Efe, na wa to u o. D softness and hardness part naw. No bi u suspend am because of sandra? U no go come finish d thing wey u start?
Abeg, leave Mazi alone make u finish ur side for here jare.

Haha!

My side of the story, indeed-ie!!

Efemena_xy: Haha!

My side of the story, indeed-ie!!

Yes. Since u're online, post sth. Thanks.

huh i remember when efemena tell us say make we vote her sayy she go continue the story.and thank God she win.now i wonder wat we fit give her make she continue so.

Lol!

Guys (& girls)

If I fill out every detail, I won't be giving the reader much room for imagination, would I?

Nonetheless, I'm participating in one of Cuddlemii's games. You might want to see this: https://www.nairaland.com/1139259/two-play-game-season-2/4

Please i want to know what happens to that old hag Numero Uno, my darling Amaka and her husband. I would have contributed but i am not a good writer but i am really enjoying this story. welldone guys. Great works.

fumkos: Please i want to know what happens to that old hag Numero Uno, my darling Amaka and her husband. I would have contributed but i am not a good writer but i am really enjoying this story. welldone guys. Great works.

That's for us, the readers to decide, not you.

Don't sell yourself short. Feel free to contribute.

Mac's always said it that this thread is for all types of writers: Starters, intermediate and pro's...no distinctions are made. The only thing we require is consistency and ensuring the story lines flow. That, to me shouldn't be a problem for you, seeing as you've followed the story and are up-to-date on it.

Go on, give it a try...

@Efemena,i want to continue with Lola's side of the story. How do i start from where it stopped?

^^
~ Simply quote the post / part of the story you wish to continue from. i.e Lola or Amaka..
~ Demarcate it with a couple of *******************************
~ Then continue the story in your own words

Expecting to see your update

fumkos: @Efemena,i want to continue with Lola's side of the story. How do i start from where it stopped?

Oh, and welcome aboard!

maclatunji:
***********************Amuludun Community***********************************
The home of Chief Adedayo became a Mecca of sorts for sympathisers and well-wishers. Shade had been rushed to hospital the previous night but had died of third degree burns. Mrs. Adedayo who had been at a political meeting when the explosion happened was now at home and was wailing bitterly. Shade was her pride and joy, she had plans to hand over her business to her daughter and was already grooming her to be the 2nd wife of Amuludun Local Government Chairman, Hon. Talab Agbaekun aka "Heavy Duty".

All of those hopes and dreams for her only daughter were now dashed. Mama Lola despite her daughter's predicament was with Mrs. Adedayo that morning to console her. She and other women in the area could not help but shed tears as well, they felt the plight of a bereaved mother. "Awon Ota mi ti fi ina omo jo mi, yee mo daran" (My enemies have gotten to me through my child), Mrs. Adedayo wailed. O ti to, ama gba fun Olohun ni ti Oro bati di bayi (That is enough, we have to accept God's will in situations like this). Her younger sister, Dr. Kemi Komolafe, decided that because of her chronic hypertension, she should be sedated. Mrs. Adedayo was ushered into her room where Dr. Komolafe gave her the injection that would induce sleep.

This left little room for the sympathisers to tarry at the Adedayo's residence because Chief Adedayo was at the Amuludun hospital morgue to make the necessary payments for the preservation of his daughter's body before burial.

Mama Lola, greeted and thanked other well-wishers present before leaving the Adedayo's residence. She had left Sandra at home to watch cartoons on TV and knew that she had to prepare her granddaughter to go see her mother who still lay in hospital. She had wanted to go to the hospital to see Lola earlier that morning but the news of Shade's death made it awkward for her to head there without seeking to console Mrs. Adedayo. Besides, her husband had called to let her know that the doctors where not allowing anybody to see Lola at the moment. That was Mama Lola's way, she had a sense of pragmatism and propriety that made her stand out within the community.

Already at the Adedayo's residence, people had been enquiring about her daughter, Lola and she told them that she was in good hands at the hospital even if she hadn't confirmed it. She asked herself, "what can I do than to pray and hope for the best?"

* * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * *

She laid on her bed with her face to the ceiling. What else could she do? This has been her life now for the part couple of weeks. Day or night it made no difference to her. All she does was lie down and reflect on the events that led to her present situation. She had gone through the events in her mind with so many "only if" until she began to start convincing herself that this was not just an accident. How can it be? How did the fire get to the generator house? She has gone through such questions dozens of times. Her thoughts that what kept her conscious, that was her only activity. Shade was a beautiful young girl. Her parents were rich and everything she wanted was given to her. And to crown it all she was about to marry a top politician. But then the event of that fateful day has ended all that.

Then the doctors had brought the 'good news' to her parents "she would live". How is this been alive. First degree burns all over her body, she has been mutilated beyond recognition. She would have preferred death. Her father chief adedayo has also thought the same thing. The shame of having a badly burnt and mutilated child in his family would be too much. He was the one that arranged for her fake death and burial. Of course it was better this way. Now away from anybody she knows, her father has seen to it that her every request was granted. Not even her mom knew she was alive.

Her thoughts continued. She had heard of Lola. How she went into coma and came back. She had always envied lola when they were young. Lola was the good girl. 'Why cant she be more like lola' she was always told. But then Lola had been the one that got pregnant and not she. Lola had been the one that brought shame to her parents. She has always felt a sense of satisfaction whenever she saw Lola or heard of her plight. But now it seemed the table had turned. She asks her father about Lola anytimes he comes to see her, and he would always tell her. He would do anything to please his only daughter. She had heard about the doctor who took extraordinary care of her. It seems that the doctor liked her. It seemed things was only getting better for her old friend.


From somewhere from her wildest imagination she managed to blame Lola for her present predicament. Somehow from the whereever she is presently staying, she is going to devote all her thinking, her energy to her new agenda: she would make Lola pay

O.M.G!,nice update afta a long while,beautiful twist to the story,please go on,THANKS CETEZIN

Wow! Wow! Wow! Tnx n i luv u 4 updatin on ds topic,pls kip it comin... Tnx

Welcome on board.
Thanks for d update and we want some more pls.

Lovely twist Cetezin

Kudos to you

"Sorry, sorry", the nurse was telling shade as she tended to her scars. The fire had completely destroyed her features. From head to toe, she had been completely burnt. She could barely see . She had not looked at the mirror since she regained consciousness. What did she expect to see? People looked at a mirror when they know they are pretty or want to correct something about themselves, mirrors are not for monsters, she thought to herself. A team of doctors had worked on her, but there was little they could do. The nurses worked in shift to take care of her. They have been very nice to her. But sorry was not what she wanted to hear.. She did not want pity.
"When is my father coming", she asked the nurse.
"He will come tomorrow" the nurse replied with a smile. Shade smiled. She was happy whenever her Dad came to visit her. That was the only person she knew here. She had not even bothered to ask where she was. All she knew was that she was somewhere far away from anyone who knew her. She did not care where she was.
Her thought went back to Lola. She thought about the last time her father came.

