EPISODE 1
(CHANGE OF RULES)
(C) Judytex_Stories
Bayo, a young man of 28, had trouble sleeping. Due to post-traumatic stress disorder, which began when he witnessed the death of his late parents 18 years ago.
Since then, he has had flashbacks, nightmares, intense anxiety, and uncontrollable thoughts about the car accident that killed his parents.
The memory of his parents’ horrific deaths, haunted his dreams. That night, the image of this terrible incident repeated itself in his dreams. He kept mumbling words out of his sleep. With tears rolling down his eyes.
“Mom…, Dad…” he murmured through tears and reached for his bed.
* * * * * * * *
18 years ago.
Bayo, who was 10, was in the back seat of his father’s car. While his late mother, Doctor, Mrs. Bisola Akinwale, and late father, Lawyer Ade Akinwale, both sat in the front seat.
He could see his parents laughing out loud as they chatted happily in the front. They were on their way back from their weekly Church activities that evening. When an oncoming truck unexpectedly confronted their vehicle and swept them off the road in no time.
Bayo saw his parents lying lifeless in their pool of blood. He could not move his body from where he was pinned in the back seat of the car. He kept struggling to call for his late parents, but the words that came out of his mouth were only murmurs.
Since then, this scene has repeated itself in his memories, dreams, and subconscious.
* * * * * * * *
Present-day.
Bayo sprang from his sleep panting, sweat running down his body. He hastily reached for his anxiety pills that were in the drawer by his bed. He took out the pills and poured some into his palms. And without hesitation, he poured it into his mouth. Then he grabbed the water bottle that sat on top of the drawer and flushed the medication into his system.
He checked his cell phone and then discovered it was only a few minutes past 3 am. He sighed deeply and was about to put his cell phone away when a call came from Abeni.
Abeni was the only daughter of Chief Afolabi Adeyemi. Chief Afolabi Adeyemi was a drug lord. He was a crime boss who controlled a large network of people involved in the illegal drug trade.
He hides under the name of an influential businessman. But secretly, he does dirty business and dirty jobs for politicians.
Politicians, afraid of being exposed for their involvement in money laundering, kept turning to him for help. He helped politicians keep their stolen funds safe.
He has been Bayo’s father and boss since adopting him 18 years ago. He trained Bayo to become a professional in his illegal business and also to cheat rich men’s daughters out of their father’s fortune.
Bayo, who was unspeakably handsome, had his way of sweeping rich girls off their feet. With his sweet and insidious lines. He made sure to convince them that his feelings were real. But once he gets his hands on their wealth, he blocks their lines and gets no closer to them. He’s been doing this since he was 20.
Abeni, on the other hand, was three years younger than Bayo. She was only seven years old when her father brought Bayo home 18 years ago. She was quite beautiful and good at running her father’s business. But she had a secret. She had grown up admiring and lusting after Bayo, who only saw her as a sister.
“Hello, Abeni,” Bayo said as he answered the call.
“Hi, Bayo,” Abeni said, with excitement in her voice.
“It’s already after 3 a.m. Why are you still awake?.” Bayo asked curiously.
“Just making sure you are sleeping soundly,” she said.
“I wish I was,” Bayo said and sighed deeply.
“What’s going on? Is it the nightmares again?” Abeni asked worriedly.
“Yes. They keep hunting me in my dreams.” Bayo said sadly.
Abeni sighed deeply and said, “It’s okay Bayo. I believe that one day you will overcome this predicament. It’s just a matter of time.” She said.
“When exactly is that? Because as it is now, I’m just tired. I’m sick of this horrible life. These days I’m afraid to close my eyes while sleeping. I don’t know why I’m going through this hell and torture.” He lamented bitterly.
“Don’t beat yourself up, Bayo. I think it could be a sign that you keep seeing your late parents in your dreams. Maybe they want something from you that you haven’t already done.” She said.
“And, what exactly could that be?” he asked totally confused.
“It’s up to you to find out Bayo,” she said.
At exactly 8 a.m., Bayo got dressed and paid a visit to a spiritualist. When he got there, he was asked to wash his hands in a gourd tied with a red cloth.
When he was done, the spiritualist stared at the water and shook his head negatively.
“What’s going on?” Bayo asked very curiously.
