The week in hell 2

Driving into the car park of shoprite abuja,I had a bad feeling about the place,my heart beat started pounding fast and I sensed all wouldn't be well here,climbing down from the car,I told Hamz what I was feeling, "oh please maj....stop with such talks...you are only feeling that way because you are sick"

But I knew what I was feeling...I felt unsafe....and I was right

"AAAachhuum" I sneezed rather violently into my palms cupped over my face, "bless you!" Karl and QT said in unison, Hamz was busy eyeing up the entire sprawling mall,in his usual predatory manner,looking for "clean" babes as he puts it...walking past security,the automatic doors leading into the mall whooshed open letting out trapped mass of cold air,I inhaled in deeply,dipping my hands in my pocket...."AAAAachuuuum" another sneeze from me,"bless you" Karl said again,looking at me with a dry smile


"the AC too much for ya little brother?" I let out a laugh, "little brother?" I asked again, Karl has never referred to me as his little brother,technically,I am but actually saying it made me laugh,

"yea! Aren't you my little brother" Karl asked with a smile as we all walked with swagger along the large corridors past silverbird cinemas and almost approaching shoprite's suite...

"We share the same DNA from our dad,and you all are my little brothers,even QT"

he mentioned the last part squinting his eyes and averting our gaze,looking ahead,Hamz bursted out laughing and clapping his hands "oh yea, that's true,isn't it little brother?" He said turning to QT who smiled,nervously rubbing his lips...

Its quite obvious He's yet to completely come to grasp with the fact that he's being bumped to the position of the "second born" atleast from our dad's side and with his mixed parentage and "oyinbo" person,dad's family are finding it pretty easy to acknowledge him as the first son from our dad,as for me,I couldn't be bothered,we are all males and have equal rights to the family fortune...whenever that is due


The cold breeze of the massive air conditioners stationed everywhere in the mall was beginning to get to me,I rubbed my arms frantically to keep it warm...seeing this,Karl took off his onesie and threw it at me,I caught it with a smile saying thanks


"AAAaachuum" I sneezed for the third time

"Ah" Hamz exclaimed,my sneeze breaking his attention from his ogling pretty women we encounter along the way

"Easy bro,its getting too much"

He said but for me,that was my clue that affirms that truly,something bad is going to happen,don't get me wrong,am not superstitious nor fetish but more than once,it's happened that way in the past where I sneeze three times and something not so cool happens,

"let's get out here right now" I said,stopping in my track,my face looking nervous and unsettled

QT,Hamz and Karl all stopped and turned to face me,Hamz's facial muscles and brow was squeezing into an annoyed and irritated look,squeezing his lips at the sides, scratching his head and stomping his feet in annoyance,QT shouted angrily for me to shut it and move along "STOP BEING SUCH A SOFTIE ABOUT EVERYTHING" He shouted at me,Hamz smiled,I was dazed at the outburst,I looked around me,catching the gaze of the little crowd of other shoppers and passers-by who all threw us inquiring looks,my mouth fell agape,I rubbed nervously at my brow,not knowing what to say or do,security personnels approached us asking to know if there was a problem

QT hissed and walked along,Karl smiled and told them all was well, "brothers tiff" he said


The crowd gradually dispersed in a hiss and low buzz of murmur, going about their lives,Karl came towards me, placed his arm around my neck,urging me on,I nodded,smiled dryly and walked on

We shopped in silence,talking to my brothers only when it was absolutely necessary

"Do you think we need more than 5 bottles of ketchup?"

