The Funeral episode 2

⚰⚰THE FUNERAL⚰⚰
⚰⚰EPISODE 2⚰⚰

The sounds of the the feet coming towards me became more louder and subtle. I was forced to wallow in fear and gasp in tension.

Then slowly and carefully, a light, that looks like a phone flashlight was put on at the dead end of the room and it was directed towards my face.

The light illuminated the dark room slowly, then I saw it. I saw the movement, the people. They were men. I called them "Men in black", because they were all wearing black. They were more like the African version of "Men in Black".

I saw my grandfather's body by the slab, it wasn't actually placed on the slab, the body was placed beside it.

They were about three to four men there and they were carrying out some covert operations.

"This is going to fetch us lot of money", the tallest of them whispered happily.

"A whole lot of it. Coupled with this inquisitive stupid boy. They are surely going to pay well", another man beside him replied.

"I'm sure they won't want the villagers to know that the Village chief's body has gone missing due to their carelessness", the bigger man said mockingly.

These men were trying to abduct my grandfather's body for money. His children were quite rich, including my father and they are so sure they are going to pay.

"It's just a day left to him being worried, why are they doing this", I pondered in my mind. And how did these men gained access into this building without being noticed.

I was still wondering and thinking of how to escape when one of them started spouting out aggressively.

"Why haven't you knocked the boy out. He has been hearing you since. Jeez!!. Just knock him out and let us round this thing up". I need to get back to Lagos as soon as possible. I'm not staying another week here", the third among them who has been mute since finally interfered. It seems like he was their boss, judging from his disposition and dominating aura.

Then I saw his face. It was "Oga mekoo", my Dad's mechanical. We usually calls him that because he was quite close to our family.

I remember that he came by to our house a week earlier begging my father to lend him his car, giving him an excuse that he needs it for something important. My father had refused and he left our place angrily that day.

He came back the next day and apologised to my Dad. We thought it was all over then, not knowing that this man has actually planned for us.

So, this man actually followed us to this village to abduct my grandfather's body in exchange for money.

He knows their traditions quite well. It was the tradition of the village to bury their chief at some particular period of time without failure, to evade some brutal consequences I guess.

"Oga mekoo" was yet to be aware that I know his identity now. He kept talking and whispering until of them agreed to knock me out, and they were planning on carrying us out through the nearby fence that was surrounding the huts.

He knocked me out, or rather he tried to but he failed. The hit he gave me wasn't able to knock me out, it just pained me and I pretended as if I was out anyways.

"Be fast with this thing and let's get out of here", I heard Oga mekoo's voice. He seems to be in haste. "Oya..open the door and let's move", he added.

"Oga, this door is not opening oo", I heard the second guy's voice.

"Force it open and try again. We have to move on time", he said briskly.

He has already spent up to my five minutes without success. The bigger guy took over and he wasn't successful either.

We've spent almost three hours in the room now with a corpse.

They were still struggling with the door when I stood up from the ground and I was feigning unconsciousness.

They weren't even paying attention to me, they were more concerned with the door.

They were still struggling when the fourth voice came from the back of the room.

"Do you need some help there boys".

And there he was, my grandfather in his white singlet smirking and grinning at us mischievously.

© Elisha Kehinde Fagbemi