Must Read: The Claw, The Tail, And The Cross. - Season 1 - Episode 14

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: The Claw, The Tail, And The Cross. - Season 1 - Episode 14

Back at my hotel room, I called Nina to ask how she was doing and she told me her Dad had fallen sick and was on admission in a hospital.

She allayed my voiced concern, saying the doctors had taken a look at him and he would be up and about in a few days. I told her I had been busy with work but mentioned nothing about the leopard for now as I didn’t want her to worry. I also called my boss in Lagos and intimated him on the progress Leemen’s Consulting had made. His response was still icy but I had a feeling he was happier that I was the one that had been chosen to go instead of someone from another department; at least, being my direct boss, he could still monitor some of my actions. I humbly thanked him once again for allowing me go on this trip even though I knew his greed and common sense wouldn’t have allowed him do otherwise.


Afterwards I had a meal and went out to hire a car from a car-hire service I had seen at Summit junction; a black Kia Cerato, fairly new and with a quiet engine. I wanted something that wouldn’t be so conspicuous if we had to do any tailing and which wouldn’t be easily seen in the dark. I told the car service guy that I would keep the car overnight and he didn’t mind at all, happily collecting some extra cash from me. I had told Jenny to meet me by 9pm so we could have an early start. Both of my dreams had occurred late at night and I felt it was safe to assume they would continue their hunting routine.


Evening came quickly and I awoke from my slumber by 8pm. I quickly got ready and sent a call through to Jenny who confirmed that she was on her way. I decided to dress for the occasion, a black top with dark shades and black jean trousers. Hey, I had seen it done in the movies, and thought it would be an excellent outfit. Little did I know that my outfit would almost lead to our downfall, but that comes later. I waited in my hotel room, checking the time anxiously and resisting the urge to call Jenny again. By exactly 10minutes to nine, I heard a knock on my door and went to open it. Jenny stood at the door entrance, stunning as usual in a polka dotted yellow dress that stopped just below her knees, hugging her curvy hips as it went down.


Her right shoulder bore a black handbag that complemented her black high heeled shoes which shone brightly in the corridor light.



Her perfume wafted into the room, sweet and mild and I braced myself even as she let loose her enigmatic smile.
“Hi…what the hell?” she exclaimed as she saw my outfit. “Are we going to a funeral?”
“It’s not exactly a party either,” I deadpanned and hustled her out of the room.



As we went downstairs we passed by the receptionist and the hotel manager discussing at the lobby. The receptionist eyed Jenny from head to toe and turned her face away while the hotel manager sighed and winked at me as soon as he felt Jenny wasn’t looking.
“Nice car,” Jenny said as we entered the Cerato. I nodded and turned the ignition and the engine hummed to life. We drove out and headed towards the next street where Mr. Obi was lodging in. We debated about going inside but decided to park just outside the hotel premises so as not to draw too much attention to ourselves from the securitymen.


Jenny brought out her phone from her handbag and called Mr Obi to ask after some documents.
“I know is late but would you mind if I came over, I need to photocopy them, I cant seem to find mine…Really?….thanks, you are a dear, I’ll be right over.”
She cut the call.

“He said he is in his hotel room. Let’s wait for a minute.”

After a while she called him back, claiming to have found her copies of the said file and thanking him for his help. At least we knew now that he was still in his room.


There didn’t seem to be any other exit out of the hotel other than the main entrance of which we had parked strategically outside to get a good view. The streetlights shone in the darkness and the night soon became cold and slightly windy. Jenny stuck her hand in her bag again and brought out a small flask and a cup.


Soon she was drinking hot coffee.
“What else have you got in there?” I asked.
“Everything a lady needs to do some investigative work,” she beamed.
“Coffee, chewing gum, kola and a few sweets…”
“Yeah?”
“And make-up of course.”
“What do you need make-up for?” I asked, “It’s not like we are going to try and s£duce the beast.”
“It depends on which beast we are talking about.” She said. I stared at her, not understanding and she drew closer to me.
“Tell me more about the other guy, you know, the guy inside you.

