THE ROAD AHEAD 7

CHAPTER 7

(Meanwhile, back in Nigeria, Barrister Lekan was at home with his family when he received a phone call...)

LEKAN : I won't back out from the case. These politicians think they can get away with anything, I wont bail.
CALLER : sir, sometimes its better to just let go.
LEKAN : I just told you I won't, so don't try to convince me.
CALLER : okay sir...oh I forgot to even tell you, I've sent your account number to the man's brother, you know he's the one paying his bills.
LEKAN : okay.
CALLER : sir, since you won't bail, I think you should be more careful then. Watch your back.
LEKAN : my dear nothing will happen to me.
CALLER : not only you sir, your family too.
LEKAN : thanks for your observation.(trying to end the conversation)
CALLER : alright sir. See you at the office tomorrow.
LEKAN : alright, bye....(He hangs up)

(His wife who had been listening to his phone conversation walks up to him)

SOLA : (putting a glass of juice on the stool in front of him)...sweetheart?
LEKAN : yes dear?
SOLA : why don't you take things easy with all these your cases? Consider me and the children please. We need you, we don't want to loose you....and I don't think I want to live in fear.
LEKAN : (sips some juice and turns to his wife)....Sola?
SOLA : yes dear?
LEKAN : what has happened to you?...(giving her a serious look)
SOLA : (surprised at his question)...how do you mean?
LEKAN : I remember when I was in school, you'd tell me to fight for what is right. You loved the fact that I wanted to become a human right activist. You'd back me up in all my moves, you even gave me support in most of those very delicate cases that needed professional backing. That's one of the things I love so much about you. You were daring. I knew I needed a wife that's daring. Its part of why I married you, because you kept giving me the push and it has always made me feel that I can do anything... But now, its as if I don't know who I married anymore.
SOLA : (sighs)...Lekan, my husband...
LEKAN : hmm mm?
SOLA : things have changed, I haven't. I'm still the supportive wife you got married too, but....
LEKAN : (cuts in)...but what? You are the one who has changed, Sola, its you.
SOLA : why don't you let me finish explaining.
LEKAN : fine, I'm listening.
SOLA : its true, I gave you all my support and I'm still giving you, that's why I don't want to loose you. Sweetheart, look, its true I told you to go all out, go for it. But then we had no kids. We were still young, not even married then, we were adventurous, we had the urge to explore, to do anything, but now, we're married with kids that need us alive. If something happens to you, I can't bear it. If something happens to me, what will become of our kids?....sweetheart, I love you. The kids love you. We can't bear to see you gone, that's why I keep saying you should please take things easy.
LEKAN : nothing will happen to us.
SOLA : honey, yes nothing will happen by God's grace, but please, don't tread on dangerous zones. You cannot change the world alone...
LEKAN : oh well, people like you who are supposed to join me are backing out, so how will the world change?....tell me?
SOLA : Honey, please just think about us in whatever you're doing.
LEKAN : I've told you nothing will happen.
SOLA : (takes a deep breath)..okay...(knowing how stubborn her husband can be in things like this, she changes the topic)...your food is ready let's go and eat.
LEKAN : go ahead, I'll be right behind you.
SOLA : alright...(Leaving for the dining)

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(Back at Suel Hotel and Suites, where the Joint International Schools competition is going on, Harvey and Jide were immediately taken to the Director's office and their guides explain the whole situation to him...)

DIR : then a search should be conducted immediately....(Turns to Sly)....Sly
SLY : sir?
DIR : call in all the other guides to assemble all the house keepers. They must conduct a search immediately...
SLY : Yes sir....(Leaves)
DIR : Mark...
MARK : sir...
DIR : tell Albert to commence the next subject immediately. No student must be in their rooms, or at the library, all of them must be at the hall. And submit your bag of keys to Sly let them search the rooms.
MARK : yes sir....(Leaves)
DIR : (turns to Jide)...young man, theft is a serious offense in this competition. If you're found guilty in this, you and your school will be disqualified immediately....(He picks up his phone and demands for the attention of one of Jide's teachers.

Jide kept thinking about what could have happened to Harvey's laptop...)

JIDE : (in his thoughts: but is he sure he brought it to the dining? Because he didn't even bring it out before he went back to the hall to take his novel, so how am I sure there was a laptop there.....well, I have nothing to worry about. I know I didn't take his laptop. They'll probably find it in his room or somewhere...or...(Thinking) could someone have stolen it before he came to the dining?....well, let's just wait and see....)

(Harvey is also wondering what could have happened to his laptop..)

HARVEY : (in his thought: I'm sure I saw the laptop in my bag before I went back to the hall....I'm sure I saw it...but (looks at Jide)...he really doesn't look like someone that can steal my laptop. He's so nice...but...who knows...what if they find it with him....or could he have kept it somewhere hidden?....and the Director, said he'll be disqualified...I don't want that....(Pushes off the thought)...anyways, let's wait and see....

