Longest Shortcut

The craving for more is the true enemy of a lasting friendship.

Michael Isaac

{Friday. The appointed day with the Oracle}

It was around 3:17 am when the bus arrived in Uyo, the capital city of Akwa Ibom state. It was still dark but the street lights gave life to the surrounding.

Cyril was happy, the distance between he and his future had finally been narrowed to nothing but a speck.

He felt nervous and excited, but looking around him made him realise, it wasn going to be long until he had a discuss with fate were he would demand a turn around in his life.

The thoughts of his family came upon him once more, he reflected on the things he had lost over the years because he didn have the means and resource. He smiled and said ”things are definitely going to change from now ”

Right in the terminal was a three storey building, owned by the transport company.

It allowed travellers who were waiting to board the ongoing vehicles or those who had arrived but had problems getting to their various homes to linger till they were able to locate their routes.

The second and third floor had been designed to be lodging rooms were travellers could pay a small amount and lodge for the duration of their stay. Basically it was like a motel.

The ground floor had a big hall, chairs were arranged inside closer to the walls, were travellers who couldn afford the lodging fee to just sit around till morn. A television hung just about 3 feet on the side of the wall.

They walked into the hall, other travellers were sat staring intently at the television. They found an empty space just at the end of the room were they sat down to relax.

Nonso turned to him and said

”Hey Cyril, we are now in Akwa ibom, for now we will hang around the terminal until daybreak, a friend of mine will come and take us to his place. So just manage here for now. ”

”Oh no problem at all, I will be fine. ”

{Friday, 4:13 am.}

”Help me! Help me! Help. ”

But there was no one to help, he was in a deep well. He tried to keep his head above the water.

The place was dark, so dark he couldn see. He shouted and screamed but to no avail, he tried for hours and finally he was becoming weak.

His throat began to ache, he decided to drink some water. Immediately the water touched his tongue he spewed it out. The water tasted bitter.

He tried to shout and still there wasn any answer. After hours of shouting and beating against the walls of the well, he was tired and exhausted, he began to sink.

The water was above his head now, he wanted to shout but he couldn , it was as if something was pulling him to the bottom.

He struggled and struggled but he was only struggling with the water, and what man ever, has won that battle.

He tried once more to reach out and put his head above the water, there was a splashing sound and suddenly he was on his feet.

All those who had been in the hall with him, just stared furiously at him.

He had woken them up from their sleep. Nonso reached out and patted him on the back.

”Bro, don be afraid its just a dream. Just sit down and relax. ”

He sat down. Nonso gave him a bottle of water. He drank his fill and placed the bottle on the ground.

He went into the bathroom, just outside the hall to change himself.

He was dripping wet from sweat, he was confused and afraid.

”What kind of dream is this? It felt too real, more like a premonition.

But a premonition of what? ” He asked himself.

He went out of the bathroom and entered into the hall and sat down next to Nonso.

”Bro what happened to you? You were screaming at the top of your voice. You scared everyone here. ”

”Nonso don worry, it was just a dream. ”

”Okay ooo, if you say so. ”

At 7 o clock in the morning, Nonsos friend arrived. He was a short guy of around 28. He was looking not very pleasant like the other friends they met in Onitsha.

He had a thick beard, it was brownish in colour as if he had it dyed.

His trouser hung on his buttocks instead of his waist. He looked like he had been beat down by life and had lived a rough one.

They boarded a taxi to Efoi in Eket local government were he lived. It was a 45 minutes drive from Uyo and about 10 minutes drive to Ekpene-Obo.

At 8 o clock they got to the house, it was a shack. The house had been built with mud, the roof had bamboo sticks fastened with palm fronds.

They entered into the room, inside the room was clean and arranged.

There was only a single chair and a single mattress that would only take two at the most if they decided to cramp themselves. Cyril sat down on the chair whiles the other guys sat on the bed.

After about an hour, there was a knock on the door. Four guys entered the room. Cyril recognised two of them as the guys he met in Onitsha. They were Nonsos friends.

He turned and stared at Nonso. He didn understand what was happening.

”Why were they here? Did Nonso tell them about what they had come to do? Had they come to join in the exercise? ”

He was confused, immediately his cell phone began to vibrate and so he was drawn out of his thoughts.

He reached into his pocket and brought out his G**. The caller, Abiola.