Chapter 09

"Americana, abeg I wan rush go do something," Chidi said to Timmy who was his assistant on shop duty that day. "Okay, man. I got your back." "Ehen, thank you. Ehh... just make sure say everything dey alright o. Always look the front of the shop. I just wan go collect something, I no go tay, you hear?" "Yeah. But what's tey mean?", Timmy asked. "Ehh... tay mean say 'I no long'. As in, I no go stay tay... stay long." "Oh Okay. Tey. Not stay long. Got it." "Ehen. I go come back just now." "No problem, man. Take your time. I got it all covered." With that assurance in mind, Chidi left the shop, leaving only Timmy behind to man it, something that had never happened before. Barely five minutes after Timmy had seen Chidi's back, a young man in his early to mid twenties swaggered into the shop. "Yo Timmy, wadup?", he hailed before Timmy could open his mouth to ask what he wanted. "Uhh... cool," the surprised shopkeeper responded. "How d'you know my name?" "Jeez, man. You don't remember me?" "Uhh... not really. Who are you?", Timmy demanded, eyeing his baggy shirt, ripped jeans and turned around cap with surprise. "Damn, I'm hurt. You really don't remember me? I was your biggest fan back at Richmond High!" "You were at Richmond? But I remember everyone b..." "Except me, it seems. But I forgive you, man. Can't hold a grudge against my main man, you know." Just then, a tall well-dressed man about the same age walked into the shop and stood beside the first visitor. "Where you been, huh?", the first one demanded. "I was just looking for a place to park the car safely." "Whatever. Hey Timmy, this my brother, Rick. Yo Ricky, meet my main man back at Richmond, Timmy Cool. The King of Dunk." "Nice to meet you," they both said as they shook hands. "Yo Timmy, much as I'd love to catch up, we came here for business...." "Wait. Uh... sorry to ask, but what's your name again?" "Mickey, man. Mickey the Great." "Nice. So uh... let's hear what you got?" "Actually, we're here to see what you got. I'm ahunting for a TV for my Ma. Some cool shit with all them modern stuff. You stock that here?" "We got everything you need, bro," Timmy replied with pride. "Just look around." Mickey glanced hurriedly around the large shop and focused on a large 42-inch television near where he was standing. "What's the price tag on this one?" "That one? Set you back some six figures." "Whoo! You serious?", Mickey whistled. "You got some hot stuff here, you know. Been long in the business?" "Nah. This whole shindig ain't mine. Just helping a brother out. But you can try that one over there. Set you back only a couple thou', but it's still a winner." "Nah," Mickey shook his head while reaching into his back pocket. "I want the best for Ma. You take checks?" "Aw. Sorry, man. Cash only." "Oh well, cash's in the car. Yo Ricky, go get my briefcase from the car. Take the TV with ya. You okay with that, Tim?" Timmy shrugged in response and the tall young man picked up the TV and left. He watched him go and had a feeling that there was something he was missing. He didn't know what exactly, but somehow, he knew that something was not right. "Yo, whatcha say, we meet up sometime to shoot some hoops?", Mickey said, distracting him from his thoughts. "Uhh... Kinda busy nowadays, you know, but..." "No problema. I understand. Just would... you know, love to see you land some of your crazy ol' slam dunks. You're a joy to watch, man." "I try, man. I try," Timmy smiled, showing his dimpled cheeks. "What the hell's keeping this kid," Mickey muttered beneath his breath as he checked his watch. "Yo Timmy, lemme go see what Ricky's up to. Be back in a sec." Again, the alarm bells went off in Timmy's head, but all he said was, "'Kay". While he waited for his customer, he felt he needed to get himself busy to avoid thinking crazy things. Idle minds were usually the Devil's work-hammer. He busied himself writing the receipt for the item and he was so engrossed in trying to write it out perfectly that he didn't notice Chidi's entry. "How far, Americana? Dem buy anything for my back?" "Uhh... what's that mean?" "Ehh... as in, did you sold anything when I'm not dey? As in, you sell anything? Ah, your wahala tire me. Wan make person dey bite tongue. Did you selled anything?" "Yeah. Sold one of em big TVs." "How much you sell am? You don record the money?" "Ain't got the cash yet. Mickey's go..." "Eh? Wetin you talk? Ehnt got what?" "Ain't got the cash... yet. Mickey's..." "Wetin concern me concern Mickey, abi na Mickey Mouse?", Chidi shouted in exasperation. "How much you sell the TV and where the money?" "You oughta go back to school, man," Timmy sighed, tearing out the receipt. "I said, I... ain't... got... the cash... yet." "So wetin you com get? Where is the TV?", Chidi demanded, blinking rapidly and beginning to sweat. "Mickey has it," he replied calmly. "He's gone to get the cash and he'll be back in no time." "Heyyy!", Chidi wailed, placing both hands on his head. "This boy don kill me o! You sell TV, the person carry am go and you never collect money... Americana, you be fool? You no see say dem don cheat you?" "Come on, man. Ain't no cheating here. I know that dude... or well, he knows me, but... I don't remember him and I quit basketball before I got into Richmond... oh fuck!" At that sudden realization, Timmy ran out of the shop like a madman. Several minutes later, he returned, panting heavily. "Can't... can't find him anywhere, man. I knew something was... was off, you know. I