CHAPTER 31

Ogadi was quiet as Phillip paid the driver that dropped them off at Democracy stadium. She felt nervous as hell, going out with Phillip. What if girls began to flock about him? What if Dike Aru appeared out of nowhere? She thought as she wrung her fingers.

“Hey. Are you okay?” Phillip asked concernedly as he gently but firmly separated her fingers.

Ogadi nodded, “Sure, sure.”

Phillip gave her one of his radiant smiles and took her hand as they joined the relatively small queue of people waiting to gain entrance into the stadium.

“It's a free concert, right?” Phillip asked Ogadi.

“Yup,” Ogadi replied, preoccupied with how well his long fingers held on to hers.

“And the crowd here is smaller than that of very expensive concerts. I was right, this is going to be lame.” Phillip complained.

Ogadi shared the same sentiment and was about to apologize for making him come with her when he continued, “Not that I mind. Like I said, spending time with you is worth getting my eardrums destroyed by amateurs.”

Ogadi couldn't help but smile brilliantly up at him. Phillip always knew the right things to say.

“Finally, she smiles.” Phillip said as they moved forward in the queue.

Ogadi ducked her head before she came to her senses. What was wrong with her? She asked herself. Why was she acting like some fainting maiden out of a Victorian romance novel?

Soon, they were before a tired-looking bouncer who waved them in without even asking to see some form of identification.

Ogadi held on to Phillip's hand as they finally gained entrance into the stands, which were only half-full.

They made their way to a place that was empty and sat down, watching as the organizers tried to get the stage ready.

“These people are really amateurs. The show's supposed to have started by now.” Ogadi complained.

“I agree.” Phillip nodded, surveying their surroundings. Ogadi followed suit and almost choked when she saw a couple making out quite enthusiastically.

She averted her eyes immediately and made eye contact with Phillip, who smirked and said, “What a show, right?”

“I guess they're just trying to kill time. Not that I blame them. The concert was supposed to have started a while ago.” Ogadi rambled, trying to cover up her embarrassment.

Phillip's smirk did not waver as he waggled his eyebrows and asked, “So, do you want to kill time with me?”

“Not on your life.” Ogadi replied vehemently.

“Why did you have to protest so much?” Phillip asked knowingly, “A simple no would have sufficed.”

“Phillip, could you stop?” Ogadi asked, not meeting his eyes. She wondered why she was suddenly so shy.

Phillip must have taken pity on her condition because he nodded and changed the topic, “What do you know about Democracy stadium?”

Ogadi looked at him quizzically and shrugged, this line of discussion was much safer than their previous one.

“It was built a few years after Nigeria's independence from England.” She replied.

Phillip gave her a look not unlike the one a schoolmaster gave a disappointing pupil, “Is that all?”

“Yes. Is there anything else to know?” Ogadi asked defensively.

“A whole lot more.” Phillip replied, examining his nails under the poor stage light.

“Well, educate the ignorant, O walking encyclopedia.” Ogadi taunted.

Phillip either didn't get her sarcasm or chose to ignore it because he launched into a lecture on everything he knew about the stadium.

“When the then governor wanted to build the stadium, the people were against it. Some called it a waste of time, others had their own reasons.”

“What were their reasons?”

“Ummm...I've forgotten. It's on the tip of my brain, but for the life of me I can't recall it.”

“Oh my God! There's something you don't know?” Ogadi said with faux shock.

“Yes. Yes. Make fun of me.” Phillip replied good naturedly before he continued, “At the time, it took only a million naira to build the stadium. when it was completed, it was so beautiful that international matches were played here.

Then, all of a sudden, there were protests. People took up residence here and swore to die before they let people play on the pitch.

The governor tried to mediate with them, but they refused. All they wanted was for the stadium demolished.”

“Are you serious?” Ogadi asked, taken in by the story.

“As a heart attack.” Phillip replied.

“So what happened?”

“Well, there was an international friendly against England to be played here and the governor didn't want be shamed by the protesters who were threatening to break the legs of any players they saw on the pitch. The governor had no other option but to sic trigger-happy policemen on the protesters.”

“For real?” Ogadi huffed, “Like that would solve the problem.”

“But it did,” Phillip affirmed with a shrug, “The policemen opened fire on the protesters and killing them in the process.”

“The protesters didn't run?” Ogadi queried, wide-eyed.

“Only a few. Majority of them stood their ground and paid the ultimate price for it.” Phillip replied.

“That's so sad.” Ogadi said, shaking her head. “I wonder what it was they wanted so badly that they got killed for it.”

Phillip ran his hand through his hair, “I know it...I-I-I...can't remember.”

“Could you try?” Ogadi pleased, quite curious.

Phillip narrowed his eyes in concentration and stroked his smooth chin as he tried to recall.

His concentration was broken by a skinny young man who swaggered to the stage wearing a black shirt and skinny jeans and tried to deafen every living thing in a ten-mile radius by shouting at the top of his lungs into the microphone he was holding.

“Good evening, Owerri! How are you?!”

Ogadi and Phillip were forced to cover their ears with their palms.

“I know you're all fine!” The MC bellowed uncaring of whose eardrums he destroyed, “Welcome to Xtreme Concert! The most anticipated concert in the country!”

“Yeah, right. Most anticipated concert my foot.” Phillip said bitterly, still holding his hands over his ears.

“Without wasting much time, I'd like to introduce our opening act. Although he's still an upcoming artiste, he has garnered millions of streams on various platforms, won numerous awards and sold thousands of copies of his debut album worldwide!

He's none other than the insanely popular Decibel!” The MC roared, jumping up and almost tripping due to his skinny jeans.

