Forever (Episode Four)

King stayed in his car for several minutes watching the front door looking for any sign of life in the house. Everything was as quiet as it looked and he wondered if he was in the wrong place. He checked the street again and saw he was actually in the right location. He watched the house again and saw the curtains were tightly drawn and the house as silent as a tomb. He knew for a fact that she was home as her car was parked outside for everyone to see; he wondered what she could be doing alone in the house by herself all day. He decided to find out.

The three days since he last saw her and followed her to the beach and back here to her apartment had been the most restless of his life. He had thought of her constantly and it kept coming to his mind to pray for her. Although he prayed and asked God questions over and over, he still hadn’t gotten any answers to his questions. God was silent, but he knew in his heart what he had to do, hence his visit today.

Alewa stared listlessly at the TV screen. She was on her couch, still in her nightgown which she had been wearing for a week, munching on some cookies with a bottle of 1.5l of coke on the small table beside her. She had been perpetually in this position for a week now, ever since she got back from the hospital that terrible day that she got the news she was HIV positive.

She didn’t see the need to take drugs if she’ll still die anyway. The doctor had been calling her non-stop all week, telling her to come to the hospital for her drugs as she had not waited to get them the day she got the news, but she had refused to go. What’s the need for drugs? Why prolong the inevitable? She plans on sitting right here waiting for death to come knocking.

Her father had left her enough money to live on for the rest of her life if she never wanted to work again and if she spent prudently. That was the only good that came out of being related to that man, the fact that he invested his money wisely and left it all to her.

The knock on her door jolted her. Could that be death? Could he be here already? And so soon? She sat there staring at the door, out of her mind with fear. Nobody comes visiting her anyway, so it must be death. Since she moved here, nobody had ever knocked on her door. She was still staring when another knock came. Alewa stood up slowly and approached the door cautiously.

“Who is there?” she whispered, but the person on the other end of the door couldn’t possibly here her.

“Hello. Anybody home?” a voice called out, it was a male voice.

Alewa moved away from the door towards the kitchen. She was going to get a knife or anything she can use as a defense against any intruder. The voice stopped her again.

“Hello Miss. It’s King Karo. Are you home?”

That stopped Alewa. Where have I heard that name before? King Karo? Oh my God!! She flung the door open before she could stop herself. This handsome devil.

“Hello miss.” King said

“What are you doing here? How did you know my house? I’m going to call the police.”

“In Nigeria? Please.” He smiled

Alewa’s hand flew to her neck while her mouth slid open. Fear suddenly came into her eyes.

King saw the look and tried to reassure her. “Look, I’m not trying to frighten you or anything. I just want to talk to you for a few minutes. Can we do that?”

“Please, leave me alone and don’t come to my house again.” With that she shut the door in his face.

King knocked and knocked but Alewa didn’t open. After standing outside her door for several minutes looking like an idiot, he finally walked back to his car. He looked back as he was leaving and saw her peeping out of her living room window. King smiled to himself; she might be all bravado but it was as clear as day that she was scared and she needed someone even if she thought she didn’t. King vowed to keep coming back every day until he wore down her defenses, after all he had nothing better to do for now and he knew he was supposed to touch her life in some way.

Forever (Episode Three)

Alewa drove listlessly through the streets of Lagos, not ready to go home to her empty apartment and 

far from ready to face her demons yet. She wanted some distractions, she wanted some peace of mind, she needed to not think or feel for some hours but just observe. She decided to drive down to the beach, there will be plenty to see and observe there to take her mind off her woes.

As she navigated through the Lagos traffic, she put on her car stereo and listened to some music all the while trying not to think of her life and what it could have been like if her mother had not died and if that man had not decided to make her his pseudo wife.

Now, she’s so closed off she can’t bear to have any relationship or even make friends. She’s so terrified of forming any lasting relationship with anyone, scared that if she dared, at some point she might be asked about her past, and she could not dare to reveal that.

She finally got to the beach, found a parking space, removed her high heeled sandals and took out the slip-on she always kept in her car for emergencies like this. She put them on, rummaged in her purse for a hair tie and used it to pull her hair into a ponytail when she found one. She put her phones in her jeans pocket, removed her jacket, leaving just her yellow chiffon top, rolled up her jeans, used some facial wipes to wipe her face free of all makeup and traces of tears. She then locked her car, and set off on foot towards the beckoning water.

She walked past tourist haggling over prices of adire, a particular tie and dye material specially made by the women selling them, she walked past couples strolling hand in hand too absorbed with themselves to notice anyone or anything around them, she walked past young boys with earphones glued to their ears and their head shaking as they enjoyed the music blasting in their ears, she walked past young ladies in bum shorts looking for a maga to treat them right that day, she walked past them all, oblivious to the man walking closely behind her observing all her moves.

She was focused on her goal, she walked steadily towards the water until she could feel the coldness on her feet, the cold reminded her that she was still human, it reminded her that at least for now, at this moment, she was alive. Alewa closed her eyes, and absorbed the feeling; she stood there and just let the water lap at her feet.

“It feels good, doesn’t it?” King said beside her

Alewa almost jumped out of her skin. She started and quickly turned to the spot where the voice came from. She was surprised to see the same guy at the parking lot standing right beside her. Is he stalking me? What is he doing here?

“Wha…what…what…?”

“What am I doing here?” he looked at her and smiled

She nodded vigorously, at a loss for words.

“Same as you, just enjoying the beautiful serene atmosphere out here.”

She looked at him incredulously. “Are you not the one I saw some hours ago at the hospital?”

“King Karo at your service ma’am. My friends call me K.K.” He bowed lavishly

“You’re a king?” she stared

“No.” he laughed. “My parents just had a thing for royalty. King is my first name.”

“Oh.” She didn’t even crack a smile.

“So, what’s your name?”

She looked at him and just moved away without replying. King watched her go, wondering what her problem was. Is it that she has a thing against men or is it just me? But I can’t give her what she wants, I can’t leave her alone. Lord, is this you or just my flesh? Why do I feel so drawn to her?

Alewa walked on without looking back. She wondered what the guy’s problem was. Has he been following her all this while? What does he want with her? It is just too bizarre to contemplate and she’d rather be left in peace anyway.

I don’t need the hassle of any overzealous guy presently; no matter how good he looks. She thought.

Alewa kept observing her surroundings. She got a soda drink from a nearby vendor and then found a bench a short walk from the water and sat down. She opened her drink, took a sip and kept looking at the water. She thought back to all the doctor had told her earlier and wondered what her life would be like now. Her life had never been interesting anyway due to the conspicuous absence of friends and family, now it promises to get even less exciting.

King watched her some distance away, close enough to see every expression that crossed her face and far enough so as not to be construed as a voyeur or stalker. He wondered what she was thinking of as he saw the myriad of expressions go through her face. He was stumped, watching her, wanting to be close but having to stay back.

He had never been unsure of himself around any woman in his lifetime. Ever since he was a baby (as told by his ever ready to exaggerate mother), women had fallen all over themselves to carry him, coo at him or just be near him. Since he became an adult, he had to practically fend women off with a stick (figuratively of course) and for the life of him he couldn’t understand the seeming aversion this lady has for him. Nevertheless, he was determined to see this through; there was something about her that keeps calling to him, which kept him from walking away.

He saw her stand up and dust the seat of her jeans; she then started walking towards the direction of her car. King unconsciously started following her. He knew what he was doing was wrong, it was the highest level of privacy violation, but he couldn’t help himself.

