Stella Was Found

Chapter 2: Stella Was Found

Stella decided to walk to her right, hoping to find a way out of the forest. After walking for about one or two miles, she grew tired and found a large tree to rest under.

As she sat down, she suddenly heard a gunshot and became frightened.

"Yee," she gasped, unsure of what to do next.

Looking around, she spotted a nearby bush and considered hiding in it.

"Should I go and hide in the bush?" she wondered. 

"No, if I do that, a stray bullet might still hit me. I'll pretend to be dead instead." 

She lay down on the ground, hoping this tactic would keep her safe.

Another gunshot rang out, this time closer. Panic surged through her.

"Oh no, I'm in serious trouble now. God, please save me from this dangerous forest," she prayed silently, lying as still as she could.

Suddenly, a large snake slithered past her, but she remained motionless, unaware of the creature's presence.

The sound of another gunshot startled her, and she braced herself for the worst.

"I should say my last prayer before I die. God, forgive all my sins and remember me in Your kingdom."

Unexpectedly, a tall man emerged from the bush, holding a hunting gun with a cutlass tied to his waist.

It was then she realized that it was a hunter who had been shooting, not a hired killer.

The man saw Stella lying on the ground, then noticed the dead snake he had been chasing. He fired another shot at the snake, but it remained still. 

He then cut off the snake's head with his cutlass and carried it over to where his bike was parked. He placed the severed head inside a sack before turning to Stella.

Relieved that the man was a hunter, Stella stood up and greeted him politely. "Good afternoon, sir."

"Good afternoon," the hunter replied. "Why were you lying on the ground like that?"

Stella explained her predicament. "I heard gunshots and thought it was an assassin, so I pretended to be dead to avoid getting shot."

"Okay, but what were you looking for in this forest?"

"I don't know how I ended up here, and I can't find my way out. Please, sir, could you help me get out of this forest?"

"You mean you don't know how you got here?"

"Yes, I don't, sir. Please help me out."

The hunter sympathized with her situation. "Alright, follow me, and I'll lead you out of here."

The hunter walked to his parked bike, carrying the sack containing the dead snake, which he secured to the back of the bike with a rope. 

He then asked Stella to sit on the bike and wait for him while he went to check on a trap he had set.

While Stella waited patiently, the hunter ventured deeper into the forest to check on a trap he had set. To his delight, he found a large, half-dead animal entangled in it. 

He carefully released the creature from the trap and swiftly ended its suffering by cutting its neck with a knife from his bag. As the blood drained, he hoisted the animal onto his shoulder and made his way back to the motorcycle.

Upon his return, he asked Stella to step down from the bike and proceeded to secure the new catch to the front of the vehicle. 

Once everything was in place, he hopped onto the bike, and Stella sat at the back. As they began their journey to the town, the hunter engaged Stella in conversation.

"Where do you live?" he asked.

She mentioned the place she was living, and the hunter was taken aback by the distance.

"That's quite far from here. You'd need around 1,200 Naira to get there. Since I don't have enough money right now, would you like to call someone who can help you with the fare?"

"Yes, I'll call my husband, and you can help me dial his number," Stella agreed.

The hunter pulled his bike to the side of the road and retrieved his phone from his pocket. Stella recited her husband's number, and the hunter dialed it. As the phone rang, Mr. Jack picked up the call.

"Hello, who's on the line?" Mr. Jack inquired.

The hunter handed the phone to Stella, allowing her to speak with her husband.

"Hello, Daddy Samba, it's me, Stella," she said, her voice trembling.

Sensing distress in her tone, Mr. Jack became concerned. "What's happening? Why do you sound like this?"

"Daddy Samba, I'm in a forest, and I don't know how I got here..."

Mr. Jack was bewildered by Stella's situation. "But I left you at home! You told me you were fasting today and wouldn't go out. How did you end up in an unknown forest?"

"I'll explain everything when I get home. I found someone who can take me out of here, but I need 1,500 Naira for transportation," Stella replied.

"Okay, send me your account number," Mr. Jack said, eager to help.

Stella pulled the phone away from her ear and asked the hunter, "Is there a bank nearby where I can withdraw the money they're about to send?"

"There isn't a bank, but tell him I'll take you to a POS terminal so you can transfer the amount and receive your payment there," the hunter suggested.

Stella relayed the information to Mr. Jack, who agreed to the plan.

"Okay, call me when you're out of the forest, and I'll send the payment to the POS account since there's no bank nearby."

"Okay," Stella said, hanging up the phone.

"Let's continue our ride to the main road," the hunter said, and they resumed their journey.

After a few minutes, they arrived at a junction.

"We're now out of the forest. Let me take you to the POS attendant," the hunter said.

"Thank you so much, sir," Stella replied gratefully.

Upon reaching the POS terminal, the hunter dialed Mr. Jack's number and handed the phone to Stella.

"Hello, we have arrived at the POS. I will send the account number to you now."

Stella asked the POS attendant for his account number and sent it to Mr. Jack through the hunter's phone. Within moments, the POS attendant received a notification for a 3,000 Naira deposit. He deducted the transaction fees and gave Stella the remaining amount.

Stella used the hunter's phone to call Mr. Jack and thank him for his help.

After the call, she expressed her gratitude to the hunter, who then gave her instructions on which bus to take to reach her destination.

The hunter left her at the main road, where she waited for about 15 to 20 minutes before the bus arrived. Following the hunter's advice, Stella boarded the bus and embarked on a two-hour journey.

Upon arriving at the nearest bus stop to her destination, she took a motorcycle to her home.

When she arrived at her house, neither Mr. Jack nor their child was home. It was past 6 p.m., and Mr. Jack was still at work, while their child, Samba, was at a lesson.

Stella asked one of her neighbors to call her husband. When Mr. Jack picked up the phone, they spoke for about a minute before ending the call. Stella then waited outside for her husband's return.

Mr. Jack arrived home after 7 p.m. and found Stella sitting behind the door. They exchanged greetings, and then Mr. Jack opened the door for both of them to enter.

"Dear, how are you doing now?" Mr. Jack asked, his concern evident in his voice.

"I'm fine now," Stella replied.