****************************************

"Daddy i am sure he likes her" she had said. "I don't want him to marry her I want to make her to suffer".
Adedayo listened to his daughter. His daughter had became bitter. For the part few days he had come to see shade, she seemed to have had a new zeal for life, a new motivation for living. He would do anything for his daughter. Of course he didn't believe Lola had anything to do with the accident. Lola was not that kind of girl. He still wondered who was responsible for the fire. Who could hated his daughter that much. But he also had something against Lola. She had rejected his advances and made him look like a fool. "What do you want me to do, my love"
"I want kingsley threatened so that he leaves Lola".
Adedayo smiled. He knew exactly the person who could do that kind of job. Enigma would relish the opportunity. Besides he owes him.
"Don't worry I will take care of him".
Shade smiled, her plans had started.

Wow! Thumbs up!
But work on the grammatical errors.

Cetezin, a couple of points if you don't mind my saying so:

~ Lola isn't the patient at the hospital, it's Shade. So you need to go back and make the necessary corrections, else you'll confuse future contributors.

~ Try to incorporate a bit of spacing / paragraphing as it'll make your work much more presentable and easier to read. Having it all down in one big block of text can be slightly off putting to readers. You might also want to use a new line for each statement made by your character. It's also helpful if you could use italics for your characters thoughts, as it'll help the readers distinguish between spoken speech and thoughts.

~ Finally, you'll need to proof read your work and correct the grammatical errors as pointed out by Avicky.

That aside, you've got a good thing going and keep up the good work!

Well Done!

Efemena_xy: Cetezin, a couple of points if you don't mind my saying so:

~ Lola isn't the patient at the hospital, it's Shade. So you need to go back and make the necessary corrections, else you'll confuse future contributors.

~ Try to incorporate a bit of spacing / paragraphing as it'll make your work much more presentable and easier to read. Having it all down in one big block of text can be slightly off putting to readers. You might also want to use a new line for each statement made by your character. It's also helpful if you could use italics for your characters thoughts, as it'll help the readers distinguish between spoken speech and thoughts.

~ Finally, you'll need to proof read your work and correct the grammatical errors as pointed out by Avicky.

That aside, you've got a good thing going and keep up the good work!

Well Done!

Thanks efemena and avicky for the corrections. I almost melted when you told me i was using lara for shade. I have tried to make the correction I can. I an using a c1 phone to type so I can not use paragraphs and italics and other things you mentioned. Anyway thanks.

Cetezin: "Sorry, sorry", the nurse was telling shade as she tended to her scars. The fire had completely destroyed her features. From head to toe, she had been completely burnt. She could barely see . She had not looked at the mirror since she regained consciousness. What did she expect to see? People looked at a mirror when they know they are pretty or want to correct something about themselves, mirrors are not for monsters, she thought to herself. A team of doctors had worked on her, but there was little they could do. The nurses worked in shift to take care of her. They have been very nice to her. But sorry was not what she wanted to hear.. She did not want pity.
"When is my father coming", she asked the nurse.
"He will come tomorrow" the nurse replied with a smile. Shade smiled. She was happy whenever her Dad came to visit her. That was the only person she knew here. She had not even bothered to ask where she was. All she knew was that she was somewhere far away from anyone who knew her. She did not care where she was.
Her thought went back to Lola. She thought about the last time her father came.

****************************************

"Daddy i am sure he likes her" she had said. "I don't want him to marry her I want to make her to suffer".
Adedayo listened to his daughter. His daughter had became bitter. For the part few days he had come to see shade, she seemed to have had a new zeal for life, a new motivation for living. He would do anything for his daughter. Of course he didn't believe Lola had anything to do with the accident. Lola was not that kind of girl. He still wondered who was responsible for the fire. Who could hated his daughter that much. But he also had something against Lola. She had rejected his advances and made him look like a fool. "What do you want me to do, my love"
"I want kingsley threatened so that he leaves Lola".
Adedayo smiled. He knew exactly the person who could do that kind of job. Enigma would relish the opportunity. Besides he owes him.
"Don't worry I will take care of him".
Shade smiled, her plans had started.

*******************************
She had finally worked up courage to confront herself. Her motivation came from the nurse's reaction to the seemingly harmless question she had asked that afternoon, shortly after her dad left her bed side.

"Nurse, tell me the truth," she had begun. The nurse paused in her ministrations. "Tell me the hard, brutal truth," she continued. "Will I ever go back to the way I was?" The nurse's countenance went dubiously blank. "Or at least, if I can't go back to being 100%, may be, let's say, 70%?".

The nurse licked her lips and smiled nervously. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out.

Sade continued, a pleading note creeping into her voice. "Aunty, please, tell me the truth. Tell me, how do I look each time you unravel my bandages to dress my wounds?". The nurse bit her lip and looked down, but kept mute.

"Daddy says you used to be our neighbour many years ago before you travelled to the north to attend nursing school. Is that true??"

The elderly nurse had sighed sadly and nodded her head in agreement.

"Good. I don't know why I can't remember you, but it means you know how I looked like before...this...", Sade spread out her arms helplessly. "Before THIS happened to ME!". Instinctively, she gripped the nurse's arm with a bandaged fist and dragged the nurse closer, forcing the woman to look her in the eye . "I am tired of the doctors giving me stories. I am tired of the pitying looks you nurses have being giving me. The woman looked startled. Sade laughed bitterly. "Don't be surprised", she continued hotly. "my face might be covered, but my eyes aren't! I see everything that goes on around here. Tell me Aunty, will I ever be whole again??!" She was almost screaming by now.

The woman had looked into her bandaged face. Apparently she saw the face of a nighmare creature because she had recoiled and yanked her arm away from Sade's grip. Realising what she had done, she had apologised for her behaviour,fidgeted uncomfortably and mumbled something about skin grafts and the wonders of modern day technology before fleeing the room.

Watching the nurse's retreating form, Sade had all the answers she needed.

Unbeknownst to the distressed invalid, the nurse had not gone far after fleeing from the room. She had not even crossed the threshold of the private female ward. The nurse had simply shut the door and leaned heavily on it. She took a deep breath and shuddered. The female cleaner who had being mopping the terrazo floor had looked up from her work and asked, concern written all over her face, "Aunty Ibikaye, are you okay?"

The nurse slowly straightened up, nodded her head absently and walked away. However, she couldn't shake off the memory of the patient she had just left. The patient who whose once pretty face was now encased in layers of gauze. The patient in whose eyes she had seen sorrow, bitterness, rage and. . . something that had made her recoil in so unprofessional a manner. Something she hadn't been able to give a name to. Something dark and infinitely sinister. . .

****************************************
Later that night, very close to mid-night, Sade made her way into the bathroom that adjoined her room. She had tried to bribe the cleaner to bring her a mirror but it seemed like virtually everyone was under instructions not to allow her within ten feet of one. 'Okay then', she had thought grimly, "if Mohammed won't go to the mountain, the mountain will come to Mohammed." She had waited until the doctor on night duty had finished ministering to her and moved on to other patients during his ward rounds before venturing out of bed.

