Knife Edge

Dagogo's first obstacle was Amadi's small talk. Sharp suit, crisp shoes and gentleman glasses, seated on the strongest looking chair in the poor man's living room. Amadi, faded brown I was white singlet, covering his pot belly and a short knicker sat opposite. Torn rug on many sides, beneath their feet. Open spaces in the wall, serving as windows, covered by nailed curtains. An ancient dead radio on a center table.

"My condolences, your father was original human rights activist, good man..." Amadi sighed and shook his round head. A folding of lips followed, alongside a deep breath.

"Thank you Sir." Dagogo preserved a professional smile.

Amadi proceeded to Dagogo's slight American accent, and Dagogo's interest in a bottle of drink or local snacks. Dagogo spilled a little about growing up in America, refused refreshments and switched to the purpose of his visit.

"Sir, I just wanna get your perspective on that night." Dagogo used a thumb for tipping the glasses on his nose. Perfect balance was important for a clear vision.

"Do you think...was there any sort of provocation towards the soldiers? Either from my father or the ENDSARS protesters."

One thing a lawyer discovers early into the job, is that people enjoy being listened to. Dagogo composed a straight face. Amadi poured out his own version of the 20th of October ENDSARS protest, from top to bottom. Such details were well established in Dagogo's ENDSARS file, created based on testimonies of previous witnesses. ENDSARS protesters gathered at Lekki toll gate around twelve midnight. Mr Dumo Hart adddresed the crowd. Government soldiers came and ordered them to dismiss. They disobeyed and bullets were fired. Lots of bullets. Lots of corpses. As expected, the good hearted government maintained their undoubted innocence.

"Mr Dumo, he was standing on platform to talk, they shoot him down." Amadi said.

Dagogo tightened his face and touched his perfect tie. Keep the emotions intact. Amadi was dwindling towards complaining about society, insulting government, this and that.

Dagogo cut him midway. "I have a court case against the Naija government Sir."

"Oh...that's a good one. They should be sued." An impressed smile climbed Amadi's lips.

"Thank you Sir, my real intention for coming, was to request your help."

"My help," Amadi chuckled. "is there...anything somebody like me can do?"

"Are you willing to testify against the government Sir?"

"Against government?" Amadi sat up from his relaxed posture on the chair.

"In court, as my witness." Dagogo's face was firm. It wasn't a joke.

Amadi's face went dim. He scratched his bald head, rubbed it and made a funny disapproving noise. "Mr...I know what you are saying, is not as if I don't know. But this Naija government..." Amadi sighed.

"Hear me out Sir..." Dagogo ignited, staring Amadi in the eyes.

"A government that murders innocent civilians in cold blood Sir, such a government is an enemy to the people, and they must be held accountable" — Dagogo pointed a finger towards Amadi for expression. In Amadi's head, the pointing was to the government. — "Human rights are not privileges. They're not gifts. They're not something...controlled by the government." — Dagogo opened his palm, signifying control. "Therefore not even a government, not any government, can trespass on the rights of its citizens without just cause" — He left a finger in the air — "I need you to consider my request Sir. Ask yourself if the death of my father. A man you held in high regard..." — Dagogo followed Amadi's gaze, and the finger pointed — "The deaths of countless ENDSARS protesters, such a terrible and wicked occurrence, does it not cry out for justice?"

Dagogo slowed his breathing and dropped his hand.

"In your very respectable opinion Sir, please consider my request."

Amadi took a deep breath, clasped his palms together and turned his face from Dagogo. Then cleared his throat and moved his lips, but there were no words. Dagogo observed him for some seconds, filed his hand into his inner suit pocket, and took out fresh bank notes, well wrapped in a bundle. He dropped it on a table and Amadi glanced at it.

"It wouldn't be fair Sir, if I fail to acknowledge that this is not an easy choice for you. This is a token of my appreciation." Dagogo gestured towards the money. "I appreciate that you took the time to speak with me, and I would also like to assure you of full police protection, if you choose to testify." Dagogo stared at him.

Amadi had an inside smile, which he tried to hide, by keeping his mouth closed. He glanced from the money to Dagogo.

"What you are asking Mr Dagogo is...is not easy, but you have shown me your kind of man. I will consider what you say."

Dagogo smiled. "Perfect, thank you Sir." They shook hands.

***

Amadi escorted Dagogo to his car, nodding and laughing a lot. The sudden freeness in the big belly man, Dagogo's money would be invested in drinking, not the slightest doubt, but the thought of Amadi's life at risk, crossed the lawyer's mind. Two previous witnesses contacted. Two witnesses dead. Naija sun had a bright yellow on the environment as they walked, partnering the dominant smell of smoke. Tall, tallest grasses and plantain trees were spread far and wide in the vicinity.

They got close to Dagogo's car. “Mr Amadi, we’ll be in communication, thank you for today.”

Small noise from the bushes tickled Dagogo's ears. Small enough to be unnoticed. Amadi was nodding with a big smile as he shook Dagogo's hand. The noise became big. Fast approaching footsteps, stomping on hard grass. Dagogo turned towards the direction. Amadi was staring as well. A man was racing through the bush. Launching his legs forward in a way that was worrying. You would wonder if he had lost his mind, because his laughter was loud, with a light and audible voice from afar. Dagogo stretched his sight to a black object in the man's hand, but he couldn't identify it.

"Why the man is...who is chasing him? Sir don't bother with it, is one of this mad people..." Amadi delved into an explanation of mad men in Diobu street. Logicalizing the situation.

