CHAPTER TWO: ABRAHAM'S ISAAC

Uche 

What did he mean by the question "what?”

Chad had always been a smart ass right from those good old high school days. He was the role model then, the "good student", athletic and cute with those 'mickey mouse' glasses.

Well, he was definitely not the best in terms of luck. 

Why would he come back at this time? When It's all fucked up.

"Well, I am fucked up too" Uche thought.

His life had taken another turn after that fateful night and he was not to blame for it because he had just seen and experienced what many people spend their whole lives not experiencing together - love, fear, and death, all three in the same moment! 

Although he had always been the one who lived by the statement; "stop worrying about tomorrow, the lady would take care of herself. Live now!" And was always free with life, he couldn't say so about himself anymore. 

Seven years ago, he was just an eighteen years old boy from a wealthy family living ‘the life’

His life was perfect; the perfect parents, the perfect sister, the perfect family, and friends too– Chinny, Chad and Ronald,

What else could one ask for?' he would sometimes wonder. 

After that night, he began to believe that the devil was real. That story they used to tell them about the devil who only came to kill, to steal, and to destroy, was so real and even though he had not seen a real devil, he had come close to seeing one.

'the vampire' experience was one to never forget. 

That soulless monster! 

He murdered several people that night at the conference, even Mac Donald his classmate and friend. He remembered...

They had escaped through that door at the extreme of the hall when Chinny's 'magic' had sent the lights out and it was MD that was left out. He was fat and was still half way on his race to meet up with his friends on the other side of the hallway when the lights came back on!

The distance was still farther than his body could make in a limited time. Uche could still see the terror written all over his face, the fear in his eyes. He never wanted to run and to escape to the door with them, it was a bad idea, he knew his body wasn't going to favor him but he took the leap of faith and trusted in his friends. 

"Come on! MD, Run!" he could still hear the girls cry clearly. 

Was it Chinny's voice? Or was it Kimberly? - the pretty damsel Chad was crushing on then ? 

"he is not gonna make it!" he had heard Chad say as he pulled them all back. 

What did he mean by that? 

Then there was the bummer….

Kirririririririri!  Came the sound of the machine guns and MD was down. Chad had dragged them in , and shut the bullet proof door! 

He shut the fucking door! While MD was still lying there. 

His guts told him MD was still alive but Chad shut the door! And held it. Telling them;

"he is gone. We got to move or we'll share the same fate" amidst the screaming and wailing of the ladies - Kim, Courtney the genius, and Chinny. 

"no no no... we gotta help him, he's not... he's not..."

"Uche help me here, we got to move!" Chad had ordered! As they all reluctantly started the race for their lives at the sound of approaching footsteps and left MD their friend, to die! 

Were friends not meant to love and help each other? Irrespective of live or death situations? 

Was it not Chad who made them leave MD behind? 

And there he was again - Chad in his glory, alive , and still having that effect on him. 

He sometimes wondered where MD would be at the moment, the after death experience; and What he'd be thinking of them, backstabbing bastards! 

Uche was never the strongest, nor the weakest. 

He's just that guy with an influence and an attitude which gave him the world. With his 'outlandish' looks as Ronald called it. At least, maybe that was how he looked at 18.

Seven years later he's all well body built - six pack, muscles and all. 

Still looking good and taller than Chad, looking stronger, fitter, and sexier! 

He was always the one who valued family and friends above all. 

He literally 'lived within the love'.

Anyone would be undone by his own personality and attitude. 

It made everyone like him, the ladies, his mum, dad, sister, friends, literally everyone.

But no lady has ever loved him yet, or maybe he'd never really found anyone after Chinny. 

Chinny was the 'pretty model' as they used to call her.

He had always loved her, but , loyalty came first then, she was Ronald's girl.

He wasn't sure if Ronald liked her then or what, but he knew that year, that she was crazy about him, as at then.

Ronald was too messed up then to notice.

Ronald was 'the pretty one'. 

Anyways, so, here he was again, as always, sacrificing himself to save this Chad again. 

