Derrick and Roseline were looking heavily tired as they tread the lonely path of the desert to their promise land. Having walking for three days without any supply or map, their feet which had threatened to go on strike, they drag on and on.
The duo were holding each other's hand as the incredible desert heat battled them. Suddenly Roseline's leg finally gave in and they both collapsed on the dry sand. Derrick stood up immediately and attempted to get his friend up as well.
"Come on baby, get up let's continue our journey " he persuaded.
"I'm sorry Derrick, I can't go anymore. I can't feel my legs. "
she replied.
"No No baby, we can stay her it's dangerous. We need to go."
"Honey do me a favor, leave me here and continue the journey" she cried.
"I'm sorry, I can't do that" after saying this he pulled her up, placing her arm around his neck and started carrying her
along.
They walked a few yards before Derrick's strength refuse him and Roseline fell rolling down the sloppy hot sand. He went to get her but unfortunately, there were dozens of scorpions down the slope and Roseline had been terribly bitten. Derrick
managed to fend off the scorpions and drag her back to the high land.
"Look at me honey, you are going to be alright " he said while trying to reason how he could save her.
" Please Derrick am dying and their is nothing you can do about it, save your strength and continue the journey " she
pleaded.
"You can't leave me all alone Rose, no I can't accept that. "
he cried.
"Promise me something darling, promise me you won't give up, you must continue till you get there"
"I can't do this alone " he cried.
"You can and you will. I love you Derrick. " after this she became silent for ever.
"No !!!!!!!!!!!!" Derrick wailed.
A pick up wagon pulled over on the dusty road. Two guys and a lady came down from the back.
"This is it guys, this is where your journey begins. You only
have twelve hours to walk till you get to Kakangi village where our people will pick you up and take you to the town."
the front man instructed.
He dipped his hand in to his breast pocket, brought out a neatly folded paper and handed it over to Derrick.
"This map will guide you through and here is the delivery.
Stay clear of the border patrols you don't want to get caught with it. " He gave them each a package which they put inside their back packs.
"How do we find your people? " asked the lady.
"Don't worry they will locate you once you get to Kakangi. As the French would say Bourne Voyage." The front man climbed into the wagon and it zoomed off leaving the duo at the hands of destiny.
It would have been total darkness if not for the fire lit by the duo before they went to sleep. They lay there under a tent wrapped in a blanket. Roseline woke up to the distant roaring of a wild animal and she tapped her companion.
"What is it? " Derrick replied groggily.
"Don't you hear that? " she answered referring to the roaring which was getting closer.
"Don't get yourself worried about that, they won't come here because of the fire."
"Look Derrick " she cried pointing at a glowing eyes in the dark. In a few seconds it was no longer eyes alone but a big hairy man eater. The duo jolted up and Roseline hid behind her lover.
The animal licked it's lips savouring the meal to come.
Acting on impulse, Derrick ran out of the tent with his partner and pushed it down into the fire. A huge inferno leapt up deflecting the animal while they took to their heels.
They came back the following morning to find all they had eaten up by the inferno including the delivery and their map.
Having lost it all, they proceeded on their journey without any sense of direction.
Derrick lay on the hot desert sand robbed of any hope of survival. The death of his one and only companion made everything worse. Bearing the responsibility of his lover's death coupled with thirst and hunger he succumbed to his fate, waiting for death to come knocking at the door but it didn't. A local hunter who had wandered far in search of game found him and took him to his village.
Derrick groggily opened his eyes to find himself lying on a bed. He surveyed his environment for any familiarity but he found none. He struggled to get up but he was weak. The door opened and an old man came in with a tray of food. He spurt out a few words but Derrick couldn't make any meaning out of it.
"Who are you? What am I doing here?" Derrick queried but all he got as a response was a mumbo jumbo.
He started putting everything together and soon it all started making sense. He had collapsed on the desert and this old
man had saved him and brought him to his house.
"Is this Kakangi village?" Derrick asked stressing his pronunciation of Kakangi to make sure the man understand.
"Kakangi " the man replied followed by a gesticulation that it is not the village they are in but it is very close by.
Derrick struggled to get up again but the man restrained him saying something in his local dialect but he was reluctant. A
young boy who happened to be the man's son came in to rescue the situation. It was he who explained to Derrick in English that he should stay put till he has fully recover.
The next day Derrick found himself on a bus to Tripoli going to see Matthew, the guy who put him in this mess. He had
complained to Matthew about how difficult life has been for him in Nigeria and Matthew had suggested the way out of Nigeria and poverty for him so he took it. He didn't take it alone, he also dragged his beloved fiancee into it and now her body lies in the hot desert.
A few hours later, the bus stopped and he alighted to start wandering about looking for a pay phone. He eventually found one and contact his friend who promised to come pick him up. Derrick had started thinking Matthew played him until he alighted from a taxi and walked up to him.
"Where is the merchandise?" Matthew asked without showing any courtesy.
"Matthew is that what you should say after I narrated everything to you on phone?" Derrick answered angrily.
"Just tell me where the damn merchandise is, we don't have much time. They are going to kill you." Matthew shouted.
Suddenly a hand holding a pistol stretched out of a car opposite them and took a shot. A loud report was heard and
Matthew dropped down with blood oozing out of his fore head. Derrick made a run for it but two guys came out of the
car to pursue him. Fortunately he got lucky as he ran into a military guard while trying to evade his pursuer. Although he
was beaten and arrested but he was saved from the hands of death.
After spending days in a local military barracks, he got his salvation when a young man dressed in suit came to visit
him.
"My name is detective Mayan, I'm from Interpol. I believe we have something interesting to talk about." He said bringing out a few photos from his briefcase.
He dropped a photograph on the table.
"Do you recognize this man" He said.
Derrick stared at the photograph but couldn't recognize it so he shook his head.
"Am sure you won't know but what about this two? " He dropped two more photos on the table and Derrick recognizer one as Matthew's pics and the other as the man who gave them the merchandise but he denied knowing anyone.
It was then that Mayan explained to him that the Interpol had been aware that the organization was using people to smuggle drugs from Nigeria to Libya and they have been investigating it for months. He told Derrick how the organization will ruthlessly try to regain their merchandise or kill him if they couldn't. Mayan made him understand that his captive is the only thing keeping him alive and once he is release, they would find him. He urged him to cooperate with him and testify against them. He promised to let Derrick go once he did and Derrick who had no choice agreed.
Derrick was being escort as he walk out of the Muritala international airport. The custom officer at his side left him alone the minute he was outside the airport. Derrick scanned the whole place with his eyeballs. There he was, back in Nigeria, the country he tried to run from.