Must Read: The Rich Kids Of Lagos (16+)

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: The Rich Kids Of Lagos (16+)

Tina looked around the room. What was that vibrating sound? She stopped what she was doing and listened again. There it went again! She traced the sound to the nylon bag on the bedside table at the hospital.


‘Na for this nylon sef. Wetin dey inside?’ she asked before peeking inside
‘Oh na him cloth sef, and his phone’ she picked up the offending item and tried to look at the face of the phone to know who the caller was. It was impossible to see who it was because the face of the phone was badly cracked as a result of the kick Peter had received when he entered the warehouse. Shuga had been kind enough to pick up the phone when Kashman carried Peter to the car. He had slipped the phone into Peter’s pocket because he did not want any issues with The Boss.


Tina looked at the phone and contemplated if she should keep it as hers. She changed her mind when the phone rang again. Whoever was calling him was persistent.
‘E fit be his family. Those men have not returned with the money. Maybe oga caller go fit pay sef’ she thought as she chewed her gum loudly. She decided to pick the call
‘Hello, who are you?’ said Tina into the phone
‘Why you go ask me who dey speak? Na me ask you first’ argued Tina.
‘Why the phone is with me? He is in the hospital, Saint Nancy’s hospital in Apapa. He had an Okada Accident’ responded Tina to the questions she had been asked
‘I say who you be?’ asked Tina ‘Tessy? Are you his sister? Will you come?’ she asked. She hoped this Tessy would bring the remaining money.


‘No, bag nor dey him hand o! The people that brought him in have not even paid yet’ responded Tina. She wondered why this person was interested in a bag.
‘We are in Apapa!’ she had already told her the location. Why was the caller asking again? She hissed and switched the phone off.


**************

Self-consciously, DG and Addy disentangled, avoiding each other’s eyes. Neither was willing to admit that the hug had felt good or that they had missed the other’s touch.

‘So, he is not here, what do we do? Asked Aduke, stating the obvious.
‘I have asked Davis to get in touch with Olu, my Private Investigator who would solve this mystery’ he responded. ‘Don’t worry, Addy he would be fine.’ Said a slightly jealous Gabbo. He briefly wondered if she would have shown the same level of concern if he had been the one in Peter’s shoes.
‘I’m mad at you D.G’ said Aduke simply
‘As I am with you, Aduke. You have a lot of questions to answer. I do not understand you; the coincidences around you are just too many. It is incredibly hard to believe your stories. However, the time is not now’ he said ‘Let us go home’ he said
‘Please take me to my own apartment Alhaji.



Please.’ Begged Addy. She needed to be away from him, even if it is for a few hours.

‘Okay, Koffi and I would drop you at yours, but please call me. We need to trash all our issues out, Addy. We should not leave things as they are’ he appealed.
She nodded.

*********

The vortex called but the pain was too much.
His mother waved goodbye and his friend kept smiling at him. Peter knew the time was not now. He loved the comfort of the vortex but realised that he would soon be pushed out of it. The pain was getting sharper.


Someone was opening up the plaster on his face without any care that it was attached to his skin.
‘Hmmmm’ he groaned.
‘Doctor, it is as if he is coming round oh’ said a soft voice
‘Okay that is fine. Let him come round. I just hope I don’t have to stitch this chin. I should have done it while he was unconscious. Finish opening it let me see.’ Said Dr. Gbenle
Peter groaned again and opened his eyes. He was confused. Where am I, who are these people. Am I safe?


Suddenly, his memories came rushing all at once.


He remembered how his favourite boss had dealt with him all because of Aduke. What had she said to Gabbo and why had she done this to him?

Peter made up his mind at that point to stop working for Gabbo. Once was enough, he would not wait until Gabbo killed him.
‘Good day Peter’ said the doctor in a very loud voice
‘Can you hear me? Can you see me? He asked, even louder than before
Peter tried to nod, but he discovered that it was painful
‘Yes’ he croaked
Talking was even more painful to do than he had imagined. His throat was parched and he needed water.
‘Thirsty. I want water. I have a headache too’
‘Grace!’ said the Doctor as he called the ward maid in the dirty uniform, ‘Bring him some water and Panadol’
Grace scurried off to do the Doctor’s bidding
‘You were lucky. We had to do a lot to bring you back. Next time please wear a helmet. Said Dr. Gbenle.


