Chapter 26

The Way To Go Wild

"God really saved us today,’’ blurted Adrian, his body shuddering, his voice frail as they were gliding away from the gate. "Do you know some of the bullet shrapnel missed me by a whisker?’’

"Even me too,’’ said Richard, shaking with fear. "I almost peed in my pant as I was lying down. I thought he would continue releasing more bullets towards us.’’

"Look at this empty barrel,’’ said Adrian jokingly, parting Richard on the shoulder. "Could a local, single-barrel gun shoots more than once at a time?’’

"Friends, I have another plan,’’ Martin announced, halting the playful mood of the two friends. He didn’t feel appreciative to God for being saved from the grave danger by a hair’s breadth. What happened didn’t matter to him much. His mind has not been in the school compound anymore. He wanted to go to town by all means that evening. He’d missed drinking and smoking, his addictions. The ones he’d smuggled into the school some days back had finished.

"Another plan?’’ asked Adrian in surprise, standing to face him directly.

"Which plan are you talking about again, Black scorpion?’’ Richard asked amazement, too.

"Guys, we won’t because that kola-nut eater of a security man turned us away, or perhaps almost shot us and go back to our dormitories. We would be big cowards to do that, you know?’’

"Alright, what do you suggest we do now?’’ "Richard asked in a mocking tone. "Scale over this wall of Jericho?

All the boys chuckled except Martin.

"Wish we’ve got wings to do that anyway,’’ Martin said in a serious tone. "Listen guys, we won’t be scaling the fence. There is a shot cut at the back of the school. Only boys like us know it.’’

"But why didn’t you inform us beforehand? Why leading us to the gate where we almost got shot dead?’’ Adrian asked, squeezing his brows, flashing his owlish eyes in annoyance towards Martin.

"We wanted to show our influential status to you without knowing our man, Okon, wasn’t on duty. Perhaps, that short route is bushy and dangerous compared to the direct, sparsely tarred road from the school gate. You know, snakes could hiding under the bushes,’’ Taj contributed.

"I don’t think its cowardice if we go back to the dormitories for today,’’ Adrian said after thinking deep. "We live to fight another day, my father would say. We could only go to town another day if we are alive. The gunshot that missed us by cheer-luck could be a warning sign. I’m afraid, something worse might be in stock for us if we insist and go out today.’’

"Oh no, Addy,’’ Martin said disappointedly, "that was just mistake. It has nothing to do with what happens in future. Haven’t you ever heard this saying, ‘mistakes pave way for new perfection’? Good things sometimes could start by disappointments. Disappointments open the door of new blessings, you should know that."

"Well, I didn’t have the thought before. I just feel it is better we go back to our dormitories to make today’s ill wills fly away with today.’’ Adrian said in surrender. He hated being seeing as a coward.

"I had had the same thought as Adrian, but I’m convinced by Martin’s explanation now,’’ Richard said.

"I’m disappointed in you guys, especially Addy,‘’ Taj tried to convince Adrian the more. "Being a college student and in your late teens, I don’t belief you could be nursing superstitious believes in your mind at all. Superstitious I think belongs to the unlettered folks or misguided kids.’’

"Taj, I’m not being superstitious here,’’ Adrian defended himself, widening his owlish eyes. ‘’That was what my mind said to me and have to say it out. Or do you prefer I hide my feelings from you guys?’’

"Too much talks can’t full a basket,’’ Martin said in angry tone. "Talking and talking without action would just waste our time without any tangible result. Guys, let’s be going to the back gate at once. If you aren’t going, please back off! If you’re going, follow me now!’’

Martin started matching forth, looking offended but he was not actually. It was one of his tricks to lure Adrian and Richard into following him. The boys wouldn’t want to offend someone who wanted to spend his money on them in town, so would follow him without further resistance. He was leading the way briskly. And boys were following him except Adrian. He was left standing in confusion until Richard reversed back and drew him by his arms reluctantly, as a father would his adamant child. They walked at a fast pace towards the far end of the school compound. It was a distance of about 10 yards to the main gate.

When they finally got to their destination, Adrian as well as Richard was aghast. They couldn’t belief their eyes. Martin and Taj had bought them to the little second gate at the extreme end of the school compound. Most of the students had never had the thought of going there before on their own. It was rumored that there was hiding surveillance cameras there. Some had said the security men with their local guns always monitor the place twenty-four-seven and had been ordered to shoot at sight any unsolicited figure found there. All these rumours had stroke fear into the boys’ minds but not to people like Martin and Taj. They had hearts as solid as rock and knew many things their fellow students dreamt not of.

"Where did you keep the candle and the match box the last time we came?’’ Martin asked Taj.

"Under that tree,‘’ Taj said, pointing towards a close direction, "the big Melina tree over there."