Forever (Episode Two)

Alewa was fourteen when her dad died. In the space of one year, she lost both her parents. Her mother’s death had really affected her but by the time her dad died, she was so embittered she couldn’t summon any sadness or despair at his passing. She went to live with some distant relatives. The wife was her father’s second cousin and she had treated her well. 

Alewa got into the university and since she lived on campus she only went to her aunt’s house during semester breaks. She had formed a friendship with the second son of her aunty, Andre and she was pretty content living with them. She was with them for four years until the day everything changed.

Alewa came back from school one day and met just her aunt’s husband in the house. Before she knew what was happening, he had her pinned to the floor, her skirt up and her panties off.

“Uncle, please, please.” She sobbed and screamed but he didn’t answer her.

“You’re so beautiful Alewa and don’t tell me you don’t want this cos I see the way you look at me with those sexy eyes of yours. I just want to give you what you’ve been asking for all along.” He mumbled in her ears while struggling to pull off his trousers.

Alewa was helpless and all her pleas fell on deaf ears. They were still in the damning position when her aunt walked into the house and saw her husband on top of her charge. Her husband scrambled off Alewa and quickly righted his cloth while pointing an accusing finger towards Alewa.

“She seduced me darling. She just came in and attacked me, tearing my clothes off.”

His wife looked at Alewa accusingly. “You witch.” She slapped her. “So you took my son from me and now you’re working on my husband? You are a wicked girl. After all I have done for you?”

Alewa had tried to explain what happened but her aunt didn’t give her the time. She insisted she leave her house that very moment. Alewa didn’t have anywhere else to go to; she was barely eighteen and didn’t know any other relatives in Lagos or even anywhere in the world she could run to. She had to fall on the mercy of her father’s lawyer.

She called the lawyer, explained her predicament and he came to pick her. It was then he told her about the settlement her dad provided for her in his will before he died. In fact, he left all he had in the world to her; amounting to millions of naira which she was supposed to have access to once she was eighteen. The lawyer who had been a close friend of her dad’s was the executor of the estate and he was to make sure everything was ready for her by the time she is of age. Alewa had been shocked and at the same time gratified to know that she had something to fall back on. The lawyer explained to her that he had sent a monthly allowance to her aunt for her upkeep; so they didn’t lose anything by taking care of her all the while.

Alewa was grateful for the money but that didn’t reduce the bitterness she felt in her heart and soul towards the man who gave her life. He had done the unthinkable to her and for that she could never forgive him.

After everything she had been through in her young life, she couldn’t believe this was where she was to end up, rotting away from a disease contracted from her father.

She guessed it was fitting though; her sin had prevented her from living a full life so why prolong the inevitable. She had shut herself from the world, could barely stand the sight of a man not to talk of his touch, could not fathom trusting a man enough to let him in her life, have children with him and then watch him molest his daughter, could not even break the chain of despair her father had wrapped around her since she was thirteen.

Better to die now, no one would miss her and she would definitely miss no one. She knew this was the last straw, this would be the straw that would break the camel’s back, this was going to be the death of her; literally.

King watched as the young lady wove her way drunkenly through the cars in the parking lot until she got to a small Toyota parked some distance from his car. It was her erratic movements that arrested his attention but it was her attire that retained it. She was dressed classily albeit casually and he couldn’t believe a woman that exudes such class would be so drunk so early in the day.

He continued watching her closely as she searched through her purse presumably for her key and eventually dumped the contents out. His curiosity was satisfied when he saw her take out a set of keys, opened the car door and quickly went in. She started the car and just sat there, not moving with the car apparently running. King wondered what was going on and he felt compelled to check up on her. He told himself he was just concerned about her, but the fact was he was undoubtedly curious about the young woman.

King approached the car cautiously, careful not to attract undue attention to himself and be mistaken for a stalker or worse. He got to her car and saw her head on the steering wheel. He gently rapped on her window to attract her attention but there was no response.

He rapped harder and she raised her head abruptly, looking a bit disoriented. She looked like she didn’t know where she was, like she was trying to get her bearings. King kept a smile on his face so she wouldn’t be frightened. She looked at him questioningly and he could see tears streaming down her face but she didn’t seem to notice. In fact, she didn’t seem like she knew most of what was going on around her; she just kept staring at him, waiting for him to explain the reason for his presence.

King indicated she lower her windows so she could hear him speak. She kept looking at him morosely and he repeated his request. Her eyes finally cleared and she reached to lower her windows, all the while looking at him expectantly.

Once the windows were fully lowered, King could see her face more clearly and he saw she was even younger than he thought she was and she was incredibly beautiful. Her eyes, filled with tears, seemed like a pool he could fall into and never come out of, they had such depth and awareness, he couldn’t fathom it. He looked endlessly into her eyes until she nervously shifted her gaze. That brought King back to the present. Her beautiful face was scrunched up tight from trying to keep herself from crying, even with that it was still arresting.

“Are you alright ma’am?” King asked

“I’m fine.” She answered quietly

“Are you sure?” King was more concerned now

She frowned and closed her eyes as if to ward off an evil spirit. “Oga wetin now? I told you I’m fine. What do you want?”

King was a bit taken aback by her vehemence. “I’m just looking out for you miss. I can see you are not feeling so well.”

“I’m feeling great, thank you.” With that she rolled up her window, laid her head on the head rest and closed her eyes.

King didn’t need anyone to tell him he had been dismissed. He watched her for a few moments more before walking slowly back to his car. All along he was haunted by her beautiful face, those depth-less eyes and the tears in them. He wished there was something he could do for her, he wished she would lower her guard enough to let him help her, at least cheer her up.

He leaned back on his car, still watching her car. After a few minutes of standing still, under the hot sun, looking at one spot, King was ready to throw in the towel and move on but he had a strong check in his spirit to hold on and remain where he was.

Before long, he saw her reverse and drove out and he decided to follow her. After thoroughly convincing himself of the prudence and importance of following her, he put his car into gear and drove after her out of the parking lot.

Forever (Episode One)

 

Alewa rummaged through her purse for her car keys at the parking lot. She remembered dropping them in earlier when she got to the doctor’s office. She searched and searched as silent tears trickled down her face. She couldn’t believe this was where everything led to, she couldn’t accept this would be her punishment, her life long sentence; the result of her sin.


Frustrated, she dumped everything in her purse out so as to better look for the keys, and she finally found them encased in her handkerchief. She took them out, and quickly replaced the contents of her purse, opened her car, got in before she allowed the tears come in torrents. She didn’t lower her car window so the animal sounds she was making wouldn’t escape; she just kept the car running with the AC on. She wanted no witness to her misery, she wanted to suffer alone cos she believed she deserved it; she was being punished for all those years, years of being involved in the lowest form of depravity, years of sleeping with her father.

Alewa had been feeling some symptoms of malaria and decided to visit the doctor. She had been feeling nausea and tiredness for some days and it was when it started affecting her output at work that she decided to make the trip to the hospital. Alewa detested hospitals and tried all her best to avoid going there, she figured she had paid her dues to the health system in general, the years she spent visiting her mother on her sick bed was entrenched in her mind, and she avoided anything hospital like the plague.

It had taken days of her health not improving to convince herself to go see her family doctor. She had finally capitulated and taken the trip this morning. Little did she know that she was signing her own death sentence. The doctor had taken one look at her and ordered various tests carried out, including pregnancy and HIV test. Alewa had rolled her eyes at the doctor, wondering how on earth she could have gotten pregnant or even contacted HIV. She was as clean as a whistle, she was sure of it; even Virgin Mary didn’t have anything on her.