“The souls of your parents seek revenge.” said the spiritualist, still staring at the water in the gourd.
“What revenge are you talking about? As far as I know, my parents died as a result of an accident. So what is there to avenge?” Bayo asked confused.
The spiritualist then sighed deeply and said, “Unfortunately, the accident was not just an accident. It was an act of murder,” said the spiritualist.
Hearing that, Bayo’s eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped in disbelief. “What?” he yelled in disbelief.
“Yes, my son. They were murdered. The plan was to wipe out the whole family, but you miraculously survived the accident,” said the spiritualist.
“Please. Can you tell me who exactly was responsible for my parents’ deaths? I need a clue that can help me track them down,” Bayo said, with his heart ripping apart.
“Sorry. I can’t tell you. But when the time is right, you will find out the whole truth for yourself,” said the spiritualist.
“When is the right time?” asked Bayo anxiously.
“If you change the rules.” said the spiritualist.
“If I change the rules?” Bayo asked confused. “What rules exactly?” he asked curiously.
“A woman will influence the changing of the rules in your life. Only when she does that, will you be able to uncover the truth behind your parents’ deaths,” the spiritualist said.
Bayo left there completely confused and curious.
He was driving down the street, lost in thought when he encountered traffic. He stopped to think about what he had just heard when a lady on a motorcycle pulled up to his car window. He turned and stared at her, wondering what a strange girl she was. The lady turned as well, and when her gaze met his, she rolled her eyes at him and sped away.
Bayo just waved the lady off his mind while he continued to think about the words the spiritualist had said to him. Then a call came from his boss.
“Good morning, boss.” Bayo greeted when he answered the call.
“Bayo, where are you? Can you explain what is stopping you from reporting to my office this morning?” Chief Afolabi asked in a deep and serious tone.
“I’m sorry, sir. I’m on my way to the office right now. I’ll be there in no time.” Bayo said.
In Chief Afolabi’s office.
Bayo entered, only to meet the glare of his boss, who was sitting in his office chair with his chin resting on his clasped hands.
“Good morning, boss.” Bayo greeted as soon as he entered the office.
“You’re late today,” he replied, standing up.
“My apologies, sir,” Bayo replied, with his head bowed.
“We will have that conversation later. But now I want you to monitor today’s delivery. We have high-profile customers who are willing to buy large quantities of drugs from us,” Chief Afolabi said.
Chief Afolabi was a major importer of large shipments of various brands and high dosages of tramadol hydrochloride ranging from 120mg, 200mg, 225mg, and 250mg, all of which were illegal.
He owns various pharmaceutical and plastics processing companies, which he used as a cover to import illegal drugs into the country. He operated over 103 bank accounts, most of which were used to launder money for various politicians.
“Alright. When do we start shipping?” Bayo asked.
“Get ready. Shipping starts tonight. You have to be extra careful. And don’t forget the rules of this business. If you get caught, make sure you take all the blame. In the meantime,” he paused and picked a brown envelope from the table. Then he handed the envelope which contained some documents to Bayo and said, “I got the message that the minister’s daughter will fly into the country in two days. I heard she is her father’s favorite. And she can make him do anything she wants. Everything you need to know about her is in that file. All you have to do is go through it and come up with a perfect strategy on how to win her heart,” Chief Afolabi said with his hands behind his back.
“All right, boss. I’ll go through her profile to see what kind of stuff she’s made of.” Bayo promised while lifting the envelope.
“Good! That’s why I love everything about you. You’re just irreplaceable.” Chief Afolabi praised.
“I’m flattered, sir,” Bayo said with a brief smile.
“You don’t have to be son. That’s just how I sincerely feel about you.” Chief Afolabi said.
Just at that moment, there was a knock on the door. Both watched the door open. Then Chief Afolabi’s secretary came in.
“I think I have to take my leave now,” Bayo said, bowing.
“All right. You can go ahead” Chief Afolabi said.
As Bayo left the office, he met Abeni who was on her way to her father’s office.
“Gotcha!.” She said smiling and spreading her arms as she walked up to him.
“Look who we have here,” Bayo said, hugging her warmly.
“Have you changed your perfume collection?” she asked, sniffing his shirt.
Bayo quickly freed himself from her embrace and covered his chest with the envelope in his hand.
