Chapter 11
Cliff lived with his uncle for a good number of years. He enrolled in one of the universities in the United States and studied Medicine. He also worked in the States as a doctor for some years before returning to Nigeria. He stayed with his cousin, living in Lagos, for some days when he returned. One day, he opened his diary to glance through some entries. He found an entry and called a friend on the phone. The next day, he glanced through the same diary, found another entry, called the person, but he couldn’t get him. Then he started to glance through the diary again. Soon, he found an old entry:
“Ha Iyke, so your name is still in my diary, eh?” he said.
Iyke was Cliff’s best friend in his primary school but he couldn’t continue his education because he lost his parents at a tender age. Iyke was a notorious drug trafficker living in Lagos. One day, Cliff decided to visit him. On the same day, Iyke was preparing to go and visit Mike, his friend, who was coincidentally in the same police cell with Douglas. As Iyke was about to put on his shoes, a flashy V-boot Mercedes Benz car suddenly stopped in front of his room. He stood up, tiptoed to the window and parted the curtains gently. Cliff came out of the car, adjusted his suit, put his hands in his pockets and confidently felt the wads of cash in his pockets. He brought out his car’s remote controller and pressed the power lock button. An alarm beeped and the doors were locked automatically. Cliff then adjusted his gold-rimmed eyeglasses, looked at his golden wristwatch and walked towards Iyke’s room. His shiny hairstyle, the silvery ring on his hand and his shining shoes glittered in the sun. Two young girls, living adjacent to Iyke’s room, were noticeably impressed, and they wanted to be noticed.
“Who is this gentleman?” Iyke said as he saw Cliff coming towards his room.
He mistook Cliff for a drug law enforcement agent. When Cliff was a few metres away from his door,
Iyke quickly went and hid under his bed. Cliff knocked and said:
“Hello, is anybody here?”
But there was no response. He waited for some seconds and knocked again:
“Hello,‘s anyone a’ home?” he said with American accent.
Still there was no response.
“Look, this guy seems to be loaded with money” one of the girls said calmly.
“Even a blind man could see that he’s gorgeous and rich” replied the other girl.
Cliff knocked for the last time and said:
“It‘slike ‘fis guy ain’t a’ home”
Then he went outside, pressed a button on his car remote controller and an alarm beeped again. Some unhooking sounds were heard from the doors’ hinges and the wipers waved at him invitingly. Shortly, one of the girls approached him:
“Hello” she greeted.
“Hi, ma’am” Cliff replied. “D’you ‘fink Iyke’s ‘till liv’ here?” “Yes sir, he is still living here with us” the girl replied. “’Right. You’re livin’ with’im?”
“No, em…but I am like a sister to him in a way”
“Yeah, I see, that’s pretty nice” Cliff said and adjusted his eyeglasses. The girl smiled and said:
“Em…sir, do you have any message for Iyke? I think he is not at home now”
“’Right ma’am, I just came to check him out, tell’im Dr. Cliff look’d in. D’you ‘un’stan' me?” The girl was surprised when Cliff addressed himself as Dr. Cliff.
“Well, doctor, I can say you must be Iyke’s friend?”
“Yeah, sure you’re pretty right. Iyke’s one of my old buddies ah…em..I lost em. .contact with’im when I left the country for the States. Sure, I’m like a brother to’im in a way. You got that?” Cliff replied.
“Really? I see”
“Quite true, it’s been a long time ‘n’ I need to see ‘im” “Do you have any other message for him, Dr. Cliff?” “No, but I’ll certainly check back some other time”
“That’s alright, doctor. Will you also check me when you come to check him – my room is beside his room and I am…”
“Ain’t you going too far, ma’am? I said I’m gonna check back” Cliff said.
“I’m sorry, doctor; I mean no harm, I just wanted to…”
“Tell him I checked, and that’s all for now, don’t forget. Anyway, here’s my card”
“Thank you” the girl said.
“You’re welcome”
Cliff entered the car and slammed the door. Iyke did not recognize Cliff, but when he heard him mention his name with a friendly tone as he was talking with the girl, he concluded that he might not actually be a drug law enforcement agent. Then he got up and opened the door. As Cliff was about to leave, he saw a red light and a green light flashing on the dashboard. He looked at the red light and the green light closely. They meant: “two tyres deflated; check engine oil level”
“Oh, shit!” Cliff hissed and got out of the car.
Iyke came out, approached him and said:
“Sir, may I help you?”