She shut the door quietly when she entered. The bathroom was dark. As dark as the despair threatening to consume her soul. She felt her way to the light switch, found it and switched on the light. The light was very bright, as if it had been specially chosen for a semi-blind person. It was perfect for what she had in mind.

She made her way to where the white metal basin she had requested for--and thankfully gotten--stood. It made a screeching sound as she kicked it to the tap with her slippered feet. She turned on the tap and watched as the bowl quickly filled up. When it was full, she dragged it to the middle of the bathroom, directly under the blazing 200watts halogen bulb.

'Neccessity is the mother of invention', she thought as she stiffly knelt down before the basin. She bent slightly forward and peered into the container. Her reflection stared back at her from the basin's watery depths. An almost perfect mirror.

For the first time since the accident, she saw herself. Her face, head and neck were entirely covered in bandages. She raised her hand and touched her face. Even her hands were white, a la bandage. The bulb shining above her looked like a tiny little sun. The hospital johnny she wore was a stark green contrast to the snow white bandages. White and green, white and green.
'O goody', she thought cynically, 'I look like the Nigerian flag', and chuckled with self-deprecation despite herself.

She brought down her hand, reached out and touched the water's silvery surface. It rippled, catching the light blazing above her. 'Are you ready for this', she asked herself. 'Readier than I'll ever be. No point hiding from what will eventually be revealed. Might as well get it over and done with'.

Sade straightened, reached up to her face, felt along the rough surface of the bandage,found the bonds, tugged at the bindings and slowly began to unravel them. It seemed to take forever to unravel because her fingers were sore and stiff. There had been some muscular damage to her fingers but the doctor had assured her that with time and therapy, the stiffness would pass.

When at last the bandage was fully unraveled and lay beside the bowl in an untidy heap, she took a deep breath, swallowed hard and leaned forward. And wished she hadn't.

"No!", she gasped as soon as her eyes made contact with water's surface. She shakily got to her feet and kicked the bowl of water. Since it was full to the brim, it didn't tip over. It remained standing, as if daring her to come take a second look.

"NO!!!", she cried out again. She took the edge of her johnny and covered her face with it, weeping uncontrollably. "Hide me, hide me", she jibbered, as she sobbed into the smooth material. 'It is worse than I thought. No wonder Aunty ran away from me. No wonder the nurses look at me with pity. I look like a monster, a nightmare, a demon!'. The tears flowed in torrents, and it seemed like with each tear drop, her soul shrank.

After what seemed like hours, her tears finally subsided. She felt strangely empty.
She thought a million thoughts all at once, yet her mind felt strangely blank. She felt oddly divorced from her sorroundings, like she was watching a slow motion film from behind a jelly bean.

She thought of Anselm, her on and off boyfriend of two years. He always swore with his grandmother's grave that he loved her, but she wondered if he would still do so after he saw how she looked like now. Would he still want to hold,play with and kiss a monster? Her lips stretched in mirthless smile.

And she thought of...

Lola. Yes, Lola was the cause of this. How Lola caused the accident was of no concern. What Lola's motive was of absolutely no consequence now. The damage was already done. What was important was she must be made to pay. Sade was going to get even because her whole life had been turned upside down, and since she was going to be miserable, Lola was going to be miserable with her. She felt a tide of pure, undiluted hatred rise from the depths of her tormented soul and wash over her whole being in torrential waves.

Several miles away,the object of Sade's malevolence stirred uneasily in bed and opened her eyes. She shivered, her hairs on end and wondered what had woken her up. As she turned to go back to sleep, a scripture verse played briefly in her head. "While men slept, the enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went on his way". She pondered where the thought came from, and fell asleep still pondering. . .

In the depressing hospital bathroom, Sade crawled back to the bowl and looked again. 'Lola, you will pay for what you have done', she vowed bitterly in her gall soaked heart. 'I swear with everything I hold dear to me, YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!'

Her eyes gleamed with emotion. If Nurse Ibikaye could see her now, she would have recognised that same look. The look she had a caught a glimpse which had revolted her and caused her to flee.

The gleam of. . .sheer madness. . .

. My Lola.. 9c post though...

Efemena_xy: *********************

Sitting together, locked arm in arm in a warm embrace and cosied up against each other, they felt the raw edge of their passion slightly subdued. As they both watched over their daughter who had wandered back to the TV once again engrossed in her DVD, Lola upon Kingsley's insistence recounted the activities and events that had happened in both her's and Sandra's lives. She felt Kingsley's arms instinctively tighten around her protectively, as she recalled the events that had led up to her "talk" with the head teacher of Sandra's nursery school. He listened attentively as she recalled what happened on the evening of the explosion, what had led her to being within it's vicinity in the first place.

"Lola, I'm not an overtly religious person but I can't help feeling how lucky I am to have you here with me, right here, right now. I believe fate brought us together, even though through an unfortunate event."

She nodded in agreement as she continued, recounting the events that had happened earlier in the day, her discussion with her parents and the outcome of her job interview with the Omojobi-Clarks.

Kingsley shook his head in wonderment as he gazed down at Lola, with a new-found respect for her. "What a strong woman you are, my darling! To have gone through what you did and yet come out standing taller, stronger than before and I daresay victorious too", he added. "You say you had that interview over two weeks ago. That means your next meeting with them is when? In two days time?"

"Yes. I feel so nervous just thinking about it and I feel something might prevent me from getting it..."

"Nothing's going to prevent you from getting that job Lola", Kingsley firmly interjected. "Unbeknown to you, you certainly made a good first impression with your potential employers and that more than explains why they didn't waste any time in pushing you through to the next stage", he stated, encouragingly. "You've got to be positive my darling and think positive too. The hardest bit is done already. This final stage is just mere protocol. That job is as good as yours. Congratulations baby", he added as he hugged her tightly.

"Thank you", she responded as she felt the tears well up in her eyes.

"What are the tears for baby?" Kingsley asked as he kissed her gently on the face. "My emotional Lola", he teased as he playfully tweaked her nose.

"I don't even know. My tear glands must be working in overdrive mode today", she laughed. "It's just that it's been such a long, long, time since anything this good happened to me. Lord knows I've tried really hard in the past and many a time, nearly gave up. The only thing that kept me going through it all, was Sandra. Knowing that come what may, I had to be strong for her..."

"And you are a strong lady my darling", he said as he pulled her back into his embrace. "What are your plans for tomorrow?" he asked.

"Tomorrow? Nothing really. I haven't got anything in the pipeline apart from spending time with Sandra whilst preparing for my interview".

"Good. Because I've got the day off tomorrow and I'd like to take both my girls shopping".

"Shopping?" She asked as she pulled slightly away from his arms to look up into his face.

"Uh-huh", he nodded affirmatively.

"Whatever for, Kingsley?" She asked, suddenly suspicious of the twinkle in his eyes and the slight twitching of his mouth as he failed to hide his amusement.

"For the prettiest ring in town, my darling"

"What??!!" She asked incredulously.

"Yep, you heard me" he said, smiling affectionately at her. Suddenly, he took her hands in his and with seriousness etched over his handsome features, he went down on one knee, as he looked her deeply in the eyes. "My sweet darling, my Lola, would you do me the honour of being my wife?" he asked. "Baby, would you marry me?"

