#


Her ladyship assumed bench. Richard fixed at her and imagined the next words her lips would form, words that would either destroy everything, or maybe, arrange everything as it ought to be. She remained silent as though she knew he watched her and waited for her to speak.
She transferred eyes to him and rested them there. Richard wished he could interpret that.

She removed eyes from him and gave them to the court. “A verdict has been reached.” She focused on Richard. “Will the defendant now rise.”

Richard rose and tried to look straight at her. He prayed. He prayed like never before.

Her ladyship began. “To the charge of attempted murder placed against the defendant, the defendant is found not guilty by reason of clear and convincing evidences of innocence.”

For the first time since it all began, Richard earnestly smiled. He looked up and spoke. He spoke a thank you. God heard. Yes, God heard. He gave his lawyer a long hug and muttered a thank you. No one could have done it better.

No one.

He felt a touch at his shoulder and twisted head. It was the white girl, now white as before, carrying a white smile.

“Jail would have been hell,” she muttered in his arms.

“Order, order.” Her Ladyship struck her gavel against her desk. The noise did not die down. The police brought out their nightsticks and tried restoring order.
Her ladyship spoke amidst the noise.

“The resolution would take place May 8th. The court stands adjourned.”

Richard hugged Jide. “You’re the best. Thank you, thank you so much.” They patted each other’s backs.

Abbe was by him, her scent so calling that it became physical. He smothered her and reached for the tempos of her heart. She was right in his arms, bounded within them, and would be in them again, and again.

“Thank you, Abbe,” he whispered. “Can you please wait a while before heading home?”
She bobbed head on his shoulders.

“I would love a little talk,” he said.
Erneto’s staffs approached and congratulated, they shook, they hugged, and they beamed. The soldiers saluted.

People kept coming and hugging.
The police led Ezinne out of the courtroom. She followed them diligently.

Richard watched her walk through the door and wondered what drove her to her actions. What possessed her to hold a gun, point it to someone and pull the trigger?

Jide offered Richard a ride home, and on Richard’s declination, entered his Toyota and zoomed off. His tyres swept dust into the air, some of them clinging to Richard’s trousers. Late harmattan dusts.

Abbe stepped out from the courtroom and walked towards Richard, her cornrows binder glittering. She carried a faint smile at her lip’s edge. Faint as it was, it stretched to every bit of her face, and even to the surrounding air.

“I’m glad you’re out,” she said on getting to Richard.

“I didn’t get out all by myself.” He held her palm. “How about a walk? Then I hire a taxi to take you home?”

“It’s okay.”

They strolled out of the court premises and got a full dose of the Sahara wind. It blasted them and transferred dusts to their shoes.

“The harmattan waited for your freedom,” she said.

He clasped her hand and clasped tighter, felt the liquid squeezing from her palms.
“I wonder how I would have passed through all without you.”

“You never would have passed through anything if not me.”

He stopped moving and rested a hand on her shoulder. She gazed at the sands.

“I’m glad I did,” he said. “I don’t regret any bit of it.”

She remained silent, staring at the sands that almost swallowed her tiny legs.

“That’s because you’re out. Jail is never enjoyable. You sure hated the mosquitoes, the bad meals, the false accusation.”

“Yes, I hated those, but when I weighed the gains to the losses, I saw things didn’t end up so bad.”

“And what are the gains?” She looked to him.

“This, us, you and me.”

The wind moaned and breathed upon them. Her face muddled and halved itself. Her head lowered. He no more saw her eyes but the lids covering them.

“What is it, Abbe?”

She raised eyes to him. Her darkened lids pointed straight to him. “I just thank God you’re out of that place.”

Those were the only words she said. She was supposed to say more. She was supposed to tell him the feeling was not a one-way thing. It was something mutual. They both knew it.

“We can make this work, we’ve already started,” he said. “Let’s just try. I believe that is how it should be.”

“I’m engaged, Richard.”

A huge thunder struck in his brains. He heard the words right and they came from her. Not from anyone else. From her. “Y-You’re engaged?”
She nodded.

“Engaged? When? To who?”

She stared at him and did not reply.

Every of her finger was bare, with nothing resembling a ring. “You’re lying. You aren’t engaged.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You think I would lie to you? After everything? It’s no lie. I am.”

“Where’s the ring.”

“There’s no ring, there was no time to put on a ring.”

He allowed some air into his head, forced them into his head. “Since when?”

“For some time now.”

“So everything at the station was what? A pretence?”

