Kelechi felt his unease increasing as they began moving but couldn't do anything as the car windows were tinted.
He could only watch as the car pulled away gradually from the school till he could no longer see it.
Inside the car was silent as the journey continued.
Some minutes later Kelechi began noticing that the car was following a completely different route than what he knew.
His heartbeat quickened and his breathing grew a bit heavier.
"Uncle Clinton..." He started, voice soft,"which road is this? I don't remember it at all." He said looking at the expression of the man who was now staring at him through the review mirror.
The atmosphere in the car grew noticably colder.
"Well ma boy..." Clinton said with a small dangerous looking smile on his face as he continued to drive."It's understandable if you don't know this road. After all it's quite far from where you're meant to go."
Kelechi immediately felt cold all over.
It was at that moment that he noticed something both odd and chilling.
Mr Chinedu who sat beside his was quiet all through. He hadn't made any moves nor did he say anything.
A chilling though crept into Kelechi's head.
'Are they working together?'
"Uncle Clinton can you please tur-"
"Shut up!" A cold voice sounded from beside him that made him shiver.
It was Mr Chinedu.
Kelechi looked at him and immediately felt even more cold with what he saw.
The nice, polite and always smiling Mr Chinedu had instantly vanished. In his place was a cold and indifferent looking man who's face was now showing signs of impatience and annoyance.
"Clinton hurry up, let's do and get out of here." Mr Chinedu said voice cold and serious.
"Ahh,now you're no more pretending Anthony." Clinton said with a small cruel smile.
"Shut up and move faster." Mr Chinedu or rather Anthony as he is known said with annoyance clear in his voice.
"I really hope this boy is worth all the trouble I went through and more I'm about to go through." Anthony said shooting Kelechi a cold glare.
The look alone made him flinched.
"Hey now, don't go scaring the poor boy." Clinton said with a small chuckle.
"He's a poor boy indeed. I mean he has you as his uncle." Clinton said in a flat tone, leaning back against the back seat.
Clinton didn't reply to that.
Kelechi felt stuck,helpless and afraid.
So they reached a highway with light traffic. The car slowed down slightly.
Kelechi looked outside the tinted glass and saw various cars moving slowly.
It was then that he saw a familiar car.
A light grey Nissan Pathfinder with a familiar plate number.
His eyes widened then a bold,half-baked and stupidly desperate plan blossomed in his mind.
He subtly inched closer to his side of the door now audibly sniffing and shivering in fear.
"U-uncle C-Clinton p-please what's going on here?" Kelechi said in a weak and timid voice that was filled with fear.
"Shut up boy!" Anthony said in a cold voice,not caring to look at him.
The cars where moving slowly to the main source of the light traffic.
Kelechi's hand was finally on the button that controlled the car window and he waited.
The car got closer to the grey Pathfinder.
He gently pressed the window down crying in choked sobs with his head down and shoulders shaking.
Then,they finally got close enough to the grey Pathfinder.
The car moved with its windows down halfway.
'Now!' He thought and pressed hard on the window button instantly bringing it down halfway then he shouted as best as he could.
"NNEKA HEL-"
But unfortunately his efforts were cut short.
A strong hand yanked him back immediately and a heavy blow in form of a slap landed on his face.
"You stupid child!" Anthony's face was murderous as he glared at the now bloodied lips of Kelechi.
They were now finally clear of the light traffic and were moving away from the Pathfinder with fast speed.
*Slap! Slap! Slap!
Anthony vented hitting the boy a few times to vent his anger.
Clinton had already raised the window back up from his side.
"Alright, it's okay. Stop hitting the boy." Clinton said,not out of care no but more out of not wanting the boy too damaged.
The two cars had already separated into two different directions.
Meanwhile in the Pathfinder...
"Hmm...?" Nneka turned slightly and looked outside only to see various cars and one dark blue camery moving fast in the opposite direction.
"Strange... I thought I heard Kelechi's voice just now..." She muttered softly to herself.
"Honey...is there any problem?" Her mother said after cutting the call that she was on a minute ago.
"I just thought that I heard Kelechi's voice shouting just now."
Her mother paused for a moment then smiled.
"You miss him that much huh?" She said with a small smile as she gave her daughter a quick glance through her review mirror.
"It's not like that mummy!" Nneka said,her voice rising a bit.
"Hahaha... okay fine,I believe you okay." Chiamaka said,her smile growing wider.
"Thank God you do mummy." Nneka huffed then unconsciously glanced once more at the direction where that car she saw earlier went.
"Hmm..."
Back at the school...
It was already early evening when Mr Franklin bid the last child and parent goodbye when he received a call.
"Hello? Who's this please?" He asked politely, placing the phone on his ear.
"Please this is Mr Martins Ebubechi. I'm the younger brother of Mrs Chioma Egba and the Uncle of Kelechi Egba."
Mr Franklin's eyebrows furrowed and he felt a hint of unease.
"How can I help you?" He asked.
"Please is Kelechi still there?"
"Hmm...?" A cold quiet dread was beginning to settle in his stomach.
"No. A certain uncle of his called Mr Clinton came and carried him away. Is there any problem?" He said, voice serious and tight as he asked the last part.
"That's the problem sir. They were meant to be at my mother's place currently but aren't yet back there which is a 30 minutes journey with my car."