Must Read: The Claw, The Tail, And The Cross. - Season 1 - Episode 20

7 years ago

Must Read: The Claw, The Tail, And The Cross. - Season 1 - Episode 20

Three things happened simultaneously after that. I looked away in disgust. Yes I‘ll admit it, I’m severely homophObic. Jenny stood up, pointed at the two of them, her mouth opened but not a sound came out. And Obi looked completely taken by surprise. He shoved Kelvin bodily across the room and started spitting all over the floor.

“Wh-what the hell, Man!” Obi shouted, rubbing his lips vigorously, “What was that about?!”

Kelvin was visibly shaken. He looked like the ground should open and swallow him up. He walked to Obi who retreated like it was a rabid dog approaching him and Kelvin stopped in his tracks.

“I’m sorry, Obi. I got carried away, I shouldn’t have done that.”
“NO you shouldn’t have!” Obi yelled.
Jenny was still pointing at both of them and finally found her voice. “You guys are gay?”
Both said “Yes” and “No” at the same time and then looked at each other
“There’s no need to be shy, Obi. I left my family, my wife, because of you.” Kelvin said.
“I’ve been patient all these months…”
“I’m not a homosexual!” Obi shouted.
“But, last night…” Kelvin stuttered.
“We had our bath together, slept on the same bed. When you cried out in pain, I held you and you welcomed my embrace…”
“I was in pain and delirious!” Obi shouted again and I had to walk up to him and sq££ze his shoulder, telling him to calm down before other people were drawn to the scene.
“I hardly knew half of what went on last night!

And having a shower with you does not translate to meaning I’m gay. I still shower with my brothers till date and we are not gay!”
“Obi, calm down.” I said as one of the other staff outside the reception area looked in our direction.
“Is that why you helped him kill all those girls?” Jenny cut in. “Because you were…in love with him?”
Both men looked at her incredulously. “What girls? What are you talking about?”Obi exclaimed.

“The man-animal. The leopard. You are him aren’t you?”
Obi looked at me pleadingly, “what the hell is she talking about?”
Kelvin suddenly stood up straight. “They don’t know!”
“Know what?” I asked.
Kelvin looked at Obi. “Don’t tell them.

They don’t know.”
Obi glared at him, “Anything is better than them thinking I’m gay!” and before Kelvin could say another word he continued. “I’m a drug addict. It got really bad a few months ago and Kelvin found out on one of our business trips together. He was willing to take me in, help me get more drugs. Kelvin has been helping me steal from Mr. Bells’ Company to sustain my habit. I was grateful to have a friend I could confide in and he seemed like the rock on which could depend on, at least until I could find the courage to stop. He never judged me and he never used the stuff himself, he’s very principled that way. But I never knew he had ulterior motives for taking care of me like that!”
“What started you on the drugs?” I asked.
“The doctors call it ‘Sciatica’ He said, “I developed it after receiving an injection in the wrong place a year ago. I started by taking pain killers but soon the pain was not allowing me concentrate. I couldn’t have a decent conversation, I couldn’t sleep. Then an old friend of mine noticed and introduced me to morphine. It worked like magic. I felt great! No pain, better concentration, it was too good to be true. I soon started feeling the urge to take more and more of it, I had to beg my friend to give me more but he said the source he was getting it from was no longer available.

I started to experience the symptoms of withdrawal,heavy sweating, a runny nose, itching, weakness, heaviness all over my body, plus the pain became worse than ever. I had to find shady characters that were willing to get the drug for me. “
“Well, why didn’t you go to hospital?” I queried.
“It’s not a drug a doctor would willingly prescribe for me and besides I didn’t want to report myself and get into trouble. I didn’t really believe I could ever be a drug addict.

I grew up from a very strict background; something like this…it’s a shame…a big shame for me. I lived in denial for a long time.

I finally found a dealer but he kept asking for more and more money and I had no one to explain to until Kelvin found me shaking on their floor one day. He said he had seen someone with similar symptoms and knew it was the effect of a drug addiction. He took me in and helped me with money to purchase more drugs. He suggested I should stop at first but later kept silent when I kept going back to it.

But for the past two weeks now I’ve been determined to stop. The pain is what prevents me from stopping. It keeps getting worse!”
“It will get better,” Kelvin interjected.

