THE DARK SECRET (PART THREE)

THE DARK SECRET (part three)
Olufunmi Olutade

I stopped a bike, as I was determined to get home at all cost. The bike man, he was a strange man because what happened next is what I can never forget in my entire life.

“Where you want commot?” The bike man spoke. “I beg your pardon?” I retorted because I didn’t understand what he was trying to say.
“I mean say where you go drop” he explained.
“Aladelola Johnson” I didn’t give the exact address, I didn’t want to be seen on a bike, I didn’t want to soil my beautiful reputation in that estate.

We’ve gone for a while, and nothing happened. Perhaps what happened before were just mere coincidence, I reassured myself.

“I’ve been waiting for you you to come to me my child, I knew you before you were born. Why do you keep rejecting my offer of love? I’m still knocking at the door of your heart, will you let me in? Will you let me in?” The bike man was singing, and the wordings were piercing my heart, I didn’t know why. Then he stopped, he stopped the bike and I’d never been that confused.

“Wha. What is going on? Is your bike faculty? I mean we are not at my destination yet?” I spoke amidst confusion.

“Ajoke, you’re not ripe for the journey you’re embarking on, go back to school.” He spoke with all calmness and love .

‘AJoke’ no one knew me by that name. But it’s my name! “Wait a minute, did , didi did, you just call me ‘Ajoke’! How on earth did you know that?” My confusion got mixed up with this surprise.

I stepped down from the bike, yes, that was the first step to safety, this man is on a mission that I don’t understand, I need to be careful. Yeah, safety first.

“Who are you?” I summoned up the courage to ask him. ” I am” he responded. By that time, I became thirsty suddenly and I was looking around for where to get water.
“If you allow me into your heart, I’d give you water that will quench your thirst forever.” I didn’t know if my legs were glued to the ground, because after his last statement, I wanted to run for dear life but couldn’t.

This man could even read my mind! At that point I didn’t know what to do while I searched my purse for money to get a bottle of water, I looked up and I couldn’t find the bike man again. In a twinkle of an eye, he was gone! Where did he go to? I couldn’t sight him anywhere. Goosebumps enveloped me.

Recall that this day, the devil was on duty, remember also that the sun gave a sign, it didn’t smile. But alas, I was bent on my journey home.

I concluded that the devil was bent on making sure I didn’t get home, but I was going to surprise him. You see this mission, it must be accomplished.

But what next? How would I go home?

“Honk!!! Pinnn… Pin.. pin..” someone in a car was trying to get my attention by honking”

I turned, I peeped into the car and except my eyes were deceiving me, it was uncle Dave!

“Uncle Dave!” I screamed in excitement. I felt like a little baby , I wanted a hug desperately, I’d been through a lot in hours.

“You’re supposed to be in school baby, where are you going to?” Uncle Dave was concerned.

“I want to get home. I really need to get home to see dad, but my car is faulty” I edited out the details of what transpired in the early hours, because if he was going to be of help, I didn’t want to scare him away.

“Wao, funny enough, I’m also on my way to your house, I’ve been calling your dad and he’s not taking his calls, there’s an urgent file he needs to attend to so I decided to just take it to him.” Oh my.. you should see how joyful I was on knowing that we were headed for same destination.

“Hop in baby, don’t just stand there looking like a gorilla” he joked. I’ve missed uncle Dave, I’ve missed the many stories he told me while I was growing up.

“Have you seen a gorrila before?” I responded with a laugh. “yes ke, I’ve got one right here with me” he stretched his hands towards the back seat and brought out a gorilla toy, I couldn’t stop laughing. Uncle Dave and his humourous nature. I liked him like that Sha.

Uncle Dave had three children all below seven years of age. He was happily married to his campus lover then, aunty Kate. Aunty Kate, that’s a story for another day.

“Would you want anything to eat?” Uncle Dave asked as we were approaching his favourite eatery.

“That won’t be necessary sir, I’d eat when I get home. I can fix something for you too” I quickly added, I didn’t want anything to disrupt my mission home.

It was a beautiful ride with uncle Dave. I could see that we were just few buildings away from home. My heart skipped. But I wanted to go home, why this sudden feeling of fear?

‘I am’ I remembered the bike man and all he said to me, at that point, I felt like telling uncle Dave all that happened. I wanted to also tell him to turn back too and wait till daddy resumes office .

But that didn’t happen, the devil was the one on duty, he won’t leave a stone unturned. I saw everything, I mean I was convinced that we should go back but curiosity won’t let go of me.

I wanted to know what was going on in the house and made my home coming difficult.

But poor Mr Dave, I was about dragging him into what he would never recover for the rest of his life.

The gate man was not on duty that day, that’s weird. But I had the gate remote with me, you can’t imagine what can happen when the devil himself is on duty!

To be continued…