“No, no. I swear, it was no pretence. I—”

Her voice cracked and ceased. “I have to go. I’m sorry, I have to go.”

“Is it the victim, Bakare?”

She did no reply, did no nod, did no headshake.

“It’s him, right? He is the one.” Richard looked to the sands. “I’d wait. I’d wait and wait for you to gain back your senses.”

He looked into her. “You don’t belong with him, he is a cri—he’s not for you. You belong with me. I discovered that long ago. It’s you and I, not you and any other man. I pray you realize that sooner.”

The sands flew to her feet. She shook head and walked away.

#


Ezinne drove with the police into the station. Her time had come to suffer for her own deeds. This was her wage for murdering her twins. Maybe it would finally free her of their hunts and moans.
She followed the police into the interrogation room and gave them the answers to their questions. Yes, she shot Bakare Damijo.

She wished he died and would shoot him again if given the chance. She told the police she was the only one and there was no accomplice.

No one else should suffer for her sin. She gave the police her wrists, and they joined them with a handcuff. A chain round her wrist was better than having one round her whole self.

She was taken to a cell housing two female inmates. Their clothes were tattered and hair tangled. They were not different from her, except hers was internal.

She stepped into the cell and edged to a corner of it. It was not different from the large edifice she lived in. A prison was a prison. What she needed could be a smaller one.

This was her wage, not for the attempted murder against Bakare Damijo, but the murder against her babies, and after it all, she would gain her freedom.

CHAPTER 31





Erneto Aives had not changed much. Lauren scanned the parking lot for Jide’s Toyota. It stood firm at his car space. Richard’s parking space was without the Honda.

She stepped into the reception and did a gesture to the clerk and other familiar staffs. Most of them glued fingers to their laptops, with peculiar smiles round their lips as though born with it.

She headed to Jide’s office and met his secretary. The woman did not wear button-ups but a V-neck that defined her bustline. She sipped something steamy, reading a piece of paper that covered the lower of her face. She dropped the paper on the table.

“Laura…” She smiled.

“It’s Lauren,” Lauren corrected, and did well to return the lady’s smile.

“Yes, Lauren. It’s nice seeing you again.”

“Same here.” She moved away from the door. “Is Jide in?”

“No, he’s at the cafeteria, but he’d be here any minute from now. You can sit and wait.”

“Thank you. I would leave.” She turned to the door.

The café was almost empty. She did a quick scan. Jide was at a table by the wall, alone, dealing with something resembling fried potatoes. She ambled to him.

Their eyes met, and his lips spread and formed something resembling a smile. It was a smile. When last did his face carried that? His cheeks pierced into dimples. Full dimples. She prayed they remained forever.

She settled on the chair and watched his dimples merge with the remaining of his skin. “I really missed seeing those holes at your cheeks.”

“You are the only one who tells me I have them.” He forked a chip and bit a tip of it.

She considered that a compliment, whatever way he meant it. “I can see work is going fine.”

“We’re recovering. Things are better. I’m glad you came seeing me. I was actually bored with paperwork and needed a chat.”

“You’re happy, Jide. I’m happy you are. You were so drenched up by situations around that I thought you might never smile again.”

His eyes widened, and mirrored her as clear as her bedroom mirror.

“It’s the potatoes, you should try them,” he said.

“I actually thought you were going to say I’m the cause. That’s what gentlemen say when ladies tell them something like that.”

“Forgive me. I’ve always been green in that area.”

“You sure are.”

He set his glass to his mouth and downed in some water. “How’s school?”
Of all the questions in the world, he could ask her only that. Indeed, he was green in that area. “I’m no more a student of Newfield.”

Every fragment of cheer in his face disappeared. “Why? What do you mean?”

“I’m leaving the country.”

“To Canada?” His angled head to the other side.

“No. Switzerland.”

He nodded slowly, slow enough for her to read every one of the nods. He would miss her. He would surely miss her.

“They have better education there,” he said.

“Why am I just figuring it out?”

“When are you leaving?”

“The coming Monday.”

“That’s good. Go be with your mum.” He forked a slice of potato and dipped it into the sauce. After cutting a small bite, he laid the remainder on the plate.

“You’ve lost appetite?”

“No. I never really liked potatoes. What about we try something, something more African?”

Good idea. She smiled. “Yes… I’m hungry.”

He raised a hand to the waitress. She arrived and presented the menu to him.

“Which would you like?” he asked her.