Imagine her surprise when the HIV test came back positive. She was dumbfounded, speechless and very surprised. She had malaria all right but she also had something more deadly; she had HIV. The doctor had gone through his spiel of how HIV patients can still live full lives, and the different ways by which one can be infected by HIV apart from sexual intercourse but Alewa was not listening. She had known the source of the disease. She had known it was her father that infected her with HIV.

Alewa was barely thirteen when her mother had died. Her father had waited for just three months after the death of his wife to begin molesting his daughter. It started late one night. Alewa had just cried herself to sleep thinking on the death of her mum and missing her terribly. She had just lamented her heartbreak and loneliness to God asking him why he had allowed her mum to die, why he had chosen to leave her in this utter loneliness and despair. She was the only child of her parents and her mum’s long illness had not allowed them try for more children.

Her mother was a sickle cell carrier and she was always in and out of the hospital. After the birth of Alewa, the doctor had advised against more children, he said her body cannot take the stress and she would die, she had listened to him and didn’t have any more children, but she had died anyway.
Alewa was on her bed that night wishing desperately for a younger brother or sister to share her lonely days with when her body gave way to sleep and she dozed off.

After what seemed like minutes later, she felt her bed shift from the additional weight of someone. She had always been a very light sleeper and that little movement woke her up. Despite the low illumination in the room, she had recognized her father. Although it was strange to find him on bed beside her, her young mind had been grateful for the protection and companionship, and she had sleepily moved to give him space. He slept beside her that night but nothing happened.

Alewa woke up the next morning happy and rejuvenated, and the cycle had repeated itself for the whole week until the day her father decided to take it one step further. He raped her that night, all the while whispering how much he loved and missed her. Alewa had not understood his mumblings until years later when she was fifteen and discovered he took her to be his dead wife; in his mind, he was making love with his wife.

Alewa withdrew further into herself. She didn’t have anyone to talk to about what was happening to her. She had always been a reserved child and the situation she found herself just sent her into a deeper funk. Her teachers in school attributed her further withdrawal to the death of her mother and they didn’t question further. She had no friends or confidantes to talk to, and she had no close relatives to share what she was going through with. She was on her own and the man that was supposed to protect her abused her instead.

She endured the nightly torture and watched her dad wither away. She had assumed it was the death of his wife that was affecting him; she thought he died a year later because he couldn’t bear to live without her anymore. Now, she knew better. He had died of AIDS.

Love Gone Wrong (Episode 12): Last Episode

Nonso turned to the stranger in his room. He was heavily built with broad shoulders and the leather jacket and ripped jeans he was wearing said so much about him to Nonso. One of his eyes were closed as if he had been involved in an accident sometime ago and that made Nonso wonder if the dealer was mostly interested in having wounded crooks work for him.


“Time to go” he said and before Nonso could react, he felt a cloth on his nose and he slowly drifted into a realm of unconsciousness.

*****

His eyes finally opened and within seconds, his eyes adjusted to the light in the place he found himself. He was in a large room with suited men at all corners within his view. He tried to move his hands but they were tied and so were his legs. He turned his neck and only saw more men in suits.

How was he going to get out?

The sound of the door opening and closing caught Nonso’s attention and he turned to see the one-eyed man he had seen earlier in his room. He approached Nonso with a gun in his hand.

“Hello Officer” he said in a mocking tone when he was finally standing before Nonso.

He reeked of alcohol and Nonso feared if he did not tread carefully, the man would act irrationally.
“You’ve been searching for my boss, haven’t you?”

“Oh my God, how did you know that?” Nonso could not resist the urge to be sarcastic and  completely forgot his decision to tread carefully.

The man frowned at Nonso and hit him hard across the face. He waited for more and was finally pleased it did not go beyond that.

“You have a sharp mouth…but by the time I’m done, you’ll be begging me to stop” he said in a warning tone as Nonso smiled.

“Is there anything you’re going to do to me that has not been done before?” he asked without fear as the man smiled and knelt before him.

“Who said I was going to do anything to you?”

*****

With his hands cuffed behind him, two men held him and followed the one-eyed man who led them to a door and just standing at the door, he could hear the moanings and excited laughter from within. He wondered what the man had meant when he had asked him that question.

His answer came when the door was opened.

Nonso’s jaw dropped and his heart raced as he stared inside the room; not just inside the room but at the naked lady tied to the bed with a man on top of her. Her tired screams were muffled by the piece of cloth in her mouth. He could make out the tears that flowed from the corner of her eye.

He did not even know what he felt as he watched the beast on top of her. He tried to move but the two men held him in place and his struggle was pointless. He bowed his head and tried to hold back the tears that were beginning to well in his eyes.

Why was he crying?

He hated Ifeoma yet he was crying. He was meant to be happy. He was supposed to feel fulfilled…but he was trying to hold the tears.

“That’s a fine piece of meat, you know” there was a smile in the man’s voice as he spoke. “You know, I had her first…you know while it was still fresh” he chuckled and nudged Nonso as if he had cracked the funniest joke in the history of mankind. “Then two other guys took over…” he paused.

“Just look at him having the fun of his life” he commented and raised Nonso’s head to look at the scene before them. “Just look at his –”

“Stop it please” he begged.

He felt so helpless. He could only stand and listen to the man and also the moanings of the man on top Ify. How he wanted to shoot them both in the head. He was indeed helpless and they made him stand and watch, slapping him whenever he closed his eyes.

“I thought you had a sharp mouth?” the man whispered in Nonso’s ear. “I think I should call in another” he said and immediately clicked his fingers.

“Please don’t. I beg you….don’t”

The man grinned and tapped him playfully on the face. “Good boy” he said and walked away.
Just while they were turning to leave, he looked at her and for a second, their eyes locked and he could read the thousand emotions that flowed through her.

*****

Nonso sat in the room, tied once more to the seat with the two hefty men guarding him. His head was blank, he had no escape plan. He wondered how long he had been locked up; he wondered how Ify was, he could not understand why he felt for her so much. He really hoped she was still alive.

The one-eyed man walked in and motioned for them to bring Nonso. They pulled him along as they followed the one-eyed man down the hallway. There were no doors except the one at the end of the hallway. As they walked, Nonso could hear ordered footsteps as they came up behind him.

When they finally got to the door, the man stood still with his head bowed low. Almost two minutes passed before he raised his head and turned to face Nonso with a wicked grin across his lips. He then turned to one of the two men holding Nonso.

“You’ll take him in –”

“I’d rather not” the voice was deep and strong yet Nonso sensed an iota of fear in it.
Why would he be scared because he was asked to go in?

“You don’t have a choice” he threatened and motioned for the other to move back. He turned back to the one he had spoken to before.

“Well?” he said through clenched teeth as the man pushed Nonso forward.

The one-eyed man opened the door and the two men entered then he closed the door to look back at the suited men standing before him; he was searching for the person that would take the lady inside.
Scarface had taught him well before his death. Whoever set eyes on the dealer never lived to tell the story. Scarface understood that and never walked into that room and he hoped to do the same.

“Hey, you” he finally said pointing a finger at someone.

*****

As soon as they entered, Nonso was pushed down on his knees. The room was large and smelled of jasmine.

Nonso had heard jasmine chased bad dreams away…he hoped it was fake for the dealer’s sake.
The room was empty except for a large swivel chair and a desk at the center of the room. The swivel chair faced an open window and backed them.