The bush pulled Dagogo's attention. His squinting eyes stared at the mad laughing man, charging through the grass, and the face was becoming clear. A strange sick white face with dark spots. He wasn't white like a white man, but white like an albino. His eyes were too far for Dagogo to pick out. But the alien abnormal whiteness of his face, his tall and lanky body, wearing a shirt that was triple his size. Dagogo's heart beat was spiked. The conclusion of a simple madman on the loose, just a madman, regular madman, yet something, there was something to this man. A second person was approaching fast behind the mad laughing man. A man in black, from cap and t-shirt to trousers, and it seemed he was pursuing.

"Wait, wait, two men!" Amadi's tone increased.

The man in black had lunged into the air, grabbing the mad laughing man by neck with both hands, and diving him to ground. Both men rolled in the grass, dragging the black object, climbing untop each other, punching and elbowing.

"Sir I think we should..."

Amadi's words were drifting in Dagogo's hearing, because every safety button in Dagogo's head, was screaming for him to walk away, run, drive. But he wouldn't move, curiosity glued his feet to ground, and he kept staring harder. The man in black gripped the object. The mad laughing man climbed on him, held his hand, lifted the object above ground level and pointed in Dagogo's direction. Dagogo saw the metal of the object. Not just metal. Gun!

"Run!" The man in black shouted. A loud bang coincided with his voice.

Balance abadoned Dagogo. His heart quaked, butt landed on the ground and glasses flew off his face. All without his intention. His ears were numb. The bullet had disappeared past him. It must have hit him! Blood? He touched his body, random hands searching. He found his chest pounding without focus, and kept looking around him. Amadi's existence had left his mind. Looking away from himself was by accident. But blood entered the corner of his eye. Perhaps Dagogo didn't want to turn to his head fully to see it, but he did. The red sea had spread from Amadi, covering the sand. Dagogo's blurred vision constructed Amadi on the ground, convulsing and clutching his bleeding stomach. His eyes were wide and bright. Nostrils were fighting with his breathing, as Dagogo stared at him. Dagogo's mind was blank in shock, and his fingers were trembling. He blinked his eyes, looking towards the bush. The mad laughing man, using the gun, had smacked the man in black in the head. Then he stood and pointed the weapon at Dagogo. The man in black seemed to have been knocked out. Dagogo could see the smallish albino eyes of the mad laughing man, and the scary sinister smile running end to end on his face. In his mind's eye, the bullet had left the gun and entered his body. However, the mad laughing man dropped his hand, smiled and turned his back to Dagogo. He started strolling, then laughing, then he went behind a tree and he was gone. The mad laughing man's voice became distant. Dagogo hurried to his feet, picked up his glasses, wore it, ignored the cracked lens and made a desperate rush to Amadi, wiping sand off his trousers on the way.

"Mr Amadi." Dagogo held him. Amadi was battling for breath.

Dagogo put one hand around his neck, a second hand around his waist, and raised Amadi into himself. Heavy man. Gripping Amadi and staggering towards his car, meant Dagogo's upper body bent backwards, steps took longer to reach the ground, sweat oozed from skin pores and falling was just a simple mistake away. Endure, be strong. Shaky steps, stagger, almost falling, stop, tightened his grip on Amadi, and he got to his car. Then he leaned into it, holding Amadi and gasping for air.

"Oh God." His chest was pumping hard. Dagogo rested his body. Few seconds.

He gripped Amadi tight, noticed the blood smeared on his suit, and knew he would never wear it again. Then he slipped a hand into his pocket for car keys, pressed the unlock button and returned the keys. Filling his tanks with mental strength, he shifted himself and Amadi forward, rubbing his back into the vehicle, until he was beyond the door of his backseat. Then he opened it. Gentle and gradual, but his strength failed, Amadi slipped from his grip, and dropped into the seat. Then he held the car door, prevented himself landing on Amadi, and settled his breathing. Amadi's eyes were barely open. Dagogo stared briefly, steadied his glasses and swifted to the driver's door. An aching scattered shout blasted from the bush. Dagogo wished his ears wouldn't hear, but the shout rose louder. He opened to the driver's seat, paused, closed his eyes and shook his head at his decision. Closing the car door, he hurried into the bush, pretending not to feel how the grasses were flogging his trousers and destroying the smoothness. Within himself he considered if he wasn't walking into the death which he had just escaped, and stopped his movement a bit. But Dagogo could already see the man in black groaning, jerking his body in different directions, gripping his injured head with blood gushing past his fingers. He moved past his inner self, and advanced forward in cautious quick steps.

His eyes rattled before he spoke. "Excuse me Sir, I can help you to a hospital..."

"Who are you? Get away!" The man in black tussled his body against the pain.

Dagogo watched him and observed a nasty cut on his forehead, like a rough line. Dagogo's thoughts bounced. Amadi was a potential witness. This man. A stranger. Unknown. At least to a reasonable extent, Amadi was somewhat known. At least enough to believe Amadi's life, had some sort of level of importance. A good likelihood existed that the man in black stood a higher chance than Amadi. A gambling likelihood. Dagogo glanced backwards to his car. His mind wasn't made up. He left the man in black with the pain filled noise. Got to his car, without any conviction his decision was right, he started his engine. A knock on the windscreen interrupted. Opposite the driver's seat. He looked. It was the man in black. Dagogo had a breathing moment of thought, then he stretched his hand and unlocked the front door. The man in black shuffled into the car, gripping his bleeding head.

"Drive." He said. Dagogo drove.