KATE'S DIARY 2

The Vyrus’

THE KATE’S DIARY

...the rich kids’ picnic

9th April

Today is going to be a wonderful day; today is going to be a wonderful day for numerous reasons. I might get a mail from the postman or i might just party with the deputy governor’s kids.

For a week now it has been a steady work for my brains to wonder in details how today will go down. The deputy governor’s 3rd son ‘frank’ birthday is today. And since his best friend ‘chima’ is dating Chioma my friend, i was automatically invited. Regardless to the fact that we barely have a rapport, it was a huge thing for me since my boyfriend was still on his grind on paper chase. And me myself, i wouldn’t call my family rich because my pocket money comes in slim, but hell i don’t complain anyway, we do alright.

This party has been talk of the town among the top shots and some of the middle class with mad connections; luckily I’m among the magical few being hated for getting an invite. Like hell i care, I’m going to be partying with top brass key players and flush personalities.

I’ve been in boutiques higher than my arm-reach, malls capable of draining my father’s purse, and supermarkets with surveillance cameras with friends on shopping for this one-day event that wasn’t even bound to make my pocket but my ego swell.

I woke up smiling like a clown this Saturday morning in much anticipation of how much fun i was going to have through the day.

I wasn’t going to act hungry among fat kids or appear desperate among over-fed rich folks, so i hooked up some food to eat and took a long nap to calm my obvious excitement.

I woke up to thirty seven missed calls and eight messages. I previously left my phone on silent not to disrupt my nap before i slept. It was my friends then my boyfriend (who since he heard about the party thinks it’s a bad idea for me to attend with the excuse of me not knowing the celebrant personally). I called him back; he still wasn’t too happy about the fact that i was bent on attend the party. Nevertheless He told me his plans of going with his friends to help a friend and re-arrange his new house.

After i ended the call with my boyfriend, Chioma called. The plan of the birthday celebration which had been kept secret for security purposes has been revealed. It was going to be a picnic instead of the regular party we all had in mind. The venue was great. It was one of these local waterfall tourists delight forest area in a village close to town. To the sound of the news, my excitement tripled. According to Chioma, Transportation means has been made available for everyone invited. Change of plans!

We earlier planned to make an appearance in the party around 5pm (as big girls we all assume to be). But since it turned out to be a picnic in a village and the buses for transport leaves by 2pm and its already 1pm, rush hour set in.

I freshened and dressed up within thirty minutes and took a taxi to the rendezvous point. When i got there, Chioma and other of my friends were already there with a whole bunch of other kids, Children of the state’s aristocrats; Loads of them, Children of The governor, commissioners, local government chairmen, speakers and senators.

It was already fun.

Three sharp air-conditioned buses were brought from the government house to convey us to the venue. We drove off in a convoy of thick security. Thugs, the police and other forces i really don’t know their affiliations.

Within forty-five minutes we were there. Everyone rushed out in excitement. The place had been previously arranged with everything in place and music blasting off really hard. The environment was very natural, cool, and calm; trees, grasses, fresh air, beautiful sight of a waterfall pouring into a neck deep fresh water stream. Some of us started diving into the water and others took to the dance floor. I joined the dancing team because due to the rush, i forgot my swimsuit. After few minutes of dancing, formalities rolled in. Introduction of the celebrant, recognition of some important kids and presentation of gifts (which by the way i didn’t come with any); after all formalities, the real thing commenced. Partying!

It was great! Too many handsome boys and many beautifully sexy girls to compete with, but for some weird reason i can’t really put my hand on, one ‘mike’; a senator’s son was attracted to me. He was everywhere i was, dancing and chatting, although he didn’t talk to me, he was pestering. As hours passed slowly everyone got really intoxicated and wasted including the security men with us.

I was tired of dancing, so i sat down under a tree sipping slowly an energy drink i grabbed from one of the half full coolers scattered all over the place. Mike, the senator’s son joined me seconds later, and introduced himself as Mike arrogantly hitting the ‘senator’s son’ part hard like that was gonna help him get a self-pronounced hot chick like me. If i wasn’t intoxicated by alcohol and excitement, this is exactly a scenario where i unleashed my dragon. But i kept my cool and was instead; thinking of flirting with the arrogant handsome rich kid. A little flirting wouldn’t hurt anybody you know; my mind was devilishly convincing me. As i was about to lead mike on, my illusions was swiftly shattered and i was brought back to reality from the sound of gunshots from an imaginable distance.

The kids started shouting in joy and excitement thinking it was excited security men showing off. But experience has taught me never to get excited over gunshots, so i listened carefully.

The gunshots didn’t stop; neither did the kids until they started seeing dead bodies of the security men that was supposed to protect them. That was when they switched to reality and started screaming. Mike was already hiding behind me and crying like a five year old. I didn’t wait for signals, ‘déjà vu’ i took to my heels, running into the bush as fast as i could as mike and some other smart kids who weren’t that scared followed suit. At this time i didn’t know the whereabouts of Chioma and others, it was time to be selfish.