Nonso was finally going to face Ikenna but under different circumstances. He was supposed to have a gun in his hand and be the victor not the victim.

“So what’s the plan in-law?” he asked without fear but received no answer. He half-expected the man holding him down to hit him with his gun but there was no reaction from him.

The door behind them opened and footsteps were all Nonso could hear because he definitely could not turn back.

He soon heard a low groan and turned to his left to see Ify on her knees as well. His eyes were fixed on her, trying to call her and tell her everything would be okay; trying to tell her that he would kill the hoodlums that dared to touch her but she did not turn.

He turned back to the large swivel chair and then suddenly, the scene looked familiar. That was how the business deals were done; behind the large swivel chair where the bastard’s head was not even visible. He thought of speaking but remembering what they did to Ify, he bowed his head and remained silent.

The room remained quiet for over ten minutes before they heard the dealer’s voice.
“You’ve been looking for me”

The voice sounded strange. It tried to sound deep and gruff just as in the videos Nonso had watched but it just came out weird. Nonso raised up his head and so did Ify as well as the guards standing above them.

The swivel chair spun around and all four stared at the dealer.

Onyinyechi Nwodo.
The shock that filled Chinonso was inexplicable. His jaw dropped and he gaped at her as if trying to confirm a ghost was not standing before him. She just sat there smiling, taking in the expression of shock that had dominated the duo’s face. The two guards were only surprised at the fact that the dealer was a young woman and not a large man with an intimidating personality.

“Hello Nonso” she said with a smile but his stare replied her.

“H…how?” he finally managed to ask when he was convinced gaping at her would lead him nowhere. It really seemed unreal. Maybe he was still locked up in that room sleeping and he was having a bad dream…a very bad dream.

She smiled and then her face looked serious. “Shocking, isn’t it baby?” she asked and put her hands on the table.

“I…I…I watched you die” he sounded as if he was trying to convince himself. “I saw your corpse”
“Really?” she asked with a smile. “I’ve been watching you search for me” she finally said dryly.
“I…I can’t believe –”

“It doesn’t matter. Whether you believe it or not, this is the real deal” an impressed smile crossed her lips. “You thought it was your brother-in-law” she stated.

She tapped the table lightly and a door at the corner of the room opened. A wheel chair rolled in with a lady dressed in white moving behind. On the wheel chair was a gaunt-looking man who looked so ill. The shapes of his bones were so prominent that his skin looked like a light piece of cloth over the bones. He looked like a ghost –so pale. But that was not all, he looked so ill that Nonso had to look really hard to recognize his brother-in-law, Ikenna.

He started to speak but Onyi saved him the stress. “Meet my husband” she said with disgust and amidst laughter. “I’m just kidding” she then let her eyes rest on Nonso. “You look horrible, sweety” she then paused. “I’m sure you want to know everything” Nonso’s look was affirmative.

“You know that case you were handling…on the pedophile?” she asked and watched him nod his head. “That’s him” she pointed at Ikenna and glared at him with so much malice. “That’s the pedophile”

“I caught him once…and I wanted to teach that useless uncle of mine a lesson after what he had done to me in order to pay my mother’s hospital bills and so I promised not to tell the police if he helped me get back at my uncle.

“So I made sure my uncle watched someone molest his daughter just as he had molested me and after that, I killed him myself”’ she said with a proud smile on her face. “This idiot could not keep himself in check and he kept on raping and killing the girls and since he threatened to expose me, I had to help him by burying the girls whenever I could” she explained as Nonso mortified but she continued.

“They kept on putting people on the case and to save his ass, I had to threaten and blackmail them and make them eventually drop the case” she paused and looked into Nonso’s eyes. “That’s why they never helped you when you asked them questions” she told him and sighed.

“You know I’ve always wanted to be big and rich…I had great plans but I didn’t have the capital” she paused and turned to look at Ikenna in disgust again. “So I got this idiot to court Dimma…and then” she turned back to Nonso with a smile. “I made up that pitiful diary, which was actually the truth about me…my plan worked and you went all soft on me and trust me, I never wanted to reciprocate but then this good-for-nothing pervert kept on sleeping around even when I had told him to pipe low since he was pretending to be a big shot from Abuja…and you were then assigned to the case”

I knew blackmail would not work on you since you knew me so well, so I had to add modifications to my plan…you know…using you and your pathetic feelings of love for me” she said with slight disgust. “I had to get closer to you to make sure you had no suspicions or clues”

“But Ikenna was actually a big shot” Nonso interrupted. “The lavish wedding and all that…” he said as Onyi smiled and shook her head.

“Your sister loved him too much and believed he had tied all his money in a make-believe business and so she had sponsored everything”

“What about your mum?”

Onyi expression changed for a second and then her mask was on again. “She was a hindrance to my success…I wanted everything concerning Onyinyechi Nwodo to be destroyed so that the dealer Susan would be born. She would have gotten better with the right drugs which I didn’t give her…but her end was not as fast as I wanted it…so I switched to thallium” she paused and turned to Nonso.

 “And then I went to Steve and made sure I told you about it” she could not surpress a smile. “Poor Stevie…you murdered an innocent man in cold blood” she said as Nonso looked down.

“How were you able to stage your death?” he had to acknowledge within himself how smart she was.

“Oh!” she exclaimed and smiled. “That wasn’t so hard…and this time, miss high and mighty and her daddy were the chosen ones” she said and turned to Ify as if she was noticing her for the first time. “I love mysteries, you know? The ones that boggle your mind and yet you’re so obsessed with them, you can’t let go. I needed someone to take the blame for our deaths and so I told  you that night about father and daughter’s plan to get rid of me” she said with a smile, definitely proud of her brilliance.
“But…why Dimma? Why my family?”

“You guys were the richest…and Dimma was the sole heir. She was my easiest source of capital”
“But my uncle showed no signs of ill health. How could you be so sure that you were getting your so-called capital immediately after the marriage?”

She smiled again. “I’m very patient Nonso…and I really didn’t leave Enugu immediately. I made sure Ikenna popped in often and put a lethal dose of thallium in your uncle’s –”

“You murdered him too?” Nonso tried to move but his guard was quick enough to hold him down.
“How could you, Onyinye?”

“Shut the hell up. You have no idea what it means to be poor and spend all your days going to the farm and pushing wheel barrows to and fro selling veggies and fruits…that’s not a life anyone would wish for”

“So Dimma never went crazy?” he asked slowly putting the pieces together. He saw guilt in her eyes for a minute but it disappeared just as soon as it came.

“There had to be a reason for Ikenna to take over the business, so…” she put out her hands and shrugged.

“She was your best friend…Dimma loved you like a sister” there were tears in his voice. Onyi had ruined their lives.

“So do I…that’s why she’s still alive” she said defensively.

“What about him?” he said turning to the man bound to a wheel chair.

“Oh…two spoonfuls of thallium everyday in his morning tea is not doing a bad job” she said with a shrug as the nurse’s mortified expression increased and immediately, Onyi shot her in the head with a silencer attached to her gun.

She sighed and blew air at the snout. “She was meant to take the blame for his death…but anyway…there are more”

Nonso stared at her and felt hot tears sting his eyes. She had used his family in her quest for wealth and power.

“What about Sandra?” he asked as Onyi looked annoyed.

“Do I have to explain everything? You know I had her killed and sent in a fake one. You were too broken to notice anything or to go to work, so I knew the chances of you ever finding out were slim” she paused and turned to Ify. “And then I had this whore’s husband killed after he murdered my most trusted worker, Scarface” she said to Ify’s surprise. Dave had never told her he was the one who had killed Scarface; that explained his weird behaviour before his death.

