About Twenty Five

hair so I thought maybe I could become a hairstylist until I could save enough money to record a song. I loved music. I sat down on the bed smiling. Something in me told me the plan was going to work. I waited for my friend to come back so I could tell her all about my plans. She already told me of her desire in fashion and how she had always loved fashion but don really get to work on it as she was sold off by her step mother after her father passed on. I always finished work earlier than Ola. So this particular night, I wished it was not so. I was so excited as I sat on the bed waiting.

After waiting for almost an hour, the smile on my face soon faded away, She was always back by this time.

Where was Ola? I wondered,

I stood up and thought of going to the kitchen to go find her but that was forbidden else I might be punished. I decided not to panic and to wait another thirty minutes and if she wasn back I was going to find her no matter what happened.

My hands grew sweaty, my chest throbbed from anxiety. I feared the unknown. Ola was supposed to be back over an hour ago but she wasn . ”What if something had happened to her? ” I thought. I stood up, my legs barely carrying me and prowled the hostel in search of her. The kitchen was dark, they all seem to have retired for the night. Then the big question hit me.

”Where is Ola? ”

I started running around searching for her and crying. I refused to think that she had been sold off. Then I heard a loud scream, I looked out from the window and saw my dear friend Ola being whisked away to a waiting vehicle. My heart shattered into a million pieces. She wasn moving.

”Is Ola dead ” I thought in fear. I started screaming.

”Ola! ”

The men who had carried her limp body away looked up and at that moment I didn care anymore. I screamed even louder.

”Ola! ” ”Ola! ” ”Ola! ”

My bosom choked with tears as I called out. The car sped away as I watched through blurred vision. Some men came to drag me to my room and I couldn protest, my legs felt weak, my voice strained and from the background I could hear the manager shouting that I should be locked and punished for disturbing the peace of the hostel. At that point, I didn care. All I cared about was my dear friend, my dear sister, Ola.

Realization hit me after spending two days in the hostel cell. They don care for any of us and this could happen to me too. I dried my tears and decided to escape like we had planned. I told the manager I was ready to serve my punishment and he agreed to set me free on the condition that I serve my punishment right. I was assigned to four different chores, woke up first and went to bed last. That became my routine for the next three days. The senator arrived the next day.

The air was thick with celebration. Everyone but me grinned from ears to ears as he was being welcomed. I kept scouting the environment looking for loopholes in the security. This proved to be really difficult. Ola wouldve known what to do, I thought. When the hostels two security men seemed to be distracted, the senators security men got even more serious. They complimented each other. The day progressed but somehow at the back of my mind, I felt hope. So I waited. They got distracted again and almost same time, the others were called by the senator. I slipped out immediately making way to the gate. I felt blood rushing through my every vein in excitement and in fear. I was finally leaving. But what if I get caught?

Suddenly I heard voices making me to stop right in my tracks and hide behind an suv jeep. I was almost at the gate, I pondered if I should make a run for it regardless if they saw me or not. I decided to make a run for it but my decision came late as two men stepped out carrying wrapped gifts. They were headed straight my way, so I decided against making a run to the gate but to hide properly. I watched them put the gifts in the car in front. Then I heard one say ”I think we should load the less important gifts in this trunk and the important ones in the senators trunk ”

One walked to the suv jeep and came to the back where I had hidden. I already moved to the side so he doesn see me. He opened the trunk wide and the other asked him to help him carry a big bag which they wanted to load to the senators suv.

Was this a divine intervention?

My first instinct was to hide inside the trunk and I acted on it immediately without thinking. I was very fast with it as I used whatever I found in the trunk to make myself inconspicuous. My heart beat so fast when the two men approached the car. They barely noticed I was there as they loaded the car with whatever they carried and closed the trunk. I sighed in relief and it felt kind of comfortable. I mean, the car had a spacious trunk, and for some time I was happy thinking of how I would listen to know when we reached a police checkpoint to start screaming but I got worried. ”What if the police wouldn care or couldn hear me? ”

Few moments later, I heard loud voices enriched with joyous laughter approaching the vehicle. I could make out the voices especially the old rusty voice and the staffs of the hostel, then an old but soft and gentle voice which I guessed was the senator. I heard the voice thank the men for their hospitality. They chanted his name and I heard excited screams scatter around which I realized must have been that he sprayed wads of cash to them.

Afterwards, I felt the engine start and the car started to move. At first the gliding was smooth then later it was if the car was vibrating as it started on throwing me around from side to side every time the car swerved on the road. After all, who would need seat belts inside a trunk, right? The whole thing felt like someone put me inside a washing machine, set up ”heavy-duty ” and turned it on and later on put the machine inside a rollercoaster car and sent it away.

This continued until the car slowed down and I heard some chatter. It sounded like a police checkpoint. I tried screaming but it sounded muffled instead, I tried banging but the loads restricted them. I focused on the muffled screams instead but the car started moving again. At that point, I knew nobody but myself was going to save me.

Where were they driving to ?