The Preacher Son

Episode 34

‘Good afternoon sir’ i greeted with fear and trembling showing on my face.

‘The person that showed thuis man our house na God go punish am’ i tot.
‘Sir this is my son, he is in jss2’ my father introduced him to me.

The man shook my hands and asked me about school and other stuffs and he shook my already shaking hands.

I was thanking God for saving me, when the man started telling my dad of how he was passing a football field and a boy broke his glass with football.

“Uduak come back here” my father shouted.

I froze and came back to face them
“Did you know the person that broke his side window in the field, because i have seen you playing ball their before with kolo”
I quickly did what a sharp kid would do; lie.

“I dont know, since last two weeks i have not played ball because we are writing 2nd test in school” i told the perfect lie.

‘Ok you can go’.

I quickly ran inside before another question would be asked.

The man was a soldier officer who just returned from Liberia for peace keeping mission and he came to greet my father.

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After my test, exams and other stuffs we went for vacation. And it was the christmas break.
Kolo the demon called me one week before the christmas celebration and told me that we should go and buy knockouts.

Then it was announced on the radio and tv stations that knockouts was prohibited and that any body caught using it would be arrested. Due to the high rate of armed robbery and cultism activities.

So it was with fear that i had but kolo encouraged me to go because the man he was buying from usually sells to him, so i reluctantly followed him.

We went to north bank market in markurdi and we were walking round the market, when kolo stoped in the front of a provision shop.

“Kolo wait, na for provision shop you dey buy banga”. Banga was what we call knockouts then.

“Just wait and see na” we walked to the shop and met the owner of the shop, a huge fat ibo man.

“Good afternoon sir, we want to buy banga” kolo blurted out.
“So where your money”

kolo brought out the money from his pocket and gave to the man.

“Na five packet we need” kolo added.
“Ok make una siddon, i dey come” the man left and we sat down waiting for the original banga from a provision shop.

Instead of bringing out banga, the shop man brought out a hot fresh koboko with five fingers which made our eyes open with horror.

“So did you children not see the announcement in tv or heard what the annouce in radio concerning throwing of banga” the man asked while his hungry looking koboko.

My brain was dead with no explanation to give, i just sat there looking at kolo and waiting for him to display his lying talent and bring us out from the mess.

“Sir i no know, na just yesterday i come from village, nai this boy say make we buy banga, i no even like banga sef” kolo shouted pointing at me and making me look like a foreigner.

I had completely lost my voice from the accusation i just received and when the man turned and asked me wether it was through i simply sat there with tears streaming down my eyes like the rivers of flowing water.
“I said am talking to you, is it true that you brought him here” the man asked me again, i was still mute with more tears streaming down my eyes.

The man must have had pity on me, he looked at us and said.

“Throwing of knockouts is not good, because the police may think its armed robbers and you children could be arrested, e.t.c”
we listened to him and then his face suddenly changed to a frown and he shouted at us that we should run and never come back if not he was going to call police for us.

I got up gratefully and was about adding my gear to run when kolo opened his foul mouth and said.

“Oga what of our money na”
“Which money, you dey mad, na because i no give you to poliice thats why you get mouth talk abi” he raised his koboko to flog us but we took off like two ferrari cars and ran for our dear lifes.

We reached home breathless and before kolo could say “Kai this man do