Petty Thieves

Author • Zan Azzan

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This wasn't our first heist...

We had always planned them with total perfection; paying attention to details. There was absolutely no way the plan was going to fail and we'd get caught.  We were not just thieves, we were magicians. We created illusions for people to see. With the mastery we portrayed in every heist, we had to leave them a piece of our art. We left them an autograph. This art worked like hypnosis. The work of art we made would lead them to deliver us the whole package unknowingly which we definitely would enjoy more. 

This one wasn't supposed to be different. We had made sure we avoided all security personnel on our mission. Slowly, I came out of the room for girls and he came out of the room made for boys. We met in the middle which was on one end of the long corridor and with perfected choreography, we aimed for the prize which was right at the other side of the passage.
 
The driver and the security man were asleep in a room and were in vigorous competition as to who snored the loudest. Their efforts echoed around the building due to the unsurprising silence at that very early hour of the day and we were ultimately grateful because it complemented our cause and would distract the other two big guards.

The door to the room where the two big guards were was wide open. We approached the door and peeped inside. Not too surprisingly, they were asleep too. We were free to continue. We breezed past them and moved faster but quietly.

We got to the end of the hall, Brother Tunde, as I had always called him, opened the door with the skill of a craftsman. It was dark inside and we loved it that way. We entered and shot straight for the prize. Brother Tunde uncovered the jewel and dipped his hand in it. He lifted out one and signaled me. I also took one. 

Then we stained our fingers and started to draw our trademark piece of art. We randomly put marks all over the place, marks that looked like the footprints of a rat. It was always beautiful to look at. They'll see it and order Brother Tunde, who was always in charge of disposals, to dispose of it because it could be infected with Lassa fever.

Just as we were done and I was trying to strain my eyes to see the art in the darkness, Brother Tunde, contrary to his own rules, hit the light switch behind me. When I looked up, however, I could see him standing in front of me with a face full of fright and fingers pinching a piece of meat that occasionally dripped some oil from the stew. I turned slowly and there they were, Mummy and Daddy! They were no longer just big guards, they were scary.

Petty Thieves

© 2021 Teniola Azzan. All Rights Reserved.

Edited by Lolade

Brief:

This piece showcases one of the numerous 'adventures' of two siblings who are often on a quest to steal one of the most precious solids in a Nigerian home.