Dawn 7

Chuks brooded some more in his study. Eventually he dialled a number

‘Yes'

‘He wants out' replied Chuks

‘You and I know that’s impossible'

‘I said same'

‘He’s your problem, handle him' said the voice ending the call

Chuks decided to handle Emenike with kid gloves. He had, nay,he must provide what was needed to make the second ‘sacrifice', a success. This time, something belonging to Chioma needed to be provided. Willingness and not reluctance was important for a ‘sacrifice' to be successful.

Chuks visited Emenike the next day. Emenike received him coldly whilst Nash was all over him. He met them at the diner table and he was of course invited to join them in the pounded yam and white soup meal.

Afterwards, the men retired to Emenike's private sitting room.

Chuks cleared his throat ‘Emenike, it would be a grave pity to lose your wife and kids because of your refusal to present Chioma at the altar of the Shepherd hood'

Emenike had an expressionless look on his face.

‘All of life is trade by barter, you give and you’re given. Look at the family you have, you wouldn’t want them wasted would you? Your beautiful wife Nash who loves and trusts you so much. What about your beautiful innocent kids?’

Chuks took a sip of the wine he had helped himself to at the bar.

‘What I’m saying, nwokem, is stop resisting. We need her picture, any of her recent pictures, with your signature on it, that’s all! We’ll take it from there! You’ll not be the one to sacrifice her directly. The Sherpherd hood will do all of that for you. Yours is to just present the picture and your family is safe'

Emenike smiled sardonically ‘And when will it stop, these ‘sacrifices'?

Chuks looked away

‘I thought as much, it will never stop. It’s a continuum of dead bodies and more dead bodies!’

Chuks sighed

‘Brotherly, what do I have to make you see reason. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. There are no guarantees in life, so we must take each day as it comes. We have no choice.’

Emenike kept staring at him, and as Chuks stood up to go, he said ‘ It’s not about you anymore, its about your immediate family. Don’t let them be consumed'

Emenike saw him out and came back brooding. Chioma was his only sister. Why must she be consumed? Why must she be the sacrificial lamb? An innocent, ambitious girl who was just starting her life. The first medical doctor to be in their family, slated for destruction, just like that! These and many more thoughts ran through his mind. He longed to confide in someone, but who?

A part of him kept going through all that awaited him if he refused. His family dying, his business destroyed and the mother of all, going mad, running butt naked on the streets of Lagos?! Tufia! Not one person in his family had ever run mad and, it would not start with him.

An idea occurred to him, what if he decided to lay his life down for his family? What if he decided to become the sacrificial lamb? Would his immediate family and sister be spared? 

He put a call through to Chuks there and then and started to broach the topic when Chuks hurriedly told him, it wasn’t up for discussion on the phone. He told him to meet him at the club. Emenike glanced at his Cartier wristwatch, it was 11 pm. He got his driver and was on the road by 11:15pm.

After explaining to Chuks who was already slightly high, he waited expectantly, his heart in his mouth

‘It doesn’t work that way ‘Emenike, I’m sorry. Even if you do lay down your life, there are no guarantees your family won’t be destroyed, infact, you’ll make it worse for them. A whirlwind will cause all you’ve worked for to disappear before their very eyes. In fact, that shit hole one room apartment you guys were living in will become a luxury to your family. That’s how poor they’ll become. Bros, do the needful. You must do it, you have no choice'

Emenike couldn’t imagine Nash or any of his kids, poor. His family always travelled to exotic spots on vacation every year, his kids in one of the most expensive schools on the island. Nash had become so used to shopping abroad and all that the good life entailed. It would be suicidal if anything happened to rock their perfect world. He thought of his Nneka, easily his favourite child and her delicate health: she had been born a sickler with asthmatic issues. They had spent and were still spending millions to keep her alive. What a fluke of nature, he thought, his daughter the exact copy of his mother(who was as strong as an ox before her death)was so dissimilar in terms of health. Hmmm. This life. No, nothing untoward must happen to his precious Nneka. Nothing!

To be continued….