Lola suddenly felt faint as the room seemed to spin around her. No, this certainly can't be happening to me! This is way too much...in one day! She thought in amazement.

"Lola?" He asked beseechingly, with a worried frown. "Are you okay?"

"Yes! Yes!! Yes!!!" She cried happily as she went down on her knees with him. "Oh Kingsley, yes I would love to be your wife. Yes, I would marry you!" she added through tear-filled eyes.

********************************************

The journey back home and everything else that happened after Kingsley's proposal to her seemed like a blur. Lola was filled with so much happiness, she felt her heart would leap free from her chest and dance for joy. This was yet the very best week of her life of late. So much had happened in such a short time span, she couldn't quite take it all in, nor did she really want to believe what was happening to her. If I'm dreaming, I pray I never wake up from it, she thought smiling to herself.

"Care to share your thoughts?" Kingsley asked, placing a warm hand on her knee as he noticed her smile.

"It's nothing and everything", Lola replied, sighing in contentment as she sat back in her seat, placing her palm over his as they drove back to her parents home. "I'm just so happy I don't want this feeling of happiness to ever leave me", she added. "It all feels so right at the moment".

"This is how it was meant to be my darling, and I promise you that from now onwards, things will only get better", he smiled reassuringly at her. "As long as we're together we'll be fine baby. You deserve to be happy. We both do, and so does our daughter" he added, as he looked back with fondness at the sleeping child safely secured at the back seat of his car. "My very own daughter", he laughed. "I'm still trying to get my head round that."

They had both decided that they would break the news of their engagement together to Lola's parents. Although Lola had suggested that it may be better if she first broke the news to her parents alone, Kingsley had instantly rejected the idea and insisted that he be part of the picture. He was ready to face whatever reproach her parent might have and was more than prepared to take any blame and full responsibility.

"My darling Lola, I've been out of the picture for three long years. I know I've got a lot to make up for and I think my atonement starts now. My not being aware of your pregnancy nor Sandra's existence is not enough excuse and I intend to take it all on my shoulder like a man, come what may", he had told her. "You mean so much to me, Lola. You both do and I intend to play my part as the loving, caring, dutiful father and husband, if you'll let me baby", he'd persuaded her. "I love you too much to let you go through any more pain alone my darling Lola. I want to be with you both every step of the way, baby".

His gentle words of persuasion had succeeded in weakening her already faltering resolve and she conceded to his request without any protest. Now, sitting this close to him, she could feel herself enveloped in his love, his warmth and tenderness. She really felt loved and that she had finally found peace at last to her troubled life. Peace with the one and only man she had ever truly loved.

A few minutes later, they pulled up in front of her parents home. As Kingsley turned off the ignition switch, Lola unfastened her seat belt and turned over to unfasten Sandra's.

"Let me do that baby", he stopped her, with a gentle touch to her shoulder. Lola's hands stopped in mid-air as she turned around towards him. Just looking into her eyes, he felt his heart quicken slightly as he cupped her face in his hands and couldn't resist planting a gentle kiss on her lips. Lola felt the flames of passion within her gradually envelop her senses, with his kiss. This was her man, the father of her child, the love of her life...she had waited patiently for and would forever remain true to...

"I never, ever want to loose you again my sweet darling, my Lola", he breathed into her hair as he held her in a warm embrace, gently stroking her back. Lola purred like a kitten with pure contentment in response to Kingsley's warm hand on her soft flesh.

"And I never ever want to be apart from you too my darling, Kingsley", she responded, hugging him tightly to herself. "I love you so much baby", she added.

With a low groan, he gently held her back, and looking into her eyes added "ditto to that, my darling. Let's go meet your parents".

A few seconds later, arm in arms together, with Sandra still sleeping on Kingsley's shoulder, they both stood in front of the door awaiting her parents to open up. He gave her a quick smile and asked "Ready?"

"Yes, as ready as I'll ever be", she smiled back at him as they heard the keys jangle from within, unlocking the front door.

********************************************************************************************************

Reserved for further updates...

Tanx Efe.

nikinash:

Amaka stared at Kemi as if she had just spoken Greek.
"Yes Amaka, you could be pregnant. Tell me, how are your energy levels, have you been feeling tired lately?" Kemi looked at her, thoughtfully.
"Ermm, I have been feeling a bit tired lately, but I just thought it was work related, you know." Amaka said, still contemplating the very idea of her being pregnant. She was simply finding it hard to believe that after all this time, she could be pregnant.
"Anyway before we run ahead of ourselves, maybe you should come by the hospital tomorrow so we can run the test?" Dr Komolafe reiterated
"Oh Kemi, could this be it?" Amaka asked, looking at her friend, apprehension and fear eminent in her eyes.
"Don't worry, let’s just run test tomorrow to confirm." Kemi said, holding her friend's hand.


Amaka was in the hospital reception waiting for the test result. Kemi had been busy when she came in but she had asked her to go to the laboratory to have her blood taken whilst she concluded with the patient with her. The laboratory technician had taken some blood from her wrist. She was so nervous as she waited. Amaka's mind drifted back to the events of yesterday night..... She had woken up with a start. She had been momentarily disoriented, where was she? She slowly realised she was in their bed and her husband's left arm was slung over her and he was snoring softly. She had had a nightmare. It had been horrific. She had been holding a baby but someone had put a gun to her head and threatened to kill the baby if she didn't hand him over. She had cried and begged but the person had snatched the baby from her and had started running away, she was running after the person whose identity she could not determine when she had woken up.

She had been quite withdrawn after the guests left and Uche had asked her what the problem was, but she had been unable to tell him. She didn't know whether to tell him or not. She wanted to tell him but again she was so scared that she might be raising his hope for nothing. What if she wasn't pregnant? What if she was just tired after the long day she had had? Maybe it was the combination of Ngozi's insults and her flea of a husband's disgusting roaming under the table that set off her headache. It was a long time before she had finally drifted off to sleep. And then the nightmare.

"Amaka, please come in." Kemi interrupted her reminiscing.
Kemi was standing by the bed.
"Please lie down, and let me take a look at you. You will need to pull down your skirt and pant. I need to do an ultrasound." Kemi told her as she came in to the office.
"Ok." Amaka said apprehensively. She removed her underwear as the doctor asked and laid on the examination table.

She watched as Kemi brought out a long, whitish probe-like thing with a rounded tip. Kemi proceeded to put a condom over the tip and applied some kind of transparent gel. The long probe-thing was attached to a computer and Kemi turned the screen so that they were both looking at it.
"Amaka lift your knees up and part your legs," she said. Amaka does as she is asked, thankful that it was her friend conducting this very intrusive examination.
"Now relax, I'm going to insert this into you, ok? It will be over soon" Kemi says, looking at Amaka.
Kemi inserts the probe slowly and gently and she turns it around as she does, looking at the screen as she does. All Amaka can see is a grainy black and white screen. After a few seconds, Kemi points to the screen and with a smile on her face she turns to Amaka, pointing to something on the screen,
"There, that is your baby Amaka."
Amaka stares at the screen and is unable to differentiate any part of the screen. She definitely sees nothing that looks like a baby.
"Where"? She asks in bewilderment.
Kemi laughs, and then she explains the screen to Amaka. Finally, Amaka is able to identify a slightly darker roughly pea shaped area on the screen.
"That's my baby"? She asks in a whisper.
"Yes Amaka, you are pregnant. Congratulations, my friend". Kemi says quietly.
Amaka begins to sob. After all this time, she was finally pregnant.