She shrugged. “You’re the born African.”

He chuckled and pointed out something on the menu. The waitress obliged and left the table.

“Pounded Yam and vegetable soup,” he said.

“Provided you eat it with me.”

“You’d love it.”

She cracked a chuckle. “Sure. During the week my dad and I drove to Delta, Edo state and Port Harcourt. I refused leaving the country without knowing other places than Lagos. I also went to the museum at Lekki. Nigeria has heritage.”

“Thanks for talking good of my country. You finally got your tour. Thanks to dad.”

“I would miss him,” she said, and thought of her dad. “I would miss Nigeria, even if some of its citizens can be jerks, especially the students.”

“The jerks, the students, they would all miss you. Everyone one who had come in contact with you would miss you.”

“Including you?”

He chuckled. “I top the chart.”

“Good to hear. Anytime you think of leaving the sands of Africa, always think of Switzerland.”

“Sure.” He fingered the corner of an eye.

“Richard didn’t come to work?”

“He’s been through a lot. He’s taking a week break.”

“My dad’s company should do well to return all Erneto’s stolen customers.”

“You should help me tell him that.”

The waitress arrived and set the table. She filled the table with different plates containing different things that would all go into her mouth.

“If I eat all these, I doubt I would be able to pass through the door.”

“That’s the idea.” Jide picked a fork and forked out a morsel.

She frowned. “I thought Africa culture permits using hands,” she said and then, whispered, “there are not so many people here.”

Jide widened eyes and chuckled. He called the waitress for a bowl of water.

They washed hands and did it the African way. What if mum appeared and saw her dunking a morsel into a soup with bare hands? Mum wasn’t here. Just Jide. Only Jide.

“Good,” she said. “Real Good.” She picked a beef and cut off a huge chunk of flesh. Teeth were so much sharper than knives.

Jide’s larynx protruded as he swallowed.
She touched hers. If same thing happened to hers, her throat might explode.

He clenched the beef with his teeth and tore out its skin as though he was killing it the second time. It was good, very good.

Jide Echem was one of the exceptional blacks in the country—a neutral. And that was why she loved him.

She cut in another morsel and dunked it into the soup.

#


The warder budged out of the entrance and Bakare wheeled himself into the room. He had shaven his sideburn and left only a goatee. He pushed the wooden chair away and fixed his wheels in place.

“It’s nice of you visiting.” His voice seemed to have come from the thinnest folds of his vocal cords.

“How’s your condition?” she asked.

“Which of them? My stay in jail or my legs?”

To which was she actually referring?

“How are your legs?”

“It’s useless asking about them. They can’t get better.”

She directed to the legs and again, wondered why anyone would want to crush them. “Thank you for testifying in court?”

He rolled backwards and veered to the window, pointing eyes to the louvres.

“Don’t thank me. It wasn’t a favour.”

“You revealed the truth. It’s worth thanking for.”

“So which do you prefer? Seeing me here or seeing your Richard?”

“I wouldn’t want any one of you in jail.”
Bakare huffed. “I’m a criminal. I sold drugs. I deserve being in jail, right?”
She remained silent.

“What feud did you have with Ezinne?” she asked.

He gave the window more eyes and spoke to them. “Did she tell you I have a feud with her?”

“There must be a feud before she can attempt killing you.”

“Ezinne is a murderer. I’m not her first victim. She has killed two others before me.”

He did not seem joking, for he was not smirking, smiling, or carrying any form of complacency.

“Who did she kill?”

“She killed my children.”

Bakare was the least man to qualify as a father, and even Ezinne did not fit a child killer.

“You had children?”

“She killed them.”

“Why would she kill your children, and why would she want to kill you?”
Bakare wheeled away from the window, allowing in a small stream of light, and progressed to her front. Even after the air from the window, sweat lines lined his neck.

“I dated Ezinne in her university days. I got her pregnant and deserted. She aborted the children and in the process lost her womb. She blames me for her loss, and that must have prompted her to want to put a bullet in my head. The woman tried to kill me even after killing my children.”

“That’s it. That’s your sin. You deserted her. Why did you do that?”

“I’m not proud of it, but it was the only choice. I wasn’t equipped enough to be a father. Ezinne’s parents would have willingly catered for those children. I knew that, that was why I left. Every sensible girl would give those children to her parents, not murdering them.

“I never knew she lost her womb, she told me the moment before she shot me. I wonder how much hatred she must have for me.”

