Dele had never felt himself to be a lucky person, given how hesaw himself as having the reputation of being terrible at any games that relied on chance, as well as his perception that he had always had to take what he needed from life with a good deal of struggle. But today was probably one of those days when the fickle Lady Luck decided that perhaps she would do him a little favor. Of course, that happened to everyone, once in a while, but Dele needed all the luck he could get. Well he was lucky today.
Even as his modest Nissan sped into the gully, he, almost on instinct, had opened the door of the vehicle, and had managed to spring out. Seatbelts could save one’s life, everyone in the Road Safety departments always stressed. Today, he had actually forgotten to put on his. And he couldn’t have been luckier.
Tumbling to a halt on the hard laterite, while his car made a more final stop in the deep gully ahead, Dele could not afford to remain lying on the ground. Rising to his feet as fast as his limbs could move, the engineer moved over to the edge of the gully, thanking God that so far, he didn’t feel anything broken. Yet. His car was a different matter. A heap of scrap metal and fibreglass was all that remained of it, making the young man sigh and shake his head. He was alive, anyway, and that was all that mattered.
But what of the two cultists? Dele’s eyes almost popped out of his skull as he saw what had been his assailants seem to vaporize into thin air, like some well-done visual effect in a blockbuster movie. He would have pinched himself, but the stinging cut on his temple, and his few bruises, reminded him that he was not quite dreaming. What on earth could be going on? Perhaps he would go to the police. On second thought, he decided against it. He could get arrested for wasting their time, and that would do him no good. Besides, no one would believe his story. Best to just get back home and clear his head. And tell Ife.
One thing surprised Dele as he made his return journey on foot (his house was mercifully not far away). At the place he had first sighted the cultists, there were a lot of paraphernalia for apparently car robbers: thick logs, planks with nails on them, and other insalubrious materials for stopping a car to the detriment of its driver. There were also a few weapons lying down as well, and a curious little black earthen pot, with a white feather stuck in some questionable liquid within it. Initially, he decided not to touch it, but as an afterthought he took a large stone and smashed the item. Then he headed home.
As Dele approached his house, from the cover of a copse of trees, he saw Ife outside. She was standing still, but her body language made it known she was expecting someone. Just as he was about to stride out and reveal himself to her, she turned her head, and her face expressed delight, as she ran into the arms of an unknown man. Dele was surprised, but willing not to be jealous. There was definitely a cogent reason for the familiarity; Ife was loyal to him, of that he was sure…
…right up until she shared a passionate kiss with the stranger.
To be continued...
Thanks for coming!
That little boy,
