  "Are you done?", Caro asked, looking at his notebook.
      "Almost," the boy replied, scribbling furiously.
      "What about you?", she asked, turning to his brother. "Are you done, I... you're Ian, right?"
      "No. Moses."
      "Okay. Ian, Moses... Ian, Moses... Ian, Moses," she recited in a bid to remember who was on her left and who was on her right. "So how can I tell who's who after you both leave here?"
      "He's the stupid one," Moses said, pointing at his twin.
      "He's the crazy one," Ian shot back.
      "Okay, okay! It's okay. Just go back to your works."
      "I'm done," Moses announced, triumphantly slamming his pen down on his book.
      "I finished first!", Ian countered.
      "That's a lie! I finished first!"
      "You finished second!"
      "That was you, liar!"
      As they quarreled and called each other names, Caro sighed and shook her head in frustr

  Rebecca was ill at ease as she switched focus from the clock to the door and back again to the clock. She could not sit still and in one position. She crossed her legs, uncrossed them; folded her hands, unfolded them; put them under her chin, placed them on her lap... until Chief could no longer ignore her.
      "Woman, calm down!", he scolded.
      "I'm calm na, Chief," she grumbled, shifting to yet another position. He simply shook his head and leaned back on the sofa.
      "When will they come na?", Rebecca murmured, looking at the clock for the upteenth time.
      "They said ten. Is it ten yet?"
      "It's almost ten na. W..."
      "Look, Rebecca. If you cannot wait in silence, go and take sleeping medicine. Your pro..."
      "Chief, Chief, shhh! I think they're here."
      "Who's where?"
      But she was already on her feet and making for the door. He shook his head in pi

  "Alaye, waka straight," the erstwhile conductor hissed, kicking the staggering Timmy on the shin. He and his confederates were leading their now blindfolded and gagged victim away from the bus.
      Timmy had no idea where they were, the blindfold was used halfway through the journey and the only exposed part of his head was his nose. The gag was hurting his mouth and face, but there was no means of complaining even if he dared to.
      Stumbling and jumbling between two of his captors, he was taken on a short journey before they entered what seemed like a house. They asked to see 'Oga' and they were soon ushered into a room with rug-covered floor.
      Timmy was made to sit on the ground and he tried to imagine what was going on around him. Were they going to kill him? What had he done to deserve such fate? If they didn't want to kill him, what on earth did an Oga want with him? Th

"Are you done?", Caro asked, looking at his notebook.
      "Almost," the boy replied, scribbling furiously.
      "What about you?", she asked, turning to his brother. "Are you done, I... you're Ian, right?"
      "No. Moses."
      "Okay. Ian, Moses... Ian, Moses... Ian, Moses," she recited in a bid to remember who was on her left and who was on her right. "So how can I tell who's who after you both leave here?"
      "He's the stupid one," Moses said, pointing at his twin.
      "He's the crazy one," Ian shot back.
      "Okay, okay! It's okay. Just go back to your works."
      "I'm done," Moses announced, triumphantly slamming his pen down on his book.
      "I finished first!", Ian countered.
      "That's a lie! I finished first!"
      "You finished second!"
      "That was you, liar!"
      As they quarreled and called each other names, Caro sighed and shook her head in frustration. Fighting children was not something she was unused to, but children fighting witho

Chapter 15