The Lorry Driver
Episode 6️⃣
“Who drove this lorry to this place? I’m confused. The lorry driver told me he was still in Ikom and that he was coming to meet me and Ada on the road, but the lorry suddenly started moving. And now, the banana has been offloaded and the lorry parked in the motor park. What is really going on? I have to get to the root of this matter. Who drove the lorry to Benin City?” The conductor asked no one in particular.
“I’m the one who drove it.” A voice said from outside the lorry. The conductor was lying on the passenger and driver’s seat of the lorry. He had slept briefly before his mind wandered to the problem at hand. When he heard the voice, he stood up and behold, the lorry driver was staring at him face to face. He was scared so much so that he did not know what to do next. He froze like a scumbia fish that has been in the refrigerator for many days.
“Are you a ghost or you are a real human being?” The conductor asked the lorry driver who was looking at him with a strong face. The conductor didn’t know if he should run or stay behind and talk to the lorry driver to find out the truth about the whole situation.
“I’m not a ghost. I know that my daughter told you I’m dead, but that is not the truth. I’m alive. You can come down from the lorry and touch me.” The lorry driver said. He opened the driver’s door and the conductor further froze in fear. The lorry driver attempted to touch him and he shifted backwards. Soon, he followed the other door and jumped out of the lorry. He started running.
“Stop running. I’m alive and not dead. I’m not a ghost. Forget about the stories my daughter told you. I just told you it is not the truth. Stop running.” The lorry driver said. Meanwhile, he was chasing after the conductor who increased his speed. He ran so fast to the roadside. When he was waiting for cars to pass so that he could cross the road to the other side, the lorry driver caught up with him and grabbed him by his left hand.
“Please, leave me alone. Don’t kill me please. Please let me go!” The conductor said with fear in his voice. He was shivering and he had refused to look the lorry driver directly in the eyes. He kept looking down and he felt as if the earth should open up and swallow him.
“Shut up and listen to me. I told you I’m not a ghost. I’m alive and I’m ready to tell you the truth. Please, calm down and follow me.” The lorry driver said. He was still holding the conductor’s hand as he turned and started heading back to the motor park. The young man followed him obediently, not knowing what else to do because the driver held him firmly.
“We are going to my village. I want to go and see my daughter. I think she is finally ready to know the truth. I have been running away from the truth, but there is no need hiding it anymore.” The lorry driver said as he opened the lorry and hopped in. He asked the conductor to join him and he obeyed.
“I’m not dead, but my family, including my daughter was made to believe that I’m dead. It happened many years ago.” The lorry driver said as he mounted the steering of the lorry and turned on the ignition. He reversed the long vehicle and they started driving to his village, hoping to catch up with Ada before she would leave for the university.
“I faked my own death because of family problem. I did it to save my life because my wife wanted to kill me.” The lorry driver said. He turned the lorry, navigating the village road.
“Why would your wife want to kill you? What did you do to her?” The conductor finally spoke out after relaxing his nerves for several minutes. He was now looking at the lorry driver with a lot of curiosity as if searching for an evidence to prove that he really was still alive.
“She was cheating on me and I found out. I caught him with a man on my matrimonial bed. When that happened, I walked away silently without saying a word to her or to the man who was cruising with her on my own bed.” The lorry driver said. They were getting close to his village.
“Hmmm! You are truly a man of peace. It is hard to find such a human being who would simply walk away after catching his wife red-handed with another man on his bed.” The conductor said. He is gradually regaining his trust for the lorry driver.
“Many people say that to me each time I narrate the story to them. But walking away without taking action proved to be a serious mistake because my wife now planned to kill me and take over my wealth. He hatched the ugly plan with his lover.” He said. They were now in his village. He turned the lorry and drove into his compound. It was the first time he was coming back to the compound after many years of absence and after he was said to have died.
“So how did you escape? How did you find out she and her lover wanted to kill you? And what did you do thereafter?” The conductor asked with curiosity on his face.
“Luckily for me, I saw a text message she sent to her lover, telling him she was going to poison my food. She also told him our entire family secret, including the fact that I had up to ten lorries on the road. She planned to take over everything and to marry the man after she must have removed me from the picture. This is why I faked my own death and disappeared from the village.” The lorry driver said.
He stopped talking when they both jumped down from the lorry. Ada had heard the humming sound of the lorry and came out to check who it was. She froze in silence and subsequently ran into the house when she saw the conductor in company of the lorry driver. The conductor followed her into the house.
“I have finally confirmed that the man is truly alive. He is not a ghost. He is your father and you have to come and listen to him. I think he wants to tell you what happened and why he has been running away from you all these while.” The conductor said to Ada. He managed to convince her and they came out to meet the lorry driver who was still standing beside the lorry.
Tbc
