Osi watched the European from his spot in the bush. The man rubbed his hands excitedly as he waited. After some seconds he knocked the gate again.
Osi was suddenly worried. If indeed this man was the killer then wasn't it foolish and risky to be leaving him with Amara?
He tried to convince himself that nothing would go wrong. Joy was in after all so it wasn't like Amara would be alone with him and he didn't expect the man to cross any boundaries, not in Dé Nwachukwu's home.
He watched Amara open the gate and let him in. Just before she locked the gate, she looked across and her eyes met Osi. Her eyes conveyed the words: the time is now...but please be careful.
Immediately the gate was locked, Osi emerged from the bush and headed towards the European's house. He had an hour to snoop around.
Are you the only one in?" Stevenson asked Amara as she locked the gate.
"No I'm not.." She wondered why he asked her and she was suddenly aware that even with her sister around that was no guarantee if he had any other motive. The man had a herculean physique.
He better not!
"I was thinking we should stay on the bench under the tree...its windy and more comfortable" she offered
"Really? I would have preferred inside"
"O-kay...would you like to drink anything?"
"For now I'm okay...you're looking beautiful by the way"
"Thank you" but she was very very conscious and very cautious.
"Ehen! There you are....I heard you stayed behind!"
Osi heard the voice and stopped reluctantly. It was Dé John. He seemed to be in a good mood and when he got closer, Osi knew why: the man was drunk.
"You're very welcome to stay....you feel like one of us already..."
"Thank you sir...actually I'm in a-"
"Its very bad the circumstance you met us in..but as you can see after all, our gods didn't forsake us"
Osi frowned but he didn't have time to banter with the elder. He knew the man was traditional and he was conscious about the time that was counting down. He had about 56 minutes left. He needed to keep moving.
Dé john had other ideas. "My friend..I have about 5 litres left, the palm wine is undiluted and fresh...hours ago it was still on the palm tree"
"I'm sorry Sir...maybe some other time" Osi was already restless...he was prepared to be rude if that was what it would take.
"Oh..you want to tell me you don't drink?"
"Actually I don't sir and I'm hurrying somewhere"
"Nonsense! Even Jesus didn't I hear he turned water into wine? What kind of wine do you think he turned that water too? It wasn't red wine, it was pure natural palm wine...come with me let's drink to the safety of my village"
He made to grab Osi's hand but the pastor was already desperate.
He dodged the elder and hurried away. "Some other time sir..I'm really really pressed right now..."
"So what kind of competition is this?" The European settled on the sofa and instinctively Amara settled opposite him. She wasn't prepared for another groping incident and she was determined to prevent the scenario.
"Its the wife of our Governor that's sponsoring it...basically its for all the villages and the three best essays would be chosen as 1st,2nd and third respectively..with monetary gifts attached"
"Wow..that's a nice move, perfect"
She agreed it was nice indeed. For a pastor Osi actually came up with very good lies.
"Okay so let me start with the major guidelines"
When Osi finally got to the house he had already used up 10 minutes from the 60.
He would have to make due with 50, the fact that the house was sparsely furnished should enable him find whatever it was he was looking for under half an hour but the fact that he didn't really know what he was looking for (apart from the letter) might double that time.
He traced his way to the backyard just as he had done before but this time, when he got to the toilet window he was disappointed.
The European must have really taken his breach seriously because he had boarded up the window, running slabs of wood across and nailing it. He obviously didn't intend the window to be opened again.
This was an unexpected twist and Osi wondered what to do. He couldn't give up, that wasn't an option and he couldn't think of any plan that would require the European let him into his house. Maybe Amara, he had a feeling he would welcome her in literally with open arms but Osi had no plans of that happening. No way! He would find another way.
When the younger sister answered the gate he cursed his bad luck.
Joy looked at him with an amused expression. "You're here to see Amara right?"
Osi decided to risk it. "Please I want you to do something for me"
"So you understand what I mean? That would be the best way to write the intro..that way you've managed to capture your readers attention."
One thing was for sure, Steve certainly had passion for writing. Amara was actually learning something. She just might give writing a try after all.
Then her sister barged into the parlour with the announcement: "Amara Oluchi is at the gate"
At first she panicked thinking of her friend's reaction if she saw Steve sitting comfortably in her parlour.
"She isn't coming in?" she said but Joy insisted "she said she's not coming in she just wants to give you something quickly"
Amara frowned "please excuse me" she said to Steve who nodded and she hurried outside.
She was surprised to see Osi waiting outside the gate.
"Osi..what happened?"
"I need you to do something for me...the window is shut tight, it would be impossible to get in through there.....I need.." His voice trailed off.