Peter tried to look around the room. From the little he could see, there was nothing here that indicated that they had done anything other than wait for him to wake up.

The ward maid returned with a dirty looking glass cup and two sachets of pure water. Peter balked at first, but knew that he had no choice. The water was so good.



Another lady came into the hospital, chewing gum loudly
‘You have a visitor in the reception’, she announced
‘Does the person have an appointment?’ asked Dr. Gbenle, feeling self-important.
‘No, said Tina, ‘it is the patient’s visitor’ she said
‘Okay, maybe your friends are back here’ said the Doctor
Peter was surprised but was unwilling to waste his energy on talking.
‘Let them come’ said the Doctor to Tina. ‘Grace, please bring his food’.

****************

Tessy looked around the dingy hospital and wondered how Peter had found himself here.

What had he been doing on an Okada?

She was here for two reasons. First, she had to protect her share of Aduke’s initial bounty and secondly, she was here to ensure that Peter agreed to her proposition over Simi’s plan. She had to play her cards right by showing him concern for his health. She could get something from Peter and Simi.

As she stepped into the hospital room, she wiped the look of disgust from her face and replaced it with one of concern.

Peter could not hide his shock. How had Tessy known he was here? Did she have a hand in any of this?
‘Peter! What happened? The nurse said you had been in an accident? Are you okay? We have to get you out of here. Why did you choose this hospital?’ she asked, worried.

Peter was amazed because he had never seen this side of Tessy. He was confused and alone.

Nobody had even felt his absence, except this young lady.

Grace came back in with a tray of food. She put a plate of beans and bread before him. Peter wondered what kind of place this was. How could they offer him beans and bread shortly after he had regained his consciousness?
‘Is this his food? Asked Tessy aggressively
‘Yes.’ Said Grace simply
‘Did you not tell me over the phone that he fainted? Is this the food you give to someone who just regained consciousness?’ said Tessy echoing Peter’s thoughts
‘No be me you follow talk, Madam. I think it is Tina that spoke with you’ responded Grace defensively ‘and na Dr. Gbenle say make I bring food to him. This is the only thing I was able to buy around here. Don’t worry, Oga, the beans is sweet’ said Grace as she left the room.
‘Peter, how did you get here? What were you doing on an Okada?’ asked Tessy. She was truly perplexed. ‘We need to get you out of here’ she said
‘No. It was not an accident. Gabbo had me thoroughly beaten up!’ said Peter
‘Why would he do that? Asked Tessy. She found it hard to believe. Are you sure you have your facts right? How did you get here then?’ asked an incredulous Tess.
‘I don’t know how I got here, but I remember being beaten’ said Peter calmly
‘Wow!’ Tessy was in shock
‘Anyway, it’s all good. I’m going back to Warri. I need to get out of this Gidi madness. I have suffered enough in this town’ he said, feeling sorry for himself.

‘No. Peter. The one thing we have in common is that we are not quitters! You need to pick yourself up and get back on track. They have beaten your body up, but you must never allow anybody to beat your spirit. You will get better and come back bigger. One day, you will be better than Gabbo and then, if you like, you can make him and Aduke pay’ said Tessy passionately
Peter listened to her intently and saw a grain of truth in what she had said. He still wanted to go to his village to relax and he told her this. Moreso, he desperately wanted to avoid Gabbo until he had worked his plans out.
‘Peter, I have a proposition and I think it is a great idea especially now’ said Tessy as she went into the details of her plan.

Peter listened and wondered which way he should go. Should he go home or follow this hare-brained scheme through? There were possible benefits to this plan. It could help him.
‘One thing, Tessy. Do not tell Aduke you saw me. I suspect those guys brought me here out of the kindness of their heart. If Ahaji thinks I’m dead, I would act dead until I’m ready to make my reappearance.’ He said. ‘I will consider your plans, but I need to rest now. My head aches too much.

With that, he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.