Behind the mask episode 3

BEHIND THE MASK
EPISODE 3
© Jones K. Tagbor
*The night club mystery*
” _Hello SP, Thanks for your affection towards me. I equally do
feel the same for you but I didn’t want that to interfere with our
administrative work that’s why I rejected all your offers. But one
thing is for sure, if we are really meant to be together, we will.
Take care. Yours in love, GP_”.
After reading the letter, I felt some joy within myself. I met her on
campus that evening and together with my three friends, we
visited a night club located at Asamankese to have our first date.
We left campus around 8:30pm and because of our statuses as
SRC executives, the security man couldn’t stop us from going out.
The club was full of immoral activities at it’s fullest peak; ladies
dressed almost naked, the air in the room was a mixture of weed
smoke and alcohol. It will surprise you to see how crowded the
place was with youths of our dear motherland.
Me: Charley guys, I’m not comfortable around this place? Let’s
leave with immediate effect.
Eric replied with a disappointed look
Eric: Hey, hey! What is your problem? Is this your first time
coming to an environment like this? Stop that hypocrisy life here
and chill up. Remember you have a date with our first lady.
Me: Who is the first lady?
I quickly remembered my mother because that was how we’ve
been calling her home.
Enyonam: Guys what’s happening here?
Me: Dear, I’m not comfortable with this place. Just look at how
the whole place is covered with smoke? I can’t stand the smell of
the weed.
Enyonam: You mean we should go back to campus? Okay I
understand. I suggest we hang around for some time and then go
back since we’re already here.
Amos: GP I beg leave this *John* guy alone. No wonder that’s his
name. Do you know the risks involved to be a man?
All these while, Joshua went into the club to get a place where we
could sit since the place was full.
Joshua: Hey guys! I got a very nice place inside. Let’s go and make
ourselves comfortable. Hi GP, you are looking very gorgeous.
Enyonam smiled and thanked him for the compliment.
Me: Joshua I don’t feel like going inside again. Let’s go back to
campus.
Joshua: Ah! ah!! You again. Why do you always try to quench our
happy moments. Look, I’m not sure we can have such nice times
after school oo. This is your time to chill the hell out of ourselves.
Before I could say the next word, Amos and Eric took the lead.
Enyonam looked into my face, held me by the waist and said,
“sweetheart let’s go inside. We won’t keep long”. I nodded and
made her put her hands under my arm and together with Joshua,
we went to sit at the place he found.
There was more to drink and eat. Enyonam requested for
Guinness. She took two full bottles of it within a short while. I
looked into her face and smiled. I was actually surprised for a
young girl like her drinking that quantity.
I requested for smirnoff and Eric said…
Eric : Look at how your date is even enjoying herself and you are
here saying all you want is Smirnoff. Masa add this 8PM and see
how nice this world is. He poured some of his 8PM into my
disposal cup and I took it. He himself was almost drunk. Soon, I
moved Enyonam to the dancing floor. So funny I was doing that
“pentecost elder” dance where they move their legs in an orderly
manner. That’s all the dance I know because back at home, all I
know was church. The alcoholic drink started working in me so
my dance this time around had no formula. People around me
started laughing at me. They took me for a comedian. They were
not wrong. My dance was very funny. The lights were put off so
people were doing whatever pleases them in the dark. My friends
found some ladies at the club and were also having fun with
them. I started touching Enyonams sexually sensitive parts but
she made no sign of displeasure. I think my hands even went
under her dress. Hmm God have mercy. Gradually, we were both
getting aroused and honestly speaking, that was my first time to
experience those feelings. I felt excited of this arousal. It was
something sweet was moving inside my body and making me
funny inside. All our expenses was also on me. Enyonam
suggested we go get a lodge to satisfy the horny feelings that has
taken over us. I told her my money left was not enough to fund
that but she said she would take care of that part. I decided to
check the time on my phone. My vision was actually distorted by
the alcohol but I was able to see that it was almost midnight. As
soon as I put the phone back in my pocket, a call came through.
Surpringly, it was my mother calling. “How on earth should mum
be calling me this late?” I asked myself and left the call
unanswered. At least that would show that I was asleep. She
called for the second time so I excused Enyonam and went out of
the room since the music was very loud to receive the call.
Me: hello
Mum: my son I hope you are doing well?
Me: Yes Please I’m fine mum.
