My Missing ribs

Episode 8

: *MY MISSING RIB*

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Adam came out from his room when Mr Stanley picked the call. His dressing was totally odd and.. and.. I wish you could see him: he wore a voluminous short skirt with white stockings which length got to his knees. On his feet were his usual black shores. He wore a white shirt which he tucked in properly in the skirt and combed his beards too. His chewing stick never departed from his mouth.
"What do you mean by nobody?" Mr Stanley was still asking on the phone while others, especially his wife stared at him.
"Mr Stanley, how much do you love your son?" Lawrence asked.
"My son?!" Mr Stanley stood up. Hearing that, others also stood up sharply staring at him in anticipation, then Adam moved closer to him. "Please, i love my son so much, where is he?"
"Good, you will see him sooner than you think if only you comply and co-operate"
"Please, anything"
"You will pay a ransom of two billion naira in less that two weeks"
"Two.. two.. two what?! Where do you expect... hello.. hello..." the line had gone dead already then Mr Stanley brought down the phone slowly. He couldn't do anything but to stare at everybody with an open mouth.
"My husband, have they seen my son?" the wife moved closer.
"Sir, who called you?" Judeson added.
"Master, let the cat out of the bag?" Adam anxiously removed his chewing stick.
"Nobody called me" Mr Stanley replied then judeson, Celestina and Mrs Stanley glanced at one another as to say: IS HE GETTING MAD?
"My husband you just received a phone call now. Why saying nobody called you?" the wife asked.
"I mean she said her name is Nobody" Mr Stanley replied with an open arms.
"So what did the Nobody say?" Adam asked.
"She said that she has my son, Steve"
"Heeii! Thank God!" Mrs Stanley raised her hands up.
"I said it!" Adam began. "That nobody can estimate the memorandum philosophy of existentialism which emerged in it's contemporary form in Paris following World War II. At first, it appeared to be a philosophical fad whose practitioners expounded their thoughts in cafes far removed from the professional precincts of university philosophers. But now it has gained momentum by invading virtually every form of human thought and expression uproariously..."
"Shut up!" Mr Stanley interrupted him. "Why can't you allow me to finish before you start breaking this house down with your philosophical.. whatever?!"
"I'm sorry master, I'm was only trying to infuse that your son is still in existence just as i predicted. Listen master, the great Philosophers, Soren Kierkegaard and..."
"Just shut up!" Mr Stanley interrupted again and looked at his wife. "I think my son is being kidnapped because the Nobody is demanding for two billion naira from me as an exchange to my son's life" he added.
"Two billion what?!" Judeson exclaimed.
"Mon dieu!" Adam exclaimed too staring at the ceiling. Meanwhile, Mrs Stanley had already fainted trying to fall on the floor but Celestina caught her...
*
Back to the unknown land, Steve's voice could be heard from Buboy's tent saying, "My suspicion was right, they have hidden cameras here and i must make sure all are removed then we escape. For crying out loud, why is everybody showing no concern of leaving this place?! I made an attempt but what did i get in return?!"
"We can't escape from these people" Buboy said calmly.
"You lie, you're a big lair!" Steve objected.
"Where do you know we are escaping to?"
"Anyway! Even if it takes us days journey, is better than being killed here!" Steve concluded. As he came out from the tent angrily, so as Stella came out from her father's tent drying her tears too. Her sister, Thelma was holding her shoulder while she stared at Steve who was also staring at her for a long time. But when Thelma saw the gaze not to be ordinary, she said, "Hey, stop looking at him. What has this stranger done to you? Please, lets go" she dragged Stella by the hand into their own tent, yet Steve never stop staring at her. He averted his eyes and went back to the position where he was looking for signal. He saw the camera and shook his head positively and began to look for another one.
*
Mrs Stanley was totally awake. Celestina held her round the shoulder while the three men kept standing.
"But how was Steve kidnapped?" Judeson broke the silence.
"That's what I'm still thinking" Mr Stanley replied.
"Yes.." Adam removed his stick. "Let's ask the driver who took him to the airport" he suggested.
"Good idea"
The driver was called immediately and interrogated seriously.
"Oga, i swear" the driver began with a car key jingling in his hand. "I personally drove Steve to the airport and watched him enter the plane. I waited there until the plane took off. He even gave me some money" he explained sincerely.
"Then how come he was kidnapped?" Judeson was still asking.
"Hmm... I'm pugnacious right now" Adam concluded...

