The Missing File – Chapter 2 Part 5

All Episodes Of The Missing File

“Ah ahn, which time we enter wey Mighty Joe don begin dey call us?” Chinko said aloud before answering the call.

“You guys should get out of the place quickly, the some policemen are coming there now,” Mighty Joe said hurriedly.

“Chai, Mighty Joe say make we comot now o, police dey come here,” Chinko announced to the rest of the boys in the parlour, Nazaretha who was inside his parent’s room also heard the announcement.

Sunday was the first to rush to the door, but he quickly rushed back in. “Them don enter the compound,” he said.

“Make we wait na, shebi we no con steal?” Charly put in.

“Guy, you no sharp o. If police catch you for here, them go hear say you no con steal?” Chinko said, going to the door to peep.

“Make we pass back,” Nazaretha said and led them to the kitchen where they came out from the backdoor. The backdoor led to the front yard of another house which was built just like the Ogbighe’s. The way their houses were structured left no space enough for privacy, the soak away pits of both houses were located close to each other with small spaces of one squared meter between them.

They began to walk hurriedly away, trying their possible bests not to arouse any suspicion, the people from the other house were just going to church, so they met with the boys; two girls of the family and their mother. The mother tried to speak with Nazaretha but he only greeted her and hurried off the house.

++++

“Hello, who’s at home?” Ogbighe called as he led the police into his house. After calling thrice without getting a response, he turned back to one of the officers. “They would have gone to church, I don’t know why the door is opened.” He said.

“But is this how your house is?” The officer asked, staring at the parlour which looked scattered.

“No,” Ogbighe answered thoughtfully. “Those children did not arrange it before going to church.”

“So the rest of your family went to church while you’re in the cell abi?”

“My wife came to see me yesterday night and I instructed her to be in church and take all the children with her,” Ogbighe answered, staring straight at the officers face. “No matter what you’re facing in life, you should not allowed anything disturb your service to God.”

“Just move to your room jare, na who dey give you mouth to preach? Your family dey go church even on Saturdays,” The officer scolded.

“Officer, there’s a special service today, we’re inviting a powerful preacher from another parish to ours,” Ogbighe said.

“Just move,” the officer said coldly.

Ogbighe proceeded towards his room, he was thrown into shock when he met the door opened widely.

“Na inside this room you say your son keep am?” An officer asked, noticing his shock.

“Yes, that’s me and my wife’s room.” He answered still wondering why the house was left with the doors opened.

“Ehen, make we enter na.” The officer said. “Walahi, if we no see the file for your house ehn and if Monday reach and the bank confirm say you know about the money wey them cash, your eye go see pepper.”

“Oga, e be like person enter this house o.” Ogbighe said speculatively.

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“You dey sure say them no see una?” Nazaretha asked Chinko and Sunday.

“Lailai, them still dey far when me I peep.” Chinko said.

“Them no see me sef,” Sunday added.

“Okay,’ Nazaretha said before balancing himself on the window of the uncompleted building.

“But why you sef dey run? dem no fit catch you say you dey inside una house na,” Charly said to Nazaretha.

“See you o,” Chinko was the one who replied. “Person wey dem dey suspect say na hin carry the cheque before; hin con enter house without key again, wetin you wan make dem think?”

“No mind am,” Nazaretha joined, giving Charly a sharp awkward look.

There was total silence for some few minutes, until Charly spoke again. “But una know say we never safe sha?”

“Na true,” Sunday who had been thinking joined. “Person fit don see us o, con tell the police people.”

“Nobody see us,” Nazaretha cut in.

“What of that woman wey dey Una backyard? She see us with her two girls na,” Chinko said.

Nazaretha gave a short hiss, “that one no fit talk anything.”

“You sure?” Chinko questioned.

“The police men are gone,” a deep masculine voice said, approaching from one of the rooms.

All the boys sighed but they made it low enough for Mighty Joe not to hear their expression of disappointment in him.

“Hey guys, that was close,” he said with a smiling face as he entered the room of the uncompleted building where they were seated. They didn’t reply him but their looks gave them away; he could read from their faces what was in their mind. “Hey, don’t blame me for that, ” He said, “the plan was perfect but I’m not God; so I never knew that the police would show up.”

“Mighty Joe, we no dey blame you,” Chinko was the first to speak but his face still showed his disappointment.

“See guys, now let’s just thank God that the police didn’t meet you guys inside; they got to find out that some people broke in but they didn’t know who it was. You guys would follow me to the house now and Nazaretha would change his clothes, then you will all go the Nazaretha’s church where they are having the program and join the congregation like normal people.”

“No o,” Nazaretha objected, “what if the police comes there?”

“The police cannot come there, even if they come it won’t be to arrest you; your father would not want to implicate you. But they may want to ask you some questions about how you kept the bag though,” Mighty Joe said.

“Ehen, shey I no go con enter trouble like that?”

“No, you no fit enter trouble like that, na if you no show face at all you go enter trouble; them go begin think say na you carry the money.” Mighty Joe explained.

There was silence for few seconds as Nazaretha and his friends pondered on what Mighty Joe said. “Oya, let’s go to my house now,” he said, urging them to get up quickly.

…to be continued