy: preferably both of them

The man hit the windscreen again.

Man: Open the door and let me in!

Helen: i think he wants a lift!

Emma: i think he wants to come in and kill all of us!

Uche: I have a black belt in Taekwondo, a master in Kickboxing and a senior in Judo. I’m gon beat the hell outta his butt0ckz! Let him in!

All the boys cheered him along, the girls voted against the idea. Lanre was screaming on top of his voice “Don’t let him in” but no one was listening! The lock clicked and the man stepped in. He was tall, his head touched the roof of the bus and when he looked up, they all saw his face, he was smiling, looking at everyone in the bus, Uche stood up from the back of the bus and walked towards him.

Man: (still smiling) Hello boys and girls! How are you? I know you have a camp to attend so i won’t take your time. Unfortunately, your bus killed my cat and i understand it was an accident, however, i would like that you apologise for killing my cat and we’ll all be on our way! You could have zoomed off but the fact that you let me in into the bus meant you’ve agreed to apologise. I recommend that you hold your end of the agreement!

Timothy: Mehnnnnn…. this guy sabi english pass our lecturers , i swear down!

Man: (smilling) Please, choose a representative among yourselves who will say “Sorry for killing your cat” and that would be all
They all laughed. Someone shouted from behind
“Uche abeg throw this man comot the bus jare”

Man: Is there a joint agreement amongst all of you that no apologies should be made??

Yes!!!! They chorused!

Man: (smiling) Then what happened to the cat would or could happen to you all
Someone threw a bottled water at him and in a quick twist of his legs, Uche landed a kick on his chest, it sent the man tumbling out through the bus entrace. There was a loud cheer and laughter as the man fell head first to the ground! Lanre stood and peeked out through the window…..

Lanre: please sir! Sorry about……

Man: (still smilling) Too late boy….. too late…..

Lanre watched on as the bus moved, the man in black kept watching as the bus moved away, a smile on his face. Lanre watched on as his image becomes fade with distance! Lanre sat back, his hands shaking…

Lanre: Did anyone see a cat on the road or anywhere??? I think the man was the cat

Daniel: Lanre….. whatever weed you’re smoking, please i’ll need some of it. That sh*t is getting you higher than the most high!

They all laughed at Lanre, even Mary too. The only person who felt they had done something wrong after Lanre was Kamoru, the bus driver.

Earlier from his rear mirror, he saw the cat he had hit shape-shifted into the black man but he told no one, he was too afraid to, it took 5 minutes before he was able to open his mouth again after what he saw, something or someone had made him tongue-tied!