REPLICA: CRAZY VS SMART

Yes, it started with pain

Two hefty security officers abruptly threw a young lady out of a hotel. They shut the gate in her face. Her lower lip pulled out in surprise and anger at how the security guards had just treated her, but no words came out. In annoyance, Grace flinched her fist and walked away. Unable to fight or cause more trouble scene.

After a minute of walking, she stood in the gathering rain with her credentials on Santa Maria Street, New G.R.A, Jabi Abuja. Unaware of the drizzle, Grace thought about how to get home, but she knew it would take only the help of God since it was her first time at Jabi. Grace just had to move.

She had to.

The situation reminded her of how tough her life had been. Living in an orphanage at Port Harcourt, moving to Lagos to hustle to complete her secondary school, and now finding a reliable job in Abuja. It was unbelievable that Grace had lived half of her life on the streets, and she was still yet to achieve success, unlike her mates who were young graduates, having wealthy husbands and living good lives.

"Every disappointment is a blessing. God will help me." Grace recited to herself repeatedly, with tears forming in her stormy eyes. She sniffled under the dancing trees. A heavy wind blew through. One would think she was crying from the effects of the wind. Maybe the dust had pierced her eyes, but that wasn't the case.

Studying the area, people locked the gates and doors to the major hotels, classic companies, and shopping malls around. There was nowhere for Grace to hide, so she trekked through the path. Her right arm wrapped around the other as she searched for safety.

The passing vehicles splashed mud on her repeatedly. Grace didn't care, though, she hid under a particular tree. Too bad, she dressed in a white knee-length mini-dress and 3-inch-silver heels. Although, it was all borrowed from a friend; it fitted her well. Grace grabbed the dripping wig off her head and it left her natural hair bare and open. Taking off the dripping wig was refreshing, indeed.

It was quite dark and raining. Thunderstruck against the wall of cloud, rumbled flashes that shook the earth in a quake. Beads of rain lashed the screen of a black, moving car. The ever-active wipers wagged it away, yet Micheal Balogun, a charming young man in his late thirties, drove in the direction of his home. It was already evening, some minutes to 6:00 p.m., but it looked like it was past 10:00 p.m. Because of the intense atmosphere. It was the last day of September, in the year 2024.

The usually busy road was now empty. His car windows were canopy-locked. Michael visited an old school friend in a hotel in Gaube and, somehow, he passed through Jabi. These are developing cities in Abuja. Glancing out the window, Micheal carefully watched the rain wash down the transparent glass, leaving it evaporated and blurred. It was beautiful, though. All he wanted was to get home, have a shower, and complete the project he was working on. Micheal was the busy type who only had time to himself.

Suddenly, his eyes caught a lady standing alone. It was Grace. On her was a white-cotton gown, all soaked and stained with dirt. Her natural hair dripped and the brown envelope she held over her head had torn due to her firm clench. Grace was all drenched and soggy. Micheal halted his car in a flash and revised to where she stood, shivering.

He watched her through his side window, and she placed both hands together, pleading for help.

With this, Micheal winds down his window.

"Please sir, can you give me a lift? I'll stop by the junction, sir. Anywhere to get a taxi home."

"Come in." He signaled, winding up the car windows.

Grace, scared of splitting water in his car, gently walked to the other side and climbed in. Once she closed the door, Micheal locked it and zoomed on.

"Do you live around here?" He asked in a great tone, with his eyes on the road. Micheal wasn't the type that spied on anyone's business. Even if it was family. Regret flashed through him as he wondered why he asked.

"No, I came to submit my credentials and apply for the vacancy I read in the newspaper just yesterday but..."

"But what?" He shot a glance at her, still focused on the driving.

"A worker said they've gotten someone for the secretarial position. I was hoping to meet the manager of Honeywell Enterprise, but it was past their closing time. The securities asked me out. I didn't want to leave because coming here today cost me a fortune."

"Oh, sorry," Micheal muttered in a rather flat tone.

Absentminded to all her explanations. Upon seeing his reply, Grace finally raised her face to the stranger and saw he had Bluetooth fixed to his ears. He nodded somehow as if appreciating the music. It was then she realized that his attention was diverted.

Grace looked away and checked on her phone. It was an old Motorola phone she bought two years ago after saving up money from working five different-collar jobs in Lagos. It was old and gold because it still functioned. Pressing the on button, the phone suddenly turned off. It was then a thought came to Grace that the rain must have an impact. She took out its battery, cleaned it, and fixed it back before turning on the phone. There was an awkward silence in the moving vehicle, but Micheal was absentminded to these.