“She’s not a whore” Nonso did not even know when he said it and it definitely surprised the two women.

“Excuse me” Onyi thought she had not heard clearly.

“I said she’s not a whore” he replied in a low tone as she snickered and turned to Ify whose head was bowed.

“Oh sweety, don’t think he loves you. He only pities you and from my experience, he’s fond of mistaking pity for love” she then laughed. “I hope my boys took care of you last night” she smiled mischievously as Ify looked up at her and tried not to shed a tear.

“For the record, Dimma eventually went crazy” her eyes were back on Nonso. “…she couldn’t deal with it and she eventually started imagining I was there even when I wasn’t”
“So, what’s your plan now?” Nonso sounded defeated.

She rose to her feet and made her way towards him. “I want to come out in the open…like a normal person” she paused and looked into his eyes. “…and for that to happen honey, you both need to go”
Nonso looked down; it was over.
It had been a game all along and she had been the chess master while he had been a pawn in her hands.

“Susan has to be a free woman. Everyone knows Onyinyechi Nwodo died in the fire, Steve poisoned her mum, Dimma eventually went insane since she couldn’t handle her best friend’s death…and of course, Chinonso lost himself to alcohol and smoking and eventually shot himself” she smiled at him. “By the time we’re finished, nobody will even suspect you were murdered”
Nonso said nothing in reply.

Due to her death, he had punished a lot of people: Chukwuma Nnaji was locked up in a police cell in Enugu without getting a fair trial; Steve was dead; Chidi, Ify’s son, had been dropped in an orphanage and he had lied to Ify that he was dead…and finally, Ifeoma. She had gone through so much because of him. She had even lost her child. Guilt was eating deep into his soul and he wished at least she would survive. His sole aim had been to hurt her for all she had ‘supposedly’ put him through but now, he only felt bad.

The dealer cocked her gun and two shots went off simultaneously.

Confusion set in as Nonso watched Onyi fall to the ground, likewise the guard behind him. He was handcuffed and so was Ify…and that left only one person. He turned to the man behind Ify and saw him remove her handcuffs.

“Who…who are you?” he asked as the man walked over to him and removed his handcuffs.
“Sergeant Ibrahim Musa” he replied as Nonso rose to his feet and ran to Ify to help her up.

“Sergeant?” Nonso sounded surprised that a low-ranked officer would be given such an assignment.
“My bosses don’t know I’m here” he said as if he knew what Nonso was thinking about. “Can we talk about this later and think of how to get out of here” he suggested and helped Nonso lift Ify up.

Nonso walked to where Onyi lay. He took up her hand and felt her pulse; it was weak but she was still alive. He hand-cuffed her and pulled her behind the large desk. He took her gun and walked to the other guard.

He checked the other man but he was already dead; Joseph had shot him in the head while Onyi had received the bullet on her shoulder. He dragged the corpse to a corner and took his gun too.
“There are more than tweny men behind that door” Ibrahim sounded scared.

“I’m even wondering why they haven’t come in yet”

“They won’t. They think she’s still alive…they have to hear four shots and then that guy in a leather jacket has to receive a call from her. I think by then, she would be back in her seat with her back to them” he explained.

“Wait…four shots?” that was the first time Ify was speaking.

“You can’t see the dealer and live…and now I think we all know why” he said with a knowing look as they turned to the door.

They were sure there would be sporadic shootings the moment the door would fly open. Once again, Chinonso was blank. He really needed to get Ify to a hospital. She looked weak and pale.

“What about that door?” Ibrahim said remembering how the man in the wheel chair had been brought in.

“That’s true” Nonso said as they walked towards the door. But Ifeoma’s pace was too slow that Nonso thought of carrying her but he immediately remembered the wheel chair.

Without pity, he pulled Ikenna out of the chair and made Ify sit on it and without casting a glance at the gaunt man on the floor, they made for the door.

Suddenly, the other door flew open and cocking of guns behind them made them stop. “Drop the guns and put your hands up or we’ll shoot” they heard as Ify closed her eyes tightly.

It was indeed over. She was exhausted and running was useless. She just wanted everything to end.
The two men obeyed and dropped their guns. “Now turn around and put your hands up while doing that” there were more footsteps approaching the door.

Nonso and Ibrahim obeyed but Nonso did not turn the wheel chair.

“Musa?” they both heard and Musa looked up to see his boss staring at him.

“Sir” he saluted wondering how they had found him and then three more uniformed men walked in.
Nonso could not even understand how he felt as more police officers trooped in. Ibrahim had said none of his seniors knew where he was but Nonso did not care how they had found them.

“Please, she needs to go to a hospital” he said hurriedly.

*****

ONE MONTH LATER

Nonso whistled as he sat in the back seat of the blue and white taxi. Much to his disappointment, Onyi was not facing the hangman but was imprisoned for life.

He had eventually found out how the police was able to arrive at the scene. Ibrahim had expressed his opinions on the dealer but his colleagues and seniors had ignored him and even threatened to suspend him if he did not mind his business and keep to his duty post.

Being a stubborn individual, he had dug deeper and found out about the deals and he was able to maneouvre and make them employ him for their one-time job. His aim had just been to see the dealer and prove that he was a threat to security and peace, but he met Nonso and the dealer confessed to all her crimes while his recorder was on.

His colleague at work had ratted him out and that was when they found the place and arrested all the men. It was the recorder that sent her behind bars and Ibrahim had been promoted.

Ikenna was also locked up in solitary confinement. His case had been mind-blowing and there were controversies arising from the media: 50% praising Onyi for her cruel thallium punishment believing he deserved worse and the other 50% seeing it as appalling and cruel.

Nonso felt it was due to the reception from the media that Onyi had gotten the life sentence instead of the death sentence.

The taxi came to a stop in front of Ify’s boutique. He paid the driver and walked in with a smile on his face.

Ify was at the counter attending to a customer. She cast a glance at him and turned back to her customer.

“See you soon, ma” she said with a smile as the lady smiled back and walked out.
Nonso walked to the counter still smiling. He was definitely not looking like the Mr. Grumpy Ify had spent time with.

“How are you today?” he asked as she forced a smile and nodded.

“I’m good” she replied with her eyes on her phone. “What are you doing here?” she asked before he could say anything.

“Well, since we’re friends again, I was thinking –”

“Friends? Chinonso, did you just use that word?” she tried not to yell but she seemed clearly upset.
Nonso stared at her in surprise. He had apologized to her and she had forgiven him. He had replaced the goods in her boutique also since he was behind the raid the last time. She had seen her son and her father and had even promised not to tell her dad that Nonso was behind the whole thing. He wondered why she was acting differently.

“Ify, you forgave –”

“That doesn’t mean we’re friends” she said calmly and slowly as if she wanted it to sink in. “I have to forgive you to help myself and nothing else…because of you, I lost my baby, I was raped and humiliated by a bunch of criminals…hating you will only keep me locked up and angry and I cannot give you such power over me” she said.

She did not report to the authorities what he had done to her father or her son or her business or her father’s building, neither had she told anyone about Steve’s death. She felt that was enough forgiveness on her part.

“Ify, I really am sorry” there were tears in his voice. It was not his fault that Onyi had been so smart.
“And I said you’re forgiven…but we can never be friends…never!” she said and heard Chidi’s voice approaching them.

“Ify, please you have to understand that I was –”

“You were supposed to trust me…I would have trusted you…we were best friends for crying out loud” there were tears in her voice as she spoke.

