MUD AND BLUES

THE STORM

Jamal looked up at the sky again; he wanted to be sure that the tint of red he saw was the rain cloud. It hasn't rained for weeks, even though it was August. As if to confirm his suspicion, the sky rumbled, he saw a lightning flash across the sky, and he waited for the sound of thunder. He has learned that the lightning always comes before the sound of thunder and that the intensity of the thunder is proportional to the brightness of the lightning. The thunder sounded louder than he expected, which means that the cloud was quite thick. He stopped and thought of going back home, but he knew he couldn't. He walked around the corner and felt his pocket to be sure he still had the stuff with him—not that it was something that could slip out of his pocket; he just wanted to be sure because of the importance of the 2 kg powder in his front pocket. As he walked into the market square, the silent night suddenly became noisier, even though people were closing their stalls due to the expected rain and looming darkness. He greeted the woman he used to buy fish from and nodded at a few others. His mind wasn't with them but rather with the fact that his friend was being held captive by some dangerous people he didn't even know. He practically knew all the gangsters in the neighborhood, but the name he heard on the phone two hours ago was alien to his ears. His friend dragged him into the mess by asking them to call him. Since they were very close, Jamal knew his contact would be the first to cross Bamigboye's mind. And now he has to deliver their stuff to them so they can release his troublesome friend. He had left home without informing his grandmother or sister, so he knew he needed to return home as soon as possible, before his mama called him for dinner.Just then he felt the wetness of a raindrop on his cheek, and that made him walk faster. Now he has to worry about the rain too. He found it unusual that the Republic was quiet, but as he moved closer to the abandoned school buildings, he heard people talking in hushed tones and saw a few more horny couples doing whatever they wanted right in the unconducive environment. He walked through, covering his face with the cap of his hoodie. He knew where he was directed to go; he had been there before under different circumstances. He stepped into the biggest class in the abandoned school and was immediately shoved hard against the wall. He didn't prepare for the impact and banged his head against the wall.

"Wetin you dey find for here?"The attacker yelled.

"I want to see FEVER; I have something for him," Jamal responded. He tried to make sure his voice was intimidating, but it came out croaked since he was being choked. The guy loosened the grip on his hoodie and pushed him along. jamal moved along obediently until they entered a room, which was supposed to be the headmaster's office but now serves as the gang leader's office since the school project was abandoned years ago. Jamal scoffed; the republic really did look like an academy, an academy for misfits; he had never entered that part of the republic before and was amazed by how well kept the office actually looked, and wasn't even aware that he was in the middle of 5 terrifying men and his tiny friend who was tied to a bench in the corner.

"FEVER, I found this rat in the  class; he said he has something for you," the guy said. Jamal glanced at him briefly with disdain and then heard the chair in front of him croak, And it was at that moment that Jamal noticed the man seated on the big chair in front of him. The ratio of his size to the chair made him less obvious, but the way he sat, like a director of some sort, made Jamal know he must be the boss, so he directed his attention to him. Looking closer, Jamal realized he didn't know him, which mean he wasn't from their neighborhood; his face was oval, representing a small round head; everything was small except the scar that ran from his forehead through his nose to his upper lips. Jamal couldn't see well in the darkness, but he just knew something was wrong with his eyes too.

"Well, what do you have for me?" The man asked with a calm yet commanding voice, smiling to reveal a series of golden-colored teeth.

"I am here for Bammy," Jamal forced out, trying to sound confident even though his palms were sweaty already. Just then, his friend whimpered to get Jamal's attention, and Jamal noticed how bad he was. His left eye was shut and his right swollen; his nose looked crooked; and with the blood dripping from his mouth, his teeth might not be 32 anymore. Jamal hoped that this time he would learn his lesson and stop doing shady deals, except that this one is more than shady; it is dark. Jamal was briefly lost in his thoughts when a guy kicked his calf from behind, forcing him to stagger, but he found his balance.