Episode 4

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“Off to where?” Uche asked Richard as they
both ran into each other.
“Somewhere important.” He replied without
waiting to discuss more.
“Richie! Where? You look horrible!” Uche
shouted and walked before him as quick as he
could.
“Guy! My sister is ill again. I think I still have
something to sort out with these parents of
mine.” He replied as he halted.
“Your sister is ill, instead of you to go to her
place and help her to the hospital, you’re here
talking about fighting your parents.” Uche
hissed.
“You won’t understand me.” Richard walked
away.
******
“Tell me this is a lie!” Helen shut the door and
moved closer to Pemisire.
“They… d..died.” Pemisire cried.
“Die? Wait.. I don’t get this. You came all the
way from Lagos to Ibadan here?”
“Helen, please.. I just don’t… I don’t know!”
She kept crying.
“What happened? You shouldn’t be here
crying.” Helen sat beside her on the Vitafoam
that was on the carpet in the small room. It
was a small room with the small matress at
the left corner of the room when the door was
flung open to the right. It had a black wall
clock, a small television and DVD player with
a fan near the reading table which was
located close to the wall at the back of the
room. The room was painted bice-blue colour
and had asbestos ceiling. It was a rented
apartment.
“They were killed.. Dad.. Pemisayo..”
Helen shook her head sadly and held
Pemisire’s shoulder. “You shouldn’t cry, don’t
cry.” She repeated.
Pemisire couldn’t hold the tears back, she
didn’t even care if she’d be killed overnight,
she sat with the corpses till it was morning
again and left the house when it was past four
that morning. Her eyes were red and her body
was still stained with blood. “I shouldn’t?” She
continued weeping.
“Yes! Remember all you did tell me when we
were in school, remember life is not a bed of
roses, do you remember your nickname? A
man’s destiny? I think you should recall all
those days you’d sit with me and admonish
me about my future, about life. Don’t let this
weigh you down, and besides, what really
happened?” She asked.
They were close friends when they were still in
the university, they were also roommates that
did share everything they had. Helen had lost
her family to a fatal accident while she was
about completing her secondary school
education. She was living with her father’s
sister who turned out to be monstrous to her
overnight and made life uneasy for her after he
tertiary education. She had to rent a room and
became a chemistry teacher to make living.
—–

—————
“I was with my family, twenty-four hours ago.
I was talking with my sister.. many hours
back. I never knew that would be the.. the very
last time we would talk.” She burst out again.
Helen heaved a sigh and wiped her lone tear.
“You can’t be like this forever! We should
thank God for sparing your life. Let me give
you one fact of life, one thing is that God
created us in such a way that we are greater
than all things. All the animals, even weather!
We can shield ourselves whenever it rains or
when it’s sunny but animals can’t do this! The
first thing is to always thank God for creating
you as a man, not a goat and even appreciate
him even in the times of trial. You can’t tell
who might have killed your family but it might
be you the person came for! Something is just
that you can’t have everything in life!” She
clapped her hands together and paused.
Pemisire turned around and looked at her.
“One can’t have everything in this life?”
“Sure! I know you’re full of wisdom and you’re
as well comprehensive. The news that was
broadcasted last night was about the death of
the popular man your dad worked with; Mart.
It’s all over the world already that the man
died, even though he was in money, I mean
cash! He didn’t have everything! He had
sickness, some people’s maybe be barreness,
others maybe any other kind of disturbance.
It’s for a purpose.”
“What purpose?”
“Hmmn…” Helen smiled faintly.
******
“My friend, get out of my way!” Richard
pushed the security man out of his way and
entered into the house. He looked browned-off
and blue in the face as he stepped inside the
compound. For the gate keeper to have
refused opening the gate, it must be an order
from his parents.
He was dressed in casual white shirt and a
brown loosed-fitting trouser as he stood
before the house in the compound, checking
the house out. It had changed from how he
left it. He hissed and walked in briskly, that
wasn’t what he came for.
“Hello!” He bustled in through the door and
met his parents on the dinning, already eating
breakfast.
“Breakfast?” He glanced at the wall clock and
walked closer. His ‘hello’ wasn’t replied, he
never cared likewise. Wasn’t it too early to
eat? “I said hello!” He walked closer.
“How did you get into this compound? Have
you forgotten your words?” His father
challenged him.
“I came here just to tell you that you’ve
succeeded in making her sick again, everytime
she gets sick, I’ll curse you!”
“Was Musa not at the gate? How did you
enter?”
“I never knew you’ve told him you don’t wish
to see me any longer. I have never seen this
kind of parents before, you’re callous, always
unmoved, wicked and heartless! Don’t you two
know you aren’t meant for each other? See
what you’ve turned Christina too, a sickler
without hope.. you’re wicked!”
His mother smiled faintly. “You’re so
senseless! You lack courtesy and etiquette.
She has anaemia, yes, we never denied her
until you two behaved stupidly. I thought you
could handle it yourself.”
“Is this a mother?” He gave her a stern look
while the woman stood furiously and slapped
him. “How dare you?”
“I’m not moved to an inch, even if you wish to
stab me. I know your type, always trying to
satisfy your selfish desires at the detriment of
your children. If she dies, I’m going to kill you,
Dad and myself.” He walked out as he held on
to his cheek, weeping.
*****
Lawrence walked into Davies’ house with his
two men. He looked enraged as he stepped
into the house. “You mean that last lady must
have escaped?” He asked.
“Yes sir.. or maybe she wasn’t around.” One of
the guys replied.
“No, I’m sure! I’m really sure.” He repeated.
“We have to get this place cleaned up and
make sure these corpses are packed. I called
the hospital already, for the ambulance. And,
search the whole house thoroughly for that
attaché case, it contains the vital documents.”
“Yes boss.” The guys chorused.
“After we worked for many years, how could he
be the only one who will inherit all the
companies? Just get all that done, I hope you
aren’t armed.”
“We are not sir.”
“That’s good, you know I have to be at Mart’s
place too, concerning his death and the likes.”
He said.
“Alright boss.”
“So, search everywhere thoroughly for the
documents or any vital evidence.” He said and
walked out.
*****
Richard hastened into his sister’s room as the
door was opened by Stephanie. “Bestie.. how
are you?” He quickly asked.
She looked pale and ill. “I’m not alright at all.”
She replied as she breathed slowly.
“Again? What really happened?” He asked
Stephanie.
“She’s been feeling somehow since yesterday
evening till this morning that everything had
gone worse.”
“Alright… but you should have called me
yesterday, that’s not the case now sha, let’s
go to the hospital.” He said as he brushed to
his feet.
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