Cliff removed his eyeglasses, looked at him for a while and shouted:
“Iyke!!”
Iyke looked at him and shouted:
“Cliff! Cliff, is that you? Oh, my God! Oh my God!”
Cliff hugged Iyke happily, and shook him vigorously for a few seconds – and Iyke could feel the wads of cash rubbing against his thighs.
“Men, it’s been quite a long time, very, very long time” Cliff said.
“A very long time indeed! Anyway, come let’s go inside”
They went inside Iyke’s room and Iyke offered Cliff a bottle of beer but he refused to take it. “Why Cliff, just manage this bottle of beer, though it is not like the one you people drink over
there” Iyke said.
“A bottle of beer?” Cliff said, “No, I don’t take that”
“Why? Don’t you like the brand?” Iyke asked.
“Sorry Iyke, but I ain’t gonna take this, right? I just can’t …. I’m a doctor, d’you know?”
“You are what?”
“I said I’m a doctor”
“It is a lie. I can’t believe that”
“I can’t lie to you, Iyke”
“Well, if you are serious then we must celebrate!” Iyke exclaimed.
“So Iyke, I returned from the States some weeks ago and I’ve been trying to see you. So, how’re you doing? How’s your business? Like we say in Nigeria, how’s everything?”
Iyke sighed, scratched his beards thoughtfully and said:
“Cliff, there is a lot of hardship in this country but thanks be to God, we are managing”
“Oh, man it’s like that everywhere even in the States. Many people over there are trying’ to make it just like you guy’s doing down here. Men, it’s not as easy as you guys usually ‘fink”
“Well, we hope that things will improve and life will be better in due time”
Cliff grinned and started to discuss some issues with Iyke. Iyke eventually told him that he was about to visit Mike, one of his friends, who was in a police cell and Cliff decided to follow him to the police station. But he did not know that Douglas was in the same cell with Mike. Mike did not know that Douglas Cliff’s friend. Iyke and Cliff reached a dilapidated police station some hours later. There were two police officers at the police station. The station, being an old one, emitted malodorous odours of varying degrees from different angles. Stench of urine and faeces filled the air. Iyke pretended he did not perceive the odours. Cliff perceived the odours and, when he could no longer endure, exclaimed:
“Men, this place stinks!”
“What?”
“This goddamn place awfully stinks, damn! It’s not like this in the States!” “We are used to it. Get used to it, man”
“Damn it! I can’t get used to shit, man”
“We are still a few metres from the cells and you are complaining. What then will you say or do when you’re thrown into one of the cells? Well, maybe you will say ‘this place stings!’” Iyke said.
“Here’s too bushy, man, looks abandoned. I’m sure they’ve got some snakes and scorpions in there too?” Cliff asked. Iyke hissed and said:
“Well, we lack nothing in our stations and cells. Listen to me: we have different breeds of mosquitoes, lice, bedbugs, ticks, worms, rats, and, you may be right, there could be scorpions in there too!”
Cliff sighed sadly. They went into the station and approached one of the police officers. Iyke told him that he wanted to see Mike but the police officer demanded money before he would allow Iyke to see Mike. Iyke whispered to Cliff. Instantly, Cliff dipped his hand inside his pocket and brought out some dollar notes.
“Hey Cliff, what are doing?” Iyke asked, puzzled.
“What?”
“Look at your hands, man!”
Cliff grinned. Then he dipped his hand again in his other pocket, brought out some naira notes and gave it to the police officer. The police officer was happy. Then he picked a bunch of keys and moved towards the cells. Shortly, Mike appeared looking unkempt, rough and tattered. Cliff sauntered to answer a phone call.
“Iyke, who is this if I may ask?” Mike said, pointing at Cliff.
“Oh, he is Dr. Cliff, an old friend of mine” Then he called Cliff and said: “Ah, doctor, this is Mike, my friend”
“I’m pleased to meet you, Mike” Cliff said, offering a handshake.
“It’s a pleasure. I’m pleased to meet you too” Mike replied, “I’m sorry to bring you to this hellish place and I have already noticed your displeasure”
“Never mind” Cliff said, “I returned from the States some weeks ago and since then I’ve been trying to locate an old buddy, by name Douglas, but I haven’t been able to find the chap. I remember his father died during our secondary school days and he consequently withdrew from school. So, that was how I lost contact with him before I left for the States a couple of years after he quitted. But I remember I dropped a letter for him, which I gave the principal, though I wouldn’t know if the letter was eventually delivered to him or not”
Mike was puzzled. His countenance changed and he started to think. He wondered whether the person, whom Cliff was talking about, could be the one with him in the cell. Coincidentally, what Douglas had told him and other inmates about one of his old friends, named Cliff, coincided with what Cliff just told him about Douglas.
