Chapter 2: Painting Pictures

“They paint pictures because the world has dimmed whatever colors that they were supposed to be painted with. The anger lives deep in their soul, that true life purposes are paused to paint pictures. When they paint pictures, they let their anger do the designs, their rage be the mechanics. And their product might bring insanity and create questions as to life purposes.”

Aaliyah was on the bed, looking at the ceiling. Her eyelids are heavy, and our thoughts are heavy to take a lift. She has been drugged; she was semi-conscious, trying to get herself back in order. She mumbled words to herself. “Divine… what did you add to my drink?” She tried to raise her arm up; it went halfway, then it fell down.

“Divine, I am so weak.” She continued.

Divine was just seated on the bed. He stood up from the bed, dug his hand into his back pocket, and brought out a jotter. He flipped it open and opened the first page. The first page saw an outline of what he is supposed to do.

Divine glanced at the body and pressed his lips together as he slid back the jotter and the pen inside his back pocket.

He rushed to his shoes and wore them. He went to the mirror and checked himself; he tried to place himself into character and wiped his face of any form of suspicion. He walked to the bed and gently pulled her up. He placed an arm of hers on his shoulders and gently walked to the door and pressed the knob.

The attendant watched with the phone placed on his ear, his face squeezed with confusion. Divine walked hurriedly with the woman on his shoulders. He opened the hotel entrance and slowly walked out, slowly maybe; the lady on his shoulder clashed her knee on the wall.

“It… hurts so much.” She said, feeling very hazy and tired, her head bent downward. She continued, “Ouch.”

He placed her gently into the passenger seat.

She carried those tired hands and placed them on his face. She fell her neck to the other side, “You handsome devil, what have you done to me?” The palm slowly dropped down and hit the chair. She continued, “I am in so much pain, for Christ’s sake.”

He strolled the seat belt around her, and then he gently closed the door. His shoes walked on the marble floor gently till he reached the driver’s seat and pressed the car handle. He placed himself into the car and let out a huge sigh. He lifted his buttocks and delved his hand inside it; he brought about the jotter and the pen.

He ticked something there. He stretched his hand to the compartment and opened it. He placed the jotter and the pen inside of it and closed it. He slammed his hand on the steering wheel and let out a huge breath.

He just looked through the windscreen; he took in cold air into his nostril as he delved into his thoughts. His eyes became dry as he left them wide open, not blinking. Slowly a smirk is stretched on his face.

He bent his head and ignited the engine of the car. He took a deeper breath, and gently, he passed it away from his mouth.

He started steering the wheel; he glanced at Aaliyah once in a while until he reached the gate. The gate was opened while he strolled his car past it.

***

He sped through the airway with both of his hands on the wheel, and his back shot out. The car windows were wound down, and the heavy breeze poured through both; the sound of the breeze and the snore of Aaliyah competed. Aaliyah was already fast asleep. Divine gazed through the window. His car was driving on the bridge that screeched from asphalt with streetlights planted at the middle of the road. The view of suburbanization painted the night; at both sides of the bridge, illuminated bungalows and duplexes sat in the valley.

He pushed his index finger to the radio. An advertisement comes on.

“Lands and properties in Adekunle district are more affordable; with just 1 million naira you can own a plot of land, with 15 million naira you can own a 2-bedroom apartment, and with just 25 million you can own a three-bedroom duplex… At Johnson’s estates and properties, we are committed to bringing affordable houses right to your feet and over your heads…”

He switched the radio, and some Fuji music came on. Still not satisfied, he pressed it again; this time “The remedies shakomo” came. He drummed on the steering wheel, shook his head to the beat, and lip-synced to it also.

The truck entered into a pothole and caused the car to go in another direction. He maintained his composure, swerving and maintaining his lane, with his hand forced to the steering. He paused and thought to himself, he could have died, doesn’t he know? He brought out that smile again, then chuckled. He started the engine and pushed to the other lane.

***

The car became gentle at both sides of the road where there was forest. The truck swerved to the right. Nothing one could see but the extent that the headlight could shoot out. The truck was rumbling, with rocks, stones, and branches that caused obstructions.

The headlight showed a timber house, planted at a section of the forest, with trees already tamed by Divine. It was about 40×40 meters close to the trees. The car parked by the edge of the tamed land. Divine raised the car breakup. He grabbed the car door handle and jumped down from the car. He rushed to the other side of the car and pressed the car handle.