“The guy IS me.” I said. “Besides, there is nothing to tell”.
“Same thing you said about Nina. Come on, we’ve got a long night ahead of us.”
I sighed and looked at the time. It was just about 10pm. There had been a few cars coming and going but none of them was the blue Camry. And besides, we were close enough to see the occupants of the car as they drove by and Mr. Obi had not been any of them.
“I call him Chukwudi the Stronger,” I said.
“Or rather, I think that’s what he calls himself. My Father gave him that name.”
“Your father knows about him?” she asked.
“My Parents know everything, at least everything I know. I’ve been this way since I was born, you see. Having the Sight, it has been both a blessing and, well, not so much a blessing at times. When I was a kid I didn’t know what it was about or when it was appropriate to use my gift, so…”
“You must have caused a lot of wahala when you were little, right?” she said grinning.
“It wasn’t so much of a laughing matter then. My parents didn’t know what to think, but thank goodness they were understanding.



Still, I remember being taken to a lot of places by my parents, churches and otherwise.



Each time they would tell them that I was stronger than they were and for those who weren’t genuine, I would expose them for what they really were and they would chase my parents away.

My mother, not wanting to take any chances, gave me a good Christian upbringing though I tried to tell her it wasn’t necessary as Pachios always kept me in line, always remained as my moral compass…”
“Who is Pachios?” Jenny asked wide eyed.
“Oh, He is…was… my guardian angel, the one you said I was close to. He left when Chukwudi the stronger woke up. I miss him though.



I think it would have been better if he stayed, at least he would have taught me everything I am capable of. As it is, I’m like someone wandering in the dark when it comes to Chukwudi the Stronger. I don’t really know what he can and cannot do.”
“Well, why don’t you ask him?” she said taking another sip of her coffee.
“He seems to be a…em…jovial sort of fellow.” I chuckled.
“That he is, just don’t get on his bad side.



But to be honest with you I haven’t really seen him in action. Most of the time it is like he lends me his power but I’m in charge.”
“Except when you are sleeping…” she said.
“As you found out.” I replied.
“Any other abilities apart from the Sight and handling fire?”
“There’s the sword…” I began.
“The one that has never been pulled, yeah.



How do you use it!” I shrugged my shoulders.
“I honestly don’t know anything about that. I only saw it once when I was unconscious. And Chukwudi the stronger never mentions it when we have discussions in my dreams.”
“Maybe you should ask him then!” Jenny said, still excited. I cringed at the idea. It was true Chukwudi the stronger never gave me information unless I asked for, or needed it; but I was afraid that the more I learnt, the more responsibility I would have to shoulder, and I wasn’t too fond of responsibility. It was all I could do to keep from feeling depressed when I had manifestations of people going down the wrong road in their lives, but going to each and every one of them seemed a feat for which I wasn’t too interested at all. In fact that was part of the reason why I subconsciously dimmed the sight, so I wouldn’t be burdened with so much information. It sounded selfish as I thought of it but that’s just how I felt.

Jenny was looking at me.
“The first time I was told I would go above water, I was so excited. It’s an amazing thing, what the land dwellers have done through technology, I mean, we have similar things but not the way you guys have it. Everything was so exciting to me. And of course with the charms and powers my parents gave me, I could do a little manipulation of my own. But then I made friends, human friends, and I started realizing I needed to keep my identity a secret.


Sometimes I would see a friend headed for trouble and warn her, giving her explicit details and she would ask me how I found out and when I couldn’t give a reasonable explanation, they would distance themselves from me, call me all sort of names and I would feel terrible. So I learnt to keep my secrets to myself. And then a friend invited her boyfriend over and I felt in his aura that he wasn’t a good person. I tried to tell her, warn her, but she refused, thinking I wanted to snatch her ‘rich’ boyfriend. If I had revealed anything else about him, she would have found out that I wasn’t altogether normal so in the end I had to let her go with him.

Turned out he was an armed robber and the police were after him; their night out turned into a shoot- out and she was killed.

She sighed.
“I felt terrible but there was nothing else I could do. So you see, either way I couldn’t win. I decided to keep to myself and have been doing so ever since. I ask advice once a while when I contact home but other than that I learn things by myself. But I still stay; I didn’t go back down below the sea. I want to know and learn everything there is to learn, that way I can become more knowledgeable and wise and more experienced. Don’t you feel the same way?”
“I guess so,” I said quietly. We sat still for a while and then suddenly Jenny poured me a cup of coffee.
“Drink, the night is still young.”
I took the coffee and drank. It was concentrated, the bitter aftertaste still very present although she had added some sugar to it.
“Thanks,” I said.