“There she goes again acting like a possessed being” Bayo teased smiling.
“When it comes to you, I can easily become a seer,” Abeni said, smiling effusively at him.
“Speaking of seers, I met one today because of my persistent nightmares and anxiety disorder,” Bayo revealed.
“For real? So what did the seer say?.” Abeni asked curiously.
Bayo sighed deeply and said, “Abeni, I was told that my parents died an unjust death. The accident was not an ordinary incident. They were murdered. And right now, their souls seek revenge,” Bayo revealed.
Hearing this, Abeni’s jaw dropped in shock. “What? Are you real?” she asked, amazed.
Bayo was speechless as tears welled up in his eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Bayo. I’m sorry.” Abeni said and hugged him with a pat on his back.
With his head on her shoulder, Bayo had to control himself not to burst into tears.
To clear his head a little, Bayo decided to go to an amusement park. There he saw various children playing with their parents, which made him think back to his childhood days when his parents took him to an amusement park. He could vividly remember the sound of their laughter as they played with him.
Watching other mothers hug their sons at the amusement park, made him miss his mother. Although his parents both worked, yet, they still found time to play with him and create unforgettable memories with him.
He stood there for hours before snapping back into reality and returning to his office.
When night fell, Bayo went on to secretly handle the distribution and shipping of illegal drugs to his boss’s high-profile clients. They secretly picked up their orders in style and made payments to him in a closed environment.
The last customer he tried to sell to was unknown to him, an undercover Policeman. And immediately Bayo wanted to hand him the drugs secretly, he tried to blow his cover. And after a long struggle, Bayo was left with no choice but to shoot the cop. He then fled the scene of the crime. But on his way out, he bumped into a lady who saw his face. And immediately his gaze met hers, Bayo quickly lowered his head and hastily walked away.
The next morning, Bayo was called to Chief Afolabi’s office, where he received a slap in the face.
“What were you thinking when you opened fire on a police officer?” Chief Afolabi shouted at him.
“I’m sorry Chief. I had no choice but to do what I did.” Bayo said with his head bowed.
“I just hope you didn’t leave anything that could implicate you at the scene of his death?” Chief Afolabi asked.
“No, sir. I’m sure I left no trace.” Bayo insured.
“I hope no one saw your face?” Chief Afolabi asked.
“Nobody…” Bayo said, then he flashed back at the lady that bumped into him on his way out that night.
“Why is your face like that? Are you sure no one saw your face last night?.” Chief Afolabi asked in a deep voice.
“I’m sorry, Chief. I bumped into a lady on my way out, but I doubt if she would be able to recognize me.” Bayo said.
“What? Can you hear yourself talk? Why did you make such a grave mistake? You know what?. Keep a low profile and if you can, I want you to just stay away from work in the meantime.” Chief Afolabi said.
“Okay boss,” Bayo responded, with his head bowed.
He left the office very early that day. He returned home and occupied himself with drinks and films. Later that evening a call came from Chief Afolabi.
“Good evening boss.” Bayo greeted.
“Bayo, go through the email I sent you. You will see a compiled list of ladies working in that vicinity. Perhaps you might identify the one who saw you on your way out of the crime scene.” Chief Afolabi said.
“Okay, sir,” Bayo replied.
And without hesitation, Bayo went to his system and checked his email. There he scrolled through the pictures of the ladies that were sent to him. Eventually, he came across the image of the lady who bumped into him the previous night.
He quickly called Chief Afolabi back to let him know.
“I’ve found her boss. She goes by the name, Oye Adesola. Age 25.” Bayo said.
“Good. Now all you have to do is win her over with your seductive skills. Cause only then, will you be able to know what she knows.” Chief Afolabi Said.
“What if she recognizes me at first sight?” Bayo asked worriedly.
“Then you must silence her forever,” Chief Afolabi said. “I hope you know what that means?.” He asked.
“Yes, Boss!.” Bayo responded.
As Bayo dropped his phone, he stared at the picture of the lady on his screen.
“Why does her face look familiar?” he wondered as he took a closer look at her picture.
It was at that moment that he recognize her to be the lady that rolled her eyes at him in the traffic, on the day he was returning from visiting a spiritualist.
“What a coincidence,” Bayo said in amazement.
