Chapter 9: the reality

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• The Illusionist    Chapter 9: the reality

  This time around a secret message was mailed to our inboxes requesting our presence and that was where I was now Coker was a small town in Surulere, Lagos and I had to drive all the way from Ikeja to see why I had been called. I was more cautious and conscious of my surroundings as I would never allow what happened that day to repeat itself. When I arrived at the house in Enitan street which the mail had addressed, I was met with a group of some generals and other soldier's. This meet was more secretive than the other and I wondered why they hadn't summoned the rest of us and only a few. We were inaccurately, a number of 20 men present at this location, there might have been more but that was what I was able to achieve after my head count. We had sat down in a very large spaced living room, when a man began to speak. He had a protruding stomach that looked as though it h

• The Illusionist    Chapter 8: the tide III

  "How are you doing" she said once we reached outside the church building. I know it wasn't the time but I felt the need to say something to her about what happened. Even though it was years ago, I owed her an explanation and if not now, I don't think I ever would. "I'm surviving Crys" I said meaning my words. I was struggling actually with everything lately and this was like the final blow. "I don't like seeing you get hurt" she said, placing her hands on the arm cast. The touch of her hands were always like a calm to the tides but too bad I could never get back to that point where I had been allowed to be comfortable with it. "Me neither" I said while taking the hand that was on me in mine. We stayed like that for some time before I spoke up 

• The Illusionist    Chapter 7: the tide II

  Kings International Church, Ikeja was filled with mixed circles of people from across the country and overseas too. Military officials in their uniforms and their various medals pinned to their clothes stood in an angular salute at the altar were his body lay. I felt an excruciating pang of agony overwhelm me as I took in the sight of his widow and only daughter. There were sitting at the front, using each other as a support for their tears. It was relieving though, at least they had shoulders to cry on, they had each other unlike Tayo and me. "How is the hand" Emeka said while slapping me lightly on the back. He was referring to my now cast up hand that I felt like tearing off every minute. It was really impairing my movements and I almost felt useless without complete full use of my hands. "I can't wait to take it off" I said as

• The Illusionist    Chapter 6: the tide

  It had been ten days since the tragic event that remained packed up in our hearts and minds, refusing to let go, happened. Almost all my life was built upon this career path and it wasn't even my decision from the start. I loved my job but if you asked me that day, 10 years ago, where did I see myself in the future, my honest answer would have been, a thin line between dead and hopeless. He gave me a choice when I had none and he stuck by me through out, fulfilling every promise he made to me when I was 22. The countdown had started and no one was safe anymore as all our lives were in danger. There was a very slim chance that it wasn't the Jama'atu that manned the attack but we were running low on possible suspects. My thoughts reflected immediately on the strange woman I met that night as I thought about culprits. Everything about her was an enigma to me and it seemed as t

• The Illusionist    Chapter 5: the swell II

  My breath came in pants as I crouched forward away from the now shattered glasses above me. I shielded the lady with my body as more of its. pieces began to fall unto us. A frenzied disarray of actions, building up the chaos by the minute. It was unexpected, the turnout of events violently jerking my attention towards the outburst. In one minute everything could change and we could lose everything. It was almost impossible how a minute of resolute peace erupted in a series of pandemoniums, heightening swiftly by the clock. I had to buckle up and be prepared, and at the fall of the last glass piece, I expertly reached out for my gun awaiting the next masked face.The woman behind me was trembling and her sounds of fear were making it hard to think straight. I needed her to shut up, fear was the most penetrable emotion that existed. Silently without announcing itself, it grips your will power by its firm hold

• The Illusionist    Chapter 4: the swell

  I had caught the attention of a few eyes with the show I had just displayed. The almost audible gasp of the now drenched woman had not gone unheard but thankfully the large spaces drowned out the sound, such that people from afar could not hear or realize what had just happened."I'm so sorry" I said immediately to her as she tried to find something to clean of the drink spill on her clothes.My voice came out in a whisper so as not to drag back the eyes to us again but she wasn't even listening, she looked more concerned about the damp patch on the upper part of her clothes.It was the only distraction I could think of, it wasn't all that smart but at least it worked."What the hell is wrong with you!" She said in a harsh whisper before making