CHAPTER 14


    TEN PREVIOUS YEARS..


    Here''s how Solomon met his friends - the very first ones he grew up with. But the turnout wasn''t good.


    It shone so bright in the hot afternoon at Shagbo and its environs. The hot winds of the harmattan


    made sure it dried up mucus or any form of lubrication from every nostril, leaving it dried up. This made


    the owner wear a frowny look. How about the intensity of its sunshine? It struck every head. The ‘head


    owner’ must either find a shade or be ready to groan in the agony of migraines or frequent


    headaches.The nights were cold as anything else. Touch the great Shagbo River at night, it’s warm.


    Warm enough to prepare hot tea in the cold nights. Land and sea breeze was a recognized practical


    example of convection currents in nature.


    The five-boy band was seen at their usual hideout; the bush. It was surrounded withrge chumps of


    rocks, scattered trees and little shrubs. This was the cool atmosphere they considered as a ce that


    helps them get inspiration during rehearsals. They were very popr and cos of it, they had to limit


    their presence in public ces. Their major hideout was under the big baobab where the chirping of


    birds and chattering of monkeys was less heard. This allowed them focus on the rhythm of music.


    One of them was Ikena, shortenened IK, the lead singer. He yed no instruments, just his angelic


    voice. He was best known for his expansive four-octave vocal range and whistle register. He sang with


    high pitches and was never off key or beat. His beauty was divine, curly long hair, light-skinned, he also


    had a pointed nose on a cute face. He was a wonderful thing to behold. What did you expect? These


    traits drew much attention to the band. They gained wide audience in which most of them were the


    ‘an an’ girls who came to watch IK perform just to crush and express their unending lusts for


    him.


    Chinua was the bass-guitarist. His rough unkempt beards gave him a matured look. A look that made a


    young youth seem like a man in his fifty’s. He had a persuasive mouth, a mouth sweet enough to


    convince and change what you believe. Even the most stubborn critic abi philosopher would bow to the


    words of Chinua and honor the relevance in what he says even when he was wrong. This guy was just


    like Adolf Hitler. “He would have been a greatwyer” his mama says, but Chinua would never believe


    that ‘shit’. He believed in the expression of his mastery on the thick strings of the bass guitar.


    Everything Chinua said made sense to people even when it was trash. This made him attractive and


    special. He could give a client sound reasons why he should hire their band at a higher bid and huge


    sum for a performance. How about the day there was and dispute at the Igwe’s pce involving the


    band and a rich chief Madu? Chinua made Igwe believe Madu was a thief and a chatan who wanted


    to steal an acre off the band’snd which was beside his. Like charmed words, Igwe believed Chinua,


    seized the whole hectares ofnd that belonged to Madu and gave it to them additionally. Madu left the


    vige angrily and threatened revenge!


    Odogwu was a sanguine in the group. His talkative nature aided his performance in the stand-up


    was a warrior in talking too much. He was very insultive. Whether make sense or not, you’d always see


    him talking, contributing his view and shallow understanding in every discussion. He was involved in


    one intense argument or the other, making some senselessparisons. Yoruba’s called him


    ‘Gbeborun’ or ‘Solo Makinde iyawo dejo’ cos he usually engaged in gossip, his type sleep-talks at


    night. Never release your secrets to him unless you are prepared for it to be aired to all and sundry of


    Shagbo and neighboring viges. He was the drummer.


    Solomon was a mncholy. A calm and collected guy, he was the group’s pianist. His fingers


    descended skillfully upon the keys of the band’s grand piano. His prowess can be likened to the


    present day Yanny’s. He was intelligent, smart and conscious of the verse “In the multitude of words,


    iniquity is notcking” so he knew when to use his tongue. The rhythm thates from the sound


    when he yed the keys was therapeutic.It could give life and hope to a dying man and minister to his


    soul a reason to live again. He was Igwe''s most loved. Like David and Saul, Igwe invites Solomon to


    the pce to disy the wonders of his talents to him alone. This he said "Gives him concentration


    and helped him forget his sorrows". He was afterwards handsomely paid for his service. However, he


    was the only one who didn''t fall easily to Chinua''s persuasions, unless they made sense anyway.


    Finally, thest personality in the group, the hard guy, Judas. He was an ambitious guy. A man with too


    big dreams, selfish desires and lusts. The lust of the eyes, flesh and The pride of life all had full force


    on him. He would do anything to get whatever he wants.


