WHAT BILLIONAIRES TASTE LIKE

“Perhaps the boy didn’t hear the full gist. I know Nku is with them too. I hired that cow dung to do a job for me and she stabbed me in the back.”

“We must go to the auntie’s house right away. We strike while the iron is hot. They may feel safe there now and it’s time to strike.”

“Now listen up,” said Azuaka, “Everybody goes down. They declared war the moment they ran away with the software.

Agu shook his head and breathed hard. Bang!

The lad had been running. He was running to the police station. I have seen them. I will tell the police they are disguised as women. Oh God, I hope I’m the first to see them. I can’t wait to be ten million dollars richer. There are a lot I can do with ten million dollar. All of them must be at Auntie Uju’s house by now. Thank you, Lord.

Opula had been staring at the priest of voodoo ever since they arrived. The whole setting disgusted her; the incense that burnt and the smoke of magic that hovered in the room.

After Ferguson told the priest of voodoo they needed to know their fate in the struggle for a multi-billion software, he replied, “Wisdom is the best magic ever proven to be unused by humanity. If you can use it you will succeed in your venture.”

They scowled their faces; they were lost. And the priest explained yet further, “Take a deep breath and listen to your heart,” he said. “Money doesn’t fall in love. In the pursuit for money love is scarce and in the kingdom of money love is the queen. Your request doesn’t require magic. I am done with you people,” the priest said and dismissed them with a huge smile and incense burner hovering over their heads.

They looked at each other and stared at the priest. Ferguson perceived understanding in all he said but he couldn’t keep up with the proverbs. Is he saying that Opula isn’t real? Because I know I’m for real. I love her. Or is he saying I should forget about love in this pursuit? He thought. He dropped a bundle of one thousand naira on the floor before they left.

Opula took their visiting the priest of voodoo to be a waste of time and money. The priest was saying trash. How did proverbs replace charms? She wanted to ask Ferguson all that. As they drove to the hotel, Ferguson kept relating with the proverbs. The night was cold as they searched for a hotel. All the rooms in the entire hotel they visited had been booked. When they saw a room they had to manage it, even when it was a ropy room. Opula had a warm bath and coiled up under the duvet at the edge of the bed. She stared at Ferguson and the bag of laptop that hung across his neck. He was smoking at a corner, staring into the space, their silence held. He wouldn’t make love to her until they survived. Yes, I won’t, he thought. I don’t know what she is up to. Take a deep breath and listen to your heart. Money doesn’t fall in love. In the pursuit for money love is scarce and in the kingdom of money love is the queen. The priest is right. I got to watch my back. She must be a bitch.

As Opula stared at him, she thought, he dares not touch me tonight. No love making for you, punk. I wish I could murder you tonight and run away with that software. You won’t escape death, you won’t this time around. Later after Ferguson had smoked, she saw him making coffee. Maybe he doesn’t want to sleep. Who knows what he is up to? Asshole.

“Tomorrow we will find our way to Sydney. I hear of a city called Homestead.”

“Yes there is,” she replied.

“I have a friend there who serves as a Chief Sailor on one of the cruise ship. His name is Nathan. I helped his sister excel in her journalism in New York. That was how we connected. I told him we needed to return to Sydney for some business trip and he promised to steal some documents for us.” Ferguson said, exhaled and gulped his coffee. He brought out his pistol, placed it on the table and stared at it.

Bang! Opula stared at him surprisingly. She never wanted the escape. Ferguson was fast to pull that through. A lot was cooking up in Ferguson’s mind and she imagined him putting a bullet through her skull. She stayed up all night, likewise Ferguson.

Outside the street they could hear people screaming, “Happy New Year!”

Could it be that today is the first day of the New Year or what? She thought. The struggle had seized her existence; how she couldn’t know time and season any more. I pray I survive this, Oh God. This year will be my break through, yes, yes.

It was early in the evening when Azuaka and Agu reached Auntie Uju’s house. They paused upon walking into the compound. They gave each other suspicious looks; the compound was too quiet to a strange sort. A group of birds was whistling on a mango tree and the leaves on the trees and shrubs were tossed around in the breeze.

This place is not safe at all, Agu thought.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

It may be too quiet but it is safe. This is a rural place after all, Azuaka thought.

They didn’t want to speak. They would keep to their silence until they enter the house and point the pistol to their heads. Azuaka led Agu. They had agreed it would be like that since it was only Azuaka that was armed. And the moment he shot them, Agu would grab the software while Azuaka covered him with gunshots in the air. They would escape into the bush and find their way to Agu’s hometown. That was Ohio. Agu said that was a safe place for them to relax until they started exploring the software. Ohio had more than a crowd of criminals that would probably be wanted by the police and they could hide in such crowd.

“I wish we would survive this, who knows what will befall us next. Who knows the danger awaiting us? Oh shit,” Azuaka said within himself. “We would survive or die trying.”

Bang! it happened…