He started to speak but she put out a hand for him to stop.

“Please leave…I don’t want my son to see you” she said with a straight face as Chidi’s voice became louder.

Nonso bowed his head and walked slowly towards the door.

“Mummy” he heard when he was finally at the door.

He turned to give them one last look; Ify was no longer behind the counter but was squatting and saying something to the laughing child. Nonso felt a teardrop on his left cheek and walked out wiping it away.

Onyi had ruined his life.




THE END



Thanks For reading "Love Gone Wrong" I hope you guys enjoyed this amazing story.

Please keep reading and watch out for more stories from me.

Love Gone Wrong (Episode 11)

Ify let the phone fall from her hand to the ground. She stood still for what seemed like forever.

Chinonso Okeke was dead!

She got into the car and for five minutes, her head was bowed as a train of thoughts ran through her head. What would become of her? How would she find the dealer? What if they came next for her?

She could not find the dealer without Chinonso and even if she wanted to try, she would need a lead…and just at that thought, she felt the urge to go into the house; the police had not showed up yet…but what if the killer was still in the house searching for possible evidence? Tosin probably still had everything intact and that was why they were after her life; Ify thought to herself.

As hopeless as she felt, she started the car and drove towards the front of the building and noticed the little crowd that had gathered in front of Tosin’s door. Since there were people present, it would not be so hard to search the place. With that, she stopped the car and alighted from it.

As she approached the crowd that seemed to be increasing, she heard someone mutter: “Who could they have offended?”

“It could be armed robbers-o”

“In broad daylight?” the person sounded unconvinced.

It was not easy to make her way through the crowd but she did and was able to enter the house whee onle the few who dard stood and what she saw was a big surprise to her. Tosin lay dead in a pool of her own blood and the other corpse in a similar condition. She felt a smile within her as she studied the dead man in a red shirt and a pair of white trousers.

The three men with her in the house turned to take in her expression. Of course she felt sorry for Tosin but she could not let them see that she cared less about the other corpse. She briefly shook her head and walked out.

She managed to find her way through the crowd. When she was out on the street, her eyes went straight to the car and a smile surfaced when she saw Chinonso in the passenger seat.

*****

Ify got out of the en suite bathroom with her clothes already on her and noticed that he was still working on the laptop. They had left Lagos immediately after the incident the day before; they did not even think of going back to the hotel where they had lodged. He had explained how he had escaped death while she drove then.

   “she said the only way she would ive me what she had taken was if I promise to protect her and I agreed. We were about leaving when you called and then I knew something was wrong so I got my gun ready immediately but there was no time to warn her and then the door flew open. I shot him but that was not before his bullet reached Tosin” he had paused. “She died instantly…and there was no time to search the house so I just took this an ran out” he explained as he pointed towards Tosin’s handbag on his lap.

He had then turned to her and asked: “What did you even go in there to do?”

She had shrugged and said: “To smile at your corpse”

He had spent close to thirty minutes searching the bag. He had gone through its contents carefully and patiently that Ify had to admire him for that. She knew is she had the bag; she would throw everything in the backseat and frantically search for papers and whatever seemed important.

   “Wow” she had heard him say and turned to see him with a flash drive. He immediately reached for his laptop in the backseat and booted the system. When he was done, he plugged it in and a broad smile had appeared on his face when he saw all the files and folders staring at him.

She had told him to go over them later and to her surprise, he had listened and took over the wheel.

They then talked about the dealer and Nonso had explained how he had noticed a regular pattern in the clips gotten from the surveillance cameras.

   “Scarface was a constant…but when I listened in closely, I realized he was not the one negotiating. It was as though there was someone else there but not with them at the table. I kept on watching and re-watching them and one tape finally gave it all up” she had sat up eagerly to hear the rest.

   “There’s a monitor and that’s where the negotiator alias my brother-in-law is. He’s a smart bastard; he sends his boys and uses them as bloody sacrificial lambs”

   “So you saw your him on the monitor?” she had asked emphatically.

   “No…he had his back to the camera. I could see only the seat; not even the back of his head was visible” he had turned to see a look of uncertainty in her eyes. “I’m positive that was your husband’s murderer on the screen”

They got back to Port Harcourt at 2:00am. She had slept once or twice in the car but she still felt exhausted and she knew he was too but as soon as they arrived at the hotel, he had taken his place on a chair and bean to work on the laptop.

She had awoken at 10:00am and noticed him still on the seat before she went to have her bath.

She took a seat and sat beside him. She studied him closely and noticed the bags under his eyes as well as the frustration in his eyes.

“You should get some sleep, Grumpy”  her tone was motherly and she did not like it.

“Not until I access these files” he replied as she turned to the screen. “All the files are protected with a password and I have tried everything I can think of” he explained and put his right hand on his forehead as he leaned back in his chair.

“Well, at least if you are able to find the password, hou can go to sleep before going through the files” she said.

“Sure, I will…if I’m able to” he sighed and remained in his position with his eyes on the ceiling as he tried to think of something he had not tried before.

He heard her punching the keyboard but he knew it would be as fruitless as his efforts.

“What do we have here?” there was a smile in her voice that Nonso sat up to look at her.

He followed her gaze to the monitor to see an open folder on Scarface. “How did you –”

“Go to bed” she cut in immediately.

“No, you have to tell me the password so that I can open the others” he said with a smile on his face as he scrolled down the folder.

“You’ll have to sleep first…at least four hours”

“Are you insane?” he asked with a penetrating glare but his gruff voice did not seem to have an effect on her.

“That voice won’t help you” she said to his surprise. “When you wake up, I’ll tell you the password…it’s the same for all of them. I checked them randomly” she said quickly.

“Listen, I took coffee the whole night and also this morning, so I won’t be able to –”

“I really don’t care. Just lie on the bed for four hours and then you’ll have your bath and eat” she outlined as if she was reading a book and began to shut down the system.

He felt stupid taking orders from her but he obeyed since he needed the password. He wondered how he would manage to sleep for four hours with the amount of caffeine that filled his system. He then decided to occupy his mind by thinking of random things that would drain him but the moment his head hit the pillow, he slept off and did not wake up till 8:00pm.

*****

After devouring three wraps of garri and eguisi soup and washing it down with two satchets of water, he had a compulsory rest of fifteen minutes before he was allowed to get back to the system.

As Ify made him do all that, she could not help but think of her late husband.

He booted the system and watched her type in the password to open a file on the dealer.

“Nonso” she said when she was done

“What?”

“That’s the password” she said to him as he stared at her.

“How –”

“I’m a lady, we notice these things” she said and pulled a seat to sit beside him.

As he scanned through the familiar files and folders, he noticed one that did not even ring a bell. It was named “official”. He double-clicked and typed the password. The folder opened and in awe, he gazed at the files contained therein. It contained records of the pedophile he had been working on ten years ago. Also in the folder was another folder on the fire incident that had claimed the lives of Onyi and her mother.

“This lady cleaned out my office” he muttered to himself.

“Is that an autopsy report…concerning the fire?” she hoped he would not take offence.

“Yes” he replied curtly. “I don’t even know why it was done…just a bunch of orthodox idiots” he commented and went to the previous folders on the dealer.

Nonso’s entire attention was on the system. Tosin alias Sandra had scanned every single record and put into the flash drive and he felt grateful and a bit sad at her demise. Ify on the other hand kept on wondering why someone would run an autopsy test when the cause fo death was already known. Nonso claimed they were being orthodox; but then, the result had been sent to him…that meant it was relevant.