(Few minutes later, Mr Chris comes into the Directors office as he had been summoned...)

CHRIS : good afternoon sir....(Walking towards the Director's desk)
DIR : (extending a handshake)...afternoon Mr ?
CHRIS : ... Chris.
DIR : good. He's one of your students, right?
CHRIS : of course. He's one of our best students right from...
DIR : (cuts in)....there seem to be a problem...
CHRIS : (looks at Jide and back at the Director)....what happened?
DIR : (explains what happened to Chris) and so we'll be conducting a search. If he's found with the laptop, he'll not only be disqualified, your school is going to be disqualified as well because he's a key factor in your competition.
CHRIS : (he questions Jide who explains everything to him, then he turns to the Director)....its not possible sir. You see, Jide has been a very good representative of our school. Even in the school, he has never been associated with anything called theft before. This is not the first time he'll be going for a competition for us and this is actually the first time something like this will come up. I'm sure something went wrong somewhere. Its either the other boy misplaced the laptop somehow or....
HARVEY : (cuts in)...I saw the laptop just before I left for the hall to pick up my novel.
CHRIS : (turns to Jide) is that true?
JIDE : I didn't see it. He didn't bring it out.
CHRIS : so you've never even seen the laptop before, you don't know how...
JIDE : (cuts in)...I've seen it before. He has always used it to teach me how to use it.
DIR : teach you....(Laughs) what do you mean you don't know how to use a laptop?
JIDE : I don't know how to operate that one.
DIR : that's ridiculous...(Turns to Harvey)...is that true?
HARVEY : its a touch sir, he said he's not seen it before so I've been teaching him how to use it..
CHRIS : oh...anyway, I'm sure he didn't have anything to do with the laptop.
DIR : hmm. We'll be conducting a search soon.
CHRIS : (turns to Jide)...did you leave the bag at anytime?
JIDE : no sir.
CHRIS : are you sure you didn't go to the toilet leaving it there?
JIDE : no sir. I was there throughout.
CHRIS : okay, I'm sure something went wrong somewhere. It will be sorted out, okay?
JIDE : yes sir.
(Chris sat right there with them, awaiting the outcome of all these.

Few minutes later, Sly and Mark comes back to the Director's office almost at the same time....)

SLY : sir, I think we should just search their rooms, starting from his,(Pointing at Jide) instead of searching everywhere.
MARK : that's a good idea!
DIR : hmm...and if you don't find it there?
SLY : then we search his (pointing at Harvey)...room
DIR : and if you don't find it there?
SLY : then we'll conduct a thorough search of the whole place.
DIR : so then who will be held responsible?
(Both Sly and Mark look at each other...)
MARK : but sir, must there be someone held responsible? I thought the most important thing is to retrieve the laptop and not to get a culprit? The boy may have dropped it somewhere without knowing or....
HARVEY : (cuts in)...I didn't drop it anywhere, it was in my bag.
CHRIS : what's the evidence to prove that it was in your bag? I mean, you may have misplaced it before coming to the dining...
HARVEY : oh no, I didn't. My friends saw it with...(Remembers Carol)...oh, even  one of the girls in your school saw it with me because I sat right beside her during the competition and afterwards, I headed straight for the dining. She saw it with me...
DIR : (looks at Chris)..he's got an alibi...and thank heavens his ally is one of your students. We could bring her in for confirmation.
SLY : sir, since the issue is still between us, the boy has not informed his parents yet, so I think we should concentrate more on getting the laptop back.
DIR : well, I'm saying this because, that other boy (pointing at Jide)...may have kept it somewhere safe for a later time or...
CHRIS : (cuts in)...excuse me sir, I've told you that we don't breed thieves in our school. Jide here is a good boy. He's not just brilliant he's responsible too, he couldn't have stolen anything talk-less of a laptop.
DIR : (turns to Chris)...well that will be proven.
CHRIS : yes, wherever they find it, they will need proof that Jide was the one that kept it there...
DIR : (laughs)...and if it happens to be in his room?
CHRIS : (Chris was dumbfounded, he looks at Jide and goes to him)...Jide, tell me the truth, you....
JIDE : (cuts in)...sir, I didn't take any laptop.
CHRIS : (turns back to the Director)....I trust my boy completely.
DIR : fine! (He turns to Mark and Sly)...Start the search from his room.
(As Sly and Mark turns to leave)
CHRIS : please wait!
DIR : what is it this time?
CHRIS: well, if they're going to search Jide's room, then we should as well have our own man there going with them, don't you think?
DIR : fine, you can go with them.
CHRIS : no, let me call another teacher to go with them while I stay here.
DIR : okay, suit yourself.
CHRIS : can I use your phone?
DIR : feel free...(Pointing at the phone)
(Chris calls in Fola, telling him to come over quickly. Immediately Fola got there he explains everything to him and asks him to go with Sly and Mark)
DIR : you can leave now. Take the boy with you so he can identify his laptop.
SLY & MARK : okay sir...(They leave for Jide's room....)