He stretched his hand to the seat belt and clicked it loose. The seat belt rushed away from her. He held her from the waist and bent down; her unconscious body fell on his shoulders. He grunted a little while he lifted her up, his hands locked around her legs; he turned to the other side and slammed the door closed.

A few meters from the timber house was a pile of firewood that burned slowly; the particles sparked as it pushed in the air. The shy moon hid behind the dark cloud. The breeze howled, and a gently cold breeze accompanied it.

With Aaliyah on his shoulders, his feet squinched on the ground while he walked to the door. He was gasping from his mouth. He climbed the wooden steps till he reached the door of the timber house. He pressed the handle of the door and kicked it open. The inside was noir; nothing could be seen. He walked inside of the house.

Something creaked, and after a while, footsteps thumped on the floor. The footsteps paused, then a flick made an LED light ignite everywhere blue. On the bed, Aaliyah lay on her back. Divine turned away from the table to the sight of the bed; he scratched his beard as he looked with both his hands on his waist.

He bent down and dragged a bucket; it clanged. The bucket was filled with handcuffs. He took two from the bucket, got up, and kicked the bucket.

Divine sat down beside the bed. He brought the back of his hand and gently rubbed her face. He placed the handcuffs on the bed. He gently raised her hand to the window railings, picked the handcuff, and locked her arm to the railing. He stood up from the bed and climbed on it. He raised her other hand, picked the other handcuff, and locked the hand with the railing. He pushed down from the bed and walked to a box at the corner of the door. He bent his knee and opened the wooden box, something millimetre. He gently raised himself up and walked to the door, the gun obvious in his hands.

***

He was inside the car driving slowly. He turned his face through the window. There were identical bungalows with a lowered fence that had light flickering; the atmosphere grumbled with the sound of household generators. He paid attention to the numbers. He stopped the car with the engine still rumbling. The house had a “17” planted on the wall; he was sure of it. He stretched his hands to the compartment and punched it open, bringing out the gun.

He pressed the car open and jumped down. The gun was still obvious in his hand. He walked to the gate and pressed the house bell. He took a huge sigh as he waited. What could be going on in his mind? What was he thinking? Still a mystery.

Footsteps scratched the ground; a man, the security guard, opened the gate. Marvelled, Divine widened his eye while he saw him. Divine pointed the gun to his head and pulled the trigger; the man fell to the ground.

Divine looked around, hoping no one saw him. He entered into the compound and quickly dragged the body inside the compound; he rested him on the wall.

The door creaked open, a woman in a robe came out, two of her 7-year-olds followed, plus the maid. She shrunk her face in disbelief; he pointed a gun at her children. He pointed his face to the mother.

“No one else has to die; I just need you to follow me. That is just what I want.” He said with a rather calm and emotional voice.

“Where are you taking my mommy too?” One of the toddlers said with tears and fear all over her face.

“Don’t worry, nothing would happen to Mommy. If Mommy wants to see you again or vice versa, she’d follow me.” His face stern to the woman, his eyes were shining. She knew he was not joking.

She nodded her head. “Judith, take the children to the house.” She turned her head to the maid. “Now!”

The maid took the children inside the house, then she locked the door with the key.

The woman turned her face to Divine. “What do you want?”

“I just want you to hop on that car before the police come, or I will kill you, go inside your house and kill your children. I have a machine gun, and I am not bluffing.”

She slowly walked to the gate. He rushed and grabbed her arm. The sight of the dead gateman shrieked her.

He took her to the truck; he opened the back of the trunk and brought out handcuffs. He slammed it closed with the gun still pointed at her.

“Enter into the truck now.” He shouted at her.

She opened the passenger’s seat and jumped into the car. He took her left arm and cuffed it to the door arm. He slammed the door closed and rushed to the front seat.

***

 The cuff made her bend to the other side; she tried to have a full glimpse of a man she deemed weird. Her thoughts delved deep, trying to find a reason for all of these. She did not keep malice with anyone; she was just a simple pharmacist. She was honest, she thought so.

“Is this a prank?” She started panting.

“This is as real as you and me.” He replied to her. He pressed the steering wheel with his palm and shrunk his face.

“I am sorry about your gateman; he was not supposed to be there. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time.” He paused for a while and glanced at her. He continued, “I am sure he is a new… You are just supposed to follow me to the timber house.”

She, by the way, her name is “Miracle,” turned her face to the car down, her eyes widened. She prayed in her mind that this is all a prank. If it is not, then she might be a victim of a psychopath; these thoughts boosted the energy of her heart to beat. Fear accompanied by sweat started to moisten her face.

