The Activist - Season 1 - Episode 10

5 years ago

The Activist - Season 1 - Episode 10

☆☆☆☆☆

By Monday, he had recovered sufficiently to be mentally fit. He had not told anyone about what happened, they were not his diary you know.
With classes on, he noticed that Ortega was not behaving in the usual aggressive name. He was more timid than ever, pushing all the responsibility to Tade. Tade was now handling the class alone, calling lecturers, photocopying lecture notes, getting handouts ready, etc. Ortega was almost looking redundant and it did not take long before other students started asking questions on what was happening, pouring a deluge of questions on him.

“Wetin do class rep?”
“Him no well?”
“Why Ortega no dey do anything?”
“Na wa o, Ortega no fight today, na you cause am?”

“Wetin you do Ortega?”
The questions were endless and at times annoying. All this while Ortega was quiet, wearing hooded clothes and making all efforts to mask his presence among students.

On Thursday, after another barrage of questions, Tade was about meeting a lecturer when he saw a paper bill with Ortega’s face on it. It read:
Obituary
With the deepest sense of regret, we thereby announce the death of a son and brother, Ortega Aneke, who died after a brief illness. Burial arrangements to follow shortly.

Courtesy: blank
Tade did not understand the bill, for Ortega was alive and well, even attending all the classes today as he had seen him. He walked into the class and dragged Ortega quietly away, in order to avoid attention and to show him the new discovery.

Ortega eyes dilated immediately he saw the bill, almost falling to the floor, Tade holding him tightly. His hands were shaking out of shock or whatever it was.

“Ortega, I don’t know what you have done but you need to get your acts together. You need to settle whatever is happening. You must deal with your problems quickly.”

Ortega thanked him promptly and left. Tade went ahead to see the lecturer, other students discovering the bill and gossiping around.
That was the last time Tade saw Ortega alive.
Ortega failed to show on Friday, despite having a test that day. Tade, meanwhile enjoyed the test and was having a great day when Shodipo accosted him.

Shodipo was a reporter for Megaphone, a campus news agency. He was known, even by rookie reporter levels to be quite sneaky, always sniffing around for information. His work was the reason that the agency created the crime section, as he specializes in reporting crime stories around the school. Tade really did not want to see him.

“Hi Tade.” Shodipo spoke, giving a fake smile.
“Good afternoon. How can I help you?”
“Take it easy na, stop squeezing your face.” Shodipo smiled heartily, baring out his white teeth and holding his stomach. “You need to see the way you are.” Tade, however did not care.

“I have some information I need to verify from you?”

“What information?”
“Do you know what was Ortega’s last job as a cult member?”

“Excuse me, can you stop spreading rumours? You are doing nothing but destroying people’s reputation.”

“Really? Does Ortega have a reputation?”
Tade placed his hands on Shodipo’s
shoulders, which made the other guy feel short even though he was a few millimeters shorter than Tade.

“Ortega may not have a reputation or a good image, but spreading lies about him just to gain some popularity is wrong. Do you know that you can be sued for that?”

“Yes, that’s if I am saying a lie. But these pictures don’t lie.” He showed some pictures to Tade.

The pictures, taken in broad daylight were implicating to be lenient. Ortega was on every picture, wearing a shirt with skulls on it and holding different weapons, his face looking violent. He was on a sleeveless shirt, an oddity considering that Tade had never seen him in such and he had a symbol on his hand that shocked Tade to the marrow.

The symbol of a cross smashing a skull, with a snake hugging the two objects.

While the symbol was very strange ordinarily, Tade had seen it before. In fact he had seen it recently. It was on the arm of one of the dead ‘robbers’ around Fine Touch Hostel. With what Shade told him about the place, Ortega’s behavior became clear.

Shodipo noticed the shock on Tade’s face. “You mean that you did not know? Like really, what sort of representative are you? I mean, you suppose to assist him in……”
“Class duties, not his personal life.” Tade retorted, angry that Shodipo was linking his responsibilities as a class rep to Ortega’s personal life. Was he trying to rope him into the mess Ortega was in?

“Am sorry, really sorry.” Shodipo said after noticing how angry Tade looked.” I just thought you guys were a bit closer. At least you were in the same class.”

“I take it that you know nothing about this then? If you hear anything, call this number.” He scribbled a number on the back of one of the photos. Luckily for Tade, it had the symbol on it. He gave it to Tade. “Sorry again for the way I came at you.” He quickly walked away.

Tade took the picture and looked critically at it. He needed to see Malik

Back in the room, he met only Malik and Andrew, working on their final year projects.
“Malik, how far?”
“I dey oh. This one you come early, wetin happen?”

“Na test jare, we do one small test and essay.”
“Oga o! This your department and essay eh?”

“Na so.”
“So, you no fit greet me.” Andrew spoke from his corner.
“Andrew, how far? Abeg no vex I no see you.” Tade replied.
“Okay oh!” Andrew said, sounding like an overused mop.

“No vex na.” Tade came and tickled Andrew, creating a little playful fight between the duo. Andrew was trying to tickle Tade back, since they were both prone to it, but Tade had the upper hand.

“Oya, Oya, I don give up. Abeg make I do my work.” Andrew gleefully said, prompting Tade to release him. In the process the picture fell down and Andrew spotted it.
“Whose picture is that?” He picked it up.
“Na one picture that Shodipo guy give me.” Tade told him. “I wan show Malik before.”
“Where did he get this? This is a symbol for the Unseen Demons!” Andrew pointed at the exposed hand.

“You know that symbol?” Tade asked. Malik, who had listened to their conversation, then joined.

“The Unseen Demons is supposedly a new cult group in this school, because apart from the Vikings, Aye-Axemen and the dreaded Eiye group, the other well known cults are the Red Axes, Quick Scorpions and the Ravens, who have now joined forces with the Eiye group.”
“However, Andrew jumped in. The Unseen Demons are popular in diabolical Europe, where they hold secret meetings and obtain powers that are not of this world. They are thought to be affiliated with the Free Masons, and you know what that is.”
“Who is on that picture?” Malik asked.
“That’s Ortega, My class representative.” Tade answered. “Shodipo brought it in the hope that I will give some information about Ortega, but sincerely I know close to nothing about him. I could not have imagined that I will be seeing this again.”

“Again? You have seen this before?” Andrew inquired. Tade briefed them on the party and what he saw.

“I have a feeling that Ortega was in that group and they fought with another cult group, probably as a retaliation for something that happened. Now, I believe that the Unseen Demons lost the fight and their members went to hiding, which explains all of Ortega’s behavior.”

Andrew held Tade’s shoulder. “Be careful, Tade. I will advise that you burn this picture before it falls to the wrong hands. Anyone that sees this will think you are a cultist or you know about Ortega’s whereabouts; you don’t want to be in that situation I can assure you.”

Tade brought out a pen and paper to write down Shodipo’s number. After he was done, he walked outside with a box of match sticks and burned the picture.

“Am done.” He said to no one in particular. Andrew beckoned to him.

“For your safety, don’t tell anyone about this. Not even the other guys. Act like nothing happens and if Shodipo bothers you, threaten to report him to the authorities; he will shut up. For your safety, say nothing.” Andrew advised.