Episode 8

Miguel

I was in my room two days ago playing Ludo game when Danjuma came shouting my name from the outside. I was angry cox twas already late, I thought to myself ‘why on earth is this boy shouting my name by this time of the day? So, I ran outside followed by my roommates. Danjuma was panting, which made me realize that he ran all the way to my hostel….

Mike: Herdsman wetin happen?… I used to call him herdsman cox he’s a Hausa boy.

Danjuma : Ella.. Ella… Ella.. He stammered

Miguel : Ella what? Guy calm down and talk to me. What about Ella?

Danjuma : Do you know where Ella is right now?

Miguel: Shouldn’t she be in her hostel?

Danjuma : No oooh

Emeka: Then where is she?

Miguel : Did something happen to her?

That was when he told me that he was coming back from his brother’s shop (one abokki that sells suya) and saw Ella and Chommy struggling with some guys. The only person he recognized was Inyang, a student in 100L.

Immediately after the news, I ran to the spot he had seen them earlier, but I couldn’t find my Ellie. I searched around, I saw just her purse, phone and pizza lying on the floor. I started shouting her name Ellie! Ellie! Ellie! Hoping that she answers me, but no.. She didn’t.

Just then someone called my name “Miguel! I turned around, twas Chommy. She was crying profusely, sweating and had bruises on her face too. She ran into my arms still crying …

Miguel : Chommy what happened? Who did this to you?

Chommy : Believe me Miguel, we tried. We tried really hard. We struggled with them for a long time. We fought them. If only you guys came a minute earlier they wouldn’t have, cox am just returning from chasing their car… She cried

Miguel : Which car? Which people?

Emeka: Pls can you tell us what happened here?

Chommy : Miiiiiguel… She was still crying, her voice was shaking. I got scared, let it not be what am thinking.

Miguel : Where’s Ellie?

Chommy: Those guys, those guys, they took her away. She’s been kidnapped!

Miguel and Emeka: What?

…she dropped the bombshell. I couldn’t believe it, I didn’t want to believe it.
Chommy squat down, with her face in her hands, she was crying. I didn’t say anything. I just walked, Yea I walked.. Like a dead man. Oh! the shock of it, the thought of it, sent cold shivers down my spine. I had many questions running through my head. But the major one was WHERE IS ELLIE?

I couldn’t sleep that night. Why would I sleep when I dunno if my sister is sleeping or dead? When I dunno if she have eaten or not? When I dunno how much pain she was in? No matter the the situation she was in, I just knew that she wasn’t ok. Am very sure of that. The next day I searched everywhere I could but couldn’t find Ellie. Chommy was receiving treatment in the school clinic so I didn’t want to disturb her. Emeka kept assuring me that everything will be fine, I so much wanted to believe that too.

Tears wasn’t coming or was I fighting it?
Well I dunno but I haven’t cried since my sister disappeared. Deep down, I felt like my heart was going to rip apart.

Lectures??? Who cares! Not when I refused to study abroad because I wanted to attend the same school with my sister so I could protect her from bad boys… But look, I failed. I failed to protect her. Tho I did go to class to ask if anyone saw Ellie but no one did. Danjuma and Emeka also helped alot.

I waited for the kidnappers to call, all to no avail.

Around 4pm that day, Chommy woke up. We went to check on her …

Miguel : How are you feeling?

Chommy : Better. Found her?

Miguel : Nope. No call, nothing nothing

Emeka: Danjuma said he saw Inyang, the first year student among them, right?

Danjuma: Yes, that’s true

Emeka: Chommy do you by chance recognize any of them?

Chommy :…..thinks…yes, yes, yes, I do

Miguel :…shifted closer… Who are they?

Chommy : I don’t know their names but am sure that the person responsible for it is Omolala
Miguel, Emeka and Danjuma:Goddess?

Chommy : Yes, am sure. Very sure.

Emeka: Then, part one solved. Let’s go

Danjuma : To where? You wan fight occultist boys?…but no one listened to him. We rushed out and he came running behind us. Chommy came running as well, she already removed the chemotherapy attached to her wrist. I tried to make her stay but she wouldn’t listen at all. We went to the school management to report, then we headed out to the police station. I wonder if they can help sef. Nigeria police na just Kpoo.

I haven’t called my parents cox I was scared and also hoped to find her. Earlier on, when I went to report to the school and they asked of my parents phone number so they could inform them… I gave them a wrong number.