NINE: THE MISUNDERSTANDING

Bones was seething with rage after putting out the fire and discovered he had been played by a ‘tiny street rat’, who had escaped while they were distracted trying to put out a fire he had started! He ordered his boys to look around the nearby buildings and streets, believing he couldn't have gotten far. Imagine his surprise when he was so rudely called upon by the very rat he was searching for.

‘Na him be that! ’ one of his boys called out excitedly, and just as he was about to order them to capture him and bring him to him, he saw Skull at the other side of the road observing them! And then the content of the boy's rude call hit him. For a moment, his spirit left him and he felt light-headed. Was the boy not bluffing when he said he was Skull's personal messenger? Had he brought Skull to avenge him? Surely, Skull can't be that free to come pick a fight with them over a messenger, right? But who can say for sure, this is someone who is very eccentric and can be unreasonable when his interests are concerned, he did not become the Overlord of Jefferson's by being reasonable! With such train of thought, he signaled to his boys– who had by now also caught sight of Skull– to pretend not to have seen him and started flattering Akin.

With his plan progressing smoothly and the Street Falcons going along with it as if they were all actors in his script, Akin could not help but feel proud of his genius. Reminding himself not to overdo it and spoil things himself he shouted at the Falcons to ‘scram’ and not show themselves before him before the day was over. The Falcons who felt they'd been given a new lease on life and freed from the hangman's noose fled, scattering into various corners and alleys, and in the blink of an eye, the street was empty.

Skull crossed over amazed, he had a feeling those guys– the fearsome and terrifying Falcons who would even steal from him were not that respectful to the kid in front of him because of what he told him but feared him because he had some sort of hold over them– which is even more ridiculous. What sort of hold can he have over a group of hardened criminals that could kill him without him knowing how he died? But because he could not figure it out, he began to respect the kid's smarts. He could see his past self in him, while he wasn't this young when he hit the streets, he had once been there. He gathered leverage over other street thugs, made connections that would benefit them, and made them submit to him, he slowly but surely raised his influence in this slum till he became its overlord, and even people in Government profit from this place without needing to get involved which is why they could keep control of Jefferson's without the prying eyes of the Government after all this while.

‘How far Bros. Skull, he shock you! Like your lieutenants dem, you see as even the Falcons fear me?’ Akin's voice brought him out of his contemplation. He could see his pride and sense of achievement and Skull could not help but smile. The boy went on to tell him there was more for his eyes to see and led him down the road they were on. He recognized this place leads to the market square and wondered if that's where they were headed this time.

Akin was hoping the Street pimps who were looking for a house to burgle would still be around and he was not disappointed, they had just finished robbing one of the garden apartments of its valuables and were planning on leaving the neighbourhood when they saw him.

Their lanky boss in a good mood plans to tease Akin, he couldn't care less if he is Skull's errand boy or not and has no designs on whatever measly valuables he might have on his person as they had just had a good haul. However, he choked on his words when his eyes met Skull's who is now observing from the shadows of an alley. ‘Bo- B- Boss, Young Boss’ he stammered ‘we no do anything to you now, why you go bring oga Skull come when he fit dey busy?’ He appealed to Akin who was now smirking in his face.

Skull! His boys were alarmed as they hurriedly looked around in fear before their eyes met with Skull's own glittering in the dark, they dropped to their knees before Akin and started pleading with him ‘Boss, na play we dey follow you play nah, he never reach make you call big oga for us.’ Their boss even threw a golden signet ring with a cheap diamond gem studded on it– one of the things they had just burgled– to Akin as a peace offering.

Realizing that the Street pimps' fear is greater than the Falcons and they are less smart, Akin dismissed them before they would blow his cover. Unfortunately for him, Skull had witnessed everything this time.

Even though he was not within hearing distance and couldn't hear what they were saying, he was sure the pimps' fear came from him. The fear in their eyes when it met his was palpable. It wasn't there before they made eye contact with him. He had not even considered that the thugs they would meet on the way would react to his presence or associate him with the boy if they saw him since he was not walking with him. He then realised that was what the brat wanted him to think! Furthermore, he must have had a run-in with these people before and used his name to escape from them unscathed. When he ran into him at the tower and asked for proof of his prestige, he must have decided to use his previous encounter with these people to fool him and use his presence to assert and prove his previous claims to them even if they had once doubted him. Realising all this, Skull laughed boisterously. It was ingenious for a kid who is probably at the bottom of the food chain at Jefferson's trying to survive to come up with such spontaneous ideas to get himself out of tricky situations. When he confronted him with his discovery, he was met with a flustered Akin who after being panicked for a moment or two squared his shoulders and told him with a straight face he had no proof! His own words were thrown right back at him!

‘He fit be so, and he fit be your imagination, how you wan take proof am nah’.

Still laughing with mirth, Skull replied in Standard English ‘Never mind, you have amused and impressed me with your smarts, you're someone worth keeping around. Will you be my assistant? Running an avenue full of criminals can be tiring after all.’

With disbelief, anxiety, and excitement, Akin returned to the ‘tower’ with Skull. That night, he enjoyed a feast the likes of which he had never had the privilege of witnessing before not to mention being a participant to. And for the first time in a long time, he ate to his satisfaction, and slept soundly on a proper bed, with a roof over his head without worrying about being stabbed in his sleep. But little does he know that he would soon have so much more to worry about, as his simple life came to an end, along with his constant worry about food. Akin would come to learn, in the coming years, that under Skull's tutelage, he can't grow up fast enough.

END OF BOOK ONE

The Saga continues... Akin's Adventure is just beginning...

BOOK TWO: AGAINST ALL ODDS - THE RACE AGAINST TIME