The Thorny Path to Europe - Episode 6

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There was a difference between preparing for something and seeing its reality. The only thing one could do was to wait. The trouble they were expecting didn't come the next day.

In fact, the only thing their mother did was to inform them about some certain armed robbers that were said to steal goods worth twenty million naira at the place they robbed. It took Tunde a great deal of effort not to automatically start bantering the politicians and the people working in that warehouse.

Ade wished he could get a way to make her keep quiet about armed robberies, but their death even excited her as it was typical of Africans . He felt bad that if these people understood why they took to robbery; they would gather money to help them.

'Ah!' Tunde exclaimed, making their mother look at him suspiciously. She asked if there was anything wrong and he shook his head.

'Say your mind?'

'Well, I'm just curious as to why you like reading the news by all these mundane amateur bloggers. They are only out there to incite fears', Tunde said and rested in the chair.

'That your own business. That's your ish'.

'Eh! Mama too can call knows the meaning ish? I die!' Ade jested.

'You'll not die in Jesus name. What kind of curse is that?'

'Okay

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. Being trending with news didn't let you know that this is a trend too', Ade said and faked a burst of big laughter and Tunde could only giggle.

'I'm happy I'm even online. I wouldn’t have seen those BCs'.

Their mother saw this as another reason to show how she believed in those Broadcast messages.

Ade smiled at him and hoped that his smile would mask his fear. The real fear he had was for

Tunde not to find out that he had been betrayed. He would really breakdown. Yet, he didn't need to betray him. All he had to do was to make sure everything worked according to plan and they would soon be out of the trouble called 'Nigeria'.

He was sure his Lizzy would have found a buyer for the car and he wouldn't have to lie or have to betray Tunde. Their father would surely feel bad and he had to make sure he had to present the necessary papers with him. All other plans were easy. It would even be a way for Tunde to acknowledge that his plan was really wonderful. The plan he had with Jude was that before they left he would pay Tunde's balance.

Regardless of the fact that the plan seemed viable, he still didn't feel at peace. That night before they slept, his mother asked him where they went for the party the other night. He guessed that she was after knowing their whereabouts at the night of Emeka's death and he just told her it was at Iyana-Meiran.

'Two days to go and I'll be free from this unnecessary probing and child-like behaviour from Mama', Tunde murmured as he faced the wall.

'What do you mean by probing?' Ade said and hoped he hadn't played directly to her hands.

'She asked me where we went to do the party and I said Ipaja'.

'Oh!' Ade said and slumped into the bed. 'We're so fried'.

'What do you mean?'

'I mean we're "burned". We've just implicated ourselves. I told her Iyana-Meiran'.

Tunde inhaled loudly, coughed and went silent for a while. 'We've to look for a way to tell her that there was a mix-up'.

'And tell her what? That we didn't know the difference between Iyana-Meiran and Ipaja'.

Tunde clapped mildly, repeatedly. 'Let's sleep and hope because there's nothing we can do than to leave here tomorrow morning. I guess, she will come barging into our room tomorrow and there the problem would start but for now, I guess you sleep and expect a loud rancour tomorrow'.

'That! I'm up for it'.

'Be mindful of your words. Don't abuse hers'.

Even if they were expecting rancour the next morning, they weren't expecting a horrible banging at 4.21 am. Ade checked the time on his phone to sure they weren't experiencing a longer night. Moreover, they weren't expecting the voice they heard next.

'Who is that?' Tunde shouted angrily after the banging became louder.

'Open this door', their father called from outside and began to pull the doorknob. Since they finished secondary school, their father always accorded them respect and tried to avoid using harsh words when dealing with them. And that alone built their desire to be better in the university. But the tone of the voice definitely reflected that of someone that was ready to do anything to express his anger.

'Open this thing', his father shouted again.

Tunde scrambled from the bed and opened the door. Ade followed him to the door as he knew what to expect it.

'I said open this door'.

Their father’s torchlight was in his hand. He looked from person to the other.

'Is it true?'

'Is what true?'

'You stole'.

'What's stole', Ade asked. 'Stole what?'

Ade knew their mother had ratted them out to their father. Despite the little light that kept dancing from his mother's lamp, he could see both the disappointment and the anger on their father's face.

