They told him to try out this man, ' we are strongly behind you they said, if you belong nothing can happen to you' . Nobody would ever mess with you again in this vicinity' , Bode told him.'If anything goes wrong, give me a call and we would storm the place'.
With much swagger, Ejike moved towards the shop where the man was seated eating akpu and egwusi soup. As usual there was no electricity, the power holding company has held power in that area for a whole week. The people had complained but all to no avail, they have gotten used to the darkness. Since their is life, everything won't be perfect but could be managed.
Ejike was not able to see the man's face maybe because visibility was low due to no electricity, or maybe the effects of the marijuana he smoked earlier has began to manifest. Ejike tapped the man on the shoulder, the man did not turn, so he nudged the man a little bit harder to get the man's attention.
The man was then forced to move his gaze from his food to Ejike, 'what is it'? he asked. Ejike told him, ' who goes, Identify yourself'.
The man ignored him, and continued with his food. Ejike nudged the man on the shoulder again. ' I said who goes, identify yourself'. Once again the man ignored him. This time, Ejike was very much direct and angry with the man for totally ignoring him. He pushed the man,banged his hand on the man's table very hard saying, 'who you be sef, I dey ask you to identify yourself and you no wan talk, abi'? As he did this, the man's plate of soup moved off the table and spilled some of the hot egwusi soup on the man.
The man immediately stood up, gave Ejike a very had push that knocked him off balance. Ejike fell to the ground on his back with his legs outspread in a sort of V-shape. The man rushed him on the floor, lifted him up and threw him on the hard cemented floor. The man rushed him again, lifted him up and threw him once more on the floor. This time a small group of people have gathered round the scene, trying to stop the man from lifting Ejike up the third time. Immediately Ejike got up from the ground and dizzyingly took to his heels. He rushed to one of the roadside shops and bought a hundred Naira recharge card and dialled Bode's number it was switched off. He dialled Emeka's number, it was also switched off. Since their has been no electricity for a very long time, he concluded that maybe these people he had just called have flat batteries. So he decided to rush to the uncompleted building where they normally hold their meetings, they would all probably be there, he thought. On getting there, he saw Bode. Bode was standing at the entrance of the uncompleted building, smoking his favourite brand of cigarette ; Dorchester. After narrating the whole story to Bode,Bode took out a white envelope and gave it to him. Telling him, 'don't open this letter, till you get to the confines of your room,we will tidy that guy's fuck up, just don't worry'.
Though disappointed, by Bode's non action on the issue. Ejike took the white envelope and headed home. When he got home, with much anticipation, he opened the envelope and brought out a while sheet of paper. He was surprised to see that the sheet of paper doesn't have much written on it. Then he saw it, written very bold on the other side of sheet of paper; "THERE IS NO BROTHER IN THE JUNGLE". It dawned on him, that he had been played. He tore the sheet of paper to shreds. And laid down on his bed, starring at the ceilings.
They told him that they had his back, so whatever he does, they would come and fight for him. But they all absconded when he needed them most. Ejike was thinking, 'what happened to the oaths we took together', so they could abandon him like this.
They would tell you that joining them would give you some sort of protection. They normally target the vulnerable fresh students who feel that they are all alone in a very wide society, therefore they seek where to belong, where to get protection and allegiance. They are more active during the admission period, when there would be new in-takes in the higher institutions, they go around scouting for the very vulnerable ones. The vulnerable freshers would be cajoled or compelled to join, most of them would be used as mercenaries to carry out all forms of atrocities in the school environment.
Then, there are some that have joined in the streets. These ones joined them even before they come to the higher institutions. These ones are the worst ones, because they were already hardened before coming to school. These ones joined them in the streets, so it comes naturally to them to join them immediately they get to higher institutions.
When one is doing something, and the disadvantages accrued from what one is doing is greater than the advantage, it is only logical that the person should stop that which he has been doing.
In this case, I am referring to students who indulge in Cultism and its clandestine activities. It is awesome to stand for something, to defend something, but it is equally unwholesome for one to totally forget his primary objective of leaving home and coming to the higher institution.
In other words, I am saying shun Cultism. Always remember that in this life, one is always on his own and life has no duplicate.
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