"No, nothing at all. l think he is telling the truth," l answered cautiously, being careful enough to avoid stuttering.
"So, Prof, do you mean that two hundred thousand naira is all you in this big house?
Talk true, before l blow your head," James bawled.
"Please, don't shoot me; l was supposed to pay this money into my account today, but l didn't get chance. It is all l have; please, don't kill us," the old man begged.
I stared at the wife with pity. The woman sobbed bitterly as the last man finished up with her.
"O' boy, come do your own, let's we leave here," one of the men in the gang said to me and l waved a hand indicating that l wasn't interested.
"Was this who l was? A rapist and a robber?
How did l end up like this?" l pondered silently.
"Guys, let's roll," James said and gesticulated that l should carry the bag containing the money and I did.
We all entered the car, except James. l turned behind me and l saw him go back into the apartment.
I was bewildered at what James was up to. "Was he forgetting something or did he still want more of the man's wife?" l thought. We all kept quiet, waiting for James to come out and, few seconds later, l heard gunshot inside the apartment and, then, the scream of the man's wife echoed in the air. James came out immediately, his eyes glittering and a mocking triumphant smile on his face.
l raised an incredulous brow as he got into the car. "James, where the hell did you go to?" l asked furiously.
He behaved as though l had not talked to him and started the car.
"James, did you?" l swallowed as my head ached painfully.
"Kill them? of course, l did.They saw my face; they saw all of your faces. l couldn't take the risk," James stated nonchalantly.
"And you didn't speak up so that we could have provided ourselves with masks. This wasn't our agreement. l didn't sign up for this. To be a murderer also? impossible! It won't happen," l shouted.
"Chill, my guy; l think James did the right thing.
You know, in this dirty game, we don't take chances at all. We just don't," one of the men said, comfortably nodding his head as he finished speaking.
"James, l think I'm done with this. l can live without being an armed robber. But a killer also? No! That won't work," l said.
"Arusi, calm down. I'm sorry if that actually made you upset, but l thought it was the best thing to do. l mean, l don't want to end up in prison for some silly mistakes," James spoke this time in a low tone.
"God! That was brutal, the poor woman whom you raped almost killing her, was that not enough, James?" l said and my mind reflected on how the men had raped the innocent woman in turn, and how the old man, her husband, had watched his wife as she was being sexually harassed by strangers. l wondered if God was ever going to forgive me. In as much as l wanted the quick money as James had called it, my heart burnt because of the way l fought for it.
We had reached barter junction and the other men alighted abruptly from the car.
"William, where will l drop you?" James asked me as he kept driving.
"James, l would like to sleep at your place tonight, just this night," l replied.
"A friend of mine has invited his babe to sleep over in my apartment. l intend to lodge in a hotel." he replied. l kept mute as l thought of what my next step was going to be. l didn't have money to be able to lodge in a hotel and l wasn't going to go home, because l didn't want to set my eyes on Mummy. The money we made from the robbery operation was usually shared evenly among ourselves on a particular day. Every member of the gang would be present to make sure that the money was complete and no one was being cheated.
"I would pay for you too, if that is what you are thinking about," James said shortly after staring at me.
"Thanks, man; I'm grateful," l said happily as l felt relieved. l was enraged that Mummy had thought low of me as to even talk negatively about me with her lawyer and, probably, friends. l felt l meant nothing to her, and taking me out of this country, l surmised, was definitely one of her evil intensions.
My mind raced back to the dream l had last about Daddy. It was just after that particular dream that Dad's death came. l was confused on what to think about my dreams. Possibly, l was able to see vision about the future. "James, what do you know about dreams?" l asked inquisitively, eager to listen to what James was going to say.

"Dreams are dreams, boy! They hold no importance," James replied casually. Definitely, it wasn't something that should bother him.
"What happens if your dreams come true?" l continued.
"Those things are fairly tales. l will advise you to see your dreams as a joke, a mere play. You have more reasonable things to think about."
l sighed; l didn't even know why l had to even ask James about dreams, when he was a complete pagan who believed there was no God. He had never believed in the spiritual and his beliefs were usually strange. James was strange. He strongly believed in reincarnation, arguing strongly that he would rise again, probably in another country or continent, after he had died. The talks about heaven and hell were hilarious stories to him; they were only meant to scare children. l didn't know what l believed in; life itself was a mystery to me. l had always questioned the existence of a supernatural being, but l had never doubted that there was God; something had made me believe that he existed; something l wasn't even sure of.