**************************************************************************

Kemi watched her friend sob quietly and couldn't help but feel for her. A mixture of sympathy, happiness, relief and hope washed over her as she watched Amaka that morning. Three years was a long time by any standard for a young couple to wait for the fruit of the womb, especially in the Nigerian society. She was all too aware of the strain it had caused her friend, the unbearable pressure from family members on Uche to consider looking outside for a child, be it a mistress or even taking on a second wife. Many a time Amaka had confided her fears of loosing Uche to her friend. Prior to their last visit to Amaka and Uche's home as dinner guests, Kemi had been concerned about the welfare of her friend. That had been a few months ago, shortly after her sister-in-law (Ngozi) had visited them and tormented Amaka about her perceived inability to conceive an heir for her brother, Uche.

Amaka had called her up at work, right in the middle of her routine ward rounds and had been incoherent on the phone. Kemi had had to suspend her tasks to take up Amaka's call in the privacy of her office. It had taken her nearly half an hour to calm Amaka down and get to the root of the problem. Apparently, her friend had been pushed beyond limit and this time, Kemi had real concerns that Amaka being so close to the edge, was in danger of self-harming, moreso when she mentioned topping herself just to put an end to it all. Kemi had begged her to be patient and give her some time to reach out to Uche on her behalf. That evening after work, she had recounted her conversation with Amaka to her husband Donatus (who also happened to be Uche's best friend) and asked him to try speaking to Uche on Amaka's behalf. Donatus had been more than willing to help and had done exactly that, the following day. From that point onwards, things although a bit shaky at first, seemed to gradually settle between Amaka and Uche and eventually got better...

"Amaka, this is real. It's no fairy tale and it's your turn to be happy. Your's and Uche's. It's been a long time coming, but your baby is here now. Wipe off your tears and smile girl. It's time to rejoice!" She added as she gave her friend a warm hug.

Amaka laughed and sobbed and laughed again, through tear-filled eyes, hugging her friend tightly. "Oh Kemi! You are right. I'm so happy, so very happy I don't know what to say! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!", She laughed again.

"Haha, Amaka! It's not me you should be thanking but your husband and most especially your God. Your blessing is here now. Go forth and enjoy the bumpy road of motherhood!", she responded, smiling at her.

"Oh, yes I will. I soooooo would do that!"

"Ah! But don't forget to come back in a couple of weeks. We'll have to book you in for a couple of ante-natel sessions and check-ups. Nothing to be worried about but is standard routine for all new and expectant mums".

Amaka grinned cheekily at her. "You bet I would most definitely do that", she said, as she got off the bed and readied herself to leave. "Thank you so much once again Kemi. I'll be in touch with you very soon".

"It is well Amaka, take care and be happy", Kemi responded, hugging her once more as she escorted her friend out of the office.

Back in her office once more again, Kemi shook her head ruefully, thanking her lucky stars that her marriage to Donatus was a lot firmer and less chaotic compared to her friend's. She herself had been worried about the strain, the nature of her job would have on her marriage as she was always on call even on weekends, and worked very unsociable hours - sometimes throughout the night - as a doctor. Surprisingly though, her husband had always understood her and encouraged her not to worry but to be the very best should could be in her field. His support for her was unwavering and he was not only her friend, and mentor but a true husband in every sense of the word...

****************************************************************************************************************

Donatus stared at the huge shipping containers that had just arrived at the wharf. Twelve massive containers from Europe and China containing an assortment of the latest Electronic devices from China, a fleet of the latest cars currently in demand and their spare parts, produced in Germany. The latest brands of textile materials from Holland and India, female designer clothes, bags, perfumes, real and costume jewellery from the middle east and lots more. He literally had his finger in every pie so to speak and was the very definition of a successful import business man. He had built up his network of contacts over the years and knew exactly who to "settle" and how to get his consignment of goods from the shipping yards with the least amount of hassle and stress possible. He was a well known and powerful business man with the right political contacts. He practically had the head of customs and a fleet of agents in his "pocket" so to speak.

Understandably, he was a magnet for many ladies. Women and young girls practically threw themselves at him and in his younger, carefree, hay days, anything in skirts was fair game as far as he was concerned. That was, until he met his wife, Kemi. From the moment he met her all those years ago, he knew she was different and was destined to be "the one". She had unknowingly struck a chord deep with him. He admired her outlook in life - a fiercely independent no-nonsense lady who knew exactly what she wanted and how to go about getting it. She was dignity personified and added to that, were her beauty and brains which he found irresistible. She hadn't made it easy for him though. She had sorely tested his resolve to the limit, and wooing her had definitely not been a walk in the park. Apart from his mother and sisters, she, was the very first woman he had come across that had the guts to tell him what she thought of him, and her "No" meant "No". She came from a respectable and admirable background of doctors. Both her parents were successful doctors, her older and younger siblings were either medical doctors or still in medical school. He certainly had his work cut out and her family, not fazed by material wealth had really put him to the test. His persistence, however paid off and a year later, he proudly walked down the aisle with her as his wife.

But temptation they say comes in many shapes and forms. He had vowed to stay true to his chosen one, his Kemi, but had fallen in his moment of weakness. He had been away on a two week business trip and had arrived home that weekend only to discover that Kemi was working the night shift at the hospital. He had felt bored and listless so decided to call up his friend Uche. They both arranged to hit one of the well known, exclusive gentlemen's clubs in the poshest part of town. Although usually a level headed man, he had on that occasion had one to many a drink that night, and had been unable to resist the beautiful vixen that offered to dance with him. It happened all so quickly. One minute they were laughing, dancing, sharing a drink at the bar, and then then next moment or so it seemed, he was being driven back home by his driver, with the pretty lady cuddled up to him in the back seat of his luxurious car.

Two weeks was a long time to be without his wife and he wanted to release the tension that had built up in him...the animal need to satisfy his urges. He needed relief. She was available and willing. No questions asked. No commitments needed. A one-night stand. That's all there was to it. All it was ever going to amount to, he thought through his booze-fuelled senses as he groped and tugged at her clothes. She had proven to be a real vixen in bed without any inhibitions he discovered later. She had refused to accept any "payment" from him but had preferred to term it "a monetary gift", as he asked his driver to drop her off at home.

A one night indiscretion it was. Nothing more to it and was best forgotten. Or so he thought.

What was her name again?

Shade.

Ishilove:
*******************************
She had finally worked up courage to confront herself. Her motivation came from the nurse's reaction to the seemingly harmless question she had asked that afternoon, shortly after her dad left her bed side.

