My trust is for sale

The master blueprint

The cab decelerated and they came  to a halt. The car door opened and a man came out from the back. He was very tall, dark with curly bushy hair. He wore a bushy moustache with the same shape as his bushy eye brow. His eyes were hidden behind big dark goggles.  He held a briefcase and walked confidently into the hotel after he had paid the cabby.

The receptionist gave him a familiar smile.

“Mallam Jibril.” She said.

“I have told you Esther. I am Mister Jibril.”

“Why don’t you like me calling you Mallam?”

“I am too funky to be called so.” He said and giggled.

“You are welcome. How is Niger?”

“Sandy and sweet. Love for the saharas” He said.

“We did not see you last month.”

“ There were no goods. I know a lot of Punanis missed me.”

“Mallam Jibril.” She laughed.

“Mister Jibson please.”

“Room 30 is available for you. It’s your favorite.”

“Yed Esther. I hope the audio player has been fixed. I have a collection of Sa’adu Bori to rock while I pop and pap.”

“Mathew fixed it.” She said. “ Pop and pap ? Never heard that.”

“Pop is sipping the holy water while pap is …” he winked, “you know what that means. Women and beer make the world a sweeter place.”

“Mister Jibson.”

“Wazzap.”

She laughed.

“You have sworn to be a gee.”

“Talking about Sa’adu Bori, I guess it is Yeahhhh iyellori yellori.”

Jibril laughed.

“How did you know that?”

“The song rocks here. I love Niger music.”

“Do you also love Niger man?” He winked at her. “ Pop and Pap.”

********

Jibril carried his briefcase and went to his room. He dropped the briefcase, closed the door and lolled on a chair. He drew a stick of cigarette, lit it and opened a bottle of gin to take a sip. He got up, put on the AC and felt the cool air making him feel relaxed.

Since he joined the ministry, being the oil agent had been the best thing to happen to him. It was his bad luck that he could not come last month.

His official hotel allowance was one hundred and fifty thousand naira. This hotel cost three thousand naira per day. Fifteen thousand naira covered his hotel expenses and the rest went into his pocket. He also had extra twenty thousand naira from his feeding allowance. For each trip, he made over a hundred thousand naira. This happened every month. His salary was an equivalent of thirty thousand naira.

Apart from the money he made, he had a lot of fun whenever he was here. He had two weaknesses: women and alcohol and half of what he made went to those vices.

He heard a knock at the door, got up and opened the door. He saw a girl standing and chewing bubble gum. He was quick to notice her heavy bust and wide hips. He loved her bunches and  the nose ring that gave her a sexy look.

“Hello,” she said coquettishly, “I am sorry for the disturbance.”

“It’s nothing. How may I help you?”

“I just lodged into the room next door. I am new here. My phone got locked and I can’t open the damn thing. Before I become a prey to technicians, I thought I should seek for help first. I hope I won’t be a nuisance.”

“No, what are neighbors for? What kind of phone is it?”

“It’s a Toshiba product.”

“Come inside, please.”

“I am okay here.” She said with a smile. “I am expecting some important calls and I need to settle in.”

“Can I have the phone?”

“Sure. Thank you.”

He collected the phone, pressed some keys before exposing his teeth.

“Here…” He gave it to her.

“Oh my God! Thank you so much. I tried it for over an hour.”

“It’s nothing really. It is my pleasure.”

“ I really appreciate you. Thank you. I think I have to go and settle in.”

“I am Jibril.”

“I am Rabi.” She offered her hand. He shook it and felt the softness and while she withdrew, she made sure her fingers were slow and sensual. As she turned to leave, she shook her back and he went barmy.

“Emm..excuse me.” He said. His Swagger Remmynded of African American men in the 60s.

“I am not a Nigerian actually. I represent the Minister of Petroleum in my country. I am here as a sleuth. Some of our men have being coming to Nigeria to use my boss’s name to commit crimes so I came alone. Not even an escort came with me. But my mission has been accomplished so I decided to do some personal business.”