Divine pushed the radio button, Plantashun Boys. “Say you believe me is on.” Divine slammed his hands on the steering wheel. “Damn!”

“It was not supposed to be like this; you should not have hired that innocent man; you shouldn’t have.” He was gasping hard. He gently mumbled to himself. “It’s just a man; you can still edit the plan and make it better.” He licked the tip of his lips.

Miracle covered her mouth with her hands to prevent him from knowing she was sobbing heavily; this might be the end of her. The prayers of rescue lingered through her mind; she hoped for the police to come soon. Thoughts of her family strode in; would she ever see her children again? It all came as a flash, everything that is happening.

Her voice was shaking. “Are you going to kill me?”

He glanced at her. “What did you say?”

She took in her snort with a zap sound and made her voice clear, “I said, are you going to kill me?”

He shook his head with doubt, he sighed out, and then, “I don’t know; things we think we planned for sometimes take a turn to another thing entirely, just like what happened.”

“So, you are not going to kill me?”

Angered, he slammed his hand on the wheel. “I don’t know. I don’t know. Can you stop asking me all these questions? I can’t concentrate at the moment. This is not about you at the moment; it’s about me thinking of what to do.”

He took a sigh, trying to blow the anger away. He shook his head, then said, “I am sorry; it’s not your fault. I didn’t plan this very well.”

***

The car stopped. Miracle squeezed her face. She was wondering where she was. Divine raised the breakup and removed the key from the engine.

She asked. “Where are we?”

He ignored her, picked up the gun, then pressed the car handle and hopped down from the car. He slammed the car door closed. His feet stamped on the flaky leaves till he reached the passenger’s seat.

“I am going to release you, and I have a gun with me. I don’t want to change plans anymore.” He said, with his eyes innocent of emotions.

He dragged the car door open; this brought her to the ground. He swerved his hand with the gun to her head; this made her unconscious.

Divine stood above Miracle. The cold had blocked his nose, so he breathed from his mouth. He grunted as he lifted her from the ground to his shoulders.

***

Already cuffed her in the same bed with Aaliyah; there was a torchlight all over their faces. The torch turns away to the door. Divine walked to the door and opened it.

He was on his knee, back then, and in front of him was a generator. He rested his hands on the fuel tank and twisted it open. He dropped the lead on the floor and rested his hands on the side of the generator. He bent his head a little and checked the fuel level. He freed his hands and stood up.

He bent down and picked up the torch. He turned it on and placed the light on a gallon container. Beside it was a wooden water tank, with pipes from it that stretched into the house. He picked up the gallon and walked back to the generator. He dropped the torch on the floor, then used his other hand to lift the bottom of the container; he gently poured the contents into the generator, satisfied, he dropped the container and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He grabbed the container and put it back in its spot. He walked back to the gen and dragged the rope. The inside of the house became illuminated with yellow bulbs. Smoke from the gen started evaporating into the air.

Divine walked to the tree with the torch shining bright; it reflected two monsters, his Rottweilers tied to a tree. He untied them, and they jumped on him in excitement to see him. He lay on the ground as they licked him.

Chapter 1(Paint brushes, but no colors)

Just inside an eatery, everywhere looked beautiful. The transparent glass walls made visible the wonders of love, friendship and family. Outside the walls was the impulses that came when the day forces close.

Divine, a 24 years old handsome devil. His hairy and shining face was beaming with innocence, and so as his smile. He was 6’1 tall, wearing a low cut and a cap that covered a section of his face from the strides of the bulb lights. He was reason, taking his words one by one before it passed out of his mouth. He smiled at every moment, and every circumstances. You would think innocence embedded in his mind that it made him shy away from those demons that came to hurt, so you feel secure whenever you are around him.

She felt she could go with the flow, they met on an online chat, and from there, they planned a date. Aaliyah could only see a charming man when she tilted her head to see that smile that he had on his face. She felt some aura of safety when she saw it.

“I would like a plate of Jollof rice, chicken, fried plantains, salad at the sides and a Can juice.” Divine ordered as the waiter wrote on her jotter, then she turned her head to Aaliyah.

“Okay.” Aaliyah hummed as she thought for a beat. “I would like a burger and some fries, with coke.”

“You both can have your seat; it would be ready in 10 minutes.” The waiter smiled to Divine. 

Divine went to a section at the window. They both sat on the chair.