“Doc” Mike began after a while, “Did you say you lost contact with that your old friend, by name Douglas, during your secondary school days?”
“Yes. Do you have any idea of him?”
“Somehow”
“How? Tell me!” Cliff asked impatiently.
“Well, there is a man with us here who had told us exactly what you have just said…” “What’s his name? What’s his name, man?” Cliff interrupted excitedly. “Well, his name is Douglas”
“Douglas!?”
“Yes, Douglas, he said his name is Douglas. But you know, generally, most criminals, inmates and prisoners forge names”
Cliff was excited but Iyke was indifferent. Cliff wanted to see the man at once. Quickly and excitedly, he called one of the police officers and requested to see the inmates.
“Do you mean to bail all the inmates or do you just want to see them?” the police officer wondered.
“Bring out all the inmates first” Cliff answered, “There’s someone I’ve been looking for, and it seems he’s here”
“You have not answered my question” the police officer persisted, “Meanwhile, who are you? Identify yourself”
“I say bring’em out ‘t once!” Cliff barked with American accent.
“Sir, it is against our rule that all the inmates should be brought out at once for fear of escape”
the police officer explained.
Iyke whispered to Cliff.
“Ah Again?” Cliff asked, surprised.
“I’m afraid but you have to do that again” Iyke said.
“But will they bring out all the inmates?”
“Certainly”
Cliff then dipped his hands into his pockets again and brought out some cash. The police officer coughed and gently collected the money.
“Now, can I see the inmates?” Cliff demanded.
The police officer did not utter a word this time. He quickly collected the same bunch of keys and went to the cells. The inmates were happy when they saw him:
“Abeg wait, e be like say another person don commit” one of the inmates said.
“Ah na true o, make we dey look” another said inmate.
“Oh, na O.C”
“Na im?”
“Yah, na im”
Then there were hullabaloo and series of requests:
“O.C abeg come buy me bread, hunger don kill me for here” “O.C abeg come buy me water, my throat don dry”
“O.C come, make you help me call my people nah, my mama no no say I dey here”,
“O.C, abeg make una come commot dis person, im no dey breathe again, e be like say im don die”, “O.C…”
“Shut up all of you!” the police officer rebuked, “Today is a lucky day for you criminals...”
The inmates kept quiet and there was silence. Then the police officer continued, “A young man said he wants to see all of you. Now, you must be quiet and orderly as you march to the counter…if you run, we shoot!”
“Hurray!!!” the inmates shouted happily, hailing the police officer.
The police officer then unlocked the cell and the inmates started to march to the counter whispering and humming like bees. Cliff then started to look at their faces but he could not recognize Douglas and Douglas could not recognize him too. Cliff couldn’t recognize Douglas because he had emaciated with a darker complexion, looking pale, old and troubled. In a moment, the inmates started to wonder what was about to happen.
“Yeah, Mike, who’s the man you’re talkin’ ‘bout?” Cliff asked at last.
“Ah, look at him” Mike replied pointing at Douglas. Douglas became somewhat confused. He did not know what to do. Cliff walked up to him, examined him closely and shouted:
“Douglas!!”
Then he hugged him tightly. The rest of the inmates were surprised. Mike was surprised too. He stared at Cliff and Douglas questioningly. Douglas was also surprised and bereft of words.
“Sir, please who are you?” he asked, suppressing a dry cough.
“Douglas, can’t you recognize me? Look at me very well. For Heaven’s sake, I’m Cliff, your old
friend!”
“Cliff?? You are Cliff? Cliff Daniels??”
“Of course, that’s me! Oh my goodness!”
“Oh my God!” Douglas exclaimed. He knelt down, held Cliff’s legs and started to cry.
“Stop crying, Douglas” Cliff said, “It’s been quite a long time, a very long time, man! But what on earth brought you here?” Douglas wiped his eyes and said:
“It is a long story. And I will be prepared to answer a lot of questions – very big questions indeed” “What are you right there in the cell, Douglas?” Cliff asked.