"I think we should call of the plan, I was never comfortable with it. Wait...you need what?"
"I need you to collect his keys"
"What!" She looked behind earnestly and closed the gate, coming outside fully. In a lower voice she said "what...how do you expect me to do that?"
"Amara...look at me, do you have any bar soap"
"Yes.." She blinked "what does that have to do with anything?"
"I want you to just make an impression of the key...I studied the lock and its a single key..the ancient type that can easily be duplicated"
But she was shaking her head "you didn't answer me, how am I supposed to get his keys from his pocket?"
Osi thought hard then shrugged "I don't know...there has to be a way"
Joy opened the gate suddenly "I don't know why pastor wants you to steal something but I'd like to help...I think you and I can pull it off"
"Joy! You were eavesdropping on us?!" Amara asked her younger sister crossly.
Joy rolled her eyes "I only wanted to hear the romantic words this pastor used to sweep you off your feet but its key you people are talking about"
Amara was about to snap but Osi interrupted her.
"Wait...how do you think you can retrieve the key"
Stevenson smiled at Amara when she returned. "Why didn't your friend come in?"
"Oh..Oluchi, she was going somewhere she just wanted to pass a message"
"Okay, very nice...you need to come closer, you're too far away"
Amara nodded. "I've told my sister to bring a jug of palm wine and garden egg"
"No that won't necessary"
Amara sat down really close to him.
"Please...do you have any idea the trouble I'd be in if my father should come home and discover that I did not serve you any refreshment?"
Steve laughed "in that case...no problem"
Joy brought a saucer containing about four garden eggs and groundnut. She placed the saucer on the center table and went out again.
Amara held her breath as her sister came out the second time. Joy had a jug of palmwine in her hand and a big mug in her other. Instead of dropping the mug or the jug on the table and carrying it, she proceeded to use her left leg to drag the table to Steve's front where she stood.
She lost her balance and the jug tilted. Half of its contents landed on Steve's laps with a splash.
"Eeeeey!"
"Oh my God..I'm so sorry...I'm so so sorry..."
"Joy...why didn't you drop the jug first..why are you so careless....!" Amara stood up and made to hit her sister.
"No leave her..don't fight its fine" Steve got to his feet looking down in dismay at his trousers. The outline of the map of Asia had appeared on his crotch and he was very uncomfortable.
"Please I'm sorry forgive her..." Amara apologized
"Its alright" the European was apparently on his good behaviour. "Its no big deal..I have to go.."
"No no no...please I won't forgive myself if you go..please sir my daddy would kill me." Joy got to her knees and tears threatened to flow. Amara was amazed. Her sister was a terrific actress.
"Why don't you tie one of Amara's wrappers and I'd spread the trouser within minutes it would dry off"
He seemed amused. "That won't be necessary.."
But Amara touched his arm. "Please Steve..we can't allow you to walk around with that stain, its against our tradition...its shameful to us and to our father"
That seemed to get his attention. Or maybe it was the hand resting delicately on his shoulder.
Osi jerked when the gate opened. He had been resting to the side and had been so lost in his thoughts he didn't hear any footsteps.
It was joy. She held the key to Osi.
"I heard him shout...was he angry?" Osi asked her immediately. To him the European was a bipolar with crazy mood swings.
"No..he was almost apologizing to me instead" she giggled and handed him the key.
"No...I can't take the key and risk him finding out ..just do what I told you before. If possible moisten the soap and get it soft...push the key well into it, and make sure your get the outline very well"
she nodded and hurried back in.
Osi hoped it would work. He had successfully cloned a more complex looking key before back in school but this was meant to be easier. The key was quite ancient. The type with teeth and a long length. Still he wondered if he could pull it off.
He whistled impatiently as he waited and tried not to think about the half Unclad man in the house with Amara.
Joy went straight to the kitchen, she had a feeling Steve would ask for his keys very soon so she hurried as she got out the bar soap prepared to make a stamp.
Few minutes later, she sneaked outside and after wiping the key, replaced it in the back pocket of the trouser on the line.
Joy had put the bar soap in a paper bag and Osi held the bag, thanked her profusely and hurried home.
Pastor Bartholomew wasn't in thankfully and he hurried straight to the kitchen. He placed the soap on a metal tray.
This would be his base.
He went round the house digging for metal. Preferably zinc which melted easily and was the best in key casting.
After some minutes he turned up with some pieces of coin, a few nuts and an empty tin of milk which he peeled the label.
This was the tricky part, back in school he had access to a torch burner and had melted the metal by firing the burner like a gun or flame thrower, melting the metal in minutes.
