“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.
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
A MAN’S DESTINY.. EPISODE 4..
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on Whatsapp
0 comments:
Post a Comment