ON THE RUN (EPISODE 7)

Seeing these swift, dangerous, confident movement, Sanmi and the four soldiers took off, running ninety miles per hour towards the six that laid on guard. The wild dogs appeared. Waiting for an order will only render them as robots, the soldiers opened fire on these fierce-looking beasts without contemplating. Almost was it a stainless victory, but some dogs escaped the attack that showered on them like rain, lividly racing towards a tribal-marked soldier, who was mounting another magazine on his rifle after exhausting the initial one. He cocked, but it was too late to pull the trigger. Raising his head away from his gun, spurts of blood gushed out of his neck, as the dogs had pounced on him, got him to the ground and battered his face with more marks. Though the soldier with the tribal-mark died, so also the dogs, the soldiers couldn't spare them even as they attempted to abscond.

Sanmi removed his beret and wiped his face with it. He stood at akimbo, wondering how he’d send a signal of a dead soldier without carrying out the major task given. Tired but alert, some soldiers gathered the carcass of the wild dogs while the rest kept the fallen soldiers in a cadaver pouch. The fight to subdue the rebels was far from victory, and now the four-legged beasts, raising up their banner in war. Engrossed in the thought of the casualty recorded, Sanmi didn't realize that the wild dogs might had been sent by the rebels to have an overview of their strength while they engage them.

“I won’t let this loss weigh me down and I won’t give any report until I see victory down the road.” Sanmi mumbled, signalling the soldiers to come around.

He cheered them up, just as he did himself. They advanced on, due north, pacing as fast as they could because time was no longer friendly. An added ten kilometer walk got them all exhausted, shuffling along the quiet path like a refugee. The soldiers were fatigued, Sanmi noticed, immediately halting the advance for some rest. They had no extra oomph to put into the mission, the repose was indeed needed. It was also win-win situation for Sanmi, who hadn't reached his wife for days. Walking fifteen, maybe seventeen steps away from where the troops relaxed, Sanmi pulled a call through to his heartthrob.

“Hey baby, how are you?”

“Don’t baby me. How could you not call me for days now, knowing fully well how lonely I’m here.” Salewa said, standing on the queue to withdraw some money from an ATM.

“I’m so sorry. It hasn’t been easy over here. Going from one patrol to another and from one attack to another...” Sanmi said, picking some little stones on the ground.

“It hasn't been easy here too. I miss you. I miss you really really.” Salewa interrupted, not minding the looks that stayed glued to her.

Sanmi threw the stones in turn. “I miss you too. I do. Believe me...”

“Please when are you coming home?” Salewa inched towards the machine.

Sanmi paused for some seconds, scratching his head through his beret, then sluggishly replied, “I really don’t know because...”

“Because what?”

Sanmi hung up the call, seeing a pistol pointing at him.

***************************************

Drips of sweat rolled from his neck to his chest down into his belt which held firm his gray jeans. Some hid in his sunken bellybutton. Ireti noticed in split second, grinned and asked if she was welcome in. She actually was, even before making her request as Dede was bored and most especially a Romeo, who saw anything in skirts as his Juliet.

Dede offered Ireti his bed to sit. It seemed awkward to sit on the bed with her, so he leaned his back against the green wall, bowing his head into his phone, playing ‘temple run’ pending the time the reason for the impromptu visit unfolds. Ireti was busy feeding her eyes on the picture-frames that hung on the wall, around the room. She chuckled, seeing the chase between spiders, who ruled a corner of the ceiling. The dusty cracked window pane, the supposed blue curtain turned brown, the patched carpet that still revealed a pothole in the room, all entertained Ireti well enough.

Dede dragged his feet on the floor, filling the silence in the room. He looked at Ireti, she gazed back at him, still mute. He was tired of the silence and wanted her to talk, so he went ahead to the bed to sit.

Ireti smiled. “Dede, I want you to come back working in my house.”

Interested, but wondered why the sudden change of attitude towards him. “What happened ma? Oga madam never release me, abi she tell you anything?.”

“Yes she said a whole lot about you and for your own good that’s why I’m here.”

He shifted closer, fidgety, like he was going to dig out words from her mouth. “Aunty Ireti, please tell me wetin Oga madam talk.”

Ireti smiled, threw her arm around Dede’s neck, then pulled him closer.

“Aunty...” Dede muttered, his body-chemistry changed.

Almost immediately, Ireti’s phone rang. It was Salewa. Having gotten the password to Dede’s security, Ireti blindly hung up and continued, leading Dede down the garden path. She stood up, walked to the door and clasped the locks behind it. He never noticed aunty Ireti was this curvy with a generously blessed behind. Dede never saw any when he worked with her, she had hid all of these features under her everyday caftan.

Ireti slinked towards Dede, who already had his heart in his hands. He secreted more sweat as he never saw this coming. Just as Ireti sat on the bed to get her shoes off, a knock hit the door.