"Nurse, tell me the truth," she had begun. The nurse paused in her ministrations. "Tell me the hard, brutal truth," she continued. "Will I ever go back to the way I was?" The nurse's countenance went dubiously blank. "Or at least, if I can't go back to being 100%, may be, let's say, 70%?".

The nurse licked her lips and smiled nervously. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out.

Sade continued, a pleading note creeping into her voice. "Aunty, please, tell me the truth. Tell me, how do I look each time you unravel my bandages to dress my wounds?". The nurse bit her lip and looked down, but kept mute.

"Daddy says you used to be our neighbour many years ago before you travelled to the north to attend nursing school. Is that true??"

The elderly nurse had sighed sadly and nodded her head in agreement.

"Good. I don't know why I can't remember you, but it means you know how I looked like before...this...", Sade spread out her arms helplessly. "Before THIS happened to ME!". Instinctively, she gripped the nurse's arm with a bandaged fist and dragged the nurse closer, forcing the woman to look her in the eye . "I am tired of the doctors giving me stories. I am tired of the pitying looks you nurses have being giving me. The woman looked startled. Sade laughed bitterly. "Don't be surprised", she continued hotly. "my face might be covered, but my eyes aren't! I see everything that goes on around here. Tell me Aunty, will I ever be whole again??!" She was almost screaming by now.

The woman had looked into her bandaged face. Apparently she saw the face of a nighmare creature because she had recoiled and yanked her arm away from Sade's grip. Realising what she had done, she had apologised for her behaviour,fidgeted uncomfortably and mumbled something about skin grafts and the wonders of modern day technology before fleeing the room.

Watching the nurse's retreating form, Sade had all the answers she needed.

Unbeknownst to the distressed invalid, the nurse had not gone far after fleeing from the room. She had not even crossed the threshold of the private female ward. The nurse had simply shut the door and leaned heavily on it. She took a deep breath and shuddered. The female cleaner who had being mopping the terrazo floor had looked up from her work and asked, concern written all over her face, "Aunty Ibikaye, are you okay?"

The nurse slowly straightened up, nodded her head absently and walked away. However, she couldn't shake off the memory of the patient she had just left. The patient who whose once pretty face was now encased in layers of gauze. The patient in whose eyes she had seen sorrow, bitterness, rage and. . . something that had made her recoil in so unprofessional a manner. Something she hadn't been able to give a name to. Something dark and infinitely sinister. . .

****************************************
Later that night, very close to mid-night, Sade made her way into the bathroom that adjoined her room. She had tried to bribe the cleaner to bring her a mirror but it seemed like virtually everyone was under instructions not to allow her within ten feet of one. 'Okay then', she had thought grimly, "if Mohammed won't go to the mountain, the mountain will come to Mohammed." She had waited until the doctor on night duty had finished ministering to her and moved on to other patients during his ward rounds before venturing out of bed.

She shut the door quietly when she entered. The bathroom was dark. As dark as the despair threatening to consume her soul. She felt her way to the light switch, found it and switched on the light. The light was very bright, as if it had been specially chosen for a semi-blind person. It was perfect for what she had in mind.

She made her way to where the white metal basin she had requested for--and thankfully gotten--stood. It made a screeching sound as she kicked it to the tap with her slippered feet. She turned on the tap and watched as the bowl quickly filled up. When it was full, she dragged it to the middle of the bathroom, directly under the blazing 200watts halogen bulb.

'Neccessity is the mother of invention', she thought as she stiffly knelt down before the basin. She bent slightly forward and peered into the container. Her reflection stared back at her from the basin's watery depths. An almost perfect mirror.

For the first time since the accident, she saw herself. Her face, head and neck were entirely covered in bandages. She raised her hand and touched her face. Even her hands were white, a la bandage. The bulb shining above her looked like a tiny little sun. The hospital johnny she wore was a stark green contrast to the snow white bandages. White and green, white and green.
'O goody', she thought cynically, 'I look like the Nigerian flag', and chuckled with self-deprecation despite herself.

She brought down her hand, reached out and touched the water's silvery surface. It rippled, catching the light blazing above her. 'Are you ready for this', she asked herself. 'Readier than I'll ever be. No point hiding from what will eventually be revealed. Might as well get it over and done with'.

Sade straightened, reached up to her face, felt along the rough surface of the bandage,found the bonds, tugged at the bindings and slowly began to unravel them. It seemed to take forever to unravel because her fingers were sore and stiff. There had been some muscular damage to her fingers but the doctor had assured her that with time and therapy, the stiffness would pass.

When at last the bandage was fully unraveled and lay beside the bowl in an untidy heap, she took a deep breath, swallowed hard and leaned forward. And wished she hadn't.

"No!", she gasped as soon as her eyes made contact with water's surface. She shakily got to her feet and kicked the bowl of water. Since it was full to the brim, it didn't tip over. It remained standing, as if daring her to come take a second look.

"NO!!!", she cried out again. She took the edge of her johnny and covered her face with it, weeping uncontrollably. "Hide me, hide me", she jibbered, as she sobbed into the smooth material. 'It is worse than I thought. No wonder Aunty ran away from me. No wonder the nurses look at me with pity. I look like a monster, a nightmare, a demon!'. The tears flowed in torrents, and it seemed like with each tear drop, her soul shrank.

After what seemed like hours, her tears finally subsided. She felt strangely empty.
She thought a million thoughts all at once, yet her mind felt strangely blank. She felt oddly divorced from her sorroundings, like she was watching a slow motion film from behind a jelly bean.

She thought of Anselm, her on and off boyfriend of two years. He always swore with his grandmother's grave that he loved her, but she wondered if he would still do so after he saw how she looked like now. Would he still want to hold,play with and kiss a monster? Her lips stretched in mirthless smile.

And she thought of...

Lola. Yes, Lola was the cause of this. How Lola caused the accident was of no concern. What Lola's motive was of absolutely no consequence now. The damage was already done. What was important was she must be made to pay. Sade was going to get even because her whole life had been turned upside down, and since she was going to be miserable, Lola was going to be miserable with her. She felt a tide of pure, undiluted hatred rise from the depths of her tormented soul and wash over her whole being in torrential waves.

Several miles away,the object of Sade's malevolence stirred uneasily in bed and opened her eyes. She shivered, her hairs on end and wondered what had woken her up. As she turned to go back to sleep, a scripture verse played briefly in her head. "While men slept, the enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went on his way". She pondered where the thought came from, and fell asleep still pondering. . .

In the depressing hospital bathroom, Sade crawled back to the bowl and looked again. 'Lola, you will pay for what you have done', she vowed bitterly in her gall soaked heart. 'I swear with everything I hold dear to me, YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!'

Her eyes gleamed with emotion. If Nurse Ibikaye could see her now, she would have recognised that same look. The look she had a caught a glimpse which had revolted her and caused her to flee.

The gleam of. . .sheer madness. . .

*********************************************************************

Effiong Bassy (a.k.a Numero Uno) didn't just acquire his name from nothing or nowhere. Known all over the underworld as the undisputed kingpin of organized crime and a crafty drug lord, he had built himself a tough, mean and fearsome reputation. Mercy, was a non-existent word in his dictionary and anyone who had ever dared cross paths with him, let alone offended him was as good as dead meat. His pursuit for revenge on his enemies bordered on sheer madness and his favourite motto was: Revenge is a dish best served cold.