“Did you ever go through those autopsy results?” she managed to ask as he bit his lips and turned to her. She was ready for the blame game that would begin.

“You have a lot of nerve asking me about that. The fact that we’re together does not mean we’re friends, got it? I still despise you” he reminded her with so much scorn as she swallowed hard and nodded slowly before leaving his side.

As he continued revising records, he frowned at Ifeoma’s guts. How dare she? Did she somehow think he had gone soft? He had once tried to go through the results but one look at the picture of Onyi’s charred corpse had filled him with tears. Just remembering it almost triggered him to hurt Ifeoma but he managed to keep himself under control. It was not yet time –her time.

*****

As soon as she was sure he had gone quite a distance from the building, she got out of the bed and hurriedly booted the system that was still on the table with the drive behind it but she suspected he had copied all the files to the system already.

When the system was on, she plugged in the drive and opened the official folder quickly –she just could not get it out of her head. She clicked on the “Autopsy 1” file and a result with Onyi’s full name at the top appeared. Everything appeared normal including the cause of death. She opened another file: “Autopsy 2”. It was that of Onyi’s mother. The result also seemed normal until she got to the cause of death.

“What are you doing?” his gruff voice asked from the door as she turned to him in fear.

“I just –”

“Just shut up and get lost” he ordered as she left the seat quietly.

“Her mother didn’t die in that fire” she still managed to tell him with an iota of doubt in her voice.

“Yes…she drowned” he smirked with heavy sarcasm but she did not say anything in reply. She looked as if she was thinking.

He then took his seat in front of the system and kept his eyes fixed on the screen.

Ify was right.

He closed his eyes a number of times to be sure of what he was seeing…but it was clear.

CAUSE OF DEATH: THALLIUM POISONING

Nonso slumped in his seat looking confused. Thallium was a drug formerly used in producing rat poisons and was very lethal. It had been banned in the U.S.

“But how?” he asked to nobody.

“Someone was poisoning that old lady” she said as he gaped at the ceiling.

Poisoning…it was not just once. 

Nonso was perplexed. “Why would…” he paused to think and turned to Ify who sat on the bed looking down. “What are the effects of the drugs?” he asked remembering Ify had always been a reader.

“From the little I know…numbness mostly” she said hoping she was correct.

   “She has been complaining of numbness in her body; especially her legs…I mean her feet”

Onyi’s complaint was so clear in his head.

“…Remember I got back home that day and saw the drugs on the centre table in the living room”

   “Oh my God!” he exclaimed. “Steve”

“Who’s Steve?”

“He’s…” he paused and tried to think of his motive but there was none. “He’s a doctor”

“A doctor poisoned her…why?” she asked.

“That’s what I don’t know” he said. “He had given Onyi some drugs for her mother and that was when her mother started complaining of numbness”

“God!” Ify exclaimed with her hands on her mouth. “The poor girl was poisoning her mother without knowing” she suddenly felt for Onyi.

Nonso brought out his phone from his pocked and waited for the recipient to answer.

“How are you doing?” he asked and waited for a reply. “I’m good…I need you to do me a favour”

*****

The next day, they were permanently out of the house and in a one-bedroom flat that Ify had no idea who it belonged to. The room was empty except for the bed at the corner and a stool in the middle with a laptop on it.

As they watched the live video of Steves’interrogation, Ify could not help but wonder why they had left the hotel. She took her attention back to the laptop; the interrogation had been on for almost thirty minutes but Steve was unyielding.

“I’m not saying anything until my lawyer is present” that was all he had been giving as a reply.

Nonso made a call and said “Make him face me…I want to do it myself”

“I don’t think that’s a –”

“Just do it” he said impatiently as the recipient put the system in front of Steve.

“I will make sure you –”

“Shut up” Nonso ordered and Steve did shut up.

He looked intently at the face in the computer and it took almost a minute for him to remember. “Chinonso Okeke?” he sounded unsure.

“Good day Steve”

“I thought you were out of the force…what’s going on?”

“You weren’t arrested. You’re not in the station either. You’re in a place where I can get you killed and nobody will know about it” he informed Steve who looked furious immediately.

“You better –”

“Just shut up Steven. I just want to ask you some questions and then let you go…if I wish” Steve nodded slightly.

“Good. Do you remember Onyinyechi?”

Steve thought for a second before nodding. “Your girlfriend…”

“Do you remember her mother?”

“Yes…Onyi said she had diabetes”

“And what did you do to help?”

Steve wondered where he was going but he replied without wasting time. “I always checked on her” he said as Nonso made a face.

“You did not give her any drug?”

“Why…” he paused and then smiled. “Oh yes…there was a day she had come to visit me and I saw her with some drugs that were completely useless to her mother…so I gave her the correct drugs” he explained.

“What drugs did you send?”

“Err…I don’t remember. I met a colleague to prescribe them”

“So you didn’t know what you bought?”

“They were the right ones, I’m sure”

Nonso looked away before asking the next question. “Do you know what killed her mother?”

“Everyone knows…the fire” Nonso shook his head but kept his eyes fixed on Steve.

“Traces of thallium were found in her system”

Steve said nothing. He just kept his eyes fixed on Nonso in a completely expressionless manner.

“Dr. Steve!”

“I don’t know how that happened” he shook his head slowly.

“Why would you?” he asked and suddenly the answer seemed to pop up in his head. “You liked her…you had always wanted her…” Steve made no effort to deny.

“Was that why you tried killed her mother? Since she was obviously in love with me, your plan was to use her mother’s death to come into her life, right?”

“Can you listen to how silly you sound?” Steve retorted and Ify felt within herself that Nonso was gradually losing it.

Nonso glared at him. He did not care if he sounded silly. Nothing seemed to make sense after Onyi’s death. If Ifeoma and her father could kill Onyi, then there was no law that stated that Steve was completely innocent.

“She trusted you…and now she’s dead…and you’re married with three boys” a lopsided grin appeared on his lips and Steve shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

“What are you trying to tell me?”

“Do you still have it?” Nonso’s eyes were now on the one of the men in the room with Steve.

“Yes…it’s still wrapped” the man replied.

“Good” he said and turned his angry eyes back to Steve.

“No…” Steve began to say. “You can’t do this”

“You’re going to have a taste of your own medicine, Dr. Steve” he said in a calm voice that was meant to be soothing. “And then I’ll make sure your wife and children have a cup of tea with it as well”

“Have you gone crazy?” Steve yelled as one of the men held his mouth open and the other opened the wrapped parcel.

“Please don’t do this” he begged even though his words were not clear due to his opened mouth.

“Did you poison Mrs. Nwodo?” he asked as the man holding Steve’s mouth open released him and made him face Nonso on the screen.

“I did not…” there were tears in his voice. “Please be reasonable…”

“Do you want your wife and kids to stay alive and healthy?” he asked in the same calm voice as Steve nodded slowly.

“Then tell me…did you poison Mrs. Nwodo with thallium?” he asked as Steve opened his mouth to speak but then closed his eyes tightly before speaking.

“I did…” he replied as Nonso looked down.

Ifeoma knew just how persuasive Nonso could be but she hoped he was bluffing about poisoning Steve and his family.

“I’m sorry” he added immediately as Nonso looked up at him.

“You’re going to tell that to Mrs. Nwodo” he said and clicked his fingers.

