Seeking For Revenge.

They say God created this world and its people. They say He wanted nothing but peace towards his people. But what was he thinking?

How dare He create us, alone, without a mother? I mean how would we have peace amongst us in a place without a mother`s love? Only she knows what peace is, that’s why without her presence, peace became an unknown word and every human had to live for themselves, from their own sweat.

After the era of segregation, I thought everyone born that year to infinity was called a ‘born free’. But to give it a closer look, there`s no such thing as ‘born frees’ in this world we live on.

A wise man once said, “All `men are born frees put trapped in chains of life.” What the man literally implied was that at home, school, workplace, courtroom, and even worse on the streets, there are rules to obey yet, on the other hand, no- one wants to be ruled; unless you do it physically so.

No wonder why out of a hundred percent dreamers, only less than twenty percent make it in life.

Now that I was back in the streets, I didn’t know where to start. Going back to my dearest friends would be committing a first-degree suicide without a suicidal note.

I had to hook with new people, but it had to be thugs; that’s the only way I could use to find who I want- my brother`s killer.

Came this day at the park, there was a party I never heard of. Not that there was a person to tell me- I have no friends.

At this party, everyone was drinking and smoking all kinds of stuff. It was my first to see a party like that; a party in the street, a party without Adults.

As I was going around, I came across this crew. They were like VIPs of the party or hosts. I was surprised to see my former group members in this crew.

When I approached them, the first thing they did before I could say a word was to make fun of me- exactly the same way my friend and I used to do back in the days at school.

Instead of running away, I stood until they were done. I thought my friend was there.

After the show was over, the person hosting the party came to ask what the show was all about.

It turns out he was their group leader, so as they were still trying to add up their story, I spoke anyway.

“I saw these guys smoking weed so I thought I should come and roll a joint with them but before I knew it, everyone was laughing at me. I don’t know if they were trying to impress their girls or what.”

“I apologize on their behalf." he said, "You may chill with us, everything will be on me.”

“What? Don’t you see his a guy, not a girl?” said one of the members.

“`Watch your mouth when you talk to me. That’s if you still want me to feed it.” said the group leader.

“I`m Mastermind, and you are?”

“Mastermind? That name rings a bell.” He said, “Puff and pass!” His face was full of suspicion.

When I refused to smoke the joint, he grabbed me and pointed a gun at me. “Who are you?” he said, “Who sent you?”

 I didn’t respond to any of his questions. I wasn’t scared of him nor his gun. I was never scared of a child my age, no matter their weapon. If I don’t have a gut to harm, who is he to harm me?

“He is the group leader- the boss!” Said the Mystery- voice.

“I swear I`ll pull a trigger if you don’t start talking.”

“Pull it! Kill me!” I said it with confidence, but I didn’t mean any of it. I was starting to shake as I saw his face change.

Then a trigger was pulled. Gwa! Gwa!

Few seconds later, someone woke me up- it was the police.

I thought they`d take me home but they took me to the station to sleep for a night.

“Welcome to hell. Surely a weekend would be enough, wouldn’t it?” said a guard.

“Screw you! You know this is against the law, I`m gonna sue you. Mark my words.”

He showed me his middle finger and said, “Law ended with The Autocratic Family. Now it doesn't exist. Evidence disappears like it`s a coincidence- sue me.”

What did he mean that the law ended with the Autocratic Family?

After lockdown, everyone in the cell started whistling and prison language became the only language spoken. That`s when I started to get scared.

Fortunately, there were people who know me though I didn’t know them.

“Just the person we wanted to meet.” He said, “How are you, Mastermind?” said an Inmate.

I didn’t respond and then he said, “We need your help, that’s why you are here.”

“I`m not available. I have this major case to work on, it`s paying a lot. I just can`t lose focus- not now.” I said.

“Are you aware you gonna be here the whole weekend?”

My tongue got paralyzed.

“We are not in for a fight, we just want to help our brother." he said, "But we can`t without you.”

I was so pleased to hear that at least there are people who cared about my brother.

“And what can I do to help?”

“We want you to be a witness on your brother`s case. There are three innocent people arrested and only you, through this script, can get them out.”

I started having thoughts about this. I`ve always wanted someone to help me get justice for my brother, but what if they are up to no good.

What if they want me to prove the innocence of my brother`s killers? I mean they wouldn’t be arrested if there was no evidence against them.

“That’s too much for me. I can`t.”

“I know, but do it for your brother.”

I took the script, squeezed it then threw it away.

