Chronicles Of A Runs Girl - S01 E41

Story 2 years ago

Chronicles Of A Runs Girl - S01 E41

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 41

Small city

Lagos, a city of thirty million people and still, somehow unable to afford a girl some anonymity.

John junior took me to his father’s house and told me as much as I needed to hear.

Johnny had called him on the day he got kidnapped. He had intentionally tossed his phone when he realised he was being kidnapped, that was what he told his son in Lebanese when the kidnappers asked him to call his family. He told them that John’s phone number was the only one he knew off-head, but that wasn’t true. He didn’t want them seeing all the names on his phone and discovering all the people he knew. It was just like Johnny to have such presence of mind even in the craziest situation.

He told John that he had been kidnapped along with two of his friends and that the kidnappers were going to kill them if they, the kidnappers, didn’t get fifty million Naira. He told John to get in touch with Uncle Kamal who would make arrangements with the kidnappers.

According to John junior, he did not have any Uncle Kamal, so I asked him why his father told him to get in touch with the non-existent uncle. He told me ‘they’ had their way of dealing with such issues and he was in Nigeria to sort things out.

He seemed amazingly calm for someone whose father had been kidnapped. I asked him if he had that kind of money to pay the kidnappers and he smiled that smile that makes me want to throw my arms around his neck and kiss him with all my life.

“We are not paying a dime,” he said.

“But what’s going to happen to him then?”

“Nothing. We will get him back. And his friends.”

He never told me who ‘we’ were, but like he said, ‘they’ had a way of dealing with such things.

“How did you know I was at the police station?”

“I didn’t. I went to the hotel and they told me they’d arrested the suspects so I went to the station to see what they were talking about.”

“So you didn’t know who I was?”

“No, not really.”

“But they said you told them that Johnny sent you to look for me.”

“I had to say something. After I saw the way they’d… I asked the sheriff what the story was. He obviously had no clue. I couldn’t leave you there.”

“So Johnny didn’t tell you anything about me?”

“No. Should he have? Are you his…?”

“No. Nothing like that. He’s just my friend. He’s like a big brother.”

“Yeah. He’s driver said so. I asked him if he knew you. He said my dad would kill anyone that lays a hand on you.”

“How are they treating him?”

“Who? Dad? He’s alright. He’ll call me later tonight. You can talk to him then, if the kidnappers let him.”

“What about his friends?”

“He said they’re ok. I think they were after them and dad just sort of got in the way.”

“When will you get him out?”

“Don’t worry about that. We’re taking care of it.”

Again with the ‘we.’ There was a way he said it that made me know better than to ask questions.

“Tell me everything you remember about that night,” he said. “Did you tell anyone you were meeting my dad?”

“No.”

“The sheriff said you were with a friend. Could she have told someone?”

“No.”