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(Meanwhile, Ken and his friends are whispering at the end of the hall as the competition for the Economics quater finalists was going on...)

KEN : I can't wait to know what's going on with those rats.
ANDREW : me too. I'm sure once they find the laptop in his room, they'll just make the announcement that he has been disqualified from the competition.
KEN : I'd love to see his face when the announcement is being made...
AMED : hmm...that will be so sweet.
LUCAS : I'll feel like a hero mehn...
KEN : hell no, the whole thing was my plan not yours.
LUCAS : sorry....its just that since I was the one that put the thing in his room, I....
KEN : (cuts in)...and who told you to?...just keep quiet and let's see when the announcement will be made.

(At Bukola's corner....)

BUKOLA : Susan I think something is going on with Jide. Look he's not here yet.
SUSAN : that's true....(Looking around)...I would have said he's in the library, but since they've asked all students to be here, its weird he's not here...Do you think what happened the other time was serious?
BUKOLA : I don't know. If not for the fact that our guide and one other guide were there, I wanted to go there to know what's really going on.
SUSAN : too bad we couldn't even hear anything they were saying then.
CAROL : Harvey must have being looking for his laptop.
SUSAN : (surprised)...how do you know?
BUKOLA : (shocked)....that's true, how do you know?
CAROL : (realizing she had said too much)....em, someone told me.
BIBI : but....(Trying to remember what happened)..I thought you were...
BUKOLA : (cuts in)...you were with us throughout(looks at Susan)..isn't it?
CAROL : hey, why are you guys questioning me?...I....I overheard some of Harvey's school mates saying it.
SUSAN : okay.
BUKOLA : and you couldn't tell us? What if we had not asked?
CAROL : what's my business?

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(When they got to Jide's room, Sly asks Harvey to wait outside while they search. Then Mark takes the key and opens the door. Immediately they entered, they saw the laptop on Jide's bed. Sly and Mark looks at each other, and then at Fola. Sly calls in Harvey...)

HARVEY : ..(Entering into the room)....sir
SLY : (pointing at the laptop sitting on the bed)...is that your laptop?
(Harvey looks at what Sly was pointing at and immediately runs towards the laptop. Mark tries to hold him back but Harvey had already carried it..)
HARVEY : oh good heavens! Yes....
MARK : shit, why the hell did you touch it?
HARVEY : (surprised) why not? I just told you its mine....
MARK : we didn't ask you to touch it.
SLY : (surprised at what Mark is saying)...but why?
MARK : (goes to whisper to Sly's ears)..we may have to run a finger print. We need to really prove that it was that boy that kept it here.
SLY : (whispers back)...what other proof do we need? I mean, we already found it in his room, what else? That's enough proof.
MARK : oh well...just trying to play safe....
SLY : (turns to Fola)...you can now see we found it in his room, right?
FOLA : (shaking his head yet trying to understand why Jide could have done such a thing)....hmm
SLY : so, let's go back to the Director, its good we don't have to search the whole place....(Walking towards the door)...
MARK : yeah, that's a relief...(Turns to Harvey who's checking his laptop inside out)...hey, let's go.
HARVEY : okay....(He carries his laptop and they leave the room).
(Sly, Mark and Harvey walk in front while Fola, still thinking about what will become of them in the competition and how the Proprietress will take the news, walks behind them)
SLY : (chuckles)...that boy sure deserves an Oscar....(Walking in the hall way)
MARK : he's such a good actor.
SLY : looking so innocent. I was almost deceived, you know.
MARK : Blacks?...I don't trust them.
HARVEY : he doesn't look it.
SLY : he's good, but not smart.
MARK : he's...(Whispers to Sly's ears after checking if Fola had been listening)Nigerian, what do you think?....(Getting to the elevator)
SLY : (looks at Harvey)...hey is that true? Is he Nigerian?
HARVEY : yes.
SLY : I see...
HARVEY : so what's going to happen to him?
MARK : he'll be disqualified of course, along with his school.
SLY : yep! They're all out.
HARVEY : oh....(Feeling sad)...he's really brilliant, I'd wished he'll win the competition, you know...
SLY : hell no! Someone like that in Cambridge?...(He'll loot the whole institution)
MARK : (laughs)...loot? He'll steal the whole school away from the UK if that's possible...
(Sly, Mark and Harvey all laugh as they come out of the elevator into the hallway, going to the Director's office...)

To be continued...