Abbe watched him, watched the way his lips moved, and the way his eyes blinked. She was engaged to him, engaged to a man who abandoned his children.

“A man who abandons a pregnant woman isn’t the type to be proud of.”

“Not only abandoning. I denied the children. There were twins. She told me that. I’m a bad man, right?”

“You did a bad thing, a very bad thing.”

“Yes, I did. I’m lucky the bullet didn’t meet me in the head. I’d have been in hell, a hell worse than this.”

Little perfect twins. Their image slunk into her brains. She imagined a doctor’s blade tearing them into pieces. She channelled the gory image out of her head. “How long will you be in jail?”

“If the Judge has mercy, I may be spending three years.”

“What if she doesn’t?”

“Then I would say seven. Hard drugs dealings are very punishable.” He began rattling fingers on the table and slowly died down the rattling.

“I’m sorry I didn’t inform you of the drug business. You weren’t the type that would clap for such.”

The pores occupying his face had all closed, gathering some sweat at his brow, harbouring seriousness. Maybe sorriness. Heavens knew he had to be sorry.

She fixed on the table. “What about our…” She lifted head to him. “You kept your end of the bargain.”

A smirk surfaced in the midst of all that happened on his face. “So it’s time to keep yours.”

“How long do you think you would await trial?”

“I’m not awaiting trial. I’m awaiting sentencing.”

She sniffed and rubbed her sweaty palms on her blouse. “What about my end?”

“You want to get married to me?” He cocked head.

“Do I have any other choice? You proposed to me and I said yes.”

“It was a bargain, and everyone is supposed to keep his end.” He paused, and the pause became long. “I didn’t keep my end.”

“You did. You testified in court.”

“If I’m remembering clearly, the words of the bargain say I come to court and testify. I was never in court.”

The air streaming into the room doubled and faded the sweats living in her skin.

“So what are you saying?”

“My words determine what I do. I would appreciate you come visit me regularly in jail. And I would prefer you come visit with a husband.”

She thought of the words to say, the right words. She thought of saying a ‘thank you;’ that was not the right word.
“I wish you good luck.”

“Good luck doesn’t exist. It’s an abstract phenomenon.”

“I pray it comes to exist, ’cause you would need it.” She rose and turned to the door.

His voice emerged from behind. “You would come see me in jail, wouldn’t you?”

She turned to him and nodded.

“Next time, try not to bargain with your future.” He began wheeling himself.
She gave him another nod and made it through the door.

#


Lauren walked between Jide and her dad. They assisted her in carrying her bag to the gate. Her dad dropped the luggage and raked a hand through her braid. “I’d miss you, hon. Try visiting during the holidays.”

“I will.”

He did his bear hug and kissed the top of her head, shuffled fingers in her braid and nuzzled.

She turned to Jide and folded herself into his arms. He pressed her head to his chest. She sniffed for his inner scent, not the cologne, but the God-given one. She inhaled and stored enough in her brains, enough to last her in Switzerland.

“Send my greetings to your mum,” he said, “if she still remembers me. Tell her I would love her to see her daughter again.”

She gave him the best smile she could achieve. “I would call, send letters, emails, any means of contact.”

“Please do.” He kissed her braid. She wished she were tall enough to do same. She needed not be. She kissed his shoulder, the highest her lips could go.

On her next visit to the country, she could be taller.

“Goodbye,” she told her dad and jacked up her luggage.

“Odeboh,” she said to Jide, and caused a widening of his lips.

“It’s Od’abo,” Jide said. “Irin ajo ada o.”

“Huh? What’s that one?”

“It’s ‘have a good trip.’”

“Thank you. Od’abo,” she tried again and knew she got the dialect. She walked past the gate, waved the men and headed for the plane.

From her small view, she watched the men. They talked and strolled alongside.

The doors closed. She fixed her seatbelts and plugged in her earphones. The plane shuddered, ran and flew up, up, up.

#


Abbe pushed the door open. It was unbolted. It never used to be. Nothing in the sitting room had changed, except the pictures. Ezinne’s was absent. The smell of emptiness and quietness lined her nostrils, but his scent also had a place. He was in.

“Richard,” she called, and almost heard her echo. She called again.

A voice erupted from the inside. “I’m in my library.”

A smile willingly rose from her intestines as she shifted the curtain and stepped into the corridor. She ambled to the library. The door was ajar. She pushed open and there he was, sitting on an armchair, holding a book big as an encyclopaedia.

