HASTY DECISION
EPISODE 8
For a while we just starred at each other. I kept looking at those eyes that were unblinking when my v!rginity was being ripped away from me. Somehow, I knew he could recognize me as his frowns deepened. He stepped a little closer and shut the door behind him.
“What do you want?” He growled.
That voice seemed to bring back the nightmare of that night and before I knew it, tears were dropping from my eyes. I was trembling and maybe I had hoped for some kind of remorse but the hatred that radiated from him was overwhelming all I could say was….”Why?”
He scoffed. “Are you here with the police? Are you here for some kind of revenge?”
I shook my head slowly. “I am here to know why you ruined my life!”
At that, he raised his brows. “I ruined your life?” He demanded with a deeper growl…”You ruined my family!” He shouted. “I wish I had done more to you!”
My heart was falling and rising with both anger and curiosity. “I did not deserve it! You are a m0nster! What did Henry do to you! You spoke with him that night. What did you say to him? How is he related to all this? Why did you have to punish me for it?” I was lowering my voice and sobbing loudly…”Why? ….why did you have to r@pe me to punish him?” This time I was already sitting on the ground, I wasn’t having enough strength to talk again or cry…
“Musa!”
The elderly woman called from inside and then he shouted back in Hausa language. Then he faced me.
“You want to know why? Come, I will show you.” He replied, opening the door while I stood up and followed.
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The living room contained four chairs and a single T.V . It seemed a little bit furnished and plates seemed to be scattered here and there on the dining table. There was an elderly woman tying a cloth around her head, wearing a big dark sunglasses and holding a stick. Beside her was a girl that couldn’t have been more than eighteen years old, she was arranging the table. I recognized her, she was the one celebrating her birthday in the picture. As we came in, they both turned towards our direction.
The woman asked Musa something and he responded in their language.
“That is my mother..this is Adijat and that is Benita….” He said, pointing to a picture on the wall. Benita was holding a certificate in her school uniform.
“You need to sit down for this!” He replied, taking a seat for himself while I did the same.
“Adijat, come here.” He beckoned to the girl who came instantly.
“Tell this young lady who you are and how your friend died.” He demanded, looking a bit angry.
The girl was surprised and stared at me. But shrugged and started.
“I am Adijatu, Benita’s closest friend. Benita died on June 14…and….”
“June 14?” I asked and she nodded.
How ironical, that was the day I got married too.
“She did not come to school that day and it was strange because we have been planning for the birthday together. So when I go back home that day. I came to check on her and I see everywhere… bloody… everywhere is in blood. I dey afraid and I run to check mama who is not inside that day, brother Musa too, he no dey. So I come back to Benita’s room and I see her rolling on the floor, blooding coming out of inside her….” She pointed to in between her thighs. “She come tell me that… corper…corper did this to her…say corper r@ped her and gave her drugs to use and the thing is bringing out blood!”
I gasped as she was explaining, Musa’s eyes were already red and there were some lines on his forehead, he was also biting his lips.
“But which corper? I am sure there were many corpers….”
“It was Corper Henry!” She shouted angrily and affirmatively and all my world came crashing down.
“Did she say Henry’s name?” I asked again, stubbornly.
“No, but she never tell me about any corper apart from corper Henry. He used to come here very well then, to take her lesson and she liked him a lot, she used to tell me.”
“Thank you Adijat, you may go.” Musa said and faced me as I battled with my discovery. Somehow, I had known this would happen but for it to finally happen was just making my heart shatter.
“When my mother heard that her daughter was bleeding to death, she left her shop and was running across the street. She didn’t see the truck coming and she got hit. That was how she lost one of her legs and her two sights!”
I gasped even more and glanced at the woman, she seemed not to understand a word, she was busy talking with Adijat in a hush tone.
“I had a dream of becoming a doctor. Going to Unilag to further my education but now, I have to stay at home to take care of my mother!”
“I am so sorry…” I began to sob.
“Your sorry will not bring back my lost sister…or bring back my mother’s sight and leg. I did what I did because he destroyed my family and I wanted to revenge. If you want to arrest me, go ahead, I am not sorry.”
Just then, my phone started ringing, it was Henry but I ignored it.
“I cannot believe Henry could do something like this!” I said to myself.
“Benita had a diary that explained everything. Yes, she may be throwing herself at him but he should have known better. He was her teacher! Then he r@ped her and destroyed her, he killed her!” Musa was sobbing now.
“There are two diaries.” Adija said from across the dining. “I have one with me, the second one is still missing. We don’t know where she kept it.”
“Do you need the diary?” Musa asked and I nodded, then he signallled to Adija who went inside and then came out with a diary.
I collected it with trembling hands as I scanned through it. I couldn’t read, everything I saw was ‘corper H in every page. I dropped it on the table then I burst into tears.
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It was time to go back home, I had discovered what I needed to discover but before I boarded a plane back that night. I called Felix and cried.
“Henry is such a killer Felix. I am coming back home to divorce him. I am so sorry I left you, will you take me back….?”
He was confused but was also happy with my decision. He just wanted me to come home. I decided to sleep in his house that night once I landed. Then I would finally confront Henry with the truth.
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