Chapter four.

Déjà vu!

A little over four years ago David had proposed after a dinner date as well. I was wearing a black dress too, everyone shouted 'surprise' upon my arrival to my favorite park too. I remembered the song that was playing in the background now was the same song that softly filled the air all those years ago and David's beautiful confession, it was like I was listening to it all over again...

"...I'll want someone as funny as you to crack jokes when we're all old and wrinkly, I'll want the nation's best lawyer to save my ass when I get into trouble..."

Madam Peju stood not far away, dabbing away her tears like a proud mother, the way my mother had. My mother...

"Mum what would you wear on my big day?" I already knew her answer, I just wanted to tease her because she was still very bad at speaking Yoruba even after three decades of living with daddy who was a 'typical Yoruba man' as he always boasted.

"I'm going to wear our native wear for the reception princess, I'll wear Abadan," I shared a knowing look with dad before we both burst into laughter while mummy looked on in confusion.

"Leave the agbada for the men mum, you're to wear an iro and buba," brother Tunji jumped in beside mum from nowhere and said.

"She can't even say it properly," Dad chuckled at mum's expense. When she finally caught into our joke, her face turned bright pink.

"Is it a crime to fall in love with a Yoruba man?" Mum pouted and stood up, ready to flee the scene of embarrassment, daddy immediately stood up as well and followed after her.

"Sorry onitemi, don't worry, we'll both wear agbada, yours would be the most beautiful, onitemi naaa..." Brother Tunji watched with amusement while I read another beautiful love message from my beloved.

"...you're the best thing that's ever happened to me, I want to spend the rest of my life by your side..."

"David please you can sleep with me whenever you want to, I won't deny you that, I swear it. But please don't leave me." His stone cold expression morphed into a smile, a smile that gave me hope.

"It's too late baby, too late...."

"...I'm not perfect, but you'll teach me to be, you'll teach me to..."

"...I'm afraid ma'am, we couldn't save the baby..."

"...to be your best friend, your brother, your..."

"You're one sick, unlucky woman, bitch."

"...that person to turn to when you're in need, that shoulder to lean on when you need one, that person to fight with wh-"

"Shut up!" I roared in hysteria, "shut the fuck up!" I yelled at both the stupid kaleidoscope of events that ruined my life and the equally stupid man in a half knelt position in front of me.

I looked around in a craze to see the shocked expression on everyone's faces. Murmurs started to fill the air from my well wishers at my outburst. I turned to see Madam Peju with her smartphone in hand, looking at me with disappointment. Bisi was with a similar expression, hers tilting towards disapproval.

I whirled around towards Richard. The man was still in his position with his left hand now holding the slim silver ring with a huge diamond set in the middle. His expression betrayed the hurt he was feeling.

The damned fool dared to feel hurt when he planned this fiasco?!

"I told you times without number Chad, I can't get married to you, do you think doing all of these would pressure me into saying yes? I can't marry you Chad, I fucking can't!" My words felt like it echoed throughout the pin drop silence of the park. Richard stood up slowly and looked at me in the eyes.

"Why?" His voice was shaky, I could tell he was trying to control his emotions by the clenching of his jaw.

Because I'll fill your life with bitterness, I did it to everyone that mattered, I'm unlucky!

"Because I don't love you Chad and I never will." I snapped before striding out of the park in quick, frustrated steps.

I was harsh and rude, but he fucking deserved it. He had it coming when he tried to bring back my past to life.

How I ended up in a bar afterwards was beyond my comprehension, but I found myself drowning my sorrows in big bottles of beer, remembering, cursing my ill luck, letting the emotions out, until I was ushered out the small bar completely drunk.

"Why did it have to be me?" I questioned no one in particular as I continued in unsteady strides to nowhere in particular.

One leg of my heels was in my hand with my clutch, the other still on my feet, my brown hair messy and all over the place, my black dress wet with beer and puke.

If there was a Guinness record for most pathetic, I would have taken the medal at that moment.

I didn't know where I was and didn't care either, I just wanted to escape. Hell, I didn't even know what I wanted to escape from and if walking alone in the dangerous streets of Abuja on a chilly night like this was how to escape, but I kept on walking in drunken stupor until I was stopped by people that looked like law enforcement officers.

"Hey madam, where you dey go by this time of the night?" Came the harsh impatient voice in vuglar pidgin.

I couldn't tell who talked out of the six men standing, but I knew they were six because there was another floating image close to each officer. My own brain was even floating.

Maybe I'm the one that's floating, oh that police van is floating too.

I giggled at my stupidity.

"Answer me madam, I say where you dey go?" The voice was harsher and sounded closer this time, I yelped when I felt a rough, scaly hand graze my arm.

"I'm going home, durh" I managed to slur, then I heard murmurs.

I jumped again in delirium when another hand grabbed me roughly.

"You're under arrest ma'am," The gruff voice announced and regardless of the alarm going off in my head, I giggled foolishly.