It was clear that this was a kidnap thing. These kids right here were worth millions, something like this was bound to happen and i wasn’t gonna be involved in any way so i ran as fast as i could.

I got to a point of smart thinking and reasoned we needed outside help; i stopped and hid in a bush panting like a fast horse. The first person that came to my mind was my boyfriend. I called him and told him what happened in rushed details and without hesitation and much marinating of the situation of things he promised to come as soon as possible with his friends.

When it comes to things like this, i trust him. He loved action; back in the days, he was a cultist in school and since he graduated, he rarely got involved in any real action except verbal altercations which he usually wishes would escalate into some big fight. So i trust him to make an appearance in a jiffy.

In hiding, we were like seven of us trouncing in controlled fear. The two other girls with us were busy sobbing and the guys wanted to call their families but i was the only one with a phone. After calling Eddie (my boyfriend), mike wanted to call his dad. Little did we know that we were followed as we ran?

As mike was about to make the call, we were made. Three huge really tall muscular husky masked goons pulled us out of hiding and started slapping mike as they snatched the phone from him. Mike started crying and told them i was the owner of the phone (what a baby). I got a couple slaps and my blackberry curve (which i saved for two months to buy) was smashed. Although our lives were in danger i felt like strangling mike on the spot.

We were dragged to the place others were.

All the security men were dead, our transportation ruined. All the buses were shot beyond recognition during the fire exchange. Some of the goons died too and some kids were shot but none died.

This attack was planned; these goons were more than twenty in number with sophisticated weapons. But their plans came to a grand confusion when the buses they planned to us and transport the kids were damaged.

We were forced to lie down facing the ground alongside the other kids as they devised a plan ‘b’.

Somehow, things weren’t working out for them. And like typical Nigerian goons lacking fine coordination, they burst into serious verbal altercation between themselves. This still proceeded to a physical fight. During this time i and some other brave kids snuck out of the hostage point.

Once again we were made, one of them saw us sneaking out and announce it. Out of anger, their leader ordered us to be killed. As soon as i heard that order, i came out of hiding and ran as fast as i could. The goons started shooting randomly at us. Two of us were shot leaving three of us who could really run fast.

I ran for twenty minutes straight when i fell out of loss of breathe. The other two boys left me and continued running. I was extremely exhausted and was soaked with sweat.

After like a minute of lying helplessly under the sun, i heard footsteps and coarse voices. At first i thought it was Eddie and his friends but then as the voices drew closer i heard them clearer. They were really angry and were swearing to kill us if they caught us.

I wasn’t about having that so i crawled under a pill of dry grasses i noticed around.

I remained under there as they came close and stood looking around and chatting. I was so terrified; these men were really pissed off. My whole body was shaking in severe tension, i could feel my blood pressure within my veins and my heart beats within my ribs. I could smell death at this point; death had the same smell of terror and extreme horror as blood. I caged so much terrified feelings inside that thick tears rolled down my chin covered with itchy grasses and i couldn’t even feel the itches. A good scream would go a long way in easing my tension.

Just as i thought that the moment was passed in silence, one the goons took a long thick leak on me. His yellowish sick urine was pouring directly to the side of my head very close to my ear and the stink filled my head up through my nostrils which for the past six minutes have been gasping for air.

This was it! I screamed so hard one of the goons (the one peeing on me) had a heart attack. I tore out of the grass like a roaring lion in anger as i rushed the other heavily armed goons. I took a shock paused as my heart beat recessed to the sound of gun shots. Like i was usually told people experienced when dying my life flashed in ultra speed in my eyes as i fell to my knees.

Lying with my back to the ground and my head to the sun i could only see darkness. ‘Is this the end?’ my mind wondered. ‘Do dead people think?’ my head wondered as i got a gentle face-wipe. My eyes blinked open slowly and under the bright rays of sun i saw Eddie’s face smiling.

I wasn’t the one shot. It was the goons. Eddie shot them before they could pull their trigger on me.

‘You made it just on time’ i whispered, ‘the traffic was bad’ he replied.

The police were already everywhere in the forest.

My ears opened to reality. It was really noisy. Cop cars and whining sirens blaring in the air all over the forest.’ When did all these happen? It’s amazing how much that could change within minutes.

Eddie alerted the police on time. On their arrival the goons opened fire on them but this time the goons were out-numbered. Some of them were killed.

Chioma and other kids were safe. The rest of the goons were arrested.

Mike was busy boasting of how the broke out with me for the press as i was being escorted to the car by my boyfriend and his friends.

At this point it was clear to me that the theory of ‘more money more problem’ was beyond the understanding of the poor.

By Nnagoziem ‘The Vyrus’ Udensi