"Alright, go get it quickly, boy,’’ said Martin. "Let’s do it as fast as we could and get our heads out of here. Who knows, the kola-eater might show up very soon with his hunter’s gun on a security patrol.’’

Taj left briskly and soon returned with a match box and a long white candle, wrapped in a black polythene bag to prevent rain from damaging the items. Adrian and Richard where lost in thought and astonishment. They couldn’t belief they were about to pass through the much revered gate—the school farm gate!

Apart from Agriculture Day which was observed every Wednesday morning of the weeks, which the boys used to work on the school farm, the boys hadn’t dream of going near the gate. It was part of the college rules to rusticate any student found there without any good explanation. The purpose of the strict rule was to checkmate some thieving students who might go the farm to steal, or some dare devil students who might escape to town and go wild like Martin and Taj.

"What if we are caught here, Martin?’’ Adrian inquired, his voice shaking with fear. "We could be

Severely dealt with—even rusticated I think we should be going back to our dormitories.

This adventure is too risky to take, can’t you see?’’

"I used to think you have some bravery in you until today,’’ Martin scorned Adrian. "There is no danger here at all. I and Taj wouldn’t be endangering ourselves if we were to be at high risk. Keep you cool boy! Don’t keep being pessimistic or superstitious, that belong to losers. You aren’t a loser, are you? You’ll thank my initiative and exposure later. Stay calm and watch us.’’

"Adrian, I think we should reason with what Black Scorpion said and put our total trust in him,’’ Richard said sheepishly, trying to be bold.

"Boys, we speak on low tones here so that we don’t attract any security guards, students or staffs. Silence is golden here, please let’s maintain it,’’ Taj said, facing Adrian and Richard in low tone, careful looking here and there.

Martin lighted the candle with a matchstick. He put it at the bottom of the big padlock that was used in locking the gate for some minutes, letting it burn only the key hole. He removed the burning candle and extinguished it. He picked a big stone from the ground and began hitting the padlock softly. After some minutes, just like a magic, the big padlock made a gritting sound and opened!

"I can’t belief this,’’ said Richard, shaking his head in amazement, ‘’even my physics teacher wouldn’t claim to know this kind of technique for opening this type of big padlock without a key.’’

"I said it. I said you would thank my initiative later,’ ’Martin bragged. "Well, education doesn’t begin or end in the school. When you mingle with some influential or special people you would gain a lot of rare knowledge. I got this proficiency form my late cousin, Olu. I would’ve gisted Taj his stories before. He could open any locked car or house doors and take anything from it within a twinkle of an eye.’’

"Wonderful, that is very intelligent of him,’’ hailed Richard.

"That is too bad. Stealing? Oh no, God forbid!’’ Adrian said to himself, shaking his head disapprovingly. And aloud he asked Martin: "but why is he late, I mean what led to his death?’’

"Well, I don’t know,’’ Martin lied, making a facial sign to Taj not to divulge the dirty secret of his late cousin. Seen that Adrian and Richard weren’t convinced with the reply he added, "my father would say: death kills any human whose turn has come. Death doesn’t give reasons, time or how it will kill person. Hope you’re aware of that Adrian?’’

Adrian remained quiet, wasn’t convinced. The manner at which Martin as talking about death as if he’d not heard of it before was unsuspicious to him. He felt Martin was hiding Olu’s death because he died in a nasty way. In this part of the world, most people hide what lead to the death of a relative of friend, if it’s too nasty or too unheard of. They feared to be mocked or gossiped if a relative dies a shameful death. Martin was ashamed to reveal how Olu became late because he thought it was unheard of or shameful how he had died.

Olu had gone to rob a neighbor’s house without knowing the man was at home but locking himself indoors. When Olu had broken into the house and had stolen a huge amount of money, the man from his hidden place took his gun and shot him to death. Though, the man didn’t know Olu was the one at first because he was covering his face with a faze cap. Perhaps, that wasn’t the first time Olu would be stealing from the house. The man had gotten prepared for the unknown burglar who had been stealing from his house whenever he and his family have gone out. He’d promised himself that he would kill the burglar any day he sees him in his house.

Later, the man was arrested and sued by Martin’s father for the extra-judicial murder of his niece who he had believed was innocent. Police investigations later found out that Olu was truly a burglar and was shot dead when stealing from the man’s house. So, the court decided that the accused neighbor was only protecting his properties by shooting the burglar, so was not guilty of illegal murder. However, the neighbor bagged three years jail term. Why? His gun had no license. He was found guilty of illegal possession of firearms.

"Wow!’’ Adrian and Richard exclaimed in amazement.

The school farm gate has been successfully burgled by Martin and Taj!

In the debacle that followed, Adrian and Richard, amid fear from the thick bushes, dark fearful night, and the thought of the outcome of their risky adventure; in the company of the two obdurate boys, walked almost a mile before reaching their destination, Iddo main town.