“You know what is crazy?” Aaliyah placed her phone on the table, then she rested her hands, she was feeling a little stressed out.

“What is?” He responded.

“I feel like I have known you all my life, that I have known you from somewhere. You look a fucking lot like someone I know. It is killing me; I am trying to remember.”

“It is normal, there was a time I was about to cross the road, and I saw this dude. And I was looking at him, maybe he would take me from this curiosity that was killing me at that moment. And the guy was like, omo, I no sabi you oh.” 

Aaliyah showed all her teeth as she laughed.

He continued, “It kept hunting me for a long time that the dude reminds me of someone and I can’t really picture the person.”

She said “I know right.” 

“Don’t stress your brain out, it might come, it might not.”

Aaliyah pressed her lips and shrugged, “Ok.”

“So, tell me about you?” She playfully turned her head to different directions, trying to get Divine’s playful side. He blushed, trying to contain the embarrassment.

She held his arm and played with it; she folded her fingers with his. 

“Come on.”

“But I thought we have been texting—” He replied 

“I know, but there is still more to know about you.”

“Like?”

“What makes you angry, what makes you sad, what makes you do the things you want to. You know. I want to know about those stuffs.”

He chuckled. “Well, if I started, we would be here for 2 days. Heck, they would have us rent this section.”

She stretched her hand and placed it on his palm. “Come on, you can always start from somewhere.”

A waiter walked to their seat. He carefully laid down the food on the table. Aaliyah carefully retracted her hands from the table.

Divine fixed a smile for the waiter to see. “Thank you” he said.

“You are welcome.” The waiter said while he moved out of his sight.

Divine rolled the band of his food pack. He glanced at Aaliyah, who held her burger to her mouth. She took a bite and placed it back onto her plate. Divine took some few spoons from his food. He nodded his head.

“This is the first time I am having Jollof, and it feels so good”. Divine said

“Well, you live alone, so Jollof rice should be your favorite food.”

“I don’t like buying food outside, I love home cooked meals. And you know, Jollof rice is a meal you have to take your time and energy to prepare the very best. But I have not had that kind of time, lately.”

“So what food do you then cook?”

He shrugged. “The basics, I guess. Prepare toast, Stew, soup, Porridge, spaghetti, noodles and Beans.” He chuckled, then continued “The smell of home cooked meals is just so soothing, especially when it is still very hot and just prepared.”

“A man that cooks, every woman’s dream.” She continued. “Who taught you how to cook those meals?”

“Youtube.” He laughed through his nose.

“What about your mother?”

He looked at table trying to create motion pictures inside of his thoughts. “She did most of the work in the kitchen you know, she loved it and called it hers, it is where she has the time to talk to herself more.”

“So, you were not really any help around the house?”

“I did most of the house cleaning, and my laundry of course. My mother never touched my clothes when I became just 8 years old.”

“Wow, I didn’t touch my laundry till I entered the university.”

Divine looked at her, and tried to see if she was kidding. He chuckled, “you are joking?”

She shook her head.

He laid back on his chair and said, “Wow.”

“My father just thought, life can be easier. So why complicate it for no reason?”

“You have a point.”

“I play field hockey. I just like the sport for no reason.”

“That’s cool, that is cool. I play lawn tennis, it is very cool, and I just like it. Then I play the sax.”

Aaliyah raised placed her elbow on the table and listened to Divine talk.

Divine continued. “I just like the sound that comes out of that instrument. I liked jazz and fela that gave me the interest to learn an instrument. I learnt it in the church and I am very good at it.”

“Do you have somewhere you have to be tonight?” Aaliyah placed her palms on his.

He brought out his phone and checked the time, “Planning on watching a UFC match.”

“We can watch it together. I am sure you are inside of a hotel.” She shrugged and let out a smile 

“Okay. But I guess I would be the one driving.”

 

***

Divine was driving, while Aaliyah just seated at the passengers. She connected to the car speaker and played “In da club by 50 cent.” Divine glanced at her and gave her a smile.

“You don’t like this kind of music.”

“They are my kind of music.” 

“You listen to rap music?”

She shrugged. “Not particular rap music. I literally listen to every kind of music

The car stopped at the gate of a hotel. The gatemen opened the gate as the car strode in. He packed the car carefully at park section and rushed to open the door for Aaliyah.

“You are a gentleman.”

He stretched his hand to her; she grabbed it and he gently pulled her up. They both entered into the building.

She took his palm; they seemed like a couple as they walked to the door of the room. He gently shot the key into the hole and opened the door.

