Chapter Sixteen
Jire shot the car into fifth gear as he sped deeper into the Idanre township. If his sources were correct he was on the last stretch to the hills.
His worried eyes drifted around. Everything looked deserted. He hadn’t seen a single soul since he turned off the Ondo – Akure road. What happened here?
He picked up his cell phone and quickly punched in his father’s number. It wasn’t until the call disconnected abruptly that he realized there was no network signal. Perfect!
He pressed his foot down on the accelerator harder. The road started to curve and slope upwards. Beautiful blue grey hills rose on either side. The beauty was lost on him though. He wondered if his parents were here. They did say they would make their way to the Idanre hills if the situation took a turn for the worse.
The hills seemed to get larger. The road continued to snake ahead; it straightened after a few kilometres ending in front of a mammoth sized hill, a blackish grey behemoth with stone steps cut out of its sides.
The bottom was deserted like the rest of the town save a single individual leaning against the backdrop of stone puffing what looked suspiciously like a stick of weed.
He lifted his foot off the accelerator and slowly pressed the brake. The car slid to a halt ten metres away from the man. Jire looked at his torn and faded clothes with distaste. His eyes narrowed as he gave the man a close look. He didn’t look infected but ___
He wound down the car window slowly. “Hello __” his voice was low and croaky. The sound of his words didn’t even carry far. For a few seconds he was very certain the man hadn’t heard him until he spoke. His voice was even more disturbing than his appearance.
“What are you doing here?” it was gruff, a tide brittle with a hint of a cackle about it. Yeah! All those characteristics at once.
“Where is everybody?”
“O dahun Ibere pelu Ibere!”* You answer a question with a question __
“Ma binu! Sho le so English ni?”
“I speak English very well __”
“Good then __ I am looking for sanctuary.”
He smiled.
“Isn’t that what everyone is searching for?”
A cold pause greeted his question.
“Where are you from stranger?”
“Abeokuta __ before that __ Lagos.”
“Aahhh A Lagosian___ heard things aren’t very good there at the moment.”
“Yeah __ not particularly.”
“So sad __” His voice trailed off. Jire’s frown deepened. There was something off about this guy __ he was still trying to figure out what it was.
“You probably think I am out of my mind don’t you?”
“Well__ I__” Jire stammered.
“No need to deny it. You won’t be the first who thought so. The town is deserted cos most people succumbed to the __ sickness __ whatever they call it.”
“The Evonso virus __”
“Yeah __ that. I even heard the president is dead __”
“Where did you hear that?”
“Radio broadcast __ a few days ago. Before everything stopped that is; haven’t heard a decent bit of information in almost a week now.”
Jire’s eyes narrowed.
“You said almost everyone succumbed to the virus. Where are the rest?”
He sighed pointing upwards. Jire glanced skywards with a puzzled look on his face.
“Where I don’t see anything?”
“On top of the hill __ the few that weren’t infected climbed the hill on those stairs.” He pointed a bony finger at the staircase.
Jire started towards it immediately. The man spoke as he started to climb.
“I must warn you that almost a dozen infected followed them up the hill __”
Jire froze.
“How long ago was this?”
“About two days __”
His heart skipped a couple of beats. Two whole days __ his parent’s were old and frail __ could they __ he shook his head to clear it of the unwholesome thoughts. They’d be alright. He had to believe they were alright.
“What’s your story? And why are you here?”
“They don’t bother me much __ I am not sure why __”
Jire’s eyes narrowed and he started up the staircase taking them two at a time.
He reached the top about forty minutes later feeling winded and out of breath. The top stretched out like a tableau for a few feet and dropped off, connecting with an adjoining hill.
There was an edge five feet to his right. He walked to it. The town of Idanre stretched out beneath him in a most picturesque way. His eyes drifting to the adjoining hill, he took off at run skidding to a halt inches from the drop.
The black rock sloped down for a few metres connecting with the next hill. He clambered down slowly and leaped on the next. Going up this one was harder because it was steeper than the last. As he rounded its sloping top, he heard what sounded like a faint scream. This was followed almost immediately by another.
Both screams came from opposite directions; one dead ahead and the other back where he was coming from. He decided to go forward.
Five more minutes of running and climbing saw him on top of another hill. There was a footprint ahead, embedded in the black rock. He walked forward till he stood over it. Something compelled him to put his foot into it. It fitted him perfectly.
He’d heard about this footprint. The legend was it had been in the rock for centuries and a foot of any size could fit into it perfectly. No one knew what the mystery behind it was. And the guides that escorted people here never really explained. Some said only the true inhabitants whose family lines came down for generations knew the story behind it.
“Over here __”
He jumped looking around to see who had spoken. There was a hollow depression in the rock some distance away. He walked to it. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw the tiny cave at the extreme end of the depression. The voice probably came from there.
He slid down slowly, his feet coming to rest on the hard rock beneath. A shadowy form stood at the cave entrance.
He paused not going forward. “Who are you?”
He saw the shape stiffen and then walk out of the gloom. He couldn’t believe his eyes when his father’s dirty and wan looking face came into the light.
“Jire __”
“Daddy __” He growled racing forward. They swept into each other’s arms holding on as if they would die if they let go.
“Am so happy to see you’re ok.” Jire cried his eyes filling with tears.
“Same here son __ your mother and I were worried sick.”
“Mummy nko*? Where is she?” *Yoruba slang/expression
“In the cave, she’s fine; just not as strong as she used to be. We best go inside. They’ll be on the prowl soon.”
Jire nodded grimly. He didn’t need to ask who they were.