He was still looking embarrassed but had decided to enter the conversation anyway. “When Jenny asked for that file from Obi last night, we thought you guys had found out we had been altering figures to steal money, so I went to pick Obi up so we could do some brainstorming on how to cover our tracks. I met him in a bad way but luckily I had just obtained some more morphine. So I took him to my place and made him all better.

By early this morning we tried to falsify the documents and sneak the new copy into Mr. Bells file cabinet as his own copy. He would never have known”.
“But I’m not a thief, man.” Obi said ruefully. “I wasn’t raised that way. And I sure as heck am not gay!”
Kelvin walked to the counter and poured himself a glass of wine. Obi sat down on the chair and Jenny was looking at me in bewilderment. I walked up to her and we went out of the reception and into the corridor.
“So we were wrong,” I said.
“No. I was wrong.” Jenny admitted with a wry smile. “I guess I was a bit too hasty.”
“But if it isn’t them doing the killing, who is?” I said.

We heard a crash outside and rushed to the windows. One of the thugs had thrown a stone at one of the cars and broken the windscreen.

The others shouted joyfully and soon more stones were sent flying and there was sound of more breaking glass as all the windows of that car were shattered. The damaged car was the one parked in front of Mr. Daniel’s car and for a fleeting moment, I was glad he was lying unconscious. He wouldn’t have wanted to see the vandalism at all, especially if he thought his car would be next.

“Where are the police?!” Jenny exclaimed, walking away from the window angrily. “It’s a miracle they haven’t tried to enter the building. I can’t see big paddy or his boys anywhere, they might have gone home.

I was about saying something when the boardroom door opened and Chioma walked out, shutting the door behind her. She was clutching her handbag and looking at her watch. She would have passed right by us if I hadn’t reached out and grabbed her hand.
“Where are you going/” I asked her.
“Fellowship meeting” she replied simply and calmly.
“In that crowd?” Jenny retorted and smirked, “You guys should really lay off the alcohol.”
“I don’t drink alcohol.” Chioma replied.
“Oh yeah, sorry, I forgot. It’s a sin…”
“No its not. Alcohol has some health benefits.” Chioma said. “Even Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding once. I just chose not to drink so as to avoid its deleterious side effects like drunkenness, liver problems, flabby tummies, and so on.”

Jenny looked at her.
“I hate you” she said suddenly.
“Whoa,” I said trying to get between them but Chioma stopped me. She seemed like a timid person but in reality her character was strong and she feared nobody.
“No you don’t hate me.” She said. “You envy me. You think I got everything on a silver platter while you got to work with your good looks to get where you are. That’s not true, by the way. I for one know you are more intelligent and an asset to this company than you let on. You think I’m a goody two-shoes that spoils all the fun. Maybe I do, but there is a reason for that; and maybe we can discuss about it some other day, but right now I have to get to fellowship.” Jenny looked frazzled.

“I don’t think you got everything on a silver platter…”
“You don’t? Thanks then.” Chioma said.
“I’ve been in the boardroom working on some of the pending file and trying to get us up to speed with the demands of the airport crew and with Lexinton corporation, whose members will be flying in next week.

That’s what we should have deliberated on today but what has happened has happened, we will deliberate on it tomorrow but I have already done most of the groundwork-“
“You were working in the office the whole time?” I asked incredulously, “During this whole crisis?”
“Better to spend the time on something productive, yes?” Chioma said, and then she took a deep breath and took a step towards me. “I’d like to see you privately Mr. Chuks, maybe tomorrow? Or whenever you are free?”
“Sure,” I said. “But you are not going anywhere now. You should have seen what they did to Jenny! I’m telling you it’s a very bad idea.”
“Thanks for your concern, Mr. Chukwudi,” she said smiling her pretty smile. “But nothing will happen to me. I have faith.”
“It’s called stupidity, you idi0t!” Jenny said. “They’ll rip you to pieces.”

Chioma smiled again and made for the door but I grabbed her arm.
“I’m not letting you go,” I said And then I let go. My arm felt like it was burning. I tried not to show my pain but she noticed it and immediately came to my aid.
“Are you all right?” she asked anxiously. “What happened?”
“Nothing” I said. “Stay indoors. The police will soon be here.”
“Trust me please,” she said. “I’ll be fine.”

And so saying she opened the door and walked out into the crowd and shut the door behind her. I could hear shouts from Kelvin and Obi.