'You people have turned to thieves overnight. Did I send you out of my house? Didn't I give a car to help you people think of a business idea? Instead, you gave up on modesty and took up the job of one that worked once and makes enough money that others had worked for most of their life'

'Papa, what are you asking about?' Tunde said.

'We didn't steal... That's a lie', Ade said and stared at his father. 'Papa, how do you know? I want to know because it's rubbish and a big allegation'.

'I know. You don't need to know how I know. I know you will leave my house today'.

Ade was surprised that he opened his mouth and closed it repeatedly as if he was a goat that had just tasted salt. He couldn't talk again for some seconds.

'Papa, what are you talking about?' Ade managed to ask after Tunde burst into laughter as if his father had just cracked a joke.

'I said you people will leave my house'.

Ade scoffed. 'I said that I heard something like that. Why will you say such rubbish?'

'Is it your father that is spouting rubbish? You people, my sons, are criminals. I can't live with criminals'.

'Mama, you started all these suspicions…False allegation... Me, I don't understand what is wrong with one enjoying oneself', Ade said and turned to Tunde. 'Or Tunde, what's bad in one enjoying oneself?'

'Nothing, brother'.

'Get out of my house'.

Ade's plan had just been forfeited.

'Papa...'

'I don't want to hear anything. Just leave my house. I want you gone. You're old enough. I don't want police meeting anything about you in this house'.

Their sisters stood in the corner and were trying to calm everyone in the little way they could. The younger one, Oyinade, tried to pull their father away, while the youngest, Shade, stood at a corner and kept crying, 'it’s okay' as if she was auto-tuned to repeat those words.

'Then, we will go', Ade shouted, hoping they would see the anger that was brewing in him like that of the herbs of a herbalist. Tunde pulled Ade and told him to keep his cool, that they didn't have to leave the house with much drama, any noise at all. They could still fathom a way to beat everything and leave home with the people talking about them as if they were legends.

'You heard your father, get out of this house', their mother shouted after Oyinade had succeeded in pulling their father to the parlour. 'Ah! Tunde. Of all the people, I would have expected this arrant nonsense. Did I say arrant nonsense? This crazy, devilish behaviour from you'.

'I know what I know. I didn't steal any money. Neither did Ade. But what will happen is that we will leave your home and country. That's why we've been secretive. We will take the cold of the desert and of the wind to get this money. Our family will surely become something other than the one we've known'.

'Go. Climb the mountains, enter it and get gold for all you care', their father shouted as he stormed into the sitting room. 'All I need is for you to be gone, out of my life and house'.

'I know what you did. I'm a teacher and a mother. I know when someone had been doing something shady and your big, coded lie about going to Libya is a lie from the pit of hell. You know that you went to steal. With the way you were doing, I suspected that you might have known about Emeka's death, but never in my life would I have suspected you would be involved in a robbery. I knew you were doing something. I called some of your friends, chatted some others and tried to check their uploads and couldn't find you. You're lying'.

Tunde stared at her and Ade knew she added the event well and had done their research, and he would love to beg their father so that he would be able to still the car or else Tunde wouldn't be able to enter into Europe. They stormed into the room.

'You can't drop the act', Tunde whispered as they picked some other things.

Ade felt bad because leaving the house without the car would only mean he wouldn't be able to help Tunde and that could break his heart. There wasn't a way he would be able to leave the house with their father's car but he still had to try his luck.

'Go. Be gone', their mother said and he could sense that her voice increased in tempo when she saw them lifting their bags and going out of the room. Their father in the parlour and with his hands supporting his chin. 'You people can't beg your father. You even added pride to it'.

Ade knew the only person that could never say how sorry he was to them was Tunde but Tunde didn't turn until he got to the door. 'We're not thieves. We're your children. Even if we're thieves, which we are not, you shouldn't send your sons out of your house around five in the morning'.

'Thank you for the parenting tips. We will work on it. Or won't we dear?' Their mother said as they closed the door behind them. Ade's mind quickly went to all the times he had spent in the house. The days they played hide and seek. Oyinade and Shade ran out to meet them despite their father's shout meant to call them back. Shade hugged him briefly and hugged Ade.

'I'll send for you', Tunde said and shook her chin. 'And in case we will come ourselves, I'll get you a good wristwatch'.

She nodded and cried into his chest. Oyinade hugged Ade for a while and did the same for Tunde. Ade smiled because they had set an example for their sisters and the two girls didn't even wait another day before defiling their father's order. They came to hug them, not minding the consequences.