“No…no…you promised”

“I said I would spare your family…not you”

Steve’s head was held in place and the other man forced a spoonful of thallium into his mouth. He tried to fight but his hands and legs were tied to the chair.

Ify stared in horror as they forced the powder down his throat. She closed her mouth in order not to scream and also to avoid an outburst from the monster beside her. She had thought he was bluffing to get Steve to confess but he still wanted him dead.

She watched Nonso whose eyes were fixed on the struggling man. She stared at the monster he had become; the monster Onyi’s death had created. His heart was gone and in its place was a dark hole and a very deep one at that. With that enlightenment, she convinced herself that Chinonso Okeke would make sure she paid dearly for taking Onyi away from him.

*****

Ifeoma was born with a silver spoon and had lived with that spoon all her life. She had gone on amazing trips and holidays but she had never spent as much time on the road as she had spent with Chinonso Okeke. As soon as Nonso had told them to dump Steve’s corpse, they both headed for Abuja and at the end of the trip, she felt so worn out.

They lodged in a motel and she had barely slept for an hour when he woke her up.

They both sat in silence as Nonso drove down the busy road. He drove on for hours and finally parked the car in front of a psychiatric hospital.

I’ll be damned, she thought to herself as they both alighted from the car.

She followed him into the building and while he spoke to the nurse at the receptionist desk, she checked the time on the wall clock; it was 3:55pm.

“Odoh Chidimma” mentioning Ikenna’s surname made his blood boil.

“Room 702” she replied giving him a key and her eyes immediately went back to her phone.

“Thank you” he managed to say even though he knew she would not reply.

As they walked up the stairs and through the passage, they heard people cackling and guffawing.

He saw a nurse and asked for directions and she pointed towards the end of the passage.

700…701…

He stopped and felt his heart beat ten times faster. He wondered what she would look like and if she would remember him. There was no noise from her room and that made him wonder if she was alone.

Did Ikenna order them to use loneliness as a means to kill her?

The passage was wide and there was a long bench facing Dimma’s door.

“I’ll wait here” Ify managed to say without a shaky voice but he did not give her a reply so she took her place on the bench and watched him. She could imagine what he was going through but she still felt he was the one meant to be locked up instead of Dimma.

As he put his hand on the door knob, a nurse approached him and asked, “Nobody followed you?”

“N…no” he replied as she looked at the number on the door and nodded. “Was someone meant to follow me?” he could sense the fear in his voice.

“Not to this room” she replied dryly as he gave her a questioning look.

She pulled him close and whispered to him. “Personally speaking, I don’t think she’s sick…all she does is cry and take her drugs when she’s asked to”

“Then why is she still here?” he hoped the anger rising in his system was not obvious.

“We had sent a message to her husband…he said he would come soon” she paused. “And then she went berserk the next day”

“What do you mean?”

“On the day she was meant to be discharged, she started yelling Onyi until she had been sedated”

“When did this happen?” Ify asked from the bench as the nurse as well as Nonso turned to her.

“Who are you?”

“Her cousin” she lied immediately as the nurse nodded.

“About six months ago” she replied and walked away as Nonso kept his eyes fixed on where she had been standing.

He turned to the door and after taking in a deep breath, he opened it using the key he was given and entered.

He closed the door behind him and stared at his sister sitting on the bed. She was dressed in a white gown with both her hands placed together to keep her from hurting herself. He had been told of how she always pulled at her hair and hit her head on the wall in an attempt to get Onyi out of her head.

He slowly walked to where she sat with her head bowed. He wondered again what she would look like.

He cautiously sat beside her and waited for a reaction from her but she remained still. He lifted his right hand and placed it on her lap but she did not move.

“Dimma” he whispered but he could barely hear himself. “Dimma” he called more loudly as she turned slowly and stared at him with no note of familiarity in her eyes.

Nonso almost felt his heart bleed but almost immediately, a smile appeared at the corner of her lips and that eased him immediately.

“Brother” she called as if she wanted to be sure he was the one; her voice brought tears to his eyes.

He had never visited her and since his mother in the village felt that Ikenna was handling everything properly and that Nonso was not sound, she almost sent him to a mental hospital since he was losing his mind due to Onyi’s death.

How much that annoyed him. They had all made it a habit to attribute whatever he did or said to Onyi’s death. He knew that was the truth but hearing it from everyone only embittered him more and fueled his quest for vengeance.

“Brother” she sounded sure and there were unmistakable tears in her voice as she put her head close to him and he embraced her.

Nonso did not want to let go of his cousin but when he finally did and held her face in his, the sight of her tear-filled eyes made the tears that had been welling in his eyes finally stream down his cheeks. He sobbed and put his arms round her while she cried also.

They remained that way for almost two minutes before Nonso pulled away and wiped her tears away.

With a kiss on her forehead, he said: “I’ve missed you”

“Then why didn’t you ever come?” she asked looking at him and it took him a while to know she was waiting for an answer.

“I’m sorry” he said and sniffed as she nodded slowly and smiled.

“Mummy is fine, right?” she asked as Nonso wondered why she was sitting in the asylum. She looked normal to him.

“Mummy is fine” he assured her falsely and kept his eyes fixed on her with nothing in mind to say.

He had no idea why he had felt like seeing her after so many years that had gone by.

They both sat in silence and just when he was about to get up, she smiled at him and he did not know why that scared him for a second.

“Are you married?” she asked as he shook his head slowly.

“Girlfriend?” he shook his head. “Why?” her voice reduced to a whisper. “Did she tell you not to find someone else?” Nonso did not need a soothsayer to tell him what she was talking about and he knew it was time to leave.

As he rose to his feet, her eyes followed him.

“Nonso, she’s still alive. She was here the other day” she explained as he nodded and walked to the door.

“I love you Dimma” he said and left.

His heart felt so heavy. He closed the door and his eyes went once more to the number on the door…0702..that was her birthday; what a coincidence, he thought to himself and turned to find Ify’s seat empty.

“Damn you Ifeoma” he cussed under his breath and then looked to his left and then his right; where would he find her?

The passage was empty but the noise in the wards persisted. As he walked towards the reception, he thought of how stupid Ifeoma was. She was meant to be scared for her life and try to stay by his side but her foolishness had gotten the better part of her.

When he finally arrived at the reception, it was empty also except a lady snoring on the seat.

Where was everyone? He wondered and walked to the entrance. There seemed to be a large crowd outside the gate of the hospital.

Wondering what was going on, he ran towards the gate to ask questions and that was when he noticed the thick black smoke rising into the sky. With a tingling feeling at the back of his head, he struggled to make his way past the crowd and finally came face to face with his car going up in flames.

He tried to pick up something reasonable from the people around him but everyone was talking and he could not pick out a single word. He was positive Ifeoma had nothing to do with it.

Was the dealer onto him?

He hailed a cab soon after and the moment he got to his destination, he paid the driver and alighted from the car.

As he walked to the room, he began ruminating on the recent happenings. In his quest to find Ikenna alias the dealer, he had encountered a fake Jennifer Green, a fake Sandra Asogwa, a dead Scarface that would have been a possible lead to the dealer. He had also found out the truth behind Mrs. Nwodo’s death and the stupid Ifeoma had run away and his car was destroyed and charred.

The dealer was indeed one step ahead of him.

He had no idea what he was going to do. The dealer already knew he was after him. He always thought he had that element of surprise but ironically, they had switched places and he was the one receiving surprises.

He hurried inside his room and locked the door. The place was still in order; they probably had no idea where he was…or he was yet to receive another surprise for the day.

As if in response, he heard someone clap behind him.