His lips carried no smiles, and that moment, she realized how cruel life would be without smiles.
He gazed at her fingers, resting eyes on them. “Good you thought of stopping by. How’s your fiancé?”

“I have no fiancé?”

“But—”

“I guess the world has a way of redirecting everyone to whom they belonged.”

“What happened?”

She ambled closer to him. His beard had covered his jaw. She might like the new pattern. “Nothing bad. Maybe my prayers got answered.”

A smile stretched across his lips. The world also knew how to offer good things.

He rose and held her neck, fondled it with a thumb, making her wish all her body were her neck. “I knew you would return. I’ve never been so sure of anything.” He pressed lips against hers.

She closed eyes and flew wherever he took her. A kiss was more than gumming lips to a man’s. It was a force that controlled the mind and body and ridded it of what meant to be ridded.

She trailed lips to his jaws and kissed his beard. It tasted like bread, fresh from a broiling oven. A perfect breakfast to a hungry woman.
It was not painting that killed the devil. It was something else, someone else.


THE END.

....And there you have it...
The end of Two Realms...
Twas really nice spending a short while with you all....
Hope to meet again soon.
Thanks for making out time to read..
Love you all!!!!!!
VONN

Perfecto! Kudos ma'am.. :-)

Thanks so much Madam Vonn...
I'm glad at the turn out of the story! Demmy66, are u here ?

heemah:
Thanks so much Madam Vonn...
I'm glad at the turn out of the story! Demmy66, are u here ?

MA YES MA... MA NO MA... MORNING MA..MAY I HAVE YOUR PERMISSION TO JOIN YOU IN ENJOYING THUS STORY(shouting )

heemah:
Thanks so much Madam Vonn...
I'm glad at the turn out of the story! Demmy66, are u here ?

MA YES MA... MA NO MA... MORNING MA..MAY I HAVE YOUR PERMISSION TO JOIN YOU IN ENJOYING THiS STORY MA(shouting )

Awesome!
Beautiful piece ma'am
please kindly mention me when you start your next

Awesome!
Beautiful piece ma'am
please kindly mention me when you start your next

Awww ni love happily ever after endings

Kudos Vonn

Awww ni love happily ever after endings

Kudos Vonn

I can't help but applaud d writer and the poster of dis beautiful story.. its indeed plausible.. thanks ma'am.. pls tell ur friend he writes well and show him all these beautiful comments if possible.. bravo!!!

Wow.....'Two Realms' was worth the read...thanks vonn for sharing and a big hug to your friend for writing.

vonn:
#

A kiss was more than gumming lips to a man’s. It was a force that controlled the mind and body and ridded it of what meant to be riddled.


THE END.

Dz is d summary of d whole story...... Ai swear, d story wz worth the read. Awesome, splendid and suspense filled......

Sisi Vonn, u ar a real lady... Tanx

Really wonderful...." next time don't bargain with your future"..... I like that.

Thank you Madam Vonn for sharing...

Wish your friend the "abstract phenomenon" for me..
##

Short of words. U really are good. Keep it up

God bless ur friend for dis beautiful piece nd bless u also for sharing..i love d twists nd turns....*hugs*

you deserve some credit.

What a sweet ride. Very good nice job Madam Vonn, thanks for bringing this up here. And your friend did a very wonderful job making this. Mehn i enjoyed it. Nice job. Wooooooow

Woo nice enjoyable. So mush for happy ending

Hello! A certain short story competition is
ongoing and one of our best writer in NL is
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N:B ---Please remember to follow the instructions strictly to validate your vote.

Hello!!!!!!!
I just participated in the ongoing MobileBookShelf short story competition.
Please, I need your votes to make it to the finals.
kindly show you care by voting for VONN's short story (The Quandary by Ice) via the link:
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To read the story, click on:
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Also click on and like their fbk page via the link provided in the site as it is also important in making your vote count
Then vote for me and fill the contact form before submitting.
The whole process is quite easy!

Remember to tell others to vote, too. May God bless your efforts. Thank you so much.

VONN

I just voted for u

heemah:
I just voted for u

Thanks dear
Inform others too.

madam vonn when are u starting another story biko?

lemme call my roomie who thinks I'm crazy while reading stories on nl. she's new here though.. @dopeslimzy, where are u

labaski:
lemme call my roomie who thinks I'm crazy while reading stories on nl. she's new here though.. @dopeslimzy, where are u

Hope she is preety?

Skimpledawg:
Hope she is preety?

u can say that again..