"Mummy, good afternoon," Crystal greeted courteously.
"And who is your mummy? You impostor!
What gave you the effrontery to set those tiny, filthy legs of yours in this home when my husband is not even at home, eh?" Mum snarled, pointing directly at Crystal. Crystal fidgeted fretfully with her fingers and stood speechlessly, lowering her face.
"Mum, that is uncalled for. Dad is sick and that is why she is here," l replied on her behalf.
"So, here is the hospital where your Father is staying, right? You are protecting her from her shameful and disgraceful self. Well, no problem; its well," Mum shouted disappointedly and left with her friend who had been silent all this while.
"Thank you," Crystal said in a low tone.
"You shouldn't thank me at all," l said as l walked into my room and lay cautiously on my bed.
After few seconds, Blessing called my name in a manner that had scared the wits out of me.
l ran out just instantaneously.
"What is the matter?" l asked, looking around to be sure there was no sign of danger around.
Blessing smiled smugly and shook her head slightly. "Someone is here to see you. Go to balcony," she responded.
l sighed and walked reluctantly towards the veranda.l stopped abruptly, gazing at the young man that stood casually by the iron-coated railings of the balcony. "Was this for real?" l asked myself, clearing my eyes to be sure that l wasn't daydreaming.
"James! James! is this you?" l shouted as l ran towards him.
"Chairman, how far?" James asked as we shook hands.
"Seriously, where have you been? l didn't see you in prison or where you in another cell?" l asked inquisitively.
"It's a long story; just chill. l promise to fill you in later on. But l have a better package on point this night, man."
"James, you have not changed? Do you still want to end up finally in jail?"
"Once is a mistake and twice is a sin; no one is going to prison. l think l have learnt from mistakes. This is on point and l mean it. After this operation, l have arranged some classic babes to satisfy us until dawn." He paused and gazed at me, and then continued. "l'm telling you this is for real."
l scoffed and thought for a while. "Why do l have to be involved for James to carry out his plans?"
"Well, James l'm in; anyhow you are still the boss. l can't fall your hands."
"Okay, meet at brass junction at exactly 10:00pm."
"l will be there for sure; l still have your number in case something comes up."
"Don't disappoint me. Eh, lend me five hundred dollars, guy; am broke this days," James pleaded.
"No problem; what else are friends for?" l dipped my hand into my pocket and gave him the sum of seven hundred dollars. He smiled keenly and left the house shortly. l wondered what James did with all the money he obtained from the robbery operation he carried out. Probably, it was always like that, spending his money carelessly on women and drinks. That was usually how illegal cash were used up: on things that have no value.
It was 7:00p.m. the same day. l walked from one end of my room to another, mumbling to myself. l took out my gun from my pocket and smiled on staring at it. I wasn't going to shoot anyone definitely, but when ever a gun was involved, people listen and obey without hesitating. It made me feel powerful.
My phone rang immediately and l rushed towards it. "Why is James calling now, it isn't time yet," l murmured as l grabbed my phone. It was Mum who was calling. l sighed dryly "What does this woman want this time around?" l mused and picked the call.
l smiled, staring at her opponent, the one she called a thing, her husband. Charles father looked infirm, thin and short. l doubted if blessing was shorter than he was. Father had told me that it was as a result of poverty, that, sometimes he wouldn't eat anything in a whole day, and l had wondered if Father spent the whole day with him. Nobody saw Father as a pastor, perhaps because of the way he socialised with everybody so freely and actually like every other person would, although his prayers usually came like an explosion, like those of every other man of God in mountain of fire.
"You want to..... Okay, just wait for me," Charles mother said, her voice was now lower than before. She bent down as if looking for something, something she thought she had lost, and quickly picked up a stone and threw it at her husband. The stone flew straight to his forehead, just like David did to Goliath in the Bible. The neighbours who had been watching them in silence now hurried towards Charles father who was already on the ground.
He stood just instantaneously, pointing his fingers at his wife.
"Mad person like you, you are finished," he said; his voice was a bit squeaky and ineffectual. Some of the neighbours rushed towards him, trying to hold him, but he freed himself, and walked fiercely towards his wife. Going by the manner in which blood gushed out of his forehead, l thought he would slump due to excessive loss of blood.
Mum had come downstairs already; she approached Charles mother, begging her to go back into her flat and make peace with her husband. l could hear them clearly; Mum kept pleading with her until a slap on her face sent her going. The slap l heard from upstairs made my cheeks burn, as if l was the one being slapped. l gritted my teeth and l felt my stomach tighten. it made my inside burn in fury and l felt like coming down and strangling Charles mother, even though l was just sixteen years old.
"You are still coming, are you a learner?".