“Hmmm….that is interesting. I am glad you are doing business with my country.”

“Yes, but it is just all about me. People think I help the people because I have a political ambition but no. I feel compassion towards the less privileged.”

“That is so nice of you. I know it is legal.”

“Sure. I am buying oil worth over two hundred million naira. Fifty per cent of the profit goes to the poor. Some of the profit go to pretty girls like you.” He winked. “I love to play with pretty girls and they never regret they did.”

“Unfortunately I am not pretty and even if I was,  I do not intend to follow you to Niger, wait until you make profit before you …..”

“It’s not my first time,” he cut in. “I have money, sweetheart.”

“Do you flirt with every girl you see?”

“Not every girl got booty like you and attract me.”

“You are dirty.”

“I am not but I admit that I am naughty and not haughty.”

“I am sorry, I am not interested. Do you know if I am staying with my man in the room?”

“I am the man who knows how to fix your phone…that means I can fix other things and that includes your bank account…I am not excluding ecstasy account.”

She pouted.

“You are rude.”

“No but I admit that I am crude.”

She chuckled.

“Okay, I am single and ready to mingle but not a swindle.”

“Swindle?”

“Men lie a lot to hit the spot. Let me tell you the truth. I don’t believe that you have one million naira to transact a deal with. This is a three thousand hotel plus, you don’t look like someone with that kind of money. I mingle only with men at the level where money jingle , rain and reign. You just mention over two hundred million naira, dude.

Jibril smiled.I

“ I will substantiate that. I am a very humble man and like I said in retrospect, I am here as a sleuth so I live incognito. Lodging in a cheap hotel is part of the plan.”

“Excuse me, why are you telling me all of these? It is not necessary.”

“It is because I want you to enjoy my benevolence and you just doubted me. If you stick with me, for a while, money will rain and reign as you put it. I am here to order for one hundred and fifty trucks of oil.”

“I am not a hawker. Why are you blowing hard to win me?”

“Just a modern and faster of way of proposing. So, what are you doing here?”

“Searching for a job.”

Good!

“Consider yourself lucky. I have got friends working in the refinery. I will talk to them. Meanwhile, I have a job for you. Why not be my PA for a few days and you earn twenty thousand naira? This is just for five days plus another ten thousand for being more than a PA. I call it Appreciation Fund.”

She smiled.

“I think that sounds better. I prefer to work for my money. But it has to be formal, right? Like, it will be written and signed.”

“That is no big deal.”

He did not see it as a big deal. He was not a fool. He knew it was an all-bank-transaction. There was no way she would come in contact with the money. Forty thousand! This was about the most expensive he was going to have. But when he looked at her again, he realized she would also be the most sophisticated.

“Let us go for lunch, please.” He said. “If I am not wrong, I think we both arrived and having a swell lunch will be pertinent. I prefer to eat at the restaurant across though.”

As they crossed the road to the restaurant, they were so carried away not to notice a very tall man with broad chest dressed in silk shirt with long collar, black faded jeans, black boots and dark goggles.

He wore a crew cut and long goatee.  The man looked mean and dangerous.

He was sitting inside a car in front of the hotel. He brought out a silver colored handset from his pocket as he set his fierce eyes on them.

“I have found him.” He said into the mouthpiece.

 ********

Layla knocked, waited before the door was swung open to allow her go into the living-room. She saw Nana, the lady Zeeman staged as her mother.

“Aunty Nans.” Layla said with a smile.

“I hope you won’t star calling me Aunty SUG. I am Nana.”

Layla laughed.

“ Is she around?”

“Yes, check the backyard.”

Layla met Zina sitting on a plastic chair with a disc player on a table connected to the headphone she wore.

“Where are your guards?”

“They can’t keep guarding me for life.” Zina said as she removed the headphone. “I am safe now since the killer that threatened me is dead. What will you have?”

