WHAT HAPPENED AT PU25B: EP 5
‘You! I say make you give me booklet, you no gree! You wan die?’
Aziza snatches up the empty booklet and flips it with quivering hands.
JJ whirls about slowly. Her puzzled expression transforms into fury when she sights Viper who has now crossed the barricade.
‘You can’t just walk in here and threaten us when we are doing our jobs.’ She says walking slowly towards him. ‘Who do you think you are?’ She stops in the centre of the room.
Viper narrows his gaze in disbelief. ‘You dey challenge me? See this pikin!’
Aziza rises in panic. ‘Please calm down—’
‘You no sabi who I be for this Lebi?’ Scoff ‘I go show you say Viper no be for mouth.’
Viper starts to leave. He stops and looks around. ‘Wey dat goat?’
Then he exits through the main entrance startling the voters on the queue.
Aziza stares at JJ’s hardened jawline.
‘Get the police, Aziza. Where’s Policarp?’
*
Aziza dashes back into the room, panting like it’s 2078 and the world is filled with saw-wielding zombies who seek to slice you into coin-thin bits.
JJ is startled. The hobnob of words and gasps from Aziza only serve to startle her further.
‘You’re not making sense, Aziza.’
‘They won’t come! The police.’
‘Why? Weren’t they here a short while ago? I don’t get—’
‘Before I reached them, I saw Viper give them an envelope and walk away.’
‘What!’
‘Telling you what happened.’ Aziza stops to catch her breath. ‘The chief plainly told me to ‘better give Viper what he’s asking for and let’s all go home in peace.’’
JJ swallows dryly. Aziza slumps into a seat.
‘God. What shall we do now?’
Policarp strides in cheekily.
JJ glares at him. ‘Where’ve you been?’
He does not respond. He sits on a desk and dangles his legs absently.
‘That guy came back and you weren’t here to defend us…’ JJ continues. Then she snaps her finger in realisation.
‘Wait… if he returned, then it means Aziza did not sell out the booklet as you thought. Must be that the bus moved to another location.’
Policarp begins to smack his tongue around his cheek indifferently.
‘Wetin im con talk?’ He says.
Amidst attending to a voter, JJ replies, ‘Blabbing about showing who the heck he is. I mean, I don’t care who the hell you are. I’m doing my damn job here.’
She crushes a sheet of paper in annoyance.
Policarp shakes his head ruefully. ‘You think say im dey yarn opata? You nor know wetin you enter so.’
Aziza heaves loudly.
‘Police nko? Dem nor answer you abi?’
He clucks his tongue and continues to dangle his legs.
Aziza snaps her head in his direction, eyes narrowed.
‘How you take know?’
The voter leaves the booth and exits.
Policarp smirks. ‘I don tell you. Una for lemme run that booklet levels, I swear.’
‘We’re past that now. Let’s dwell on the matter—’
The stapler in JJ’s hand clatters to the table with a start.
‘Of course! You wanted to be the one to hide the booklet because you needed it to make a deal with this guy.’
Aziza sits up. ‘Ooooh yeah? That’s why he suggested the bus so he could go back and retrieve the booklet and give it to Viper.’
‘But when the bus drove off, you became frustrated and blamed Aziza.’
JJ sits in her chair heavily.
Aziza gives a clipped mirthless laugh.
‘He’s probably been out all this time looking for the bus… Meanwhile, Viper stopped to check on you, you hideous crook.’
She stands and walks to the window, kicking a desk and knocking it over. JJ slouches slowly in her seat with a deep heave.
‘Ehehn, wetin con happen?’ Policarp sneers.
JJ continues to heave.
Aziza frowns. ‘You okay?’
JJ’s breaths become short and raspy. She begins to gesture feebly towards the table. Policarp looks on confused while Aziza dashes here and there in response to JJ’s feeble gesturing. Aziza lays JJ flat on a bench.
JJ points weakly to the bag on the table one last time before her hand slumps to her side. Aziza’s yelp pierces through the rumble of the voters outside.
To be continued.
Read, comment and share.