“My brother`s killers are arrested, that’s what matters.”

“Okay, I tried!" he said, "He's all yours, gents.”

The inmates approached me ready for war. They were going to beat me up.

“Wait, I`ll do it.”

“Welcome to the Family."

In the morning, they made sure that the station captain become aware of the mistake that was made last night.

I had to sue the station and the money I got had to nurse my so-called brother`s friends.

Even though I took legal actions against the law, my family never knew that I was arrested- not once, but twice.

What ashamed me was that I am still in a primary school.

Came the court day, I had to be a witness yet I didn’t consult my family about that. I got a guilty conscience about what I`m about to do. But maybe they really aren’t my brother`s killers. I chose to testify according to the script as written.

During lunch, my parents were told that I was the next witness to go under oath.

I don’t know what came into mom`s mind since she claimed that I was young for the 21questions and that this case has nothing to do with me. She went as far as dropping the case if I don't get removed from the witness list.

Her decision confused me, why would she do that? Who does that? I felt like she knew something I didn`t know. She can`t just drop the case, but she did.

Now that my so-called brother`s friends got what they wanted, they told me that my job, for now, is done. That I should distance myself from them as much as possible.

I didn’t disagree with that though it made me suspicious. I wanted to focus on my brother`s killer- not killers.

The following year, I was promoted to high school where I met the VIP crew again.

Turns out they were all in matric except for their group leader who was newly in grade10- never failed before.

I didn’t know how to deal with them since they were never on my mind. But I had to deal with them, they are the reason I ended up in jail with those jailbirds.

“Stop wasting your time and focus your energy on what got you here. Time is starting to run against you.” said the Mystery- voice.

“I haven’t lost my focus, I`m gonna catch my brother`s killer." I said, "I`m gonna kill him.”

“You already lost focus, Mastermind." he said, "I was referring to what usually happens at night when you are asleep. What is it?”

“Dream. My dream!” I said, “I had totally forgotten about it.”

“Follow your dream, Mastermind. And forget about the rest.”

“Don’t you think I still need a friend, though?”

“The choice is yours.”

What am I going to do? I have a lot on my plate. I feel like I am in a situation that consisted of a problem, pressure, and worry. How can a newly high school learner overcome that situation? The results will be horrific, you will die literally if not technically.

Either way, you will feel like the world is torn apart; as if no puzzle meets the other.

You will feel like literally committing suicide because nothing can be done. Try western doctors with their medication and even traditional healers with their medicine- still, nothing will change.

“We have a herb to help you with the situation you are facing. We were once there, and this removed us there to here.” Said the VIP crew member.

They gave me cannabis, a drug made from dried leaves and flowers of the HEMP plant as they say.

It wasn’t my first time smoking it but this one was different. It made me get that feeling of been relaxed, I was like living on the other planet- alone.

“That’s the one.” I said, “Where can I buy this kind of blunt?”

That’s how I finally made myself an addict. Of cause, my friends became supportive. I enjoyed living the new life, the life I always wanted.

Now that I have the kind of friends I wanted, I`m gonna make sure I lose none of them.

That encouraged peer pressure to play its role while I got paranoid that the world might take my friends like it did in the past.

As time goes, I realized that this kid isn’t just a group leader, he was an icon, someone whom the group looked up too. I can call him a role model, our advisor.

All the kid did was to encourage us and it was in our own pleasure that we did what we did.

One thing I like about this guy is that he made us believe that we are grown-ups; he`d tell us about responsibilities and expectations of life as if he knew them.

We once made a house party- a sit-in to be precise. It was a couple sit-in and booze was on the house.

I enjoyed the party until the moment of speech time. What a speech he said, he told us that we should look out for each other as a group and rather than that we should look out for our families.

I`m not ashamed to say he's my role model too but I hate the fact that he wants us to treat people with inequality; so much like my beloved brother. They both always sounded the same- cruel. I wanted to be in the group so I had to do say they say- with pleasure, of cause.

Days went by, then came a day I got a chance to speak with the group leader- alone.

We smoked, and smoked, and smoked until we were out of the conversation.

“What do you wanna be in life?” I asked.

“A wise thug!” he said.

I was shocked to hear that, he saw it too.

“Wow, is that what you`ve ever dreamt of becoming- a wise thug?”

“No.” he said, “I wanted to be a businessman, I wanted to be rich like Jeff Bezos- to have everything that money can buy.”

“So what happened? I mean you still can be.”

He laughed and said, “I am. But it came with a lot to sacrifice.”

“You are? What do you mean?” I was confused.