"What's my offence baby, do you have a warrant?, did my ill luck rub off on you too?"

"You're trespassing dear," The voice returned and I giggled again.

"Trespassing huh?, how come? This is government property right? I mean we're on an expressway, and I have the right to this express because I'm a citizen of Ni—" I was cut short when the man fondled my breast. Screw that, he kneaded my breast with so much force that I shrieked in pain.

"Bad policeman, bad policeman," I yelled and was blessed with a slap, then my necklace was yanked off my neck.

"Hey, that's mine!" I yelled but I hadn't recovered from the shock before a two in one officer came in front of me and tore my gown not so graciously, exposing my braless boobs and panties.

It was when dread started crawling up on me that I understood that history was about to repeat itself.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Almighty Mike:

With a car boot filled to the brim with coke and cannabis, crossing the checkpoint that stood two hundred metres away wasn't an ideal thing to do.

Especially when Fuhad wasn't part of the operation tonight and I, for one, couldn't stand the idiots standing a hundred metre radius close to me without succumbing to the urge of piercing their skulls with my precious bullets.

Our last resort was to lay low and wait till the idiots were done with their illegal activities for the night, before proceeding to finish the already elongated journey.

Well, that was until we began hearing unusual noises from their end.

"What's happening there now?" I asked Trigger who had a clearer view of what was causing the ruckus over at the police check point we'd been surveying for over an hour.

"I think it's a stop and search procedure boss," he replied dutifully, although I sensed uneasiness in his countenance.

I snatched the binoculars from Trigger and zoomed in on the scene, my skin crawled when I realised the reason behind his apprehension.

"So now the bastards stop and search women." I muttered to myself.

"Almighty Mike, this is the perfect moment to move, they would be busy for a while," Trigger reasoned and started the ignition just as the woman's fearful scream sliced through the serenity of the night once again.

"Are we just going to leave her there?" I asked no one in particular.

I knew it was none of my business but I couldn't help the way my heart clenched when I heard her scream, I wanted to save her even if I knew she was probably a whore. No woman of respect would be out and alone at one in the morning.

"Duty calls Almighty Mike," Trigger reminded me and I nodded.

"Let. Me. Go!" My heart squeezed painfully again and I motioned to Trigger to stop the car, I couldn't bear to have that fearful call for help on my conscience, I already had too many of those.

Too too many.

"Keep the car on," I instructed, "I'll manage things and get back in a heartbeat." I was sure Trigger wanted to disagree as he'd already had a long night but he had no say, I gave the orders and he had to follow them with no questions asked.

I jogged off to the scene and met the eldest officer fumbling with the buckle of his belt.

Son of a bloody bitch!

Six precise shots took down the men in less than two seconds and as blood slowly seeped out of their dying bodies beautifully, I smiled in delight.

Almighty Mike scores again! Police fucking force -0 Almighty Mike - 200 my subconcious chimed as per usual.

The satisfactory feeling of ending more of those slimy things was out of this world.

A slight whimper, her whimper, brought me back to earth. The dear damsel in distress was up, swaying violently like a tree during a rainstorm and trying to cover herself with the torn dress that barely covered her thighs.

She was definitely a runs girl, wasn't worth the trouble anyways but—

She stumbled into my arms.

Now she's trying to flirt with me or what?

And hell! She reeked of alcohol and puke.

I tried to steady her and take off, this was taking too long already.

"Great...great save...Prince charming," she slurred and went out like light.

Great!

"Almighty Mike," Trigger called from the car urgently, I looked at the peaceful face smeared with makeup and sighed.

"Now what am I supposed to do with you?" I groaned out to myself. So much for being a Superman.

"Boss we have to go now!" Trigger called again and I lifted her off the ground, ignoring the stench that sharply assaulted my nostrils and walked towards the car.

"Get every of her things from the scene, I don't want her in business with the police." Trigger gaped at me with eyes the size of beach balls, I could hear the faint sound of a siren getting closer.

"Why are you still standing here? Go!" He scrambled off and I gently placed the sleeping beauty on the backseat of the beat down Camry we often used for operations.

Why did I just do that?

I sincerely had no idea, maybe because of my past experiences as a victim?

Or maybe because that scream sounds familiar.

As if on cue, Trigger came back at that moment, to distract me from my thoughts, holding on to her clutch bag amongst other things. I nodded in approval and got into the passenger seat.

"Where to Almighty Mike?" Trigger questioned cautiously as he turned on the ignition, my reply was one that surprised the both of us.

"Where else, to the hideout."

AN:

runs girl is a Nigerian street word for prostitute.

Onitemi is a Yoruba word which literally translates to 'mine'.

Agbada is a flowing gown (mostly white) worn by the Yoruba men (or women at times) to celebrate festivities while iro and buba is a blouse and wrapper worn by Yoruba women to outings, festivities and even for fashion at times.

Hey madam, where you dey go by this time of the night:  is Nigerian pidgin and it literally means; hey ma'am, where are you headed at his hour of the night