For Ikem and Chijioke, a new beginning slapped their face. They haven’t tasted anything since two days; though they lost their appetites. The only hunger was freedom. But they couldn’t have it. They didn’t know where they were. They sat on the floor of a building. Danga haD been going out and coming back. Each time he came back Chairman always asked him, “has the city cooled down?”
"No rioters are still rioting in the city” Danga said.
“Ah! These witches wouldn’t get me at all. Baba would be waiting for me. With this ritual, I would be very rich” Chairman cried.
On hearing it the children started a fresh cry, calling God to help them.
“Will you shut up your mouths? I don’t care if you boys are witches,” he yelled. But their cry grew higher. Chairman dashed into his room, brought a cane and flogged them hard “O ya! Shhhh!” Chairman barked at them. They quickly shut up.
“Only if the medicine man would come here to perform the rituals, you will just die,” chairman said.
A fresh cry erupted among them again. At the sight of chairman’s cane, they shut up.
Chairman and Danga walked into another room. They talked behind closed door. After their discussion, they came out to the kids.
“Alright children we are leaving” Chairman smiled, trying to be a bit soft with them.
"We will take you home today.Danga get their clothes,” Chairman said, pretending to be good. Danga came in with two sets of children’s clothes. Those are juniors best” chairman said. Junior is chairman’s only son. He is in America with the wife. They untied them and gave them the new clothes to wear. Chairman went outside to his car and warmed the engine.
“Now we will drive around town a little. Then I will take you home. Remember to tell mum how good we were,” Chairman said and smirked, turning to Danga he said. “Are we not good?”
“Yes we are good to children,” Danga giggled, his ugly face shined like a star.
“Where do you stay?" Chairman questioned them.
“We stay at Amakohia” they both answered, still trembling.
"Now kids, you are going back to Amakohia, be good boys. You are my sons", Chairman smirked, stroking their heads.
They gently led them to the backseat of the car. Danga sat with them –Trying to amuse them. The car accelerated into the main road. From time to time, the car bumped into potholes. Ikem and Chijioke sat quietly in fear.
They knew that they were not taking them to Amakohia. Chairman accelerated further into the out skirts of Owerri.
Some groups of rioters were on Owerri – Nekede road; angrily searching every car. Chairman saw them late. If he turned, they would suspect him. Moreover, he is in the middle of a go slow. Every motorist tied palm frond on their car- signifying support. The rioters tied palm frond on their head, indicating anger chairman turned to the boys, “Sons be good, after passing them. You would be in Amakohia!” He announced.
Soon it was their turn to be searched. The angry rioters walked up to their car – knocked violently on their windscreen.
“Open that door!” A mean looking man scowled at them.
“Ah! Take it easy oh! You wan break ma glass! Na me be Otokoto. “Chairman reacted angrily. They opened their door and came down. They rioter searched the car, but couldn’t find anything.
“Open your boot!” Another man commanded.
“Ah easy oh!” Chairman angrily opened the boot. They searched but found nothing.
“Ok go! Go! Go! Go! Next!” the man said.
On hearing that, Ikem ran away, Chijioke followed him. The rioter’s caught them, held them firmly. Chairman nearly ran mad at the children’s act. “Junior and senior, No Emeka and Chukwudi come” Chairman felt confused, trying to draw their attention; he doesn’t know their name.
“Boys why do you want to run” Danga asked. The rioter looked at them suspiciously and turned to the little lads.
”Is this man your papa?” one man asked, others kept their ears open, angrily waiting to hear the lads speak.
“No! No! They caught us where we were plucking fruits…” the lads cried.
On hearing that, chairman and Danga took to their heels, realizing that the rioters would descend on them.
The angry rioters took no time in catching the big stomach man. The huge one proved a little bit difficult to catch, but was dragged down at the heart of the bush. One of the rioters recognized chairman,
“Is chairman! A politician! Kill him!” one of the rioters recognized him. Everybody raised matchet, some stone, and some bare hand. They descended on the kidnappers and beat them mercilessly. Chairman and Danga lay in pool of blood. Excruciating pain from wound sustained all over his body. The head of the rioters raised a song:
With the song of anger, they danced round them. One of brought a car tire tub, hung it round their neck and they set them on fire. The flame went deep into the soul of the sky. Chairman and Danga struggled for life, but were too weak. They faced jungle justice. After some hours, their black, burnt bodies lay lifeless on the main road. Their offal littered there. Truly the sun reappeared. At the sight of police officers the angry rioters dispersed like the wind.