“I own an Empire, a legacy. I`ll stay rich for as long as time allows me to. Except, I lost the most important thing in this world." He said, "She was my everything- the only person left in my life. Now they took her and I have to kill them.”

“Who is she? What really happened?”

“Some crap killed my sister. Now I have to serve justice for her.”

“Don’t you think it`s the law that should serve justice for her?”

“It`s been over a year now. For how long should I wait?" he said, "And besides, there`s no law now!”

There`s no law now? He reminded me of that policeman when he said “there`s no law now, law ended with the Autocratic Family.”

“Do you know the Autocratic Family?" I asked, "Who are they? What really happened?”

“It doesn’t exist anymore. We went separate ways, and here I am leading the Autocracy.” He laughed.

What! Could he be who I think he is? The kid my brother feared without a doubt? Could he be my brother`s girlfriend`s little brother?

Now things are going according to plan. I have met the person I`ve been waiting to meet. Though I didn’t confess who I was to him, I did comfort and sympathize with him.

Since that day, we became close till we became  best friends, or so I thought.

As time went by, I came to realize that my friend, the Wise Thug, had a character that was heartless; he had anger, hatred, and was cruel.

He was not a kind to mess with and had no close friend.

I, myself, feared him most when he lost his temper. He did no good except been good at doing bad.

One day, as we were chilling at the park, I told him I was a good partner in crime, hence they called me Mastermind. So I don’t mind helping him to kill his sister`s killer.

“I don’t do relationships with kids. You still have a lot to learn before I could consider you.”

I laughed, “Remember when we first met, you threatened to kill me but I wasn’t scared you`d do it. I later got arrested, but I didn’t sell you out. You seem to forget who they call me- Mastermind!”

“Mastermind, you say! I don’t know what you are trying to prove by helping me kill my sister`s killers. But here, take this.” He said, “Meet me there tonight.” Then left me wondering.

The card had an address at the back of it. I wonder what is going to happen there. I hope their initiations are better than those of my last group.

Later that night, I went to the place of the address following my GPS locator and before I knew it, I was at the wasteland.

When I noticed the area, I hesitated to go deeper. What if those inmates were right about the group that killed my brother. Could it be the Wise- thug who killed my brother?

But then where was he when his sister was killed?

As I was walking deeper into the wasteland, I saw lights coming my way, they were bright and quickly approaching me- it was a car.

When it stopped, the Wise- thug told me to get inside and I didn’t hesitate nor ask why. That’s how I got to know the kind of people he associates with.

I wasn’t comfortable in the car since everyone in it was too old to be my friends; so much to be my uncles.

They were four, including the Wise- thug, and I was the fifth person in the car. They all had guns except for me. However, I was so sure that tonight was thee night, that my brother`s killers were going to die.

We stopped at an ATM, one went out to withdraw some cash, or so I thought.

When he came back to the car, they all wore their balaclavas and took their spots bags out. As I was about to ask, the ATM bombed.

They all went out except for me and my friend. I was scared and shaking. What if the police bust us. I`d be arrested for the third time now- for nothing again.

I heard sirens in my ears and only one word on my mind- run! But before I could, they were all inside the car and drove. We did manage to dodge them, and the car stopped where they got me and they gave me a few bucks.

As I was walking home in the middle of the night alone, I met these three guys.

One of them was the guy who escaped death during the shootout at the clubhouse that day.

They wanted to take my money but I told them not without a fight. One went for his gun but the other stopped him and said, “He's not worth a gunfight, is he?”

They did beat me up with no mercy; like they were fighting someone their age. They then took my cash and ran; just the way I came.

I was left all alone crying, crying out loud, and begging for help as if someone will hear me.

They left me lying on the ground in the wasteland, weak like a paper that could be blown by wind at any time.

I had lost hope and was ready to sleep there when I heard a voice say, “You called this to yourself, and now you are on your own. Next time, be careful on what you wish for because the universe might prepare it for you, like it just did.”

At first, I thought it was the Mystery- voice or the Old man scientist, but it wasn’t.

The man was some kind of a street hobo. I think he lives in this wasteland.

“Aren`t you gonna help me?” I asked him.

“In life, every `man lives for themselves. Like I`ve just said, you are on your own.”

“Please have some mercy on me.”

“How can there be mercy if messiah can`t be there?”

This man left me lying on the ground then vanished into the dark.

“I hate you, cruel man! I hate you!” I said it crying.

At last, after a long-short journey, I reached a place where i got help- home sweet home.