She entered into the room. It was one of the most expensive suites in the building, a king-sized bed, a fridge seated on the floor at the corner. Artworks are hammered in sections of the walls. The cold air that comes out of the air conditioner is soothing and calm. A large mirror is seated at the center of the room. With skin cares and grooming instrument lay on the shelf’s top.

Aaliyah looked around; she is amazed with the luxury. She went to the bed and sat on it. She brought out her phone and took some selfies. Divine walked to the fridge and took a bottle of brandy with two glasses.

“Your company is so rich if they afford this.” Aaliyah took a cup from Divine.

“We need to show an image of our company, spend money to make more money.” He filled her cup with vodka. Then he sat next to her, he filled his own cup.

“To a new beginning.” He raised his glassed up.

She clanked the glass with hers. “To a new beginning.” She raised the glass to her mouth and took the whole content down to her throat.

He took his own into his mouth. She dropped her phone on the small shelf that sat next to the bed. She laid on the bed with her back. She then tilted her head to the direction of Divine, who poured himself another shot of vodka.

“Why don’t you come to bed?” she said.

He dropped the glass cup on the mini shelf. He pulled down his shoes and placed them on the bed. They are looking eye to eye.

She placed her palm on his cheek. “I swear to God, I know I have seen you before, somewhere.”

“It is just dejavu, it happens to everyone.”

She laughed. She placed her hand on his hair, and gently played with it. “You have very soft hair.”

“Thank you.” He replied her 

“How old do you think I am.” She placed her chin on her fingers and tilting it into different directions 

He hummed as he carefully looked at her. “27 I guess”

She is surprised, she is 31, but the news of someone telling her she is young truly made her self-esteem a little boosted.

Hey there, I am Voodoo, and it’s necessary I write this prologue. Rest assured, I’d lend my voice to David while he writes this beauty. Because in shaping this beauty, he might encounter thorns, splashes of paint in the eyes, and floors that have broken glass on them. But I’m voodoo; there is a reason I am a witch doctor, a spiritual side, and everything, and the name too. There’s a reason why I enter into volcanoes where love boils and bring it out, through the cold mountain, to where it’s safe. There’s a reason why I love painting, even if it is with engine oil. I love seeing the stars with it. There’s a reason they confuse me with an invincible superhero; it’s just that my confidence extends, I’m free to talk to Zeus and Sango at the same time, and I allow them to strike me with stories of their valors. 

David once told me, “I bleed with iron when I pour my soul, but subtly yearn for a woman metalsmith to heat me up and cool me down before I taste the sweet iron found in red blood.” His eyes were soggy, and he wanted to run away from the curse of feelings. He said, “While I write this beauty with your help, please give me your wings to glide through the sky, then dip me in the Pacific, where it’s cold, and let me be whole again to continue bleeding.” There was a time I continued going straight while I took him through the skies; the more I went straight, the more circles we covered, and the more there was a reason to live here in the physical and there in the spiritual also.

I’m Voodoo; be ready to be entertained. To feel, to see a one-of-a-kind story about what happens when you change the habitat of a being, allow it to run wild, and come back to be a demon.

The Colors of Evil, that’s the title. If I showed you a world of the known, why be terrified? You get scared and shriek when the unknown hits you. That means you know nothing about who you are. The colors of evil give a representation of how far we can paint colors unconsciously, colors of evil that can change the hearts and minds of people in different situations of confusion. 

The colors of evil: most times having a heart and having feelings differ. With the colors of evil, the heart is painted red; it sets the tone, maps the blood rivers, and kills if it has to. But in the colors of evil, feelings are painted blue, the innocence that leads to guilt tries to see the beauty of red. The colors of evil in their entirety are the start of painting true madness in madness, madness at its core, that might even motion from being still; that’s madness. 

The colors of evil: if he painted a madman on a rampage trying to create order from the disorder he created initially, how would the board react? Will it be able to hold that weight and try to tear itself apart? Maybe it would. 

Remember, the colors of evil can also be a place that hasn’t been found; when colors of evil splash or are brushed through, they reveal places our soul never wanted, never needed, and never amounted to. But sometimes the colors of evil need to paint the emptiness that clouds us with blue skies. So that emptiness will stop being a song we’d continue singing. 

Remember to feel and not try to understand the words as you progress. Remember, it’s the colors of evil, and paintings are meant to be looked upon and felt. 

So remember these details so as not to be confused when the paintings seem strange.