“I have never heard of this person.” Ogadi asserted.

“Me neither,” Phillip concurred with a hearty laugh, “this should be fun.”

Out of nowhere, a young man dressed in black overalls jumped out on stage growling into his microphone, “It's Decibel! Are you ready for me? Can you handle me?”

Ogadi took a good look at his hair which was dyed a nauseating shade of yellow and began to laugh.

“This can't get any worse.” Phillip groaned under his breath.

Then Decibel began to belt out his latest release, which was a street hip-hop number with a discordant beat and Phillip shook his head, “It just got worse.”

Ogadi and Phillip folded their arms and waited for Decibel to finish his performance.

After what felt like a thousand years, Decibel gave a bow and took his sweat-drenched body off the stage.

Before Phillip and Ogadi could heave a sigh of relief, the MC announced the second performer, Oreo.

“Decibel and Oreo? Please, where do they get these people from?” Phillip complained light-heartedly.

“I have no idea.” Ogadi laughed.

The laughter was wiped off her face when a very endowed woman in a tiny swimsuit sashayed to the stage.

Phillip looked like he was about to swallow his tongue before he joined the enthusiastic fans who cheered as Oreo wiggled her ample buttocks.

Ogadi sat and watched as Oreo began to sing, undulating her body to the beat of her music. Soon, she found herself tapping to the beat.

The music was irresistible.

Suddenly, Oreo dropped the microphone and pulled the MC to her. Then, she got on all fours and ground her ass against him.

The crowd went haywire as the MC placed his hands on Oreo's waist and began to mimic thrusting into her.

Ogadi looked away from the stage to tell Phillip how unnecessary she found the vulgar display when she saw him watching the dancing partners with his mouth open.

“Never mind.” Ogadi whispered angrily and looked around for something to occupy herself with until Oreo and the MC finished their exercise.

Again, she saw the couple who had been kissing earlier. This time, they were actively fondling each other. Watching Oreo and the MC must have put them in the mood.

Ogadi was about to spare the stage a glance when she noticed someone next to the stage. The person looked like an old man. Ogadi was sure he wasn't a stagehand. She didn't know why, but she believed he didn't belong there.

“Phillip, do you see that man?” Ogadi asked, tapping Phillip.

“Yes, lucky him.” Phillip replied, not taking his eyes off the stage.

Ogadi hit Phillip's arm and yelled, “Not the MC, you idiot.”

Phillip reluctantly pulled his eyes away from the stage and fixed his grey eyes on her, “What are you talking about?”

Ogadi put her hand behind his head and pointed in the direction of the man, “Look at the man beside the stage.”

“Yeah, so?” Phillip asked, unconcerned.

“He doesn't look like a stagehand or anything, and he looks quite old. He shouldn't be there lest he trips over some wires or something.” Ogadi replied.

The man in question suddenly sat on the floor.

“See?” Phillip gestured, “He's sitting down. I'm yet to see anyone who tripped over something while sitting.”

“Seriously?” Ogadi questioned, not trying to hide the incredulity in her tone, “That's all you have to say?”

Phillip rolled his eyes, “Yes, I get the feeling he's not meant to be there. He's probably an old mooch who wants to have some fun. Can we just leave him be? There are more important things going on on the stage.”

Before Ogadi could give Phillip a sarcastic reply, the old man began to undress, pulling off his thick khaki trousers with haste.

“What?!” Phillip exclaimed.

People began to notice the grey-haired man taking off his clothes next to the stage and more than a few brought out their smartphones and began to take photos and videos of the man.

“Is he crazy?” Phillip asked unbelievably.

The crowd went into an uproar as the old man threw off his shirt, leaving on only his underwear.

Even Oreo stopped performing to look at him at that moment.

The old man seemed oblivious to his audience as he brought out a thick white paste and began to rub it all over his body, murmuring to himself as he did so.

A beefy security personnel approached the man with the intention of carting him away. The man stared at the bouncer unflinchingly for a moment and to the shock of the audience, produced a knife from nowhere and stabbed him.

Screams and cries were heard from the crowd as the man withdrew the knife, leaving the bouncer to fall to the ground, bleeding all the way.

After that, pandemonium broke out in the stadium as people struggled to get out, not wanting to be the next victim of the mad man. Even Oreo ran off the stage screaming, her breasts jiggling with every movement.

The man, not distracted by the hullabaloo, continued applying the white paste methodically on himself.

When he was through, he brought out a staff and began to make inscriptions on the ground with it.

“What in the world is he doing?” Ogadi asked, dread evident in her voice. While she hoped otherwise, she knew the man was making some sort of incantation.

Two people shoved her out of her seat in their bid to escape and she fell to the floor.

Phillip helped her up.

“Are you alright?” He asked, worry creasing his brows.

“Yes.” Ogadi grumbled and she dusted herself.

She saw Phillip's facial expression change to defeat as he exclaimed, “Oh no!”

“Excuse me?” Ogadi asked, narrowing her eyes.

Phillip smacked his forehead, “I remember why some people were against the erection of this stadium on this very land.”

Another person zoomed past them, elbowing Phillip out of her way this time. Phillip staggered but held his ground.

“Um, Phillip. In case you haven't noticed, this is not the time to discuss that. Save it for later.” Ogadi chided, “For now, let's get out of here.”

Phillip shook his head and held her hand, “Ogadi, you have to listen to me. There's no better place or time to tell you this. I mean, it all makes sense now.”

He took a deep breath and continued, “Some people didn't want Democracy Stadium built upon this land because they believed this to be a sacred land. Not just any sacred land, but a gateway between our world and the underworld.”