TRAFFICKED- FINALE

TRAFFICKED- FINALE

There were times that she had to remind herself to breathe. It could all become overwhelming sometimes. Amina had just ended a call with the minister for gender, child and social welfare. The ministry had recently collaborated with her foundation to bring down yet another trafficking ring in Ghana.

The last time she had heard of such good news was ten years ago. 

Yes, that long ago!

 But seeing the children liberated from the jaws of wicked people was worth the wait for her. Ten years ago, escaping from that hell hole led her from one blessing to another. 

When she escaped, she was able to bring down the whole trafficking shebang with the help of Isaac whose effort was crucial in exposing all the top players in their warped game.

Another blessing which was so unexpected was that her sister was alive! After making the news worldwide, she was approached by Fati and a kind benefactor.

By then she Isaac had suddenly vanished off the surface of the earth and she was going through a very delibitating case of post traumatic stress disorder. 

They took her under a loving roof, cared for her and nursed her back to a better state of mental health. Fati's own story of survival was an inspiration to her elder sister. 

Fati had prompted her sister to get married when the time was past due. Amina knew her sister wanted what was best for her but marriage was not the answer for her.

Amina felt damaged. She did not feel worthy enough to hand over herself to someone else. She felt like second-hand goods that was to worn to be sold. It had to be discarded. So she discarded herself into advocacy, throwing her all into what she believed was her calling. In advocacy, she found her solace.

She became very vocal concerning gender issues as she had already gained the grounds in the nation after busting the trafficking ring that had captured her. Before long she was running her very own foundation. 

A sudden ring cut through her reverie.

"Hello." Amina said.

"I knew you could do it. Took you long enough though." The voice said simply. It took Amina a while. It was more worn and husky but she could recognise his voice even of it was strangled out of him.

"Isaac!" She exclaimed in joy, "Where have you been?" 

"Everywhere and nowhere."

"You should come around, Ike. You have been in this longer than I have. We need you here at No Child Left Behind Foundation."

"You know that was never my thing."

"But you did it with me. It could be our thing, you now?" Amina laughed self-consciously.

"No. You know what could be our thing though?" He asked.

"Tell me." She replied.

"We can ride this enterprise to heaven and back, Amina. Join me. You have done this thing beautifully, monopolising the industry to my advantage. You even got rid of the competition. Don't you want to ride this to the end?" He sounded hopeful yet there was this tone in his voice that mocked her.

She stilled. Her mind began to race.

"I know you are a smart girl. It will click in a minute. Hope your answer will come in that same minute."

"I will bring you down! I will rip you out of your den of evil and cast..."

"Save it for your dawn prayers. Or is it evening these days?"

She touched the scar from where they had buried their microchip, an overwhelming storm of stress cramped her shoulders.

"So I was just a pawn in your grand scheme of things."

"No. You were always the Queen. My most important piece. Join me and take your side by me. We will feed the evil of men till they can't feed anymore then we will find new holes to feed them through."

"Never! But mark my words. I will find you..."

"You can't. I am that police man you run to. I am the driver you run to. I am the food vendor you beg for help. I am everywhere and I am everyone."

"I will destroy you like I did the others."

"How can you destroy me. I exist solely to aid in the fulfilment of men's evil desire. If you kill me a hundred other me's will come after me. I am the pimple you burst and turn into a full blown rash. To destroy me, you have to destroy all people. And I have not heard of you owning a nuke, baby. Endure me. Do what you can. Scratch at the surface of the canker while I fester inward. People will remember you for that and go back to their evil ways."

"Liar!"

"Fool." That silenced Amina. "You are a fool for having hope in humanity." Isaac added.

"I am a fool for having hope in you, you who have sold your humanity for a few gold coins, coins you will die and leave behind. I will leave behind people who will root out your canker one scratch at a time." She took a shaky breath to steady herself.

"This is war, baby. And you lost it before we even started fighting." Isaac said sadly.

"I will like to stay on and banter. But I have an itch to scratch." She was about ending the call when she heard him say, "Wait!"

She could not stop herself from wanting to listen to what he had to say. 

"Let me do you this favour, baby. Let me help you quit while you are still ahead. Don't you know, once I have marked you, you will always be trafficked. You will always have that mark on you. Every though, every word, every action, it will be me in there. Plus your news will be  a sensation. They will know that a new boss is in town."

"What are you talking..." Amina asked.

Isaac pressed down on the red button that was largely displayed on his tablet.

It started as a small shock then it began to grow in her body.

"You cowar-r-d." She tried to force out more words. She wanted to tell him that he knew that he was no match for her. She wanted him to know that he had taken the cowards way out. But alas her last thought died on her lips as she slumped backwards and breathed her last.

"Goodbye baby." He finally said, cut the line and threw the disposable phone away.

The next day, the shock of her death hit the world. The world mourned after they got over their outrage. The cause of death was said to be a cardiac arrest but the world knew that there was foul play.

In a week, the world moved on to another wave of sensational news.

THE END.

('Cos sometimes it is not so obvious)