It was 6:05 p.m.

As a long-drawn sigh loudly escaped her breath, Grace learned that she had once again fallen into one of her numerous thinking routines. She had been slipping into them more often these past weeks.

'When will I get out of these?' Grace sighed as a teardrop trickled down her cheek.

The thought of how the hotel manager ordered her out of his office played in her mind. She wiped it away with her pinky and mentally consoled herself. 'Those idiots humiliated me today again? Better days will come. And all of this will be a story.' Grace pondered.

The rain ebbed some more, and the sky turned ink-black.

Just then, they met three police officers who stopped the car. The men placed two logs of wood to block the road so drivers wouldn't pass the checkpoint.

"Show me your particulars." A police officer inquired. He was a lanky middle-aged man with scattered teeth.

With a raised brow, Micheal deepened his hand to the side of his car and handed the driving license to the police officer. 'One would think these policemen are diligent. Who on earth stops cars in the rain?' Micheal mentally hissed and searched for his vehicle papers and identification card sluggishly. Then he handed it over.

"Okay... You too be senior man, abi?" the police officer nodded negatively at Micheal, going through his papers with wet hands.

Micheal gave him a bombastic side-eye because his breath ricked from alcohol.

"What does that mean?" Michael questioned, already pestered as to why he was being delayed. "Can I go now? Clear the way, please."

"Oga, get out abeg!" the policeman ordered. The other policeman came to meet him and he watched the both of them with curious eyes.

The first policeman then brought out a gun and pointed it at them.

"What?" Grace gasped, holding onto her chest with shivering hands.

"Are you serious? Who the heck are you guys?" Micheal fired, sure that they weren't actual police officers.

"Ear dey pain una abi wetin?" The police officer glared at them, his anger palpable.

"You wan dey yan? Commot before I blow up that your chicken brain!" the first policeman threatened. "See dis one o!" His gun pointed towards them. It didn't move Micheal. It was, perhaps, as fake as their identities.

Looking at the side of their pocket, Micheal realized that they held no names. It was then, he realized that the rain wasn't so heavy. It just drizzled.

"Raise up your hand and fall on your knees!" he commanded. "Now!"

In the dimly lit night, the piercing headlights illuminated the desolate road ahead, casting long shadows on either side. Grace and Micheal climbed down at once. They left their car doors open and their hands hung up in the hair as if giving praises to the lord.

"Please, sir, don't harm us!" Grace robbed her palms together, pleading with them for mercy.

"Please, sir, don't harm us," he mimicked and the other two Police officers chuckled out in laughter. "See this ajebo o! Put your hand for your head abeg! No be you I want," he pointed out. "Na Micheal, we wan give extra lesson."

"Extra lesson? What do you mean?" Micheal's eyes flashed as he heard his name from the police officers.

"Fall on your knees, Broz!" One with a burning cigarette between his fingers kicked Micheal at his knee and he fell to the ground. "See em eyes! The idiot just dey ask question. E no know say, e don enter bege!"

"Micheal."

The second officer placed his hand on Grace's head. Raising her from her kneeling position. Her body shivered at his touch. This was the least expected. Her racing heart prayed for God's interference, but nothing came. No one came. His dry, short fingers slid down her face and grabbed her by the jaw.

"E be like say this your barney like you. See how she is fine." He smiled at his joke. Then crackled in a wicked laugh.

Others joined him except for Grace and Micheal. The hanging tears in Grace's eyes rolled. She met them a while ago, but she hated them with blazing rage in her heart. She just chewed on her jaw and gulped down her tears in agony.

He suddenly stopped, and brought out a gun from the back of his pocket.

"Collect." He forcefully opened her palm and placed it in it. "Shoot am."

Grace and Micheal stood together, their eyes filled with determination and fear. Panic briefly fluttered within Micheal, but determination took over as he assessed the situation. With cautious movements, he unfasten his seatbelt and gingerly step out into the chilly night. The police officers glared at them, his anger palpable.

"You hear me or dey play deaf and dump? I say shoot am!"

"Um..." Grace tried to hold grip of herself, but just couldn't. It was the first time of held an actual gun. A volume of breeze blew towards them making Grace shiver even more. The thought of being a murderer scared her. "Sir... I can't!"

Someone from the back hurried and threw a hard slap against her face.

"Ah!" a gasp escaped her breath.

