THE ENCOUNTER

She dug her pail into the well again as she wiped the sweat off her brows. She dragged out a few quantities of water from the well and poured it into the bucket beside her.

"Argh," she exhaled as she ran her hand into her thick black hair.

She could feel the heat from the sun as she stood beside the well tiredly with her bucket of water beside her. The sound of a car could be heard approaching the yard, and she turned to see her parents stepping out of the black car which had stopped in front of the short wooden gate.

“Baami, '' she cried with excitement as she dropped her pail beside the well and rushed to meet her parents who were walking towards her.

“Maami” she called but there was no response from either of them. She could see how gloomy their faces looked and she wondered what the problem could be.

As the car drove away from the yard, her mom walked towards her and took hold of her hand

“What’s wrong maami? Did that good for nothing man hurt you?” She asked anxiously as she looked at her mom whose face was somber.

“Alex, go inside and get us water to bathe,” her father’s voice came through.

She acquiesced and walked to the well to get the bucket of water.

As she walked to the wooden bathroom at the backyard, she became anxious about her parents. She had seen how gloomy and unhappy they looked as they returned from their visit to Mr Steel. She knew about the debt they owe him and she knew how ruthless he was. Though he had somehow been lenient with them all through the years due to their commitment inworking with him.

Born and raised in the cocoa farm, she had witnessed how he dealt with the people around him, especially the poor, who were defenseless. Injustice and oppression was what he was known for and she was glad that all through the years, her family had never been victims to this man whom everyone had grown to detest.

As she placed the bucket in the bathroom, she hurried back to the small wooden house which serves as a home for her family. As she climbed the stairs to the porch, she could hear her parents arguing in low tones. She walked into the house and they kept silent.

She stood at the doorpost as she watched her mother sitting on the bed with her head resting on her palm.

“Is.. is the water ready?” Her father asked as he scratched the back of his head nervously.

“Father, what is wrong? What is the outcome of your visit to that ruthless old man?” She asked anxiously and she walked to the bedside.

He was silent as he walked to and fro in the room.

“Mom,” she called her mother who was still resting her head on her palm.

“She needs to know the truth,” she said as she raised her head from her palm.

“What truth?” She asked immediately as she looked at her mother. She saw the tears on her face and her heart flinched.

“Can anyone explain what’s happening? Mom! Why are you crying?” She asked as she knelt before her.

Her father walked towards them and sat on the bed dejectedly.

“Mom, Dad,” she called anxiously as her white round eyes moved from her mother to her father.

“Alex, I don’t know how to break this news to you,” her father said sadly.

She kept silent as she looked at his face anxiously.

“Mateo has requested for you to be married to his son,” her mom spilled at once.

Silence fell into the room and she chuckled and shook her head in disbelief as she couldn’t figure out the words that came out from her mother’s mouth.

“I..I don’t understand,” she said innocently.

“He wants you to marry Adrian so our debt could be cleared off,” her father put in.

“And I'm not letting that happen!” Her mom cut in.

“And then we end up in prison?!” Her father countered.

“Dad! You actually want me to get married to that monster? To a man who is even worse than his father?” She cried as she stood up at once.

“And you want your parents to end up in prison?!” He shot angrily.

“No one is ending up in prison. We will find a way out,” she cried as she grabbed hold of his hand.

“We are talking about millions of naira here and not thousands. We could barely feed a three square meal, where do you want us to get that money from?” He asked.

She kept silent and began to sob. She couldn’t believe what was happening right now.

“I warned you not to borrow the money from him but you refused!” Her mom cut in.

“And then I should have watched my only daughter die?” He argued.

She kept silent as she watched her parents arguing. She knew she was the reason they had borrowed the money in the first place. Some time ago, she developed a heart disease which required surgery of about 500 thousand naira. They had no other option but to borrow from Mr Steel who was the only person available to help. Desperate for the survival of their only child, her parents had no option but to accept the money which had a huge amount of interest which had kept on accumulating through the years.

“I thought he had forgotten about the money. He has never reminded me of the money except for a few occasions which I believe he wasn't so serious about. I don’t know why he came up with such an evil idea to get my daughter married to his monster of a son” Mr Morris complained bitterly.

“I have a suggestion,” he heard his wife speak.

They turned to look at her curiously.

“Why don’t we tell him that Alex is already engaged and she will be getting married soon?” She asked.

“Or probably tell him that she is married but yet to move into her husband’s house?” He put in.

“He knows I’m single,” Alex’s voice came through and they both looked at her in surprise.

She scratched her thick black hair as she recalled the day she had bumped into him a few days ago.

FLASHBACK

Their laughter and voices could be heard as they walked along the dusty lone road which was covered with bushes on both sides of it. With their buckets and waterpots strapped firmly in their hands, they strolled along the road with their voices echoing around the bush.

"You girls should be thinking of picking sticks to defend yourself against Odua and his boys when we get to the stream" she said and the other three girls burst into laughter.

