Balogun

CLOSER

"You belong to me. And I am a man. I don't share. Are we clear on that?"
                   - Prince Murewa

                                   xXx

Murewa woke up the next morning in a bad mood. She didn't come back last night and he had felt stupid. Like a little kid waiting up for his mommy.
He took his bath, put on his workout clothes and sat to wait for Jamal and still she didn't show up.

He wasn't mad. He was livid.

Someone knocked and he knew at once that it wasn't her. It was Jamal. She never used to wait for him to say come in or whatever, she knocked once and just came in.

Jamal appeared in the doorway.
"Good morning," he greeted cheerfully.

Murewa picked up his bag and flung it at him. Jamal caught it and slung it over his shoulder, his brows lifted as Murewa marched past him.
"Someone is in a bad mood," Jamal said as he caught up to his friend.

"You are right, so don't fuck with me, Jamal."

"Okay, okay." Jamal raised his arms as they walked towards the back gates.

Murewa was walking sharply, his hands in his pocket, his strides straight and brisk.
That was why he missed the sight.
But as they walked down the bush path towards the recruit housing, Jamal saw Abike.

She was standing just inside the level four building, with two level four officers who he knew as Khalid and Bola.

He wasn't surprised because Palace maids came to the campsite every time, but what could she be doing here?
The Palace maids came to the building for two things, money and sex, he didn't see why she would need either.
As he went past the building, he noticed she didn't seem to be standing too close to any of the guys. They were just talking and laughing like friends, so he shrugged and followed Murewa down the path.

The recruits were already filing out of their lodge, ready for the morning lessons when they arrived.
Murewa sighted Muyiwa the same time Jamal did.

"I thought you had him locked up." Murewa turned to ask Jamal.
Jamal nodded and dropped the bag to the ground.

"Yes, I did. For about six hours. I had him released last night."

"Let me have a word with him," Murewa said and moved towards the sidelines.

Jamal whistled to get the boy's attention and Muyiwa looked up at Jamal with a glare.

"If you don't rearrange you face, I would punch it in." Jamal threatened, taking a step towards the boy.
Muiywa looked away.
"The Chief wants to see you," Jamal told him and Muyiwa looked up, his gaze catching Murewa's own from across the clearing.

Even from the wide distance, Murewa could see the unbridled anger in the boy's eyes. He remained calm.

As Jamal rounded up the remaining boys for training, Muyiwa made his way slowly towards Murewa until he was standing few feet away.
Murewa didn't need to tell him to look up because the boy was steady holding his gaze.

"Do you want to return home so you can restart the program next year?" Murewa asked calmly and the boy's eyes widened in shock.

"No, Chief."

"Then fix up. If I hear one more complaint about you, just one more, I would have you strapped to a bench and beaten black and blue, then wrap you up and deliver you as a present to your mother. Then you can expect us next year when it's time to round up another round of recruits."