But she was out already.
“You let her go?” Jenny came to meet me. “Why?”
I said nothing but I looked at Chioma outside and Jenny followed my gaze. The crowd was still shouting and yelling; they had made our laborers sit on the hot pavement in a single file and were making fun of them and the security men who had locked themselves in their security post. Some jumped around on the flower beds, others gesticulated with dangerous looking weapons on how they would slaughter the leopard. Some of them had even resorted to smoking and dancing in front of the building. They were going nowhere until they got what they came for. In all of this confusion, Chioma walked among them.

She walked past the dancers, moved around those wielding cutlasses and over those lying on the pavement. Once, she bumped into a man holding a large stick and almost fell.

The man grabbed her, steadied her on her feet and went back to his conversation. She went through their midst and they didn’t even notice her. Soon she was at the main gate, said something to the security men who were no doubt now looking at her in amazement, and left the compound. We all watched this from the window with our mouths open.
“How…?” Obi said
“They probably don’t see her as a threat,” Kelvin murmured. “That being said, that was incredibly foolish of her. What if…”

Jenny was looking at me. “What happened?” she whispered.
“Later.” I said, still clutching my arm, although it no longer burned. “She’s a brave one, that girl.”
We turned around to see Mr. Bells had joined us. “I would have stopped her though if I had been around a moment earlier. What she did was incredibly dangerous.”
“Sir, are you all right?” Jenny asked.

He waved his hand dismissively, “Yes, yes.

The police will be here any minute now.

Sorry about all this Chukwudi. These people aren’t usually violent, it must have been a really horrible incident to get them all worked up like this.”

Kelvin and Obi came out of the reception to join us at the door. I noticed that Obi was keeping a respectable distance from Kelvin who was trying hard not to notice. Things were going to be very awkward between those for a long time.
“Are you all right sir?” They chorused. Mr. Bells rolled his eyes. “I’m fine; I’m fine, thanks for asking. Honestly I should be apologizing to you guys. It’s my Sidney that caused all of this. Not that he was responsible for the attack of course.”
“Where is Sidney?” I asked.
“Safely locked up in the store room,” He said, beaming at all of us.
“I was just making sure those…Jenny? What happened to you?!” He had just noticed Jenny’s frazzled hair and torn clothes. She smiled and said it was nothing but Mr. Bells was furious.

“Someone will pay for this, how dare they?” he fumed.

“As soon as the police come I’ll make sure that… ah…they are here already!” The sound of sirens rapidly filled the air and two jeeps zoomed into the compound. Before the jeeps stopped the doors opened and soldiers jumped out. There was immediate pandemonium. People ran here and there, some jumping over the fence while others ran through the front gate.

In a few short moments the grounds had been cleared and a few people arrested. The laborers that had been held hostage by the crowd were released and the staff nurse immediately went to inspect them for any serious injuries. The staff that was upstairs came down and was addressed by Mr. Bells after which most of them were sent home for the day. Mr. Daniel, who was still unconscious, was helped carried into his office and put to rest on his sofa. The nurse on duty looked Jenny over but it wasn’t really necessary, she thanked her and came to my side.
“This has definitely been a very eventful day.” She said.
“Yes it has,” I said.
“What happened with Chioma?” she asked.
“I got burned,” I replied thoughtfully.
“Do you think she has powers?” Jenny said wide eyed.
“What did you see?”

I paused for a while. “I didn’t see anything.

Not even the cross this time. If she has powers, she definitely does not know about it.”
“So how did she manage to get past that crowd then?” Jenny said. “Coincidence?”
I shrugged my shoulders, watching as Mr. Bells passed by us and went to inspect the laborers that had been released. Jenny and I decided to follow him and so did Kelvin and Obi. As we passed Mr. Daniel’s office, I saw it open a crack and Mr. Daniel peeped out. He saw Mr. Bells Pass and ducked back into theoffice.

As we passed he looked out again and caught my eye. He looked at me for a moment and grinned. The he shut the door again.
Mr. Bells addressed the laborers, apologizing for their mistreatment and promising to foot the bill for their treatment at the hospital for those who needed it. He also promised to give them something for their ordeal. They cheered and the foremen followed him back into the office to work out the modalities
“The MD is working very hard to please them,” Jenny said. “It’s obvious that they bear a little grudge against him. Probably one of them reported that he kept a leopard in the premises.” I said nothing. Instead I held my head and rubbed my temple in confusion.
“I don’t get it. I just don’t get it!”
Jenny looked at me. “What?”
I pointed to where Mr. Bells had just entered the building. The two tailed leopard stood there proudly in all its glory, even larger than when we had first seen it.