Thank God there was a gas cooker in the kitchen but he would still need to improvise a great deal.
For one he would need a crucible. (A Crucible is a heat resistant container in which metals are melted) he would need something of the sort to place over the fire and melt the metal in.
Once more he snooped round the house. This time after searching the house with no likely solution he was struck with the idea to use the clay flower pot in the verandah. Pastor
Batholomew had about three flower pots where he planted aloe vera and resurrection plants.
Osi was very careful, he transplanted the aloe vera to an empty bucket, careful not to pull out the roots. He would transplant it back later hopefully before the owner got back.
He spent minutes cleaning and drying the inside of the pot after he had rinsed it. A little water mixed with the molten metal would spoil the results.
He let the pot heat on the open fire while he used a plier to hold the coins over a second Unclad flame till it was almost dripping liquid then he dropped it in the clay pot on the fire which was already smoking hot by now.
He used the kitchen rag to cover his nose as a Choky kind of odour was emitted when the coins began to melt.
The nuts and the tin went in next and once the metal was completely liquefied, he scraped off pieces of golden flecks which were copper shells with a knife till he could see only the shiny surface of the molten zinc. He observed the knife worriedly and hoped he'd be able to get the scaps off before pastor Batholomew returned.
Very carefully he poured the molten metal into the key impression on the soap. He filled up the cavity slowly very careful not to overflow and carried the soap from the metal tray carefully.
He kept his little experiment in a corner in the wardrobe in the room Bukky had stayed. Of the three rooms it was the smallest and he didn't think it belonged to the pastor.
He wasn't sure how the outcome would be and he desperately hoped it would work out but there was nothing else he could do. Now he had to wait.
Dé Nwachukwu entered his house and was shocked to see Stevenson sitting down tying a wrapper with his polo shirt. At first he chuckled, thinking how the white man had come to love his culture down to the dressing but then he noticed the wrapper was his.
"What's going on here?" He thundered
"Dé! You're back" Amara stood up guiltily.
Her father didn't waste time "why is Steve in my wrapper?"
"Erm Dé..."
"Actually sir, it was my fault. Your daughter was very hospitable and served me palm wine but I somehow managed to soil myself" Steve same to her rescue.
"Ooooh....where's your trouser?"
"Joy spread it outside" Amara answered
"Let her use the coal iron on it...it should dry quicker that way" he eyed his wrapper suspiciously and Amara could tell he was wondering if the white man had any underwear on. He didn't look too pleased.
Twenty minutes later she escorted Steve to the gate. The map wasn't as visible as before and he could walk freely now.
"Thank you for taking the blame back there"
"No problem, I know your father is a no nonsense man" he replied with a smile.
"Exactly, I'm very grateful"
"You owe me something though" he smiled at her again
"Owe you...what's that?"
Instead of answering her he asked: "when next do we have our lesson?"
She thought about it. If Osi's plan works out he would need to sneak into the house the next day. Preferably very early.
"I'd like it tomorrow morning, if you'd be free"
"Okay I'd be here tomorrow, you'd pay me with a kiss then"
Osi was outside arranging the flower pot back when pastor Bartholomew returned. He smiled at Osi as he stumped his foot on the welcome carpet "someone once advised me to plant that aloevera, it has a lot of benefits infact its a gold mine"
Osi straightened up "I agree...my mom is really into it, I grew up surrounded with the products" he wondered if the pastor could smell the faint odour of melted metal or if it was just him.
"Did you try cooking anything? Something smells burnt" the pastor asked as if he could read his thoughts.
He scratched his head thinking of a lie or to put in better, an excuse.
"I tried to warm some of the stew Bukky left behind...I might have over heated it"
The pastor laughed cheerfully as he entered the house "I can imagine! We really need to settle down pastor...it is time to settle, sometimes I end up burning water...."
Amara waiter until Osi was alone in the veranda before approaching the house. She had been about to call out before she noticed pastor Batholomew arrive. She couldn't hear them clearly but immediately the pastor entered inside laughing she neared the house.
"Pastor..." She called out in a whisper.
The minute he saw her, his eyes brightened and he hurried down the porch.
"How are you, how was it, did he suspect anything?" He had so many questions to ask.
"No...where you able to duplicate the key?"
"Hopefully...I had to make do with the materials available...it needs to solidify now by morning it should be okay and I pray it works"
"Alright...we agreed he'd come in the morning"
"Okay, that would be perfect...I'll have to postpone my trip to the nearby village till evening then"
"He expects me to kiss him"
"What?"
"Steve, he expects me to kiss him as a sign of gratitude"
Osi's eyes reddened "the man must be mad!"
To be continued...
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