GHETTO JUSTICE BY ALEX O. PETER
GHETTO JUSTICE BY ALEX O. PETER
His heart raced faster with every pace of his feet as he ran
through the muds and filth of the street. His head spun
quickly from side to side, searching urgently for an alleyway
to escape the looming calamity.
The frightening mass of mob tore after him.
"Thief oo
"Ole oo
"Make una hol am oo"
There were shrieks and screams from men women and
children. They tore after him like hungry dogs chasing a
cat.
How many could they be, he didn't know, he dared not look
back as his legs managed the impossible. But from the
sound of the yells and screams, he could tell the distance
between him and the death is only one capture away.
His thoughts were jumbled, and as he reached a gutter, he
leaped over, landed on the mud, slipped and fell with a
splash.
With the crowd in his wake, he struggled his way through
the mud and before he could regain balance on his feet, he
felt a little hand weakly tugged the collar of his shirt, by the
feel of it, it couldn't have been an adult's. He shoved his
hand backward at it albeit without looking back..
"My eye oo" the child howled
Another hand forcefully plucked and pulled his shirt. He
stumbled backward, another hand griped his wrist, it's
fingers sinking into his skin.
"Dem don catch am!!
"Dem don hol am!!
"Make una come oo!!"
Screams of the exited mob filled Street as he struggled to
free himself from the many hands tugging, yanking and
hitting him.
A leg kicked him hard, a hand launched a blow at his face,
"Abeg oo!"
he wailed in anguish. The pain was becoming too much to
bear for each hand and leg and unknown objects that
touched him felt like a hot iron peeling away his flesh.
And then he saw her, the woman who had raise the crowd,
pointing fingers at him that her jewel had gone missing.
Something, he didn't know what, hit him hard and squarely
on his right eye, and before the second passes out, it hit
him again in his left eye. She was the last thing he ever saw.
"Ayaaahh!!" he yelled as he felt excruciating pains.
"No be me do am!!"
"I am innocent oo!!"
He cried out to the deaf mob as he endured further assaults.
Then, he felt something circular worn over him, then
another, another again, then he became aware he was
locked within the circle of tires.
"Chineke!!!" he cried as he smelled and felt himself soaked
in petrol.
The flames engulfed him. First, it felt like a warm breeze,
then it quickly graduated to something more unbearable.
His blind eyes saw fire, his nose smelled the heat of it, and
every other piece of flesh he had cooked in excruciating
pain.
And then he felt nothing.
She had just arrived home and she hit the bell but there was
no answer.
She had dipped her hand into her bag to fetch her keys
when she felt it, that slender, lacy and metallic feel. That
same thing she had rummage that same bag in the
afternoon searching for. She pulled it out. Her necklace.
An innocent blood was on her hands.
*ALEX O. PETER*
#For your listening pleasure
His heart raced faster with every pace of his feet as he ran
through the muds and filth of the street. His head spun
quickly from side to side, searching urgently for an alleyway
to escape the looming calamity.
The frightening mass of mob tore after him.
"Thief oo
"Ole oo
"Make una hol am oo"
There were shrieks and screams from men women and
children. They tore after him like hungry dogs chasing a
cat.
How many could they be, he didn't know, he dared not look
back as his legs managed the impossible. But from the
sound of the yells and screams, he could tell the distance
between him and the death is only one capture away.
His thoughts were jumbled, and as he reached a gutter, he
leaped over, landed on the mud, slipped and fell with a
splash.
With the crowd in his wake, he struggled his way through
the mud and before he could regain balance on his feet, he
felt a little hand weakly tugged the collar of his shirt, by the
feel of it, it couldn't have been an adult's. He shoved his
hand backward at it albeit without looking back..
"My eye oo" the child howled
Another hand forcefully plucked and pulled his shirt. He
stumbled backward, another hand griped his wrist, it's
fingers sinking into his skin.
"Dem don catch am!!
"Dem don hol am!!
"Make una come oo!!"
Screams of the exited mob filled Street as he struggled to
free himself from the many hands tugging, yanking and
hitting him.
A leg kicked him hard, a hand launched a blow at his face,
"Abeg oo!"
he wailed in anguish. The pain was becoming too much to
bear for each hand and leg and unknown objects that
touched him felt like a hot iron peeling away his flesh.
And then he saw her, the woman who had raise the crowd,
pointing fingers at him that her jewel had gone missing.
Something, he didn't know what, hit him hard and squarely
on his right eye, and before the second passes out, it hit
him again in his left eye. She was the last thing he ever saw.
"Ayaaahh!!" he yelled as he felt excruciating pains.
"No be me do am!!"
"I am innocent oo!!"
He cried out to the deaf mob as he endured further assaults.
Then, he felt something circular worn over him, then
another, another again, then he became aware he was
locked within the circle of tires.
"Chineke!!!" he cried as he smelled and felt himself soaked
in petrol.
The flames engulfed him. First, it felt like a warm breeze,
then it quickly graduated to something more unbearable.
His blind eyes saw fire, his nose smelled the heat of it, and
every other piece of flesh he had cooked in excruciating
pain.
And then he felt nothing.
She had just arrived home and she hit the bell but there was
no answer.
She had dipped her hand into her bag to fetch her keys
when she felt it, that slender, lacy and metallic feel. That
same thing she had rummage that same bag in the
afternoon searching for. She pulled it out. Her necklace.
An innocent blood was on her hands.
*ALEX O. PETER*
#For your listening pleasure
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