Douglas shook his head and answered, “Again, it is a long story. I call it the Story of Douglas” “My God! I know it must be a long story” Cliff said. “Anyway, let’s get out of this stinking and Godforsaken place. Thank Heavens I finally found you”
Douglas thanked Iyke for coming to bail Mike, and also thanked Mike for remembering his story which made Cliff to request to see all the inmates. Thereafter, Cliff bailed Douglas and Mike and later introduced them to each other. When they wanted to leave, the inmates started to murmur again:
“Sir?” one of them called.
Cliff stopped and turned.
“Yes, what’s it?
“I – I wan beg you something, sir…”
One of the inmates, a literate and learned man, pinched him from the back and whispered:
“Speak good English. You are not talking to your fellow inmate”
“Me I no sabi correct grammar. You know say I no finish school. Abeg make I speak de one wey I sabi” the inmate retorted.
The learned inmate hissed and completed the request: “Sir, please we want to beg you for something…” “Yes? What’s it?” Cliff asked again.
Douglas and Mike exchanged glances while the police officer scratched his pimpled chin. “Sir,” the inmate continued, “Please could you give us some money?”
“Oh, is that all?” Cliff wondered, “How do you know I have money here with me?” “Ha! It’s written over you, sir”
“But how come you’re not asking for freedom, instead you’re asking for money? Well...”
The inmates were speechless. Cliff slowly dipped his right hand in his back pocket, brought out some cash and shared the cash among the inmates. The inmates were thankful and happy, but the police officer had his greedy eyes on the money they received. Then Cliff left the police station with Douglas, Mike and Iyke. He took them firstly to a restaurant, then to a pharmacy, to supermarket, to a boutique and finally to his house. Mike and Iyke stayed with him for some days and left but Douglas continued to stay with him.
* * * *
Cliff took Douglas to several other places and bought many things for him. One day, he called him for a discussion:
“So Douglas, tell me, what took you to police cell?” Douglas sighed, shook his head and said:
“It’s a long story, doc. My story is a long one, once again I call it the Story of Douglas. It is a lengthy story; I really don’t know where to start”
“Yeah, sure…but um…. um…yeah I remember…you dropped from school b‘cos of your father’s
dea’f…?”
Douglas sighed again and said:
“That’s true doc, but, like I said before, it is a long story”
“Now, tell me the story – starting from your dad’s dea’f to how you ended up in the cell”
Douglas suppressed a sigh, shook his head and narrated:
“The story is too long, but I will summarize it for you: my father’s death made me to drop from school. I did all that I could to continue my education but all to no avail. I later consulted a friend, by name Jude, for help but he eventually introduced me to a gang…”
“A gang?” Cliff interrupted, “Why would he do that? Gang of what?”
“Gang of armed robbers” Douglas continued, “Initially, I did not want to join the gang but I was forced to join them because they threatened to kill me. We had many successful operations and I made a lot of money. However, we ran out of luck one day and I was apprehended…”
“How exactly did it happen? Tell me the whole story” Cliff said, adjusting his seat. Douglas suppressed another sigh and started to cry.
“Stop crying, Douglas, wipe your eyes” Cliff said. “Dry the tears and tell me the whole story. I need to know what caused what and what led to what. It’s just gonna be between us, man” Douglas wiped his eyes and continued:
“My younger sister, Doris, was taken as a housemaid to Lagos…but she went contrary to what we expected and became a prostitute. I had a friend while in the gang whose nickname was Spider. On a fateful day, he went to a brothel in Lagos and befriended Doris but he did not know that Doris was my sister. To cut a long story short, Spider unknowingly fell in love with Doris and swore to marry her. We later discovered that the girl he wanted to marry was my biological sister. Nonetheless, Spider was determined and still maintained that he would marry her. We argued. I told him that he would only marry her if he would withdraw from the gang. He eventually withdrew from the gang and married Doris. I tried everything possible to withdraw from the gang too but I did not succeed. Eventually, I was apprehended and hopelessly dumped in the cell. In the cell, I met Mike and narrated my story to him and some other inmates. So, that was how it happened” Douglas cried again remorsefully. Cliff heaved a sigh and shook his head. Then he drew closer to Douglas and said:
“It’s a pity, man. But, that’s ok. Stop crying.... No, no, no man you don’t have to cry like a baby.
I heard all you said and um…I think I know what to do. I must find something for you to do in order to eke out a living for yourself. In fact, I promise to make some arrangements and take you with me back to the States”
Douglas was happy and grateful. He knelt down and held Cliff’s legs shamefacedly. A stream of tears of shame and joy streamed down his face and wetted Cliff’s trousers. At a point, Cliff sighed and gave way to tears, which streamed down his cheeks and landed on Douglas’ head like heavy raindrops. After some time, Douglas raised his face a little and stuttered:
“Cliff, may…may God bless you for everything you’ve done for me especially for your persistence to find me”
Cliff was speechless. He brought out his handkerchief and wiped his tears. Then he started to pat Douglas like a baby.