Why did he always have to be the one to make the sacrifices? Why? 

Why couldn't he have someone sacrificing for him? 

He honestly didn't know why he did it even. If creation were a programming, then God had programmed him to be Abraham's Isaac. To always be the sacrifice or so, he thought.

It hurt him, but he still did have to help this clueless Chad , again, after all he'd done! 

After 7 years, Uche had become a 'computer engineer' aka 'hacker'. 

He had always admired Chinny. Her swag on any computer was unrivaled.

The way she used to 'swing and sway' with it was almost melodious. 

He'd become pretty good along the line. The 'computer engineer' was just the degree, 'hacker' was the profession. 

He'd grown to know a lot, a lot- Government secrets, money laundering, so much he'd got to know. But this shit was definitely something else. He could not really comprehend. 

Here they were, two best friends in a wrecked trailer, driving to no where in particular. 

Him on the steering, Chad, looking battered . Like someone who'd been used as a punching bag for Mohammed Ali. 

It had been silent all the way, as silent as a graveyard. 

"keep asking JAMB questions" Uche had replied as he dragged his friend into the wrecked trailer with the engines still running, helped him self in, and zoomed off. 

The interior of the trailer suddenly smelt of ice fish. It was probably the smell of silence. 

" You hungry?" he finally let out 

"Ah! Of course!" Chad replied sharply, like he'd been waiting for that question all his life!

"Hahaha..." Uche gave out a short laughter. Now, that was really Chad, his best friend, the foodie! 

His laughter slowly faded when he noticed the staleness on Chad's face.

"ah..." he said, looking at his friend. 

He shook his head , left to right twice amidst smiling; 

"guy, cheer up, it's not the end of the world. You're still alive. You were just robbed that's all" his smile this time was mischievous.

He continued; 

" it's not like they chopped your dick off or something..." 

Chad turned his face slowly towards his friend, having this "I'll kill you" look on his face. 

"Calm down joor" Uche said, tapping Chad's shoulder rather roughly. 

"Ouch" Chad cried 

"What?" 

"Eyes on the road bro, I don't want to die twice in one night" Chad replied scoffing.

" besides, that wasn't a robbery. Those guys were... I don't know, there was something familiar about them, like many years ago, remember? At the conf..."

"...Ah, Chad, you're just having anorgasmia or amnesty or something, whatever you medical people call it. It's just... Cheer up, see? I'm the one trying to save your life here, depression will kill you" he interrupted, looking very cheerful. 

He was clearly happy, feeling alive again because for the first time in seven years, his dude was back. 

"Dude? What the heck? You know what anorgasmia means right?" Chad asked with a question mark look on his face.

"uhh... nah." 

"It means an inability to climax during sexual intercourse!" 

There was silence.

And then they both burst out in hearty laughter 

"exactly bro! That's the exact problem right now... hahaha" 

"no way!" 

" Yes way! " they laughed.

" alright chill" Uche cut in "a little something to cheer you up" he suggested with one finger on the radio. 

After 'messing' with the buttons for a while, some music started playing.

It was a rock song; ' best day of my life' by American Authors. It sang; 

           "I had a dream so big and loud 

           I jumped so high I touched the clouds,       

           ...oh oh oh oh ooohh." 

They knew that song! That was one of their favorite songs seven years ago! 

"my goodness! Uche, you still got this song?' Chad asked in joyful amazement.

Uche had that look like he was so proud of himself at the moment.

" yep" he replied proudly, suddenly focusing on the road like there was something very interesting happening there. 

"you are such an ... oh my gosh! " Chad was suddenly hype and happy that he sang along!

Who knew the magnitude of what had changed and what Chad had been through that he had to come home to this complete chaos of a country. 

But right now, he was rolling so well with Uche, it was almost as if there'd been no seven years in between. 

They were happy! Irrespective of what faced them, they were really happy.

For a moment there, it felt like things were okay, like they never separated and never not talked in seven years.

Only one thing was missing, Ronald.