His upbringing as a child had been a violent one. His father with Stalinist views, was a firm supporter of the adage Spare the Rod and Spoil The Child, and many a time, he had been at the receiving end of his father's brutal punishments. His mother who had been raised by an emotionally cold step mother, was no better either. Over time, she too became influenced by her husband's views and soon adopted a Neo-Nazism outlook on discipline towards him. On one occasion, at the tender age of eight, his mother had beaten him so badly that he had blood in his urine for a week. Later on, as an adult, he asked her why she had beaten him the way she did, and her response had been: "Those beatings helped shaped you into the man you are today".

Life was never easy for him. As a teenager, he had been forced to learn how to make it out on the streets, to become streetwise in order to survive. His stay in school had been raft with disciplinary actions levelled against him, a series of suspensions and eventual expulsions. He had changed secondary schools almost every year for getting involved in fights with both pupils and teachers.

As a young adult, things were no better either. He had become a regular inmate in the country's most feared prisons and had been convicted for theft, victimization, fraud and murder. Each spell in prison only served to harden him even more, and increase his network of underworld contacts. It only made him resolve to be "smarter" next time at avoiding getting caught by his victims and the authorities, as he believed those were life lessons never to be forgotten. As far as he was concerned, those were golden opportunities for him to fine-tune and polish off his game acts, his nefarious activities. He was the epitome of a hardened criminal and commanded brutal respect from everyone and anyone who had the misfortune to come in contact with him.

He finally decided to "settle down" at middle age, solely for the purpose of having an heir to his kingdom of vast wealth. His marriage to Ngozi as far as he was concerned, was a business transaction. Love, was another non-existent word in his dictionary. "Give me heirs to my business and you'll live a life of comfort. You'll want for nothing and have everything that money can buy", he had told her on numerous occasions while dating, if it could be called dating. He had also insisted on "trying out the merchandise, before buying", meaning Ngozi had to prove to him she was capable of getting pregnant before any wedding discussions were held. He had waited till the pregnancy had gone quite far and confirmed from the scan results that she was expecting a son. Then and then only were the wedding arrangements set in motion. Both the traditional and white wedding had been lavish affairs, graced by top politicians, dignitaries and well known, successful businessmen.

Shortly after the birth of his son, he had insisted that Ngozi take in again, and hopefully to produce a "spare heir" to his throne. He told her in unmistakable terms that if the child turned out to be a girl, she would have to take in again, and again and again until he had his second son. Luckily for her, as fate would have it, the second pregnancy was confirmed to be a boy. That was icing on the cake for him and he spent lavishly on both mother and sons. Yes life was good. He had no care for daughters and only wanted sons.

So, finding out that the third pregnancy was a girl had been a disappointment to him. He wanted sons. Strong young men. Not girls. Of what use were girls to him anyway? To anyone, apart from child bearing? Although he had never been close to his wife emotionally, this time, he actively distanced himself from her, keeping late nights, travelling at the drop of a hat without much warning and was generally dissatisfied whenever he was around her.

Many a time, Ngozi had cried her eyes out at her husband's indifference towards her. Outwardly, she was the much admired "madame" of vast wealth only dreamed of by others, a picture of envy as she painted a happy home with her husband and kids. Inwardly though, she was an emotional wreck. Effiong had numerous girlfriends and mistresses which he flaunted in her face, and dared her to oppose him. As far as he was concerned, he had and still was playing the part of the dutiful husband and father, by providing for all their financial needs. So, she had better not complain of being treated otherwise. Unable to change Effiong, she had, out of desperation joined series of prayer groups, to try and break the "demonic and external forces" trying to snatch her husband away from her. She would not yield to her enemies. Come what may, she would stick it out with her marriage, come fire, rain or hailstorm...and this was exactly why she hated Amaka.

How could her brother marry that barren excuse of a woman? Three long years with no issue, and yet he worshipped the ground she walked on? No, Amaka must have possessed her brother. Whatever juju she had used on him must be broken at all costs. It was therefore with much hatred towards her that she delighted in tormenting Amaka at every given opportunity. She had been the driving force of her family, pushing Uche to seek having an heir, a son from outside his marriage to Amaka. She had suggested he take a mistress or better still a second wife, who would give him what Amaka obviously couldn't. She just did not understand why her younger brother felt otherwise. Well, he had always been a soft touch, even as a child, she thought venomously.

****************************************************************

The drive home later that evening, after dinner at Amaka and Uche's had been in stony silence. Ngozi understood her husband well enough to realise that he was in a foul mood. At times like this, it was best to just leave him be, until his anger (whatever the cause may have been), simmered down. As soon as they pulled up the driveway of their plush mansion, Ngozi quietly got out of the car, headed towards the front door, unlocked it and went in.

10pm. The kids would most probably be in bed by now, as bedtime was strictly observed at 9pm for them. As she stood in the hallway, awaiting her husband to come in, her housemaid Ekeatte came down the stairs towards her.

"Good evening madam", she greeted.

"Good evening Ekeatte. How are the boys?" she asked.

"They're asleep madam. Since nine o'clock. I gave them dinner at seven and they had their bath by eight"

"Good. And their homework?"

"Yes, they did that at six o'clock this evening, after the lesson teach left ma", Ekeatte responded. "Is there anything else madam would like me to do?" she asked.

"No, nothing really. Just run a hot bath for me upstairs, and see to it that you lock the front gates after Oga comes inside", she instructed the girl.

"Okay ma", the girl replied as she retreated into the kitchen.

Ngozi watched her carefully as she left. Ekeatte was in her early twenties and a great help around the house and with the kids. She couldn't fault her work as she always went about her tasks meticulously. What she did worry about though was that her husband seemed to have an unhealthy attachment to her. Always preferring that Ekeatte sorted out his laundry, his meals and any other errands he wanted done around the house. Initially, she had thought that his attachment to her was based on the fact that they both came from the same town, so maybe some sort of townsmanship connection was between those two. But of late, she noticed how the girl's eyes followed her husband about the house. It enraged Ngozi to think that there might be something more than the usual employer / employee relationship going on between those two, but she had no proof. No proof at all, so she just had to keep her suspicions to herself, she thought as she wearily climbed up the stairs to their bedroom.

One hour later, and no sign of Effiong, she went back downstairs to look for him. She found him relaxing in the smoke filled living room, watching a football match whilst idly puffing away at a Havana cigar.

"Darling, are you coming to bed soon?" She asked.

He cringed inwardly on hearing her voice. He absolutely hated it whenever she referred to him as "darling". Theirs had never been an emotional relationship, certainly wasn't now, and definitely would not materialise into one in the future either. Not if he had anything to do with it.

"Woman. Can't you see that I'm busy?" he asked in a nasty tone. "Have you not had enough of my time today? Why can't you just leave me be to have some peace and quiet to myself, eh?"