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    There was a day he eavesdropped on IK opening up some secrets to Solomon in an enclosed room. IK


    told Solomon about some addictions he had been struggling with secretly, hoping to get good piece of


    advice, stop them and make Solomon an ountability partner. It''s true the saying that "Walls have


    ears". Judas overheard everything and seized up the situation to cause confusion between the two


    intimate friends to a point they almost had a terrible separation. "IK, you think I don''t know you are into


    this? I already know what you do in secret when nobody watches you". He said boastfully to IK who


    was already feeling embarrassed. "Oh you thought you have a friend? You called your worst enemy


    your best friend.Solomon isn''t a good guy. He is a silent killer!! He is just pretending he loves you. It''s


    far from it, he told me all your secrets!! All what you confided in him at the enclosed hut where you


    thought no one heard, Solomon told me everything"


    This made IK develop an untamable hatred for Solomon who was innocent. "Wicked being!!" IK yelled


    at Solo. "I thought you were responsible for me to confide in. I never knew you were worse than


    Odogwu. So you had to spill the bean uhn?? Why would you be so wicked to let out what I deeply


    trusted you upon. I''m disappointed Solomon! So disappointed, and I don''t think you can ever ever gain


    this trust you betrayed in my heart again" Solomon tried all he could to make exnations to IK but IK


    never gave him a chance. In tears he knelt and tried to make IK understand he never did that but it


    never worked!


    Right from then, IK started breeding and expressing bitterness toward poor Solomon. Solomon never


    reacted. He hoped IK would find out the truth one day.


    I was told the Vicar was terribly sick of a cardiovascr disease the doctor called Myocardial Infarction


    (Heart attack). He had been rushed to the state hospital some days ago. We both decided to go pay


    Vicar a visit on his sick bed. Sandra and I had be close friends. Oh, you thought I didn''t tell her


    about my clowny misfortunes? I did! You wouldn''t believe it, after telling her, her love for me doubled.


    She became curious to know me more. An irony isn''t it? We became close.


    We both set out to the intensive care unit of the state hospital. There we saw the vicar who was always


    looking hale and hearty looking so pale and sick. The sickness struck him so hard to a point he was


    demanding ''mercy killing'' from the medical personnels. You can imagine. I felt bad seeing the man who


    loved me so much in such horrible state. Sandra never felt different, sadness was written all over her.


    He was admitted to WARD 24 where he would wait for a Coronary Bypass Surgery. We both had to


    stay with him till he was going to be operated upon. I slept on the bare floor at nights while Sandra slept


    on a mat. We were sometimes lucky, we slept on wheeled stretchers after patients were discharged.


    ****


    "Where is Ikena?" Judas howled.


    "Can you imagine this son of a bitch noting for music rehearsals? I told you all, he has grown


    wings and he feels he''s above us all because he is the lead vocalist. He hasn''t been around for a while


    now"


    "Do you people remember thest party performance we had?" Odogwu cut in. "This guy was the only


    one people sprayed money. Damn, I was busy drumming, sweating profusely giving him back-up and


    so were the rest of you ying your different instruments with every energy only for one man to take all


    the glory?"


    "Girls lurked around him like flies. As if we were bunch of ugly fools, none of them came near the rest


    of us. They avoided us like a gue. Only IK IK IK, eew." Chinua shook his head.


    "This guy is gaining recognition from all and sundry. Do you know what people call our band? "IK''s


    band" can you imagine? I fear this guy has left the group to establish himself independently. All


    attention would be on him and our names would fade off into thin air. We would loose our relevance


    guys." Odogwu included.


    "Wait are you still assuming?" Chinua asked. " Didn''t you notice he hasn''t been performing with us for a


    while now? My friend, he has left us already! He seeks self-glory now. I saw him couple weeks ago


    performing a dirge at the rich Mazi Utibe''s burial. Guys, we are in trouble!!!"


    There was absolute silence for about an hour. The four boys buried their heads brooding, thinking


    about their next move. Judas broke the silence. "Guys" he stuck out his tongue to the left and moved


    his index finger on his neck. "What?!!" Solomon eximed. "Kill him? Why would we do something


    such terrible?" Odogwu quickly shut him from speaking any further by covering his mouth with his


    palm. "Will you shut up!"


    "The wages of of sin is what?" Chinua asked bulging his eyes, looking very serious. "Death!!!" Every


    other person except Solomon chanted in reply.


    "Guys, I''m not gonna have my hand in this" Solomon said. He stood up and walked out of them angrily.


    "Don''t call him back" Judas urged Odogwu who was about to. Let him go. He''s a coward, a baby and


    IK''s colt. That was why I did what I did to break his intimacy with IK. Let him be, IK would never receive


    him. He wouldn''t even give him a space to speak needless to say believe whatever he says.


    "So how we gotta go about this guys?" Odogwu asked. "I have an idea" Chinua responded. "I saw him


    at the state hospital yesterday. I guess he was admitted recently, you know he has SS genotype. I


    suggest we could just bribe a nurse or worker there and get a clean job done. He must ''bite the dust''.


    What do you guys think?"


    Chinua was apuded by the other two members. "Fantastic" He was praised for his vastness at


    bringing up ideas. "I saw him wrapped in a purple nket on his death bed, trust me to get a clean job


    done."