'Just let them go. They are becoming a nuisance in this house', their father shouted. 'If the police come around. We will deal with them, but for now, be gone and my car key'.

'Daddy Tunde', their mother called in a tone that showed she didn't really approve of his decision to collect the car.

'Shut up! Will you follow them? Give me my key. Car key. Answer me'.

Ade bit his lower lips and realized that he had no other option than to encourage Tunde to return home. Tunde, who wasn't aware of the disappointment that laid ahead for him at Libya's border, led the way out and only reduced his pace when they got to a junction. As it was typical of Lagosians, bikes and buses were being to ply the road.

'Where do we go now?' Ade grumbled.

'Hotel'.

'We can go to a friend's place'.

'No. I don't want to raise questions that would finally lead to Emeka's death. I just want to get to Edo tomorrow. We can even go today. Remember that Mama said she had chatted most of them up about a party. Those ones too can't chat us up when Mama was chatting them up. We just need to quickly get to those parks'.

'But my Lizzy is also going'.

'Going… With… Us? Is she going with us?'

'Yes. She is going with us'.

'Oh! The Betrayer. I thought you were done with her'.

'She had her reasons and I have to understand her'.

'Indeed! You know I always told you that girl is a manipulator. She is a bad influence. The things she had done or seems to have interests in are really disturbing. I don't know why you're still with her, didn't I tell you how she played me and when I tried to let us have the one thing that I wanted at that time, she got angry for no reason. Is he insane?'

'Words. Please. Let's give her some respect here. That's your own problem with her and not mine. I don't know....' Ade started to shout.

'See...See... It's your choice, your cross. I was just trying to tell you to tone it down. Be your own man'.

'I am. Let's let the matter die. I'm ready to face the consequences. And I'm already a great decision that's making me free from everyone'.

'If you say so. Then, tell her we are moving today. She should have been preparing'.

'What's today? But you just said that we're going tomorrow'.

'Change of mind and plan'.

'Ah! What's all…'

'No need to fight. This is still 5…' Tunde said and switched on the screen of his phone to see the time. 'It's 5:41. She can still make it'.

They headed for the park at Iyana-Ipaja. They should take a day rest in Benin and the next day they would prepare for the big journey. He felt they should get them a day before the day, but having a day to rest was still good. Ade placed a call through to Lizzy and she said she would be on the way soon.

They sat at the park for her and Ade kept calling her, while she repeatedly said she was on the way.

'I told you. This girl is just another thorn sent into this world for you. She will be your nemesis.

Thank God we're not even together again'.

'God forbid. Please stop all this negativity. I'm for positivity'.

'Your positivity be damned. Even if you're blind, can't you wake up and smell the mischievousness? Now, what...'

'I've heard...'

They sat on a bench at the park, in silence. Then, he brought out his phone and pressed it for a while then hissed. 'Can you believe these guys warned me already of what happened between them and Mama. She knew I didn't have data and wouldn't be able to track her movement. I guess she didn't ask your friends'.

Ade couldn't reply because he felt bad about what Lizzy had just done by delaying them. The bus slated to go to Edo moved left them there but Lizzy didn't show up until one hour twenty minutes later.

When she saw Tunde, she didn't try to her hide her disgust even as he mirrored her. She pouted as Ade informed her that the bus has left. She didn't feel any remorse and that aggravated Ade, but he decided to use silence as a weapon. And truth be told, Tunde kept quiet but his silence was punctuated with regular hissing and exclamation of disgust. Ade knew the only option he had was to keep them from one another. After they had confirmed from transporters from the park that they couldn't get a bus going to Edo that day, they proceeded to go to a nearby hotel and that was after Ade firmly convinced Tunde that they didn't need to go to Oshodi or Ikeja to check for buses when they could possibly wait for the next day. Upon getting to the hotel, Tunde ordered for a room.

'No. We can't stay together. That's like staying with Tyron Lannister or The hound- two ugly characters in the Game of Throne movies', Lizzy mumbled.

Ade glanced at her, surprised. 'We can all cram into a corner for tonight and tomorrow we will be gone'.

'I can't stay in the same room as your brother, an ogre'.

'What's 'can't stay? Why can't you stay with him? Is this your feud that strong?' Ade asked and

Tunde smirked behind him.