"They won't even dare come near us this time around. I'm ready to give them hot," Maiden, the slim and tall fair girl said with confidence.

"Look at you, and I know you'll be the first to run when they come," Asa, the chubby dark skin girl put in and they all laughed again

"Wait, are you girls seeing what I'm seeing?" Bisi, the short dark skinned girl walking ahead of them asked.

They stopped as they looked ahead and saw two black cars parked on the road with men in black suits leaning on the cars.

"Is that not Mateo and his Entourage?" Asa asked.

"Who else if not for him?" Maiden asked rhetorically.

"Please let's just turn back, I don't want any problem," Bisi said anxiously.

"Why? Are you scared? What is he going to do? Beat us because we are passing through this lane?" Alex asked.

"You know what he did to Bisi and her family last year. He took her father's only land forcefully and he didn't pay a dime for it, claiming that he was proving stubborn," Asa related.

"Really? This man is wicked o," Alex said with her mouth agape.

"Nemesis will catch up with him one day. You can see how his son's life has turned out to be," Maiden said.

"That one that almost killed his wife?" Bisi asked with a scoff.

"Yes. I'm glad she ran away with the baby. I don't know why a handsome young man like him would take after his father's footsteps," Asa put in.

"But do you guys really think that he tried to murder his wife? Why will he even do that?" Alex asked.

"Look at you, I know he used to be your childhood crush, that's why you're defending him," Asa teased and they all laughed.

"Yes, until he became a monster," she said with a smile.

"But the dude is really handsome though. He has stopped visiting the farm since the incident with his wife," Maiden put in.

"Why would he? When everyone knows he is a killer," Asa said.

"Girls, please let's take another route," Bisi urged as they were about to start walking.

"Why? You want us to take that long route when we are almost close to our destination?" Alex countered.

"Or you think he is into small girls? No, the only thing he knows how to do is acquire people's properties for himself. He has no business with us," Maiden put in.

"Please, I'm getting all heated up by the sun, let's go," Alex urged as she began to walk ahead of them with her palm shielding her face from the sun.

In the car where he sat, he could see the four beautiful young ladies walking down the road with their water pots and buckets. The one in front caught his attention as she seemed familiar to him. Dressed casually in a white camisole and a blue star cloth wrapped around her waist, he could see her walking elegantly in front of the women. Her natural brown skin beauty was quite mesmerizing. He watched as she threw her long brown spotless legs in style as she walked while swaying her hourglass shape with pride.

He knocked on the window screen and one of the men appeared before the window.

"Sir," he called.

"You see the brown skin lady in front?" He asked, while looking at the women who were now closer.

"Yes sir," the man replied.

"Get her for me," he ordered.

They were about to walk past the cars when they heard one of the men in black suit calling after them.

"What do they want?" Bisi asked anxiously.

"I think they're calling one of us," Asa said as she stopped.

"I told you guys we shouldn't have passed through here," Bisis complained as they all stopped and saw two of the men walking towards them.

"Hey, you," the man in front said, pointing at the girls.

"Me?" Asa asked as she tried to walk forward.

"No, the girl behind you," the second man said, pointing to Alex who was standing behind Asa.

"Me?" She asked in surprise.

"Yes, you," they said.

"Any problem?" She asked at once.

"The boss wants to speak to you," one of the men said and the girls began to murmur.

"I told you girls earlier!" Bisi cried.

"Stop being a coward. Alex, go and hear what he wants to say," Maiden put in.

She sighed and gulped.

"I'll be back," she said and the girls nodded as she turned to walk away with the men.

As she stopped beside the car, she saw the glass roll down and his bald head appeared before her with his usual cunning smile on his round corrugated face. He was dressed prominently in a black embroidered agbada and cap with round shaped glasses in his eyes.

"Hello, pretty," he greeted with a warm smile.

"Good..good.. afternoon sir," she stammered as she lowered her gaze from his face.

"You look familiar," he said and she raised her face to look at him in surprise.

"Who are your parents?" He asked .

"My dad is Mr Morrison Bimpe," she spilled and his lips curved into a mischievous smile.

"Oh, you're Alex, Toyin's daughter?" He asked again and she nodded.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry I forgot your face so easily. You were still very young the last time I saw you. Where have you been?" He asked with interest.

"I actually won a scholarship some time ago and I went over to Lagos to finish my secondary education," she said with excitement.

"Oh, that's great. Are you married?" He asked at once.

She kept silent for a moment and looked at his face in surprise.

"No," she said and he smiled again.

"Well, it's nice seeing you again. You've grown really big and beautiful," he complimented.

"Thanks" she said with a blush and a wry smile which exposed her white set of gap teeth.

"My regards to your parents when you get home," he said and she made a slight bow before turning to leave.

As he watched her leave, he exhaled and smiled with satisfaction. He picked up his phone on the car seat and scrolled through his contact list.

"Hello," a grumpy voice came through from the phone.

"Brace yourself. I'm getting a wife for you," he said with authority.