Port Harcourt, Rivers state...South South Nigeria...West Africa

11:48pm GMT, 2020


   It was one of those nights that seemed like every creature ceased to exist. The silence, the serenity and the blast of chilled air from the vents of the split unit air conditioner combined forces to send Beluolisa and his wife Iretikan to the deepest part of nature's most priced gift.

Beluolisa snorted and turned to the other side of the bed , his heavy arm landing on Iretikan's stomach. Simultaneously, Iretikan winced in pain and Beluolisa's Cell phone buzzed loudly. He jumped up quickly, murmuring inaudibly while rubbing the sleep off his eyes to get a clearer vision. It was a foreign caller ID.
"By this wee hour" he grumbled to himself before clicking on answer "Hello?"
"Hello sir!" A young female voice came almost immediately. "This is Joan.. Am I speaking with Mr Onochie?" The difficulty in pronouncing the name was worsened by the fact that she was panting.
Beluolisa hesitated a little before replying with his heavily accented English "Eh..ehhe? I am Mr Beluolisa Onochie. What can I do you for?.. Ehh.. Jane.."
"Joan sir" She cut in "I am the president of the Delta Nu sorority house of the Notre Dame College, New Orleans. Your daughter, Tiwa is one of the pledge sisters here"
"Ehe?... She's my daughter like you said. I should know better "Beluolisa was getting impatient
"Sir, there's a big problem...right here. Ti.. Ti... Tiwa collapsed a few minutes ago and she's not showing any sign of breathing"
  Joan waited for a sharp reaction but there was none.
"Sir, did you hear me...? "
"I heard you clearly "Beluolisa shouted angrily. "The time in New Orleans should be around.. "He checked his wall clock "...04:52pm in New Orleans. For your information it is 11:52pm here in Nigeria..and it is way too late to be playing such stupid game....and I, Beluolisa Ugonnaya Onochie is the last person you should play such games with. Kpachalu anya gi (Be careful)"
"Sir.. Sir... "
  
He ended the call angrily and tossed his phone on the pillow, cursing loudly.
"What is it?" Iretikan asked
"Untrained stupid white girls. Playing games with Beluolisa...The way the whites train their children ehh.."He shook his head angrily and adjusted himself on the bed.
"What exactly did they say?"
"Woman go to be... "
He was interrupted by the sound of the phone again. He checked and it was the same number. He ended the call angrily again.
"ókó mi" She called in her native language. "Why not hear them out?"
"Something must be wrong with your brain"
"I..."Her phone started ringing
"Don't you dare take that....."

But she had already answered "Hello?" She listened" The dean?"
She sat up properly, staring at her husband in askance. "My daughter....Tiwa? "
 Beluolisa snatched the phone from her and ended the call.
"Iretikan I want to sleep"
"You should have allowed me.. that was the dean, something is definitely wrong"
"Ndi ara" His phone rang again.. "Kee ifem ji isi kote!" (What have i done?)

He checked the caller ID. It was his brother.
He answered "Ikennaya?"
"Beluolisa did you get a call from Tiwa's school?" His well polished accent was a sharp contrast from Beluolisa's.
"Ohh.. The idiots called you too"
"I'm on my way from work en route the sorority house now. I'm almost there"
"Ikennaya madness doesn't run in our lineage"
"Something is definitely up Olisa. The school authority can't be involved in such prank"

"Let me know when you're done wasting your time "Beluolisa ended the call.
Few minutes later there was still no call from Ikennaya. Reluctantly, Beluolisa called him back. Ikennaya picked at the third ring.
"Hello Olisa" He shouted hyperventilating, Beluolisa could hear the chaos going on at the background