'Yes. I hate to be around him'.

'He is your potential brother-in-law'.

'Tell me something else. This is the only night I'll have with you before we become hurdled up in the trouble of the road. I want you'.

'What do you me by you want me', Ade said and she glanced at his zip. He sighed and shook his head. 'I know… But everything is just for a few days. I wish Emeka was here he would have given one of those his crazy proverbs'.

'I want you. You know that I'm a woman. I don't get moved easily, but when it comes it's not easy to shake it off'.

'Like Mylie Cyrus, you can easily shake it off'.

'I'm not shaking it. I want it bad'.

'Who filled your head with such lie?'

'I did. The media. Books. No matter who did, I just want you. Is that too much to ask?'

'Not at all...Erm Tunde', Ade said as he neared Tunde. 'We will collect two rooms'.

'As expected', Tunde said and raised his voice. 'I've seen the way she had been acting like a maggot, I know she would demand something extraneous. Remember the amount with me and remember that it can't provide more than a room'.

'That's your own cup of tea. Na you sabi your own. I can't be sardined into a room. I'm a woman for crying out loud. I'm not cut for poverty. I was cut out for suites, grandeurs, for five-star hotels. I just want to explore. Go on an adventure. Be real to me. Yet, I only get to do the adventures I choose, not what one uncouth, grumpy man chooses for me. I want the one that would be chosen by me. I choose me'.

'It's not your fault. It's the one I call a brother that holds the bulk of the fault. If he had only let you know that you're wasting your time, you wouldn't have the mouth to talk. Our parents would never accept you'.

She scoffed. 'Balderdash'.

'Shut up!' Ade shouted and stomped the ground. 'Shut your mouth and hide those nasty words within. Shut it two of you. I need us to reach a consensus'.

'What consensus? Tell your husband to tell you his desire because she is no longer a wife material but a potential husband. I guess you people have the money. I'll pay for mine and if I don't see you, I'll assume she has paid. Tell her that we're leaving this hotel by six tomorrow morning. So after you people have decided to break a bed, remember we're leaving before the break of the dawn. So, I don't know who spends the most time in the bathroom, but I know you Ade can spend the whole year, so wake as early as possible. Probably 3 am', Tunde said and grabbed the key that was given to him by the receptionist and stormed up the stairs. Lizzy seemed so thrilled that she hissed and wrapped her hands around Ade's waist.

'What are we doing?' Ade said as the tall, slim receptionist stared at him and that made him feel awkward. He hated acting stupid in front of beautiful ladies. Lizzy opened her bag and counted the expected amount for the room and gave it to the receptionist, who in turn brandished a wide smile and gave her the key.

In a short moment, they were bounding up the stairs and true to Tunde's prediction, the bed started squeaking to their love-making. The next morning, at 6:13, they dropped their keys and found their way to the park after Tunde had complained to Ade because Lizzy delayed them.

They were soon off to Edo in what seemed like the most eventless journey. The only thing he enjoyed in the journey was that he and Lizzy were busy chatting all the way through. Since they were at the back, she kept tugging at his trousers and he kept rejecting her. She kissed him intermittently. Tunde didn't look at them; instead, he kept reading books on his phone. Even when they decided to buy food by the side of the road, Tunde talked to only Ade.

Ade wondered how Tunde got enough patience to read a book all through. No matter the amount that would be given to people who would finish a book, he was definitely sure that he would fail woefully.

When they got to Edo, they entered another hotel.

Read " Don't! Look Closer " by the same author ( Akíntayo Akinjide )

. This time, Ade did the ordering and he requested for two rooms. They were soon off to the rooms.

'Adex, call the man about your brother', Lizzy said as they laid on the bed, panting from intense romance. 'Let him know they have to let him go back home. It wasn't your fault his luck was bad'.

'Tunde will die in realization'.

'You tried but you only did the most logical thing. I wouldn't have done otherwise'.

Ade stared into space for a while and seemed to agree with her. The best option would be to allow things to work out in the way he planned it. He would ask Jude to give Tunde the remaining one hundred ninety thousand so that he would have enough money to start a new life after his deportation to Nigeria. He was very sure that he would see Italy and breathe the air. Afterwards, he would send for Ade. Nothing would stop him from seeing Italy. He chuckled.