felt it, man, I felt it! Damn!" Chidi hissed and shook his head sadly. He was now seated on the ground while Timmy was on his haunches beside him, expressing just how close he had been to discovering that the guy was a fluke. "Our own don finish," Chidi prophesied. "At least, your own good. Your papa is a big man. Me, na only Mama I get and heart attack go kill am if she hear this matter. Americana, see the kind wahala wen you don put me!" "You're wrong, man," Timmy sighed. "We're in this together. My dad's a demon. That dude wouldn't mind seeing me in bigger trouble." "So how we go do am now? How we wan take remove ourself from this problem?" "Well, we've gotta come clean. Tell the boss everything..." Chidi suddenly burst into a bitter laughter. "What's funny?", Timmy demanded, looking perplexed. "You na. Prison nai you go go do that explanation. Once Oga Dona hear this matter eh, na bye bye to freedom until we pay that money." "Then what do you suggest we do?" "Na run me I wan run o. Where I go go nai I still dey think." "Run? Damn. We ain't thieves, man. We let the police know..." "Eh? Police? You wan arrest yourself?" "What d'you mean?" "You will know. Na go I dey so o. Wait till I don go far before you call police." *** "Ah ah! Americana, what happen?", Chukwuka exclaimed as he saw a panting Timmy barge through the gate into the compound. Chukwuka himself had been heading for the gate too on his way to run an errand for the boss. "Long story, man," Timmy puffed as he breezed past him towards the boss' house. Getting there, he did not bother to knock, but barged in unceremoniously. What met his eyes was what he least expected to see. Donatus had a smiling girl in his arms and their lips were just about to get locked together in a kiss when they were interrupted by Timmy's sudden entry. "What's the meaning of this nonsense, eh?", Donatus bellowed. Timmy opened his mouth to speak, but shut it without saying anything. "What is it? What happened?", Donatus asked in a milder tone as he, for the first time, noticed the disheveled state of the boy. "We got robbed." "Eh?!", Donatus shouted, letting go of the girl and jumping to his feet immediately. "You got what?" "Robbed, man. I mean, boss... Uncle..." "For... forget about that one. Who robbed you? Are you talking of my shop or your room? Tell me, tell me. What are you saying?" "Some dude came to the shop a..." "The shop? Heyyy! My shop o! I'm finished. My village people have finally found me." As he paced about the room, sweating and with both hands on his head, the girl and Timmy watched in mild confusion, not knowing what to say or do. "Is it not two of you? Where's Chidi?", he asked, suddenly turning to Timmy. "He uh... ahem... went after the robbers," Timmy replied, ending with another 'ahem'. "Eh? Did he catch them?", Donatus demanded, all expectant. "Don't know yet. Haven't heard from him." "Ah! Le... let me call the police. How many were they? When did it happen?" "Two dudes. Just a couple minutes ago." "How exactly did it happen? Tell me, tell me!", Donatus urged as he picked up his phone and started dialing the local police station. "Two crazy dudes, you know. Came in, took a TV and disappeared, just like that." "Eh? Only one TV? They did not take any other thing?" "Just the TV. And then vanished." "How can two people come and just carry TV from the shop when the two... Ehen, DPO! How are you? There is a very serious emergency now. My shop has just been robbed a... No, no, the robbers are long gone. It's one of the idiots that I kept in the shop that's telling me... Eh no problem, no problem. I'm on my way now." He disconnected the call and hurried into his inner room to get dressed. When he returned a few seconds later, he waved Timmy to precede him out of the room, but then, he remembered the girl. "Oh Omalicha, sorry I have to rush to the police station to address this problem, so you can make yourself comfortable, eh? Ehh... you can watch film and ehh... just rest. I wil not be long." "No problem," the girl beamed. Tucking his bag under his armpit, Donatus rushed to the door, but as he brought up his hand to pull aside the curtains, he suddenly stopped. "But two bad things must not happen in one day o," he muttered beneath his breath in Igbo. Then turning to the girl, "Eh... Folake, it looks as if you will go home o. Take this two hundred for your transport. When I come back, I will call you. You see, I don't want these boys to come back home to rest when I'm not around, so I have to lock the gate. Don't vex, o? Ehen. Omalicha. Sweet potato. Juicy tomato." With several praises and special names, he took her out of the room and locked the door behind him. All three then proceeded to bundle themselves into Donatus' car. "My friend, go down and open the gate!", Donatus ordered as Timmy sighed and relaxed into the backseat. "Who do you expect to open it for you?" Trying hard not to grumble, Timmy alighted from the car and went to unlock the gate. Dona drove through and stopped outside to allow Timmy join them. When the boy had finished locking the gate, he climbed into the backseat again and settled down to enjoy the cool interior. As he drove further down the street, Donatus had a lot on his mind. One, in no particular order, was the shop robbery. Second was how Chukwuka would get into the house and last, but far from being the least, was how he would take back his two hundred naira from Folake since he would be dropping her close to her home on his way to the station.