Hope could never emphasize enough how grateful she was for the people she had around her. She was convinced she had the very best circle of friends known to man, and nobody could ever tell her different.
Opening the door that morning and welcomed by the sight of her friends bearing flowers, gifts and balloons, she'd almost broken down in tears right then. Considering how crazy the past couple of days had been, she had really needed something lighter to make her genuinely smile again. They'd even gone the extra mile to prepare a cake with 'Cheer up, Hope!' boldly written on it. She wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry at their level of extra. Although she should have been extremely suspicious when Raymond had kept insisting that morning that they swing by her house to get some of her things even though she'd insisted she was more than comfortable making do with the ones Sophie had brought her when she was in the hospital.
"You guys!" Hope choked out, hugging Tayo, Paul, Oke and Val all at once. "You really didn't have to do this."
"With everything that's happened the past few days, we figured you needed some cheering up," Tayo said, wrapping her friend into another hug. "This is just to remind you that you have us here in your corner."
"That's really amazing of you all. Thank you." She turned to Raymond who was spotting a huge smile. "I can't believe you were in on this, and you didn't tell me!"
"Of course I didn't tell you. What's the whole essence of the surprise then?"
After that, they settled down with the cake. Hope was at a loss whether the cake actually belonged to her considering her friends took much more than she did.
Raymond had excused himself at some point when his phone rang, and that had been going on for a while, Hope took the opportunity to fully narrate the discovery of the past few days to her friends.
"Wow. This is every shade of messed up, no offense," was Paul's opinion.
"Trust me, none taken."
"I'm really sorry you had to go through all that, Hope," Oke said, looking more than a bit floored.
"Awww, you're so sweet," Hope cooed, laughing when the boy got all shy. So predictable, and so cute. "Thank you."
"How's your mum taking it?" Val asked, worried. She'd not seen Hope's mum much ever since Hope's stay at the hospital.
Hope shrugged. "Okay, I guess. She went to the station yesterday but not surprisingly, he refused to see her."
"What about his sister?" Tayo asked, "Have you guys met her after that first time?"
Hope nodded. "We did, and all she really cared about was her brother. The sibling bond between those two . . . It's kind of sad really, thinking about how differently all of this could have turned out."
The room went quite melancholic after that, nobody really knowing what to say and the silence was only broken when Raymond returned.
"Well, that took long," Hope observed.
"That was the lawyer," Raymond replied, immediately piquing Hope's interest. "The police have agreed to drop your-- his case, but only on the condition that he'll get help, and he's going to be under surveillance for a while; make sure he won't become a menace to society."
"He's already a menace to society," Tayo muttered, shrugging when Paul shot a look at her.
Hope sighed, a bit relieved and apprehensive at the same time. The days following her mum's breakdown seemed to be a blur in Hope's life. Her decision not to press charges against her 'brother' didn't come as much of a surprise to anyone. It'd seemed the only credible decision in the light of things, but dropping the case hadn't been as easy as she'd expected. The police had been reluctant to release him at first because they believed Philip to be capable of much more harm if he found another victim. Hope had been a bit surprised at that. She remembered making a joking comment that she never knew Nigerian police worked so hard. She was just so glad it all seemed to be working out at the end. He'll get counseling, or whatever form of help they felt he needed and she'd never have to deal with him ever again.
She'd avoided going to the police station as much as possible the past few days and was grateful she'd not been forced into being in the same room with the man and had been glad to be ignored by the man's sister the few times she'd had to be there; a woman they'd discovered her name to be Bridget. If Hope had her way, she'd never have anything to do with them ever again. Forget about fixing things, she just felt so tired and worn out. She was done.
"Thank God that's over," She said, voicing her thoughts out loud. "All I want is to just put that part of my life away once and for all."
Raymond nodded, giving her a reassuring smile. "Yeah."
â¢~â¢
"Are we almost there?"
Raymond didn't have a certain answer for that, considering he wasn't even sure where they were headed. He felt like a criminal going back to the crime scene although there couldn't have been a more off comparison.
Caught up with all that'd happened the last couple of days, he had almost forgotten about the boy that had made rescuing Hope easy in the first place. How the boy had managed to slip away in the middle of all the ruckus was a mystery to Raymond, but he was determined to find him. If not for anything else, but to at least thank him for helping him rescue the love of his life.
His best bet had been to go back to the house Hope had been held against her will, hoping there'd be some clue that'd then lead him to the boy.
When he'd told Hope he'll drop her off at home then go looking for the boy, she'd insisted on going with him. He had been reluctant at first, not sure it was a good idea to take her back there, but he had eventually given in when it because clear there was no winning against her; a decision he was now regretting considering how many times she's asked that question in the space of only a few minutes.
"Okay, you really need to stop asking me that. You've been here before as well so you have as much knowledge about this place as I do." His tone wasn't snappy or annoyed, just practical.
"I was agitated and in a rush," Hope countered, shrugging. "Of course I don't remember."
"So wait and see, patiently."
