The money collectors - Season 1 - Episode 21

5 years ago

The money collectors - Season 1 - Episode 21

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He wore a black agbada which he had not used for two years and put
all his requirements into the big dress. He also took with him .38 automatic pistol and was ready to go.

Within a few minutes, he pulled up at Pauline’s flat and parked his car outside the house.

“Hi baby!”, he said cheerily, trying to make his voice sound casual. “Everything alright?”

“Yes”, she laughed and embraced him. She was happy and it pleased him.

Pauline helped him put all he had bough in order.

Thereafter, they ate and had a shower together. Dike was surprisingly in
good control of his nerves. He seemed to be in good spirits, and Pauline, not suspecting anything, drank a lot.

She enjoyed the African salad most of all.

“Darling”, she said, “You know what i like and i love you for that.

How i wish nothing will make us part. I love you. Please don’t ever leave me”.

“No problem, baby, as long as there is life, we’ll enjoy it”.

There was a knock at her door, and she quickly sprang to her feet. It was Amaka, her neighbour who lived in the adjacent apartment. She wanted to borrow Pauline’s electric iron as her own
had developed a fault.

“Hello pauline, are you alone? Can i please borrow your electric iron for some time? I need to iron my clothes for tomorrow’s church service”.

As she came closer, she saw Dike and greeted him.

“AK”, Dike responded, “Why not have a beer before you go marry your bed”.
“Thanks, Mr. Dike”, she said “But i have a lot of clothes to iron and ….”

“Come on AK” Pauline said. “Stay for a while and have fun with us”.

“What are you celebrating?” Amaka asked.

“Well today is twenty five years since my mother left this wicked
world. It’s the silver jubilee of my mother’s death. We are celebrating it here with
no guest because I didn’t quite plan it well. But next time around, I’ll be more carefull”.
“May her soul rest in peace”, Amaka said and the others replied, “amen”
In fact, December 23rd was not the day Dike’s mother died. She passed away on the fifth day of April, but Dike found the atmosphere of a celebration a covenient lead-in to the heist he had carefully planned for that night.

Amaka drank a bottle of Guinness stout, collected the iron and left.

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

This chance meeting pleased Dike very much. It would help him establish a strong alibi if anything turned sour. The lady would say
that he was with Pauline. His plans were working out well, he thought.

He remebered what Alhaji giwe had prophesied about him: “I can see you’re distressed but take courage, you’ll succeed in your endeavour but don’t be nervous, i repeat, don’t be nervous”.