The Car-tel ~ Ink Well Prompt #112

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Souza just returned from the city where his father, Ajele asked to submit the sample seedlings for his cocoa produce so that he could have supplies of the special breeds against the next farming season. Anytime Souza visits the city, his countenance on return is never a pleasant one. The luxurious life of city dwellers had always taken a toll on Souza. The fleet of expensive cars and high-rise buildings with fast food restaurants are quite mind-boggling. This is the kind of life that he has looked out for.

Father, it's time for me to relocate to the city. Souza said to his father.

Adele looked at him from the corner of his eyes and said nothing. Souza waited for a little to hear what Ajele had to say but since he could not utter a word, Souza went to his room, lied on the bed, and, faced the roof in deep thouthoughtHis Father had wanted him to be a cocoa farmer like him. He has built three houses and sent his older son to the university. Adele thought that if he could have done all these, his son would achieve far more than he had. But Souza has a different desire. That night, he could not eat. He wanted to live in the city. Since he was born, he has not enjoyed the pleasures of life like those in the city. Araromi is a typical village with no pipe-borne water, no electricity, no health center nor any hangout place or recreational facility.

That night, he waited patiently for everyone to go to bed then packed his clothes in his bag and ran out of the house. He joined the farm produce truck as a stowaway to the city. When Ajele woke up in the morning, he could not find Souza in his room.

This boy. Why is he so impatient? Adele spoke to himself, a soliloquy.

He checked the portmanteau at the foot of the bed and discovered that he had taken the newest of all his clothes. Adele did not bother to raise the alarm. He knew that one day, Souza would return to his senses and return home.

City life is not as he had supposed. The first one-room apartment he rented from the proceeds from the remaining yam seedlings was what he paid. Souza had not spent two weeks before he got broke. No funds to feed. No job for which he could look forward to a weekly or monthly salary. His last option was to take up menial jobs to put food on his table.

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On Thursday morning, he got a job cleaning a drainage that was blocked by nylon. It was his first big job. Souza gave it his best. As he was working, a distant relative from his village drove past, then reversed his car, having sighted Souza.

Omo-iya, what are you doing in the city? Laja queried.

He looked up, and saw a guy behind the wheels of a Toyota Corolla car, looking fresh.

Laja, you are here too? I came in about three months. Look at you. So fresh. Is this your car?

Many questions popped from his mind to his heart to ask Laja. They both talked and exchanged pleasantries. The top of the day was when Laja requested Souza to meet him up at his residence when he was done with his gutter cleaning contract.

Please, is this 37 Allen Avenue? Souza asked a man clad in what looked like a police uniform.

The man greeted him in return and answered him in the affirmative.

Do you have an appointment? The gateman asked.

Yes, I do. Souza replied.

He opened the gate and made him walk in.

Walk along this aisle, straight to the main building. You find someone to take you in. The gateman said, directing Souza to the main building where he would meet Laja.

He could not believe his eyes. There were expensive cars parked around the compound. It was a very beautiful house with different kinds of flowers everywhere.

Welcome!!!

Laja stood up to welcome Souza. It was a beautiful reunion for both of them. After catching up on village life and all the promises that awaited them in the city, Laja introduced Souza to the card business.

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Souza would deliver a package to the different parts of the city, and present his card before he would be paid.

Sooner than later, Souza was doing the delivery and getting paid. He was handsomely paid. Before long, he got a new apartment and furnished it with electronic appliances and then started saving up some money to buy a car before he would return to the village to show his father that he can make it in life without his support.

All the while, he never read any meaning to the card and he never bothered to find out what was in the package he was to deliver.

Souza never knew that he was working for a drug cartel. He was just a novice, a village boy or rather, a village champion who thought that coming to the city was the only way to escape poverty.

A detective who had been on the trail of Laja but never had evidence against him, turned towards Souza. Detective Aruun had sighted the pass card of the cartel. He never read any meaning to it until the last delivery carried out by Souza.

Souza alighted from the cab he boarded and carried the haversack where he kept the package and then walked towards the gate. He presented his cartel card to the man at the gate with Detective Aruun watching from a safe distance. After delivering the package and getting his pay. Souza walked out of the building and headed for the gate when the detective appeared and bailed him up.

Detective Aruun had called for backup already. In no time, the whole building was surrendered by the police. The first thing he went for was the card in the breast pocket of Souza. At the same time, Laja was arrested in connection with drug pushing and peddling.

The resemblance of the card with some codes written in italics gave the law enforcement agency the information to needed to nail Laja and other members of his car-tel.