QT asked,picking 2 more bottles of heinz ketchup to drop in the shopping cart,I gave no response,rather sorting through glossy magazine stands, Karl smiled,it was natural that I was sulking,I was upset and the punk hasn't had the tact to apologise

"Maj! QT just asked a question" Karl remarked, I raised my head from the magazines to look at him,

" Pls tell him we usually buy 7 bottles and if he took the time to enter the kitchen more often,he wouldn't be asking me google questions" I said with a hiss, Hamz laughed,that got me enraged

"U BRAT CALLED HAMZ,YOU HAD BETTER WATCH YOUR MOUTH LEST I HIT YOU LIKE WE ARE NOT RELATED BY BLOOD"

Hamz zipped it, we continued shopping,angrily snatching products we don't need from QT and Hamz and picking the ones we need,I whipped out 2 crisp notes of one thousand naira each from my wallet,handed it over to Hamz to get freshly baked bread I was perceiving,

"Why should I be the one who goes to buy it,am sorry the queue is too long,I can't go" ,his response jolted me ,"what effrontery,I looked around to make sure he was indeed talking to me,

"Were u talking to me?"

I asked,just to confirm,he squared up against me,his strong looking abs and biceps pulsating,in my mind,I knew if I made a move,he would snap my neck in an instant but gosh,I can't allow this useless brat I held as a baby disrespect me and totally loose my birthright as his senior brother,I made to slap him,praying in my mind that Karl holds my hand...my hand midway in the air,I couldn't stop myself now and have concluded once it lands on Hamz's cheeks,I would scold loudly and this would attract the security and crowd

I felt a hard grip on my hand,I looked up,whew! Thankfully,it was Karl, I let a deep sigh,more out of relief than anger,Hamz chuckled and left my presence,QT giving us both a condescending look,obviously upset at our shameless display in a public place,my phone buzzed and I checked,it was a text from mom announcing she's on her way to the airport,urgent work travel to port-harcourt,won't be back until the next wednesday,

"Yeah! Exactly what I needed",I thought with a sigh and told my brothers the news,Hamz brightened up with excitement, "YAY! WE CAN GO CLUBBING WITHOUT DISTURBANCE" he squealed and immediately quieten down,when he saw my no smiling face, remembering am in the way between him and clubbing

Karl again came and wrap his arm around my neck,trying to sweet talk me into forgiving Hamz and QT

 "Common Maj,just ignore all they did and let's all have fun by going clubbing ok?" I pretended to still be upset and I really was,Hamz playfully nudged me at my sides with his elbow while QT wheeled the cart...we were now beginning to laugh and my anger gradually thawed away when suddenly we heard a loud bang that shook the entire mall,lights flickered on and off and some going off,I held on Karl's muscly arms,people were rushing in from outside as though something was chasing them,pandemonium broke out in the mall,security men were trying to fervently to get people to order


"WHAT'S GOING ON" choruses rent the air,

"BOMB,BOMB,A SUICIDE BOMBER JUST DETONATED HIMSELF OUTSIDE THE MALL" an obviously torn man wailed, shaking vigorously as he cried,sitting on the floor "MY CAR, MY CAR OOOO" he cried,some people hissed, "should he be bothered about his car right now?" Someone cooed behind Karl,I looked around me,sharing worried glances with my brothers, "God if u can save us from this,I would forever listen to Maj" Hamz said a little prayer a little aloud, we all shared a dry smile,it sort of lessen the weight of worry and fear we all carried,but fizzled out almost as soon as the smile vanished off our faces, a security man mounted a high table with a public address speaker,trying to calm us down,motioning with his hands for staffs of shoprite to surround the mall and ensure people didn't loot the store,this action irked some section of the crowd who felt all that wasn't needed at that time and needed information on what was going on outside,I buried my head in Karl's muscled abs in sadness and frustration

The restless crowd began shouting at the security team and demanded they open the exit doors and let them out,angry sweaty men and terrified women charging towards them...totally frightened,I freed myself from Karl's embrace, ransacked myself,checking for my phone,whipped it out and swiping at its face,I quickly dialled mom's line, the familiar sound of the machine cooed

"the number you have dialled is not available at the moment..." I was pissed and ended it before the machine could finish talking, "mom's line isn't going through,her flight probably might have taken off" I said to my obviously frightened and sweat soaked brothers,Karl's curly quiff dampened with sweat

While the commotion and arguments went on, another big bang went off

"BOOOM!"