Mum: But where are you at this time that the background is very
noisy like that?
I actually didn’t know how to respond to that so I pretended that
the network was not good so I couldn’t hear her.
Me: mum Hello, please are you there? hello, Hello! I cut the call
and felt very bad. It was like I knew I was becoming a stubborn
child which was not usual of me. She called back.
Mum: I said where are you? (With a bit raised voice.)
Me: …but mum you know I’m in School so why that question?
(with an innocent voice)
Mum: I meant the noise in the background. Where is it coming
from?
Me: oh Sorry mum I forgot to tell you that we are having some
handing over party today on campus so that’s where I am.
Mum: Ohk. John I just had terrible dream about you right now
and I want us to pray. Your father and I are awake just to help
you in prayers so get somewhere less noisy and let’s pray.
Me: …and mum what is the dream about?
Mum: My son it’s difficult for me to narrate but the long and
short of it is that, in the dream, We were called and you were
reported dead in school. So my son let’s pray and cancel the spirit
of death.
In fact I got scared when I heard that. My intoxication vanished
immediately. I ran abit away from the club and told mum that I
was ready so we could pray. She started with a song and I could
hear my dad also singing in the background. They started praying.
As my eyes were closed and in the mood of prayer, I started
hearing people screaming and shouting for help. I opened my
eyes to see what was going on only for me to see the club house
in flames of fire. “Jesus Christ!!!!!”, I exclaimed louder for the
shock and with speed, I ran towards the place to see if my friends
were fine. The fire service and the ambulance were around to do
their work. Due to the number of people inside with only one
entrance, some people were stucked in the fire and burnt into
ashes. Eric was very drunk too by then. From a distance, I saw
Joshua and Amos panting and restless. I ran to them and asked of
Enyonam and Eric. They said they don’t know their whereabouts.
“What! You should be joking. ” I said with noise. All this while,
my parents were on the phone praying and listening to what was
happening in the background.
Amos: Look… look, that’s Enyonam being carried into the
ambulance.
We ran to the ambulance and truly, she was the one. She was
unconscious. I asked the military nurse how he was able to find
her and he said one guy was trying to save her and we went to
also help, but it’s unfortunate we couldn’t save the guy himself.
Am afraid he is dead.
Eric was the one the nurse was referring to. He tried saving
Enyonam and died himself. We cried and felt very guilty for his
death.
This time around, my mother realized I’ve forgotten I was on a
call. She hanged up and and called our house master and asked
what was happening in our school whiles we also followed the
ambulance to the hospital where Enyonam was taken to. The
house master reported that there was nothing like a party going
on in the school so her son was telling lies. The house master
came to knock on my door but there was no response. He called
an assembly for every student in the dorm that night and checked
the role. The SP and his friends were no where to be found. He
called the girls house mistress to do same at her end and the GP
was also no where to be found. They asked the security and he
revealed that we went for a meeting in town so we were not
back. My mother kept calling my phone but I never answered. I,
together with Amos and Joshua, were at the hospital to make sure
Enyonam survived. At dawn, one of the nurses came to tell us
that she had gained consciousness. We went to see her and she
was fine but got her face burnt but not very severely. I cried
when I saw her in that state. Early in the morning, the news was
everywhere that the was a gas explosion in the kitchen of the
club that led to the fire outbreak. It was reported that all staffs in
the kitchen could not make it and about 30 people died in the
flames and more than 100 people were on admission and in
critical conditions. Eric was part of the people who died. May his
soul rest in peace.
My parents drove to campus early that morning to see what was
actually going on. We went to report ourselves to the
Housemaster and he also took it to the administration. I
explained everything to them and I was blamed for everything.
My dad gave me a very resounding slap on my ear after I narrated
what happened. It went into the newspapers that the School
Prefect of Asamankese Senior High School led his colleagues to a
night club leading to the death of one student and the Senior
Girls perfect on admission at the Accident and Emergency unit.
Everybody who heard this news got surprised because they didn’t
know about that behaviour of me. My father said he had nothing
to say so gave the school the go ahead to apply their disciplinary
actions for me to learn from my behaviour. My mother could not
withheld her tears for once. Eric’s parents also heard the news
and came to the school. I regretted ever being on earth that day. I
wished I rather died for Eric to live.
For the wages of sin is death but with grace and mercy from our
lord, he makes us a new creature.
TBC