Midnight Saga

Episode 48

I tumbled from where I was to the other side of
the bus.

Blood was gushing from my head. After some
minutes, the robbers opened the backdoor,
they were speaking pidgin English and
laughing.

From the look of things, it wasn’t because it
was our unlucky day, they had been planning
this for a long time.

“Don’t waste our time, where is the money?”
one of them asked.
“What money?” the staff replied.
The biggest of them laughed, and wiped his
mouth with his hand, in a devilish way.
“You no get Money abi?” he asked.
“Yes!” we’ve already taken the money to bank,
the staff replied.

They all laughed.

The staff was looking up at them, Fear written
all over his face.
One of them brought out a pistol,squatted and
pointed it at him.
“What does the bible say about people who
lie?” he asked.

“I can’t hear you!” he said, leaning close him,
with his right ears.
“They shall….they shall, have their place in the
lake of fire” he replied, stammering all
through.

The robber laughed. “Say hi to the devil for
me, he stretched and shot the Staff”
He shot him in the forehead.

I looked around, I was the only one awake.
They came over to where I was.
He squatted, just like he did to the staff.
“Where is the money?” he asked.
“It’s in the black bag, in the front seat”
I replied, almost immediately.
They all laughed.
“This one get sense!” one of the robbers said.
“You see that guy” he asked, pointing to the
lifeless body of the staff.
“I nodded in reply”
“He’s a fool! We know where the money was
all along. But he was trying to be smart”
He stretched, went to the front, got the bag,
opened it and they cheered, when they saw the
huge sum.

They began whispering, but I could actually
hear them.
“No survivors, one of them said”
And they came to an agreement to kill us all.
The same guy who shot the staff, approached
me and pointed the gun at me.
“Please don’t shoot me, I begged, tears rolling
down my eyes. I was very scared”
He squatted again.
“Complete this Bible verse, He who wants to
save his life shall…?”
I knew that verse very well, what I also knew
was, after completing it, he would shoot me.
“I don’t remember the verse” I replied
He became upset
“But the verse I remember is, Follow all men
with peace and holiness, without which, no
man shall see God”
He smiled a little, then it turned into laughter.
They all laughed.

“Hebrews 12:14, I like this one,” he said,
turning to look at his gang.
“He glanced at me for a second, opened the
bag, brought out a one thousand naira note,
and tossed it to me, treat yourself with that”
he said mockingly and they left.
I began crying and shedding tears, I was this
close to death.
“Gla… Gladys!” I managed to scream out, but I
wasn’t loud enough.
We weren’t in an Isolated place, but no one
came to our rescue.
There was pain all over my body. And in that
state, I only thought about two people.
Sandra and my Family.
I struggled to stand up, but my right leg
wasn’t even moving.
I brought out my phone, to make a call, but it
was shattered.
It is still the longest night of my entire life, I
prayed and hoped for help, but none was
coming.
I later fell into a deep sleep, and had a dream,
and in the dream, it was my funeral, I was in a
coffin. My mum was crying, Sandra, Ibro,
Drake, Amarachi and even her Ex boyfriend
was there too, they were all weeping and
wailing.
I was hitting the coffin to tell them I was
awake, but they didn’t hear me, they
continued crying.
My mum rolled on the ground, crying
helplessly.
“First it was my husband, now my son” she
said, placing both her hands on her head.
“God why me?why me? Jeff please come back
to me”
I began hitting the coffin, harder, banging it
with all my strength. I instantly woke up. My
hand was bleeding, I had been hitting the bus
all along.

At about, 6am the following day, people began
gathering round the bus, with arms folded,
some of them peeping inside.

I eventually heard a familiar voice, it was Mr
Johnson.

He was terrified, we were placed in different
cars, I managed to see my colleagues, they
were still unconscious.

I was taken to the hospital, and that is the
last thing I remember.

I woke up, my head was bandaged, my leg
was bandaged, too and hanging in the air.

I saw about five people sitting around me.

“He’s awake!” Sandra screamed.

They all moved closer.

My mum hugged me tight, not letting me go.

Jennifer was there along with Ibro and Drake.

I was still feeling pains, all around my body.

“Mum, how were you able to travel overnight” I
asked.

She wiped the tears off her face and smiled.

“You’ve been out for two weeks” she said
“two weeks?” I asked
Sandra nodded.

My mum, excused us, soon as my mum locked
the door behind her. Sandra leaned forward
and kissed me.

“Hey, i don’t think I’ve brushed my teeth in
two weeks”
Jennifer and Sandra laughed.

My mum, later came back and sat close to
me.

Something frightening happened.

We were still sitting and having little talks.

Yemi came in, she rushed to the bed, placed
her hand on my cheek. In the presence of
everyone
“Oh Jeff, am so sorry” she said
“Jeff, who is this?” Sandra asked, everyone
listened for my reply, with keen attention.