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Mr Stanley collapsed on the cushion. "Where do i get two billion naira from?" he murmured.
"Master, i can't believe you are considering to comply with such huge amount of money" Adam spoke up. "I suggest we involve the police into this" he added.
"Police?" Mr Stanley looked at him. "That will complicate issues!"
"I think prof is right" Judeson interfered. "We should involve the police on this"
Mr Stanley became quiet giving their suggestions a big thought.
*
Few hours later, Justice, Mrs Henry and her daughter, Faith were actually having a conversion in the sittingroom. Faith sat opposite Justice wearing a bumshort and and a top.
"Thanks for the bread you gave to Celestina my son" Mrs Henry broke the silence.
"You're welcome ma'am" Justice smiled and glanced at Faith who wasn't looking at him.
"Though she rejected the bread but Faith accepted it and we used it for breakfast" Mrs Henry added.
"Is okay..." Justice smiled and glanced at Faith gain who also looked at him at that moment but averted her eyes immediately. "I actually came to see Celestina and also take her out" Justice added.
"Wow, that's so thoughtful of you, but as you can see she's not at home" Mrs Henry said.
Just then, Celestina arrived looking stressed out. Instead of greeting them, she hissed and walked inside her room. Meanwhile, Justice had already stood up with a smile on his face to welcome her, but his face changed after Celestina showed no sign of respect.
"Celestina! Celestina!" the mother called but there was no response.
"Why is she so harsh on me?" Justice asked piteously.
"I'm sorry my son, please, forgive her" Mrs Henry apologized.
"Well, i guess i came at the wrong time. I'll come around next time" Justice walked towards the door. He glanced at Faith again who stood up immediately to open the door for him.
"Bye" she said holding the doorknob and waiting for him to go.
"Aright bye" Justice walked out. As Faith wanted to close the door, he turned and said, "Thanks for accepting the bread"
Faith stared at him for a moment and gradually closed the door without saying anything. Instead of her to go back to her seat and lament on how Celestina is so rude and proud as usual, she quietly walked straight into her room then her mother wondered why.
*
THREE DAYS LATER
Back to the unknown land, Steve had discovered all the cameras. He began to work hard and thinking critically on how to escape from the land. For the past three days he had refused to talk to anybody or go close to anybody especially Zeno's daughters as instructed. Stella wasn't happy with that.
Steve came out from the bush carrying a bunch of stick. He had no shirt on: he wore only a dirty trousers and shoes. One could see his muscular body and hair on his chest. As he came out from the bush, so as Stella came out from her tent, then they stared at each other. Steve averted his eyes and kept the bunch of stick on the ground. He sat down on a stone in a way he turned his back on Stella and began to carve the sticks one by one in the shape of an arrow. Stella averted her eyes from him too at that moment and walked out. Suddenly, the sound of the helicopter came again. Steve stood up likewise others who were in their tents. They all came out lining up as usual and looking scared. When the chopper finally landed, Lawrence came out with gunmen. Cigarette never departed from her mouth. "Hey, you, over here" she commanded Steve. Steve glanced at Stella and walked boldly to Lawrence. "You normally walk around monitoring everywhere and looking at our cameras. Listen, if you try anything stupid, you'll die likewise others. And i won't hesitate to take the two billion naira from your father. Understood?!" Lawrence blew him a smoke and waved her hand indicating that he should go. As Steve was going back to his position, he glanced at Stella again whose heart nearly ruptured thinking he was about to be killed. She exhaled deeply after Steve was released and stared at him too.
"Hey, you, over here" Lawrence commanded Buboy who went immediately. "He's next" she concluded and walked back to the chopper. Instantly, Buboy was shot dead then the women gasped. As they carried him into the chopper and flew away, Steve monitored the direction in which they followed. He glanced at Zeno who also glanced at him silently then went back to continue carving the sticks.
*
Lawrence came out from the chopper with her cell phone on her ear. "Speak!" she commanded on the phone.
"I hope Zeno and his daughters are safe" a male voice sounded on the phone too.
"What do you think? Has the ransom been paid?"
"No, I'm giving them one more week"
"A week?! What is there in one billion zar compare to two billion naira which I'll soon be paid for just one person? But one billion zar cannot be paid in South Africa for a whole family! I guess my country is richer than yours" Lawrence concluded..
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