She grabbed her face in both palms not to slip from her grip, like a ball of coconut from the tree. She noticed a salty taste in her mouth and smelled the metallic fragrance that came with it. Grace spat out saliva and it was bloody. She wasn't expecting this. Her breath trembled as she tried, hard not to cry. But this time, the tears poured.

"Now, shoot am." the police officer who handled her gun, pressed. It seemed they were determined. She shut her eyes and more tears rolled down. She couldn't help but cry like a baby.

The first police pointed a short handgun at her head, and she grasped its grip at once.

Silently choking and sniffling.

With both hands directed at Micheal. He was a stranger she had just met a minute ago. She had no grudge against him, even if she did, there wasn't enough reason to kill him. The heat in her breath gave her self-pity. There was no way out.

Grace exhaled. Her eyes blinked twice, and her index finger rested on the trigger of the handgun. She took in a soft breath and let out another hot breath. Once she opened her eyes...

"Kpooh!" she fired a shot at the man standing right next to her. "Kpooh!"

It gave a bullet to each police officer who stood close to her. About to shoot the third who was away from them, he brought out his gun and raised shots at both of them.

Frightened, Micheal ran towards his open car.

Luckily, they were able to escape the stray bullets as they flew past them. He rolled into the gutter and continued raining bullets at the vehicle. He seemed skilled at targeting his opponent. Once Grace entered the car, she turned to Micheal as he struggled. His right hand held onto the steering wheel and his left held onto his bleeding arm.

"Oh no, you're bleeding, sir. What do we do?" She panicked.

Without reply, Micheal turned on his car engine. It looked as if time stopped while she watched him but he drove into the darkness, determined to leave the scene.

The third police were shooting at them and Micheal's car suddenly crashed into a log of wood. Micheal's head smashed against the driving wheel, but he revised and drove on with great force.

In the dimly lit night, the piercing headlights illuminated the desolate road ahead, casting long shadows on either side. The sound of the engine hummed in harmony with the rhythmic beating of raindrops against the windshield. Adrenaline coursed through Micheal's veins as he gripped the steering wheel with anticipation, eager to reach and leave the scene.

Unexpectedly, out of the corner of his eye, a large log of wood emerged from the darkness and sprawled across the road. Time seemed to slow down as Micheal instinctively swerved to avoid a direct collision. The screeching of tires echoed through the air, followed by a jarring impact.

"Oh, no!" Grace yelled.

The vehicle jolted violently as it met the log, causing a cascade of splintered wood and shattered glass. The airbags deployed with a thunderous explosion, enveloping the both of them in a cushioned cocoon. Sudden darkness engulfed the scene as the headlights flickered and died.

Momentarily stunned, Grace blinked and coughed out on the stranger. She took a deep breath, feeling the sharp sting of pain from the impact. A cough forced out of her lungs once again. It choked her breath.

Although Grace came to consciousness of what happened, she opened her eyes and lifted her body from Micheal, who was bleeding from his head. His eyes were closed.

"Sir!" Grace tapped him on the shoulders. Michael tried opening his eyes, but he only gasped in reply.

"Sir, wake up. We can still make it out alive. Don't sleep, sir!" Grace screamed to his hearing.

With all her strength, she pulled his body from his smokey car, but while doing that, a single bullet whizzed at her. She turned back and it struck her in the back. While the silver bullet pierced through her, Grace slumped her face to the cold wet floor.

The third police officer who just shot at her escaped the scene with a bleeding arm.

Micheal blinked, watching her give up on life was a nightmare that brought him into consciousness.

An eerie stillness lulled the silence, interrupted only by the soft patter of raindrops. Gradually, the adrenaline in Micheal began to subside, giving way to a sense of unease as he gathered his wits.

When inspecting the aftermath, it was evident that the front of the vehicle suffered the most damage from the collision, with crumpled and mangled parts. The hood groans under the weight of the log, wedged tightly against the engine compartment. It scattered shards of broken glass like confetti, glittering in the pale moonlight.

Trying to lift Grace, a stranger he knew nothing about, a single tear rolled down the side of Micheal's weak eyes. Reaching for his mobile phone, Micheal's lifeline to the outside world, only to realize the incident buried it beneath the debris.

The rain intensified, drenching his bleeding arm in seconds. Shortly, the sound of sirens in the distance instilled a glimmer of hope, which reminded him that help was on its way. Micheal awaited assistance, as long as he could, but it was too late. Ending up in the hospital was the last thing Michael wanted, but he was glad to help come. However, he hoped the girl who took a bullet for him a while ago would get treatment before him. A small smile formed in his life, knowing the horrible night would end with delight.