The harshness of his tone cut her deep but she tried not to show it. Instead, she replied in an even tone, "You're hardly around these days. I haven't seen you all day either. You only just made it home on time for us to go visit Amaka and Uche. How does that equate to me taking up your time?"

Effiong flinched at the mention of Amaka's name. He felt his temper quickly rise and he turned to face Ngozi, with anger blazing in his eyes. "You'd best go to bed woman and leave me alone" he replied in a deadly, quiet voice.

Just then, his phone rang and waving his wife off, turned away from her to answer the call in undertones. He looked up a few seconds later to find her still standing in the doorway, arms akimbo, refusing to budge. He waved her off again, angrily this time, but she ignored him. He quickly cut the call and approached her menacingly.

"Are you testing my patience this evening Ngozi?" he asked in a threatening tone.

"Testing you? Or you testing my patience Effiong?" she fired back as she felt her hackles rising by the minute. "You're hardly at home these days. You get strange phone calls at all hours of the day and night. You whisper when I'm around. What are you hiding from me?" She shouted. "You picking up girls, even in my presence? What..."

She never quite finished the next statement as she felt a hot resounding slap on her right cheek followed by another one on her left. She screamed out in pain holding her face, then lunged at him, scratching his face with her nails as she let out her pent-up frustrations on him. Effiong quickly grabbed both her wrists, pinning them behind her back as he snarled into her face.

"I warned you not to tempt me woman! Pregnancy or no pregnancy, I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget in a hurry!"

Ngozi could not fail to notice the frightening madness that seemed to overcome him, as his eyes darkened with rage. Alarmed by what she saw, she struggled to break free from his ironic grip on her, as she kicked about, screaming.

"Oh, you're kicking me too aren't you?" He asked, yanking her arms forward as he pulled her up the stairs. "By the time I'm done with you, you're not going to know what's hit you!", he roared.

Ngozi screamed out in pain and fear as he dragged her up the stairs by her hair, to their room. On reaching the top of the stairs, he kicked the bedroom door open, then flung her across the room in fury. She landed on the bed in the middle of the room on her backside, her breath knocked out of her from the sheer force of his throw. With unbridled rage, he kicked the door shut behind him with his foot as he approached her in anger.

Ngozi sat up quickly attempting to jump off the bed before he got to her, but he was too quick. With two quick strides, he was upon her, pushing her roughly back against the bed, as he ripped off her cotton nightgown with one single movement. Straddling her with both knees on the bed, he quickly pulled his shirt over his head. Ngozi fought desperately to free herself from him but he was too strong, too far gone in his crazed mind to let her go. With one hand, he pinned both her hands over her head on the bed, while with the other, he unbuckled his trouser, taking it off along with his boxers, swiftly.

With one single deft movement, he flipped her over on her knees, tearing off her undies at the same time. Ngozi panicked. Never in her five years of marriage to Effiong had he taken her, in any position other than the missionary style. Fear gripped her.

"Effiong please don't do this", she begged him.

"Shut up Ngozi", he snapped at her. "I warned you never to test me, but you never learn, do you?" He snarled at her. "Maybe this would teach you never to question my authority" he responded brutally.

"In the name of everything good, please don't do this Effiong. I'm sorry please don't..."

"Stay still Ngozi. This is going to hurt you either way, but if you struggle it'll hurt you even more", he interrupted her pleading as he gripped her backside with both hands, pulling her bum upwards towards him. Placing his turgid manhood inbetween her butt cheeks and parting them slightly with his right hand, he inserted the tip of his manhood at the mouth of her rear end.

Ngozi gasped in shock. This wasn't the normal entry route! This was Sodom and Gomorrah! What Effiong was about to subject her to was taboo! She wriggled in fright, trying vainly to escape being defiled by him with this singular act, but her struggles were fruitless. The sight of her well rounded backside wriggling uncontrollably, the fright in her voice and her pleading only served to stimulate his senses even more. Gripping her waist with one hand, he positioned his hips behind her, ready to go in for the kill.

With one swift movement, he penetrated her. Ngozi cried out in pain. The sound of her cry of pain, coupled with the extreme tightness of her backside heightened his sickened senses. Pulling out slightly, he rammed into her forcefully, with all the strength he could muster. Ngozi jerked forward, screaming out in pain. Expecting that involuntary movement from her, Effiong gripped her waist with his other hand, fingers digging deep into the walls of her v@gin@l muscles, pulling her back towards him. The pleasure coursing through his body was unbelievable and he moaned out, the feel of her perineum muscles gripping his hardened manhood was toxic. Unable to help himself, he thrust in and out of her uncontrollably, each thrust deeper and harder than before, slamming his pelvic bones against her soft backside. Ngozi's backside felt as though it was being ripped apart as the pain shot right through her brain. Her voice, now hoarse from screaming was little more than dull cries of pain.

But Effiong didn't stop. He kept on ramming into her, harder and harder as images of Amaka, Kemi and Lola filed past his mind's eye, he felt the excruciating sensation flow through from the back of his loins. With one final, brutal thrust, he exploded into her moaning out loudly in pure, unadulterated pleasure, before slumping on his wife in exhaustion, panting heavily.

Rolling off her, he got off the bed and casually strolled into the bathroom without a backward glance at her.

Ngozi lay cowered in the bed, as she buried her tear stained cheeks deep into her pillows, unable to cry any further. She pulled the sheets over her, as though to hide her shame as she heard Effiong walk off to the bathroom. She felt drained and her mind was blank, unwilling to comprehend what had just happened to her. Shutting her eyes tightly, she willed sleep to come take over her.

**************************************

Back downstairs in the living room, Effiong lit another cigar and puffed contentedly away on it, feeling completely relaxed. Sex with Ngozi had never felt this good and tonight, had provided him with the perfect opportunity to play out his fantasies. Tonight, he had made it known to her in no uncertain terms that he was the boss, the head of his household, completely in charge, commanding respect.

Respect. That single word encompassed all he stood for. Woe betide anyone who disrespected him. He had his very own ways of dealing with them, especially female traitors.

He remembered how furious he had felt when his private detective, his spy, paid to keep the tabs on his girlfriend had reported back to him with claims of her betrayal, supported with video proof. Unbeknown to her, Effiong had ensured her every step was followed and documented back to him. When confronted with the evidence by his private eye, he had crossed her off. She was no better than dead meat. He meticulously, and painstakingly plotted his revenge and awaited the confirmatory telephone call that the deed was done. He smiled with pleasure as he recalled the telephone conversation that night.

"Boss, the deed is done. Target exterminated as requested"

"Roger that".

That was on the night of the explosion. Engima had quietly waited in the shadows as Shade burnt to a crisp, only slinking off into the dark when people rushed to the scene.

One down, more to follow, Numero Uno thought to himself. Shade's lover was next on his target list...but not before he had had his way with his target's wife, Dr Kemi.

Candis009: Tanx Efe.

You're welcome Candy

Finally..way to go folks. Me likey

Wow efe,thanks 4 ds.

An0nimus: Finally..way to go folks. Me likey

Glad you like it - we aim to please

Damex333: Wow efe,thanks 4 ds.

You're welcome Damexx