CLARA (The State Governor’s daughter)
EPISODE 56
Clara’s side of the story continues from the last scene of the previous episode
‘’no you are not going to die, be strong. You are yet to finish your story. You are a strong man’’ I begged Donpatric desperately as I tried to stop his bleeding the little way I could.
‘’it’s pointless my dear, just go to your father or your mother and urge anyone of them to finish my story for you. I have no reason to continue living. Even if I survive this, I will spend the rest of my life in prison and its better I die this honorable way than set my foot in jail. Good bye my dear’’ he struggled to breathe while I shook my head in desperation.
Two police officers ran towards us that moment, kneeling beside him to see if they could help but they came a little too late. Donpatric gave out a deep yawn, fell back and la!d still.
‘’he’s dead’’ the first officer breathed, quickly radioing for more backup and ambulance.
‘’you have to come with us to the patrol car, you will be safe there’’ the second officer said with a smile, helping me to my feet.
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Val’s side of the story continues
I arrived Donpatric’s huge fortress with almost all available agents in the state at exactly 3:30am to meet a very horrible scene. Piles of dead bodies were just arranged at the front of the compound like stockfish. It was so, so horrific and I couldn’t help but imagine what the first police officers to get there passed through.
The police chief in charge of the area was at the gate to welcome us and of course I knew he was very much relived to hand over the situation to us.
‘’seventeen men dead, twelve more critical injured. A handful escaped. Plus two more dead men at the backyard. I haven’t seen so much bloodshed in my fifteen years of service’’ the police chief said to us as he lead our team into the building. My heart couldn’t help but pound loud as I wondered if Clara was safe or not.
‘’were you able to come across any young lady?’’ I managed to ask when we got to the backyard to see Charles’s body lying beside an old man identified as Donpatric. Seriously with the sketch we had on Donpatric we thought he was a young man and perhaps that was the reason he had been able to go undetected for a long while
‘’yes we found three young women in the house. We took them to the station since none of them appeared hurt’’ the police chief replied, giving me great hope.
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It really was quite a tasking job, taking over the crime scene, searching the corpses and ransacking the house. Of course the death of Donpatric and Charles brought the ongoing drug case came to an abrupt end. I really didn’t know whether to be happy or disappointed about it. It was an ending no one ever imagined for both men.
As we prepared to leave the crime scene later that morning, the news confirming Clara’s safety was whispered to me by Jennifer. But unfortunately for me I wasn’t able to meet her that morning due to my assignment and by the time I was free, the state director already had taken her from the police station to the governor’s lodge.
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‘’I guess this was never the ending you wanted?’’ Jennifer asked with a smile as we headed back to town hours later. I smiled and shrugged, unable to say anything. The horrible scene I witnessed in Donpatric’s house really was something that failed to leave my memory and I couldn’t help but imagine how much the young men that died were paid in the first place.
‘’Val I have another news I have been holding back all these while’’ she added, drawing my attention.
‘’the state director requested you be transferred with immediate effect once the drug case is solved. With the way I’m seeing things now you might not be spending much time in Owerri’’ she muttered while I kept quiet. Yes there was really nothing to say. All that was in my head that moment was to see Clara, to talk to her, to caress her, to kss her. I guess Jennifer noticed it too and never said another word for the rest of the journey.
All through that day I dialed Clara’s number over and over but it never went through and I couldn’t get myself to head to the governor’s mansion because I knew how disastrous it could be for me.
‘’oh my Clara’’ .
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Clara’s side of the story continues
Yes I felt relived getting home safely that morning after a mind blowing experience in Donpatric’s house. Of course my head was filled with questions and I had a lot to ask my parents concerning their relationship with him. Deep down I really felt my parents could be responsible for the massacre that happened over there. Yes I knew how powerful the office of the governor could be and I felt perhaps Dad sponsored the whole shootout just to clean up the mess and disgrace that could have befallen everyone. I never knew Charles to be someone who could put his life on the line for someone in such manner and I kind of felt he was used as the sacrificial lamb. My head was just confused. I really didn’t know what to believe.
Mum and dad were at the house to welcome me, but the fear in their eyes easily gave them out. I could tell they were hiding a whole lot of things
‘’God brought you back to us my dear. Thank you God’’ mum screamed with tears of joy as she hugged and kissed my hair. Dad equally drew forward to hug us together. No matter their short comings, I was sure of one thing. I was sure of their love. They had never treated me badly nor given me reason to think otherwise, which kind of made it sickening to think that I could be an adopted daughter, like Donpatric addressed me.
‘’mum, dad we need to talk. We need to talk now’’ I breathed seriously.
‘’you need to first get some rest my dear’’ dad begged.
‘’no we need to talk now’’ I insisted.
‘’fine let’s go to my room then’’ he muttered in resignation.
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On getting to his room, I quickly stopped and faced him and mum with a strong face. It wasn’t really easy asking what I had in mind but I had to do it no matter the pain it caused me.
‘’Donpatric said you guys were friends. He equally told me that I was adopted. Is it true mum?, is it true dad?. Was I adopted??’’ I asked with great energy while my mum instantly sat down on a sofa and buried her face with her palms.
‘’for the love of God what is this madness?, why do you want to break your poor mother’s heart?’’ Dad asked, breathing deeply.
‘’I just want to know the truth dad?’’ I fired back.
‘’close your eyes and think, go back to when you were a little kid, go back to your first memories. Who was the first woman you saw her face. Who was the woman that prepared your tea every morning?, that bought you your first bicycle and thought you how to ride it?, were you not there with her when your other siblings were born. Who has been the lady of the house all these while?, what happened to you over there?’’ he screamed with anger while I brought down my face still confused. Yes I had no reason to believe Donpatric over my parents but, but I just was confused.
Vivian ran into the room that moment, breaking down the tension with her presence..
‘’Clara is doubting us, I don’t know what happened to her over there’’ dad quickly reported to Vivian who hugged me with a very worried look.
‘’did Donpatric play with your mind in his house?’’ She curiously asked me.
‘’I don’t know. I don’t know’’ I broke down in tears.
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