Justice, Law and The City

18

Lectures had just ended for Hope and she was completely drained. She'd almost been caught when her phone rang in Mr Mukoro's class. She had to thank her reflex skills else she could gladly say goodbye to her phone.

Hope stared at her phone which was hot due to Faith's incessant calling. She increased the sound before texting an explanation to Faith. Her phone rang and she stared at it for few seconds almost irritated as the name lighted her screen.

"What's up babe. This one wey you dey police me, you be SARS?"

"Check your twitter feed, the IG's account. I'll text you the username."

Hope scrunched her face and shrugged. "Okay." She plopped back down on her seat expectantly. Her WhatsApp beeped with incoming messages as she switched on her data connection. She stared at the phone inquisitively util she saw the link and clicked away. For a moment she couldn't breathe out of shock, and for a long time she didn't.

SARS had been disestablished but another tactical unit had been created. SWAT. The name in her head sounded dangerous, more lethal, like some secret agency that trained assassins.

She rushed out just in time to throw up in the toilet. She was coming down with something serious, something like a heartbreak. She slithered against the wall unloaded all the pent-up emotion she thought she had successfully buried. It was as if the wind had knocked out the life out her system. It brought her back to the realization that there was no way out. She had almost forgotten. On Saturday, she had celebrating with her friends and once again these men who had successfully leeched off the dreams of the youth and society had once again thoughtlessly taken then ten steps backward.