“You don’t go on anything hard so I came with my stuff. Just get me a bottle of Lacasera.”

“Go help yourself. Check the chiller.”

Layla went and got a bottle. She opened it, took a little sip, removed a bottle of syrup from her pocket and poured the content into the soft drink. She shook it, made it sure it was uniformly mixed before taken a long sip. “

This codeine is original.” She said.

Zina sipped coke.

“They are working on H3.” Zina said. “They are watching him. They will keep investigating till we grow old.”

Layla laughed.

“Oops!” She exclaimed and spilled some drinks on her body. She wiped it off. “What sound do I hear?”

“I have a crazy neighbor who plays B-ball every day. I one heard him playing around 2:00 AM.”

“What a whimsical neighbor.” Layla said. “Rabi is getting along with Jibril. He has gotten her an ID card. They went to see the Area Manager together. He really wants to show her that he is rich and not a liar. His allocation has being approved. Now, what next?”

“The government price is two hundred and forty million, eight hundred and fifty thousand . We are not going to sell it at that price. We are not the government. We will add ten naira on each litre. There are one hindred and fifty trucks of 33, 000 l****s. There are four million, nine hundred and fifty thousand l****s. If we multiply it by ten, that is the additional ten naira each, we have forty-nine million, five hundred thousand naira. That means we are selling it to Alhaji Babawo for two hundred and ninety million naira.”

“I don’t understand something.”

“What?”

“How will you get the money to pay for the goods. You said we are not going to hijack it forcefully which is not possible. Will Alhaji Babawo pay in advance?”

“Marketers do not pay upfront. If you do that, your money may get hung. They pay the day the goods are loaded.”

Layla sipped her drink.

“From what you calculated, the cost of the goods is about two-fifty mil. The profit is not up to fifty mil. But you promised Rabi and Sharon forty mil each. It is befuddling. The goods must be paid for. I am confused.”

“Yes, Rabi will have forty, Sharon gets forty, while you get eighty and I will take the rest which is one hundred and thirty million.”

It did not make any sense to Layla and she was beginning to lose trust for her. They had been friends for years but she was just seeing a more virulent and cunny side of her.

“Your explanation only adds to my confusion.” Layla said. “Where is two-fifty mil coming from?”

“Niger republic.”

“You know Jibril does not deal with cash. There is no way we could get the money off him.”

“That is the reason I brought Sharon in. I knew a lot from my IT days. While you were busy catching fun with your boyfriend, I was combing the house. The NNPC opened a special account for Jibril’s ministry. Two days before he loads his goods, he pays into the account. That is on the 18 th. The cash Alhaji Babawo will pay will go into our account. The iol will be bought with  Jibril’s money.”

Layla was sure that her confusion was not a result of the codeine. Zina seemed to be saying the impossible.

“We plan to keep Jibril hostage. If he is free till 20 th which is the day the goods will be loaded, we will not be able to obtain them.”

“Yoohh!” A thick voice emerged from the next compound. Layla was startled. Zina sat still.

“I told you that I have a crazy neighbor. I think he had a slam that made him happy.”

“The i***t scared the hell out of me.” Layla said. “go on, please.”

Zina eased her bulk, crossed a leg over the other and exposed her smooth legs. Layla felt she was just wasting that body as no one was exploring it.

“Let me break it down. We will eat our cake and have it back.” Zina went on. “ I am telling you this because of the trust I have for you. We will have both Jibril’s and Alhaji Babawo’s money.”

“You will get Jibril’s money, Babawo’s money…hmmmm.” Layla was beginning to think the whole set up was a waste of time and building of castle in air. She had a lot of respect for Zina for her smartness but it seemed she had lost it.

