Must Read: The Cartel (18+)

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: The Cartel (18+)

Some things, events, situations or actions we are supposed to take just don’t make sense to us at times no matter how much we try to understand them. But in those situations, you just have to trust in something be it your gut, fate, karma or whatever we choose to call it to move forward. This has been my philosophy and approach to life and that’s why I’m still alive today and before you. I don’t know why or where it’s coming from, but something in me says you should forgive her” She told her daughter.
“Hmmmm” The young girl finally heaved while nodding her head as if she was in agreement with her last comment. Then silence followed as she looked around, avoiding her eyes.
She was glad that her efforts seemed to be paying off finally. As a firm believer in the idea that everything happens for a reason, she had finally found the answer to why she told Jane to forgive Vivian when she just rescued. While she couldn’t place her fingers on why exactly she made that decision then, she now realized it was best she planted the seed of forgiveness in her heart because sooner or later, she too would seek forgiveness.





There was no doubt that with the way Jane was acting with Vivienne’s case, she wouldn’t be exactly pleased to know she was her mother. She realized that Jane, just like her was unpredictable and unforgiving. This unforgiving nature seemed to engrained in their gene, because her own parents, were unforgiving.
And as for Vivienne, even if she wouldn’t have forgiven her if she were in Jane’s shoes, she was now truly convinced she wanted her forgiven. Besides the fact that she believes the girl’s action was instrumental in reuniting her with Jane, her first impression after meeting the her was that Vivienne had a nice personality. She deserved and second chance.
The silence and both their thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of Jane’s phone ringing. The girl looked at the screen of the phone and then back at her before picking the call.
“Speak” Jane said in Efik to the caller after picking the call
“When?” She asked after the caller replied still in Efik
“How many of them?” She asked again
“Where is she now?” Jane asked again. At this point, Ima no longer had any doubt about who she was talking to. Obviously one of her foot soldiers who was reporting something going on somewhere
“What happened to the girl she ran over?”
“Ok. Just find out who they were and get back to me tomorrow. By the way, call your colleagues, the Godmother is in town and would be having a meeting with you guys on Monday. I’ll communicate the venue tomorrow evening to you to pass around” She said and ended the call herself.



As she watched the girl talk to whoever it was that called her, she couldn’t help admire how composed and assertive she was. She would definitely make a good heiress to her empire. But right then, a voice called her an irresponsible mother.
“Having dumped your daughter as an infant, you finally found her and you’re already thinking of taking her fully into a world of crime. Have you no conscience? Would you be an irresponsible mother forever?” The voice echoed in her head but was immediately countered by another voice.
“She’ll never be with you if she finds out you’re her mother unless you handover your business to her. Allow her make decisions and watch her love and remain with you forever. You have all the resources to keep her safe Ima” The second voice said
“Vivian was attacked a few minutes ago” She heard Jane’s voice interrupt her thoughts.
“Huh?.. What? By who? Is she alright?” She asked shocked. Her look and show of worry and concern seemed to shock Jane, but the girl remained cool
“Frat members. At the school gate. They crossed her car and opened fire shattering her glass. She escaped but not after running over a female among her assailants. The boys took the corpse with them. I’ve asked him to find out who her attackers were” She replied, telling her what the call was all about
“But I thought she was with Jama?” She asked while Jane shrugged her shoulders in an “I’ve got no idea way”.



She picked up her phone and put a call to Jama. He told her he wasn’t with her and that he had asked her to go back home almost immediately they got to the barracks.
*******
After seeing Jama off to the airport, she spent the better part of Sunday at her mother’s residence. She returned to the hotel only in the night to sleep. Jane had told her she would be spending the day with her family. The only way to avoid thinking and feeling rejected by her daughter was to go over to her mom’s.
Monday morning, Jane was the person that woke her up. They had breakfast together in the room after she did her morning rituals. She accompanied the seemingly young girl in her car to know her parents house but didn’t follow her in. From there, they proceeded to her hostel apartment which she confirmed she hardly made use off of late.
Going through Jane’s photo albums, she realized she was able to recognize Jane’s adoptive mother not as the woman she saw in church and had followed that day, but as a teacher in FGGC Calabar during her time there.
She began to wonder why she was unable to recognize the lady then in the church, but seeing her pictures more than 20 years later, she easily recognized her as one of their teachers even though her class wasn’t tutored directly by the lady. She kept her thoughts to herself
By midday, Jane left for a lecture while she proceeded to the bank were she made cash withdrawals from two different banks totaling 4 million naira. She intended to give Jama’s and Jane’s boys the money as bonuses for her visit. This was simply in a bid to encourage them to look after her daughter and also for them to remain loyal. Aside their monthly stipends and commissions after every successful deal, she had made it a habit to occasionally give a surprise package to her boys. A strategy that has been working for years now.
9pm, later that evening, she and Jane (who was disguised in what she said was her signature fringe hairstyle and glasses whenever she met the boys) were picked up from the hotel by 4 riffle bearing soldiers dressed in mufti and led by two of Jama’s loyal officers. Jama had left instructions for the six of them to accompany them to the meeting. The officers who she already knew, came in two tinted SUVs. The police 2i/c was to send a delegation to the venue before their arrival.






They were then driven to the location which was a bar somewhere around 8 miles. In wanting to give her daughter more control, she let her pick the venue which was located in the outskirts of town. According to Jane, she had never met them at the same place twice as she always changes her venue.
Arriving the venue, they both remained inside the car, while Jane called them on phone to come over to where the SUV’s that just arrived were packed. Once they arrived, she and Jane remained seated inside as she simply worn down the glass and addressed them after Jane introduced them by name.
The meeting was very brief, lasting just over 10 minutes as she just said she had come to see how they were faring and to have a word or two with them. While she praised their sales records, she cautioned them against cutting corners or going against the organization or it’s representative, the goddaughter who they already know.
From inside the dark car, she could see how mortified the boys were as they listened to her while nodding their heads. She then asked them to go over to Jane’s side of the car and receive their bonuses. N250 thousand each had already been put in brown envelopes for the 10 of them. The joyous feelings even though they hadn’t open their sealed envelopes was obvious in their voice as they came over to thank her and promised to do their best.
“Don’t mention. We simply take care of our own. Further instructions would be passed on to you by your boss” She told them in reference to Jane. “But for now gentlemen, its goodnight”. She said bringing an end to the meeting.
Dropping them at the hotel, she gave the two lieutenants and the four non commissioned officers N250 thousand and N100 thousand each in envelopes packaged for them prior to their arrival. While she knew Jama had already taken care of them, she just felt like extending her charity to them also. Everything was for Jane’s good

******

9am, Tuesday morning, Jane had just left after dropping her off at the airport. She gave her N300 thousand (which she knew the girl didn’t need) for her upkeep and also an extra N200 thousand for the police 2i/c to be delivered personally by Jane.
She had wanted to leave some amount of money for Vivienne, but up until that moment, none of them had been able to reach Vivienne who’s incident was simply reported by the police as a failed car snatching/robbery attempt.
But before leaving, she told Jane to start getting ready for her holidays in Lagos after the approaching exams. The girl was happy with the invite. She needed to talk to Jama as soon as she could she thought as she watched the girl leave.