She huffed but didn't offer a rebuttal.
It took a few more minutes of driving, but they were finally at their destination, parked in the same spot he and Alex had parked just a few days ago.
"So what now?" Hope enquired.
"I don't know. Ask around for the boy, I guess."
"And how do you intend to do that? Do you know his name or anything about him?"
"No, I do not, but we just have to try. Don't we?"
Not bothering to wait for a response, Raymond got out of the car, looking around as if to find some sort of clue. The environment was still the same as he remembered it, although he doubted much could have changed in only a few days. Raymond chuckled at himself for the absurd thought.
"And what's so funny?" Hope asked, having followed suit and now standing beside him.
Raymond shook his head. He began to walk in the direction of the house Hope had been held prisoner. He glanced back at her and he could clearly see the change in her expression as she outrightly glared at the house. She might be too stubborn to admit it, but he knew being back in the environment bothered her.
"You could stay in the car," Raymond suggested. "Just make sure the windows are rolled up and the doors are locked."
Hope regarded him with an 'are you serious?' look. "You think I came all the way here to stay in the car?"
Right. Raymond hadn't noticed before, but the people around were unashamedly staring at them. He wasn't really surprised though. The area was close to a slum and he didn't need anyone to tell him they didn't quite fit in. Raymond also remembered the boy telling them the area was dangerous. There weren't that many people around though so Raymond assumed it was one of the more quiet parts of the area.
Seizing the opportunity of a man walking past them, Raymond called out to him. "Sir? Excuse me, please. One minute."
The man stopped, looked at Raymond and then pointed at himself. Raymond nodded, understanding the man's question. The man didn't move so Raymond took that as his cue to move closer to him. Once he was close enough, the man spoke.
"Se ko si o?" (Hope there's no problem?)
"Sorry to bother you, sir, but I'm looking for someone and I wanted to know if you can be of help."
"Kileleyii nso bai?" (What's he saying?)
"I said we're looking--"
"A n wayan ni sir. A wa fe mo boya e le mo ibi ti a ti le ri ," Hope interrupted, explaining what Raymond said to the man. (We're looking for someone and we're wondering if you can be of help.)
"Se oun o wa le soro ni!," the man exclaimed, pointing at Raymond. "Abi ko le so Yoruba ni?" (Couldn't he have said that?; Or can't he speak yoruba?)
Raymond almost rolled his eyes. "I understand, but I don't speak much."
"You understand but you don't speak much," the man repeated with a heavy Yoruba accent, mimicking Raymond, or at least trying to. Raymond and Hope exchanged glances. If he understood English, then what was all the drama about? "You these children these days. To learn your mother's language is problem for you. O ga oo. Shior."
Raymond would have explained to him that he wasn't Yoruba, but he really didn't have the energy to banter. "I'm sorry about that, sir, but you seem to understand what I'm saying. I'm looking for a boy, he's dark skinned, thin and doesn't look like he weighs much, he's around fifteen years old and has a big mouth--"
"And how big is this mouth you're talking about o?" The man looked almost baffled.
"No. I mean he talks . . . He talks a lot. He also seems very lively and he looked like someone a lot of people around here would know."
"Ha. When you said he have a big mouth nko," the man's mouth turned down like he's tasted something bad. "So you are looking for somebody and you don't even know who you are looking for. Ejoor what do you want to use the boy to do o? Abi you're gbomogbomo people?"
What was with all the questions? "No, we're not . . . Nothing, I . . . He helped me --us-- with something but we didn't have a chance to thank him."
"Looto?" (Really?)
"Yes sir."
"Ah. Because this world that we are now . . . It was just yesterday, lana yii that somebody kidnap one girl in this very house here o and lock her up for good one week. " Raymond's brows shot up almost to his hairline and the man must have interpreted that for bewilderment. "Yes oo. You're surprised abi. Good seven days. Beat her very well like. . . Beat her gidi ni o."
"Ha." Raymond and Hope exchanged glances. Was this story what they thought it was?
"Sorry about that, sir," Hope said. "But we're not here to kidnap anybody. We just want to thank the boy. Do you know who he is?"
"Ehn. The person you just describe resemble Ope because that boy . . . Very useless boy. He can abuse anyone from here to anywhere."
"Ope?"
"And you're not deaf o," the man snapped. " I no too sure but let me describe his house for you, boya it's the place."
"Thank you, sir. We'll really appreciate that."
The man gave them a brief description and after some more unwanted lectures from the man, they left to locate the house. The house he'd described to them was an almost torn apart building that looked like it was going to give out and collapse at the slightest provocation. Did people still live in places like this?
"Are you sure this is the right place?" Hope asked, skeptical. "The house doesn't even look habitable."
"We're about to find out." Raymond knocked on the worn door, and for the first few times there was no answer. Raymond was on the verge of giving up when a familiar rude voice called out from the other side of the door.
"Kuku break the door! Break the door because this is your father's--" The boy halted as he threw open the door and saw them, his jaw slackening and his eyes as round as saucers.