“This is a once in life opportunity. I do not plan to go deeper into crime. Just this hit and we are made for life so I intend to hit big. My father lived a good life, honesty and integrity were his watch words but where did it get him to? He has been in jail for years for a crime he did not commit. I know the pains of poverty . I am taking the same part. I am going to grab what I can. The money we will get from Alhaji Babawo is what we are going to share between the four of us. The money we will get from Jibril is juts between us. I will give you one another eighty million naira and take the rest. By the end, you will have one hundred and sixty million naira while I have two-ninety. Now listen. Jibril pays into the special account. This account number is secured in the Sales Department. The Sales Manager’s secretary has it in her computer. They change it every month. I and Sharon will have to break into the office. The account is called NRA. I will break the computer code and hack in. I will find the number and delete it then replace it with another account number with the same name: NRA with the same bank : Treasure bank. Same account name but different accounts.

When Jibril goes there, he will be given the new account number thinking it was the original. He will pay into the account and send the pay slip for confirmation. He would be given a ticket for the goods. Immediately he gets the ticket, we would abduct him.

We will keep him abducted for a while. We will withdraw the money, obtain the oil with the ticket and sell it to Alhaji Babawo and have that money as well.”

Layla was shocked.

“How do you sum up such ideas? This is deep and gross! You are a queen of the underworld.”

“But breaking into the office is not a doddle. It has to be done at night.”

Layla felt her joy drifting away. She could imagine the brutal looking military men and police men around that place.

Zina studies her and smiled.

“I know what you are thinking. You can’t make such a heap of money while being pusillanimous. There must be risk. I and Sharon….”

Poom! Poom!

A ball crossed over the fence and bounced to nearly hit Layla. The ball hit a wall and rolled down.

“Hey, Devon, go get the ball.” A man said from the other compound.

The girls kept quiet listening.

“You are not moving dude. Go and pick the ball. I am boiling. That was a shot though.” The man repeated.

“I can’t get the ball.” They heard Devon say.

“Why? Just turn around and knock.”

“I have some real tough, taciturn and angry looking neighbor.”

“What is our business with that? It’s just a ball.”

“Listen Lash, the other day my ball dropped there. I went to pick it only to be blocked by police men. They tore my dear life with questions. They guard this young chic like she was the president’s daughter. I don’t know what she is. Maybe the IG’s young wife whom the older wife has threatened her life, or the only girl who knows where Don Perox is hiding. I don’t know what she is but she is being guarded. Plus, she is a grumpy queen. She warned me never to let my ball get binto her compound again.”

Lash laughed. “Are you scared of her? If it was me…”

“It is not you. You are Lash, I am Devon. From the way she sounds, she may tell me one of these days not to breath from the air that crosses from her house to mine. I got myself a lovely neighbor, dude.”

“Is she living alone?”

“I don’t know. It seems I don’t want to know”

“she may be inside her room. Just try to get the ball fast. You can’t let that ball go. It’s NBA standard bro.”

There was a few seconds of silence.

“Sure Lash. You succeed in cajoling me and I will foolishly capitulate.”

The girls saw him drop with a swift move and landed in the compound. He was very shocked to see two girls staring at him. What? Will she call the cops? Damn!

He raised both hands in the air.

“I am under arrest.” He said. “I have the right to remain silent. Anything I say can and will be used against me in a court of law. I have the right to have an attorney. If I can’t afford one, one will be appointed to me by the court…”

The girls just looked at him without a word.

“Good morning neighbors. I am Devon.  Don’t bother to introduce yourselves. I am okay with that. If you are calling the cops, do that fast but if you are not, please let me take my ball and leave.”

The girls still said nothing. Layla just gaped. He was tall, fit, handsome and she liked him at once.

“Thank you.’ He said with a smile, ran and picked the ball and threw it over the fence into his compound. “Thank you neighbors. Once again, I am Devon.”

He sprang up and vaulted over the fence and disappeared. Layla was carried away. What a boy!

“Zee-baby.” Layla said above a little above a whisper. “ I like him.”

Zina smiled.

“I hate him!”

This was the beginning of the story of Devon, Zina and Layla.