A Mosquito rudely woke him up while he was stoking up his anger at it and waiting in the dark for it return, his heart hovered in fear and his mind strained to identify the sounds in the air.
He was intensely angry at his failure to crush the Mosquito which hummed close to his ear again on its return mission.
After some time, he went back to sleep and left the window open. It was reporter earlier in the evening that, Armed Robbery attack took place in a near by Bank,people were injured and some girls where also raped by the Arm robbers but the urgent invention of the police made them to fled.
The arm robbers injured some workers in the bank and also raped girls in the Akuba region for refusing to give them money. The daily weakening of human life was mind bogging in Akuba.
Other the border between sleeping and walking Boro saw the world as a net and all humans as fishes struggling for freedom and bumping against one another.
Boro angrily changed his mind about sleeping off when the Mosquito purr once more and he started to go to the living room where Pere-ere, Iniye and Johnson were watching film.
After sometime, a gun explosion was heard and a bullet fell through the aluminum roof into his bed.
It was as if the sound of the gunshot carried Boro into the living room. His friends also tremble and ran out from the living room and stated screaming. There was a gun shot, iniye screamed.
And... Something on the bed.. Boro responded with his trembling heart.
Pere-ere roughly rushed ran into Boro's room and switched On the light and saw that the bullet pitched in to the Mattress.
Iniye and others also ran into the room and saw what was happening. It's evil in the land of Akuba, Iniye screamed.
Pere-ere also agreed with her, how can a bullet penetrate through the roof to the mattress when it's not shot from above.
And No ✈️ aeroplane was heard flying, how come the bullet pitched in to the Bed, Boro added.
They were griefed in fear and phoned the Gbolu State Commander of Police and informed him about the incident and they should come to their rescue of fear.
We will be on our way sir, the commander replied Boro.
As Boro and his friends went round talking, the residents of the other houses started coming out to join them. A few senior officers that was living in other house authoritatively went into Boro's room to have a first hand information. After sometime, the Police officers an their Commander, Mr. Olumo dashed into the street and asked everyone to go back to their house. Mr. Johnson, a friend to Boro thought inwardly, A man is not a man before a man with a gun.
Everyone obeyed the Police officer order and went into their houses;Only Boro and his friends were left behind. Show us where the Bullet fell in, we leant that the bullet fell into one of these houses, so we are starting from your house.This way, Pere-ere responded. The police saw the mysterious bullet and said maybe this is a flying bullet that is why it penetrate to your room, the Police said. Boro and Johnson said that in Addition to the amounts they didn't know all their arrears of the Article business they are in increase we're taken by the robbers, and also raped some other residents in the Estate.
We shall send your story to ATA later in the day to warn people of the menace of crime and the bullets felling on People's houses, Mr. Olumo added. Boro and his friends thanked the Police for their initial intervention to the crime when they phoned.
A cock crowed somewhere to announce the national dawn of a new day.
In the morning, Boro and Johnson who had locked their door and not receive any visitor were wiship that the overseas scholarship they applied for had been expecting for months would soon some so that they will leave Akaku and go to London or USA where the Governments took their responsibility seriously. They were all aiming to get the scholarship as they have grade 1 in their results and credits in all the requisite seven 9 subjects.
Akaku is a prison i want go get out, Boro sighed.
How about us?, so you want to leave us here and went away, pere-ere asked.
Just only one year, you will join us soon in either USA or London to continue your University Studies, Boro replied.
The present stage of my life is my own prison, pere-ere thought out loud.
Boro had been feeling guilty for his brusque bahaviour towards Pere-ere before leaving home, But her tone relaxed him and he inwardly thanked God for his good luck in having her.Boro was impressed by Pere-ere's good behavior and inwardly fell in love with her.
At last the l9ng vacation ended, In the season of regenerated paternal loving back to school was to pere-ere as exhilarating as a gift of roses to s fresh lover. Pere-ere whole family accompanied her to the bus stop and said good bye to her for the first time. Her father, Mr. Akpoebi who doesn't Like a girl child at much. Her mother has seven Children and all are girls so Akpoebi was not in a good mood for the situation in hand. He sometimes complained bitterly to God for not giving him an heir apparent to his wealth. Girls are for the beautification of another man's house, Akpoebi concluded. After the vacation ended for the first time, Pere-ere whole family escorted her to the car park. The fire of his daughter's rebellion had thawed the ice in Akpoebi's heart. As he walked with his wife and six female children from the frontage of Pere-ere's hostel to the car park, he seemed to be swimming in a sea of happiness for the first time. Pere-ere smiled at the in elegant businessman who had never bothered about his gait. Pere-ere waved back to her parents and siblings and drove off to the school compound with Boro her friend.
She greeted a clerk behind the counter as she walked past to a newspaper cubicle.
" Pere-ere ", the Clerk responded'welcome from holiday. You're alone? Where's Iniye?.
She's fine, pere-ere replied and went to the cubicle.
She would only read one paper to two paper and go to classroom but instead to start read she thought about Iniye, who persuaded her to agree with Boro's Proposal. Iniye who met Boro and Johnson at Taku Junction of Akuba agreed to Johnson proposal and also persuaded her to do the same to Boro.
She shook her head and started to read. After turning most of the pages absently, skimming over just six stories or so, she camr back to the headline story which said that, the Ijaw Youth council -----An organization made up of mainly Young Men and Women between the ages of 18 - 36 years., had in a press conference called on the Federal Government to start a programme of Justice or prepare to stop the oil exploitation in the region. They had demanded majority share of the oil revenue for the oil producing communities, Rapid Development and Good Education for the Children. The youths advised the Federal Government to take a cue from the USA Government who is law abiding.
The story reminded Pere-ere of the arm robbers attack in Boro's house and she silently prayed that the Federal Government of Akabu should listen to them and let peace reign in the country. She stood up and went back to her classroom. Last Saturdays and Sundays are usually free days. She intend to see her mother when it was not a vacation, she usually went home during but decided to see her mom during the free days.