MEMOIRS OF A DRUG LORD (PART 3)

It was a long drive back to the hotel, and as I drove slowly, I kept having flashbacks about how I shot and killed Robert. I smiled to myself each time the thought popped in my head, making up different scenarios that I could have employed in killing him, but in all, something inside of me was happy about his death.
I arrived at the hotel fatigued, so fatigued, that as soon as I made way into my room, I jumped into the bed and slept off like a baby - still fully clothed.
I woke up hours later, still tired, but could tell this time that it was hunger related, so I forced myself out of bed and placed a call to the hotels kitchen and ordered for the local delicacy of starch and banga soup.
I was still getting myself together when I heard a knock on the door. These kitchen people are very efficient - I thought to myself - as I hurriedly put on a t-shirt and went on to open the door.
"It’s called a mobile phone Michael, and it’s supposed to be with you at all times. Where the hell is your phone?" Chairman yelled out as he walked into the room and made way to the leather sofa in a corner of the room.

This time he was alone by himself, without Lateef and his guards.
"It’s over there" - I stuttered, pointing to the phone on the bed as I locked the door.
"I put it on the silent profile because I didn't want to be disturbed by it while I slept".
"You didn't want to be disturbed?” He exclaimed, nodding his head in disbelief. Well I won't blame you. He said.

I walked in his direction and sat at the edge of the bed, adjacent to the couch where her was seated.

There was a long pause in the room, before he finally broke the silence -

"I'm impressed with how far you have come, especially with the way you carried out your assignment last night. I had an undercover person in the police force at the crime scene when the body of the deceased was being moved to the mortuary and I was more than pleased when I was informed that no evidence was recovered from the scene." He enthused.

"Not only am I impressed with you, the Chairman has been wowed by your performance thus far, and has requested to see you, but not after you take delivery of another parcel".

"The chairman? So what are you?" I asked looking a tad confused.

"Laughing out loud – yes the Chairman. Everything here is done in a hierarchical order, and at every stage, there is always someone to report to. Just like how Lateef, you and the other boys report to me, I have someone I report to who might also be accountable to someone. But that's not an issue for today; let's face the reason why I'm here".

"Everything is happening too fast and right now it’s getting too much for me to comprehend. I haven't lived a normal life in the last one month and it’s starting to weigh on me. I need to take a break from this and do what normal people do, please".

"Hmm you would do that, you would, but right now is not the time for that. If you want to be wealthy doing this job, you have to do whatever you are being asked to do. Once you are in this business, you are in, there are no days off except maybe you want to face the wrath of the Chairman, and believe me when I say you don't want to".

Sigh, I looked up to the ceiling for a few seconds and I'm thinking to myself - so I have now become slave to a man and his cohorts in the name of making money?
"Ok! What about the balance I'm supposed to collect?"

"Oh that, here you go - handing out a brown envelope he took out of his pocket along with a bunch of keys to me. That's $5000; the extra $3500 is the part payment for your trip to London in a few weeks."

"London?" A curious I questioned.

"Yes London. The keys are for your new fully furnished apartment in Ogudu. Chairman doesn't want you living in a hotel and most definitely doesn't want you back in Ketu"

"Wow!!!" I exclaimed.

"Well that's what you get when you do as you are told. There's still more from where that came from, I would implore you not to mess things up. The car you drove on the night you assassinated Robert is now yours and the address to the house is inscribed at the back of the envelope.

Also get your passport across to me so I can get your visa processed immediately.

That should be all for now, I guess I should take my leave now, and yes do drop that title Chairman, just call me Jide Claro. Have a good day".

As I locked the door behind him, I was shocked beyond imagination and left to wonder in oblivion for about thirty minutes before a knock on the door by one of the kitchen staffs jolted me back to reality. My food had finally arrived but the urge to eat had disappeared once again.

I was exasperated but somehow I gathered some strength and packed my stuff, concealed the gun in a piece of cloth and hid it in the bottom corner of my suitcase and in no time was on my way out of the hotel en-route to Ogudu.

It was a two bedroom bungalow that was en suite with up to date household amenities from furniture to electrical appliances and food stuff.

My life had changed for good - at least so I thought.

The following day I went to a bureau-de-change somewhere in Ikeja, and converted $2000 of the money into the Naira equivalent which totaled about N300, 000 while the other $3000, I opted to deposit at the bank. Next stop was a store at the Silverbird Galleria, Victoria Island, where I went shopping for clothes and also met the lady who would later become a source of joy and sorrow.

Decked in a blue blouse, black jeggins and black pumps, and adorned with beautiful gold accessories, I knew she was the one as soon as she walked into the store. I had been a popular figure among the ladies back in Ketu, maybe because of my notoriety as a drug dealer, and their love for drugs, but with Fola I couldn't bring myself to talk to her. A quick glance around the room showed that everybody, both male and female had their eyes on her as she swayed across the room but none was able to make a move. But the minute I saw her standing in front of the bag rack, staring effortlessly at one of the bags on display, I took that as my cue to go talk to her.

I got myself pumped up, rubbed my palms together and said a bit of gibberish as I went up to her to start a conversation. Apparently she had been to the store before to make inquiries about the same bag that got her fixated only for her to get to the store with the exact amount that was quoted to her and find out the price had gone up by a staggering N100,000. Her ATM cards weren't working and all the calls she made to her sister to come to her aid were futile. A quick calculation of my shopping summed up to #150,000 so I had an extra N150, 000 to myself, and since it was love at first sight for me, I decided to take the risk of funding her expenses. She put up a front about it for a while, saying I was a stranger, she didn’t know me and she just went on chattering and then with a lot of insistence she finally agreed that I pay for the bag, on the condition that she would owe me dinner which we had a few days later.

Weeks had passed and Fola and I were waxing strong with each passing day, but as they say, good things don't come easy. It was time to make the big trip to London but the stories I had heard about the British Immigration, Metropolitan police and Scotland Yard’s crackdown on drug traffickers weren’t delicious to my ears. They weren't in any way good tales, but once again I was assured by soothing words of Jide Claro and lateef that my safety and security was guaranteed.

To Fola I was going on a business trip but to me it was a life changing one that could make or ruin me.

When I arrived at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, I wasn't surprised about the events that took place and I must say that the Nigerian Immigration has to by far be the worst of the lot. A N5000 tip got me treated like a VIP person and my Luggage didn't even get checked. Anyway, the plane took off at exactly 11:25pm local time and we didn't arrive at Heathrow airport till 6:30am London time, due to air turbulence. There was no hitch clearing myself with the British Immigration as the drugs were properly concealed in baby diapers, and in no time I was being chauffeured to the Best Western Swiss Cottage Hotel where a reservation had already been made for me. I unpacked the drugs and hid the stash in one of the cabinets in the bathroom before sleeping off since the delivery wasn't till later in the night.

A few hours to midnight, I got up from my sleep, took a shower, had light food, got dressed up and sat up in bed, patiently waiting for the call from my supposed client to inform me about when and where to meet up with him. That call came in at fifteen minutes past midnight so I hurriedly put the drugs in a messenger bag, said a little prayer and headed out to the D Den Legacy club which was just five minutes by feet away from the hotel. I had just cut into an alley as directed by the map of London I had with me when I was jumped by three white boys. One dragged the bag from me; the other gagged me by the throat while the third kicked me to the ground.

It seemed like the beginning of the end of the road for me.