FATAL FATE(1)
Muna stared at uju as she slept,a
wry smile on her face.she raised the blanket to her shoulder and planted a kiss on her forehead. Turning off the lights,she went downstairs to the sitting room. She paced up and down,her thoughts running amok. She glanced at the clock, Eleven o'clock "Lord what have I done to deserve this? My home is turning upside down and as the day goes by I-I can't even see a flicker of light not to talk of the end of the tunnel! Lord help me" she lamented as she sank in the settee,stream of tears were already building up in her eyes.
"marriage is a beautiful thing Nne m,and Tochi seems a good man and from a good family too" Her mother had counseled her. Not that she was wrong anyway.Her marriage to Tochi was nothing but beautiful.it was every lady's dream. At 28, married to a renowned pilot,with a beautiful 4-year old daughter and a blossoming career in the banking industry, she couldn't have wished for more. Until a year ago,she had come back to see him on the sofa,a forlon figure. "honey what is it? What happened? She queried as she sat beside him,her arm over his shoulder. "babe" He muttered now facing her.He shook his head sadly."what is it?" she whispered looking into his eyes-a search into his soul.He was hurt,but she needed an answer,even when fear and anxiety have overwhelmed her already. Tochi brought out a sheet of paper from his side and handed it to her.She opened it,a Letter.Her face rumpled in horror. The content went something like the aerocompany shutting down its operations in the country due to the critical economic conditions. He was jobless. "We were all laid off babe, all!" he spluttered" and what was the compensation?a paltry sum of 100 000 naira? What are we going to do with that babe? What!" He spat, shaking his head repeatedly in disbelief. Muna took him into her arms and consoled him.

A FATAL FATE(2)

" it is well honey,we'll pull through this" she had said to him as they held each other in a tight embrace.

Tochi was not the lazy type,for three months He went out each day looking for a job to do,submitted CVs,promised to get a call but at the end nothing.He was getting frustrated. Getting a job in the country was like searching for pearls, companies were closing up, the foreign ones were leaving,banks were laying off their workers,private companies were put up for sale.so she wasn't suprised when she came back and saw him sleeping on the bed with an opened old magazine on his chest or sitting on the sofa watching football matches absent-mindedly. She had used to sitting on the sofa with him,cheering his team on during weekends-His only free time with his family. He was a manchester united fan.She cherished the kiss he gave her when his team scored, especially when the goal was scored in 'fergie time'. .
Muna worked her socks off.She became the breadwinner of the family while still dilligently performing her wifely duties.Even when she came back tired and worn-out, she still refreshed herself to satisfy him in the bedroom. His gradual change of behaviour hadn't escaped her notice though.He complained about almost everything.From the food not properly cooked,over-cooked,not tasty, to the calls that disturb his ears at bedtime. "It's just a client at the bank that just can't seem to back off.didnt know how even he got my number" she had tried to calm his askance gaze. Recently He had made new friends in the neighbourhood,those that made him leave the house in the evenings and come back very late at night. The whole flat reeking of alcohol.
A knock on the door jolted Muna out of her nostalgia as she thrudged towards the door and opened it."Hi babe" Tochi greeted with a sardonic smile as she stood aside for him to enter inside.His tall muscular frame evoked frustration,a shadow of his former self. Muna covered her nose,She loathed him. "you gone drinking again right? You gone drinking again! She screamed at him."please babe ,not now okay' He grunted. "Not now? When then Tochi? When? How can you be so selfish and-and non-chalant! Look at our home,look at our daughter, don't you notice she is matiating? She's been fighting malaria for the past two days now,I am the one running up and down for her medications, did you know she won the award for the best pupil in her class during their graduation ceremony last week? Did it occur to your heartless mind that her birthday was today? No! What do you care,If not taking money from our savings and with your good-for-nothing friends go around drinking yourselves to stupor! You are disgrace Tochi! You are a dis..." she couldnt complete her sentence as Tochi gave her a towering slap that left her staggering for a moment. "Enough Woman!" He scrowled. His bloodshot eyes flickered with rage and at the same time, disgust. Muna felt her cheeks burn as she regained her balance."You slapped me?"she cried, her hands on her left cheek. She drew close to him. She was not short, but anyone that saw her with Tochi would think she was. "you slapped.." she jumped on him, hitting him as hard as her fists could muster.Tears clouded her sight. Tochi turned his face sideways and smiled,a smiled that suddenly turned to a frightening frown." I said enough!" as he violently pushed her off from him. The force of the push sent her crashing first on the glass center table,then on the polished tiled floor. He stared at her for some time,she wasn't moving.He went over her and knelt down,her face had turned pale,her eyes shut. He saw something move behind her ear;he lifted her head,blood oozed from a gash at her lower skull. He held her in his arms, She was cold. Regret ripped his soul apart. "Mum!" Tochi saw her daughter running down the stairs.He sat on the floor,his blood-covered hands on his head. It was then it dawned on him.He has just killed his wife.
THE END