INVADED CHAPTER TWO PART ONE

2

‘Tonia’ someone echoed. ‘Antonia’ the echoing continued. I looked up and found myself in the middle of a palm kernel vegetation whose beginning or end I couldn’t determine
‘Antonia’ the echoing continued now more desperately than before. I stood up and began walking to the east side trying to locate the origin of the voice. I was lost; that was the obvious fact but I didn’t understand why, why was I lost? How did I get here?
‘Who are you’ I asked in a bold voice trying to hide my fear but there was no reply just the continuation of the echoing of my name. I turned round at a spot confused. The voice seemed to be coming from nowhere and everywhere
‘What do you want from me?’ I asked ‘Please let me know who you are’ I begged tears rolling down my eyes ‘I’m lost’ I continued. But there was no response; jut my name. finally the voice came to a halt. I stood at a position; totally confused and lost. I decided to start climbing a tree realizing that maybe I could see someone from the top. I started climbing going higher and higher. The tree seemed to just keep going up with no peak but I continued. Soon I became tired and started missing my step. I finally missed a step that sent me straight to the ground. I opened my eyes and shook in fear as I was about to land on the ground
‘Bad dream?’ a woman beside me asked. I looked sideways and found the woman supposed to be Valerie. It all came to clarity; last night I was kidnapped with Muna or sold to be precise. I looked to my other side and there was Muna soaked in her own tears; her hands chained up to a static rod just like mine and her legs too. Looking round, I realized I wasn’t the only girl in that situation. A light skinned girl was opposite me; wounded seriously on her left shoulder. Though the wound was dressed; I could determine how deep it was. And then three other girls. I remembered the look on all our faces that night. We were simply terrified kids. None of us was more than seventeen. I looked at Muna; she was beginning to seem weak. I tried to jerk the chain off but it just seemed to make the pain of my present situation off
‘Easy Tonia’ she cautioned in a caring voice ‘You’ve been out for close to ten hours now’ she continued. Ten hours? The last time I checked it was around thirty minutes past nine. I looked at Muna; she didn’t seem bold enough to look at me
‘I’m sorry Tonia’ she finally said in tears ‘I know this was all my fault and’
‘Shhh…’ I interrupted in a tiny whisper ‘No…. none of us saw this coming. We would get out of here I promise you’
‘There’s no getting out’ the woman said walking to me. I could tell the car was moving. I looked up at her and sighed; how did she hear me
‘What do you guys want from us!’ Muna yelled rudely ‘If its money; my dad has it. What’s your number; ten million, twenty please just let us go’
‘Mr. Osita Nzeribe right. Yes I know; CEO of Louise and Co Nigerian PLC, one of Nigerian’s biggest entrepreneurs, married to two wives; your mom being the second.  He has being away at Italy for close to three months’ Muna looked at her astonished
‘How did you know my father’
‘Oh I know all of your fathers and mother’ she said in between a mocking laughter. Muna rolled her eyes
‘Yes that’s him’ Muna continued. Muna rolled her eyes
‘Yes that’s him’ Muna continued
‘Well Muna; daddy can’t help you’ Muna looked at her perplexed
‘He died a month two weeks ago and the EFCC just dug out a dirty deal your dad was involved in. your house and everything your father ever built will soon be on lockdown’ she said without any sympathy in her voice. One of the men in the bus with us; the one that grabbed me laughed. I looked in front to locate the driver but couldn’t. we were obviously in a distribution bus and the drivers were always blocked. Muna looked at her in both disbelief and horror. I could imagine what was going on in her head; as if her life just came crushing. She started sobbing louder than before. I wished I could pat her but my hands were chained up. The woman looked up in anger and signaled with her head to the second guy in the bus
‘Job; shut this one up’ she said. Job walked up to Muna and used his elbow to hit her on her head which led her straight to unconsciousness. I opened my eyes in horror. This was happening. My life was over

‘Miss Valerie right’ I called in a shaky voice. She looked at me and let out a small smile
‘Yes…..just Valerie. I’m twenty four not fifty’ she laughed. She seemed to be the only one relaxed in the bus. The girl beside me hit my legs with hers. I looked at her and she gave me a stern look; something like a warning.
‘Oh your fellow recruit is trying to pass a signal. I advise you to listen to her’ Valerie said laughing
‘Are you traffickers, drug pushers… what are you guys’ I pushed out ignoring the girl’s warning
‘Antonia’ she called looking at me sternly. I looked at her. Her eyes were tired and sunken ‘Give up the interrogation or you’ll be the next person to be knocked out’ she warned firmly looking sideways at Valerie in a bad way. Valerie stood up and walked up to her
‘Come on Asher’ she said stooping beside her eyes ‘Owoade right?....tell Antonia how you got that wound on your shoulder’ she continued. Asha carried her head away in disgust
‘Oh………….okay’ Valerie said standing up ‘Job!’
‘I tried to fight Valerie’ Asher snapped in fear. Swallowing as tears try to come down from her eyes. ‘That’s how I got the wound on my shoulder’
 ‘I was just coming out of my school. We had just finished arranging the hall for the valedictory service that’s sure to go on today. As the acting senior prefect, I had to stay late to help. As I left the school around seven in the evening. I saw Valerie, Job and….’ She paused ‘The other guy. Job tried to grab me and I resisted that when Valerie came to help’
‘To cut to the crap; she was stabbed with my hair pin. It’s a defense weapon’ Valerie interrupted.
‘Someone’s waking up’ The second guy interrupted
‘How long has she been out Sparrow’ Valerie asked
‘Precisely fifteen hours now. She just needed an excuse to sleep’ Valerie laughed
‘Poor girl was tired’ the girl jumped up. She had a frightened look on her face. I remembered the first time I saw Ebun. She was nothing like all of us. Unique was the best word to describe her. She was very petite and could be mistaken for a twelve years old kid anywhere. Her big curious eyes and small mouth gave her a squeaky look. Immediately she sat up; the first thing she asked wasn’t where am I or what do you want from me. She asked what the time was
Valerie laughed; so did Job and Sparrow. Ebun didn’t seem to get what was funny but we all did though we didn’t laugh
‘I know what you guys are expecting me to ask; but I asked that question last night and you told me I’ll know with time. I’m waiting for time to tell me but for now I just want to know what hour of the day it is’ she rushed out in a fast smart voice that made me look at her in admiration. She didn’t seem relaxed none of us did but with the way she handled herself in a situation like the one we were in made me wonder  
‘It’s eight’ Valerie finally answered. Ebun looked up at her chained hands and sighed
‘I wasn’t chained before’ she observed ‘My back itches’ she continued. Job laughed again and Sparrow likewise
‘She’s the smart one isn’t she’ Sparrow asked in between laughters
‘Yes… But there’s another like her’
‘In whose Cargo’ Job asked opening a bottle of water
‘Ju’s’ Valerie said plainly. Sparrow nodded
‘Job… help Ebun itch her back’
‘No please no…….’ Ebun resisted but it was too late. Job grabbed her roughly and tore the cloth that covered her back and began scratching her, injuring her seriously. I carried my face away so did Asher. Why? I asked myself. Why the wickedness and the display of ruthlessness

‘That’s enough!’ Valerie finally commanded which made Job stop. He stood up and kicked her aside then walked back to where he was seated. Ebun sobbed for the next fifteen minutes. I cried with her imagining what she might have gone through. I looked at Valerie; she was reading a copy of Genevieve Magazine with no interest of the present situation in her face. ‘I’m dead’ I thought. My final judgment was that they were ritualist. How was I going to get out…… that was a question I knew no answer to………….TO BE CONTINUED