"Ah, thank God," Raymond breathed out. "It is the right place afterall."
"What are you doing here?" The boy demanded, stepping out and shutting the door behind him. "I hope you're not here to involve me in that your police business. I'm not going to testify anywhere o."
Raymond couldn't help the grin that took over his face. This one was a handful, alright? "I didn't come here to ask you to testify. You disappeared that day before I could even say thank you. That's why I'm here."
The boy still looked at him like he didn't believe him.
"Can we go in at least?" Raymond asked, ignoring the disapproving look Hope shot him at his suggestion.
"Go in where?" The boy snorted. "No , you can't do that."
"Why not?" Raymond asked, genuinely curious.
"Are you serious? Shey it's thank you you came to say. You've said it now, you can go," the boy dismissed, shooing them off with his hands.
"We didn't just come for that. We came to talk to you as well."
It was as if it was only then the boy was fully registering Hope's presence. He smiled at her, and even though the smile seemed kind of mischievous, there was a bit of genuineness to it. "I see you're fine now."
"Yes, I am," Hope replied, returning the smile. "And it's all thanks to you."
The boy flushed at that and for a second, he reminded her of Oke. "Abeg. I didn't do anything o. I wasn't even there."
"Well. Since you're so adamant about not letting us in," Raymond started. His eyes had fallen on a wooden bench that was placed there and he went over to sit on it. "We'll discuss here then."
"About?" The boy demanded.
"The other day when I asked why you chose to help us. You said something about owing me?" His response had continued to bother Raymond the longer he thought about it.
The boy sighed. "You don't forget things easily, do you?"
"Not this time, no," Raymond replied. "Have we met before now? Except for the other day, that is."
The boy looked like he was debating telling them anything before he let out a resigned sigh. "Before I say anything, remember it's one-one now. We're even."
"Okay . . . " That piqued Raymond's interest the more.
"Do you remember some time back, the both of you were in your car and a boy approached you with a story about his sick sister . . . Or was it mother?" He shrugged. "I don't know. You gave me money then, twenty thousand . . . "
"Oh . . . ?" Raymond's eyes grew wide as he remembered the incident. "Oh! That was you!"
The boy nodded.
"Wow," Raymond breathed, disbelieving. He glanced at Hope and she looked equally as shocked.
"It was my first time pulling a stunt like that, and it was so surprising that someone would give me that amount of money . . . To be honest, that was why I recognized her the other day and stuck around to see what she was up to," the boy confessed with a shrug.
"My God," Raymond whispered in disbelief. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but that wasn't it at all. "That was it. This is . . . amazing."
"Wow, I don't even know what to say," Hope laughed. And to think she'd been against giving the boy the money that particular day.
"So I assume there was no sick sister -- or mother that day?" Raymond asked, although he already knew the answer to that.
The boy shot him a sheepish smile, one Raymond actually found adorable. "Sorry. It was just something some guys in our area do so I decided to try it . . . If it makes you feel better, I did feel guilty afterwards. I needed the money at the time."
"Why?"
"For jamb. My mum couldn't afford it and the deadline was almost over . . . It was just a spur of the moment decision really. Although there was really no point since we can't even afford university anyway," the boy ended with a nonchalant shrug although Raymond had a feeling he wasn't as nonchalant about it as he claimed.
"So you're done with secondary school? How old are you?"
"I'm sixteen."
"Is it just you and your mum?"
The boy shook his head. "Us, and my younger sister. Our dad passed away some years back."
"So your mum can't afford to send you to the University then?"
"It's not really easy for her raising the both of us on her own and it'll be selfish of me to pretend like I don't know that but don't worry, I have a plan."
"Really?" Raymond asked, interest piqued.
The boy beamed. "Yes. There's this guy in this area, very correct yahoo boy. He has agreed to teach me so--"
"Wait, what? Hold on. Your solution is cyber crime?" Raymond didn't even realize he was raising his voice until he heard himself speak.
The boy regarded him like he'd grown another head. "Ehn nw. So?"
"I-You can't-" Raymond sputtered, unsure of how to deal with the situation.
The sound of the boy's laughter had Raymond's eyes narrowing into confused slits.
"Chill jare," the boy laughed again. "I'm only messing with you."
Raymond was skeptical. That was exactly what people tended to say when they were serious in the first instance. "Are you really?"
"Hmmhmm." When it was obvious Raymond didn't believe him, the boy chuckled again. "Not that it's any of your business, but my mum will kill me."
"From which part?"
"Hm?"
"From which part were you lying?" Raymond expatiated.
"The yahoo yahoo part," the boy replied, wiggling his eyebrows. "But I do hear that gigolos are the real deal these days. All I need is one rich sugar mummy. . . "
Hope couldn't contain her laughter as she watched Raymond's face pale. How stiff was he that he could let a trading sixteen year old get under his skin like that? Watching the exchange, she just knew that the boy was going to become a more permanent fixture in their lives, at least if Raymond had his way.