“Get up Douglas” he said. “Get up, that’s ok. I heard all you said. Get up and stop crying” Douglas brought out his handkerchief, wiped his tears and got up.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Cliff started to work in a popular hospital while Douglas decided to learn Tailoring. Some years later, he became a specialist and famous for embroidery and other textile designs. He had many intricately and expertly embroidered types of attire of different colours, designs and sizes in his shop. One day, he was making some beautiful designs on a fabric when a stranger, who was also a tailor, entered his shop. The
stranger had been hearing of a tailor, an expert in embroidery, who sews and embroiders many beautiful and complex designs. He approached Douglas and greeted him.
“Hello, you’re welcome. What can I do for you?” Douglas responded.
The stranger sneezed.
“Sorry, I have catarrh” he apologized. Then he brought out a woolen material and said:
“I want you to embroider this woolen material. It is just a little work but I need it urgently”
Douglas examined the woolen material and said:
“It will cost you a big amount of money. Woolen materials of this type are usually difficult to embroider”
“How much will it cost?” the stranger asked.
Douglas examined the texture of the woolen material again and said:
“Ten thousand naira will be enough”
“Ten thousand naira? No, I can’t pay that. The charge is too much. I will pay two thousand naira, please” the stranger said.
“The charge is not too much and two thousand naira is too poor” Douglas said. “You see, embroidering woolen materials requires much effort and a special kind of thread. It is usually difficult to embroider this type of material but you may not understand. Ten thousand is not too much. Think about it” Douglas wanted to manoeuvre the stranger but he did not know that the stranger was also a tailor. The stranger sneezed again and started to argue with Douglas. After a while, Douglas hissed and said:
“Well, you can pay the five thousand naira. Now, go in and select a pattern” “Thank you” said the stranger.
Douglas started to whistle, measuring and cutting a piece a cloth. The stranger walked into his shed to select a pattern. He was delighted to see the many beautiful patterns and designs. He picked a fabric and said:
“I think this is silk”
Douglas turned and said:
“No, it is polyester”
“Do you sell silken materials?”
“No, I don’t”
“What are you working on?”
“I’m working on brocade. It is also an urgent work”
“I prefer lace to brocade”
“Why?”
“Brocades are becoming out-dated”
“Well, that’s true”
Then there was a period of silence but Douglas continued to whistle.
“You are indeed an expert in embroidery, I must confess. In fact, I have heard so much about your wonderful works” the stranger commended.
“Thank you very much” Douglas appreciated.
The stranger picked an embroidered woolen material and said:
“This is a nice design. It is very attractive”
Douglas turned and said: “Oh, thanks” Then there was another conversation full of tailoring terminologies between the tailors but the stranger did not want Douglas to know that he was also a tailor. Suddenly, his countenance changed. He drew closer to Douglas and said:
“Mister, you look like someone I know or someone I somehow met somewhere” “Really?”
“Yes, and it is like we’ve somehow met before. I’m trying to recall”. "We have met somehow before? How? Where?” Douglas wondered.
The stranger looked at him for a while and said:
“I think in the hideout some years ago”
“Hideout?” Douglas was shocked. He stopped whistling and stood up and asked:
“What did you just say?”
“Ah? Are you not em…?”
“Look…” Douglas interrupted, “There must be a mistake somewhere. I had never been a robber and I didn’t belong to any gang or robbers. So, you are probably mistaking me for someone else” The stranger coughed and sneezed again, then he said:
“Mister, there’s no difference between us. We were former gangsters are we are now tailors”
“Look, I can’t understand you. What are you insinuating? Explain in details. But I hope you haven’t come here to distract me from my work? Now, if you don’t have anything reasonable to say, quietly get out else I will push you out!” Douglas threatened. He probably mistook the stranger for a swindler. The stranger started to laugh.
“Do you believe that a lion can scare a lamb away?” he asked.
“What do you mean?” Douglas retorted angrily.
“Well, a lion can scare a lamb away but you, Dog, you can’t scare an ant away let alone scorpion, no matter how much you are feared”
“Are you calling me a dog?” Douglas wondered, infuriated.
“Would you have preferred Spider or Bad Bird?” the stranger retorted. Douglas gnashed his teeth and mumbled:
“This is serious; it seems this man knows my history”
Then he said:
“Look mister, you are disturbing me. What do you mean and what exactly are you talking about?”
The stranger laughed again and said:
“Brother, don’t assume I’m strange to you. I’m not a stranger and you are not strange to me either”
“Look, my friend” Douglas said, “You are confusing me. Now please leave my shop. I’m no longer interested in the conversation. Leave my shop at once!”
“You asked me to look?” the stranger persisted. “Look where? At Bullet or at Isabella? Well, it’s nice to meet you, bro: I am the dreaded Scorpion!”
“What? Oh my God!” Douglas shouted. “You are… Scorpion? Where have you been, Scorpion? Wonders shall never end!”
The ex-gangsters were happy to reunite after many years.
“Yeah, man, I’ve been hovering in the air like a homeless bird. Well, I’m here to inform you of an operation, our last operation”
“You are Scorpion and you are here to inform me of an operation?” “Exactly”
Douglas was astounded. He could not believe his ears. He did not know what next to say or do. Scorpion guffawed.
“Scorpion, please forgive me for lying to you” Douglas apologized. “But please, I’m sorry; I’m not ready for any operation now. I’m fed up, I’m tired, and, in fact, I have repented” He snapped his fingers and started to laugh too.
“Well, I’m joking” Scorpion said. “But you shouldn’t have lied to me. I’m not here for any operation. I no longer belong to any gang. I’m now a tailor just like you”
“Wow!” Douglas exclaimed. “You are also a tailor?”
“Yes, I am a tailor and here is my complimentary card” Scorpion replied. “I’m now a married man with two children. My wife is a banker”
“This is unbelievable, a miracle indeed!” Douglas exclaimed.
“It is indescribable, certainly more than a miracle, brother. In fact, it is a long story. “Oh, God of wonders!”
“What about Spider and the rest of the gang? Have you seen any of them lately, Dog?” Douglas sighed and said:
“Scorpion, you may not believe this”
“What happened?” Scorpion asked.
“In fact, to cut the story short, could you believe that Spider eventually got married to Doris, my younger sister?”
“Spider? Unbelievable!” Scorpion shouted. “This is mysterious to my ears. I can’t believe it” “It’s hard to believe but it actually happened” Douglas said. “You’re joking, Dog. I can’t believe that”
“I’m not joking, Scorpion. I’m serious”
“Are you telling me that Spider and your younger sister, Doris, are now living as husband and wife? Your real, biological sister? How on earth did that happen? You’re kidding, right? Tell me you’re pulling my legs, man”
“Ah? Do you want me to provide their address so that you can go and see them for yourself?” Douglas persisted.
Scorpion shrugged and snapped his fingers in disbelief.
“Well, if you’re sure of what you’re saying, please give me the address. I’d like to see and talk with Spider” he said. Douglas quickly scribbled the address on a piece of paper and gave it to him. Scorpion studied the address.
“My God!” he exclaimed, amazed, “I’m living close to their street!” “Really?”
“I’m serious. My goodness, this is absolutely coincidental! I must see Spider this evening, I must!”
Douglas was excited. He rushed into his shop, tore out a page of his invoice, gave to Scorpion and shouted:
“Scorpion, call your address for me at once!”
Scorpion was excited too. He quickly called his address. Then he shook hands with Douglas and left. Douglas folded his arms. He was speechless for a long time. Then he shrugged, snapped his fingers and started to whistle again. Suddenly, he shrugged, snapped his fingers again and said:
“My God, this world is indubitably round, a global village, very small place and, indeed, wonders shall never end. At last, I reunited with Scorpion. Who knows the whereabouts of Jude, Isabella, Dragon, Bad Bird, Acid and Bullet, the evil genius? I will certainly like to reunite with them to learn more about life, especially when I will tell my story, the Story of Douglas”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Scorpion finally reunited with Spider. Douglas and Spider concealed their former crimes from Doris. The former gangsters planned to reunite with the rest of the gang members. But it was an unaccomplished mission because Cliff eventually obtained international passport, visa, flight ticket and all other travel documents and requirements for Douglas. Finally, Cliff and Douglas left the country for the United States of America. Would Spider and Scorpion eventually reunite with the rest of the ex-gang members? Would Doris reconcile with Gladys? Would Dan ever tell Gladys he met Doris in a brothel? Would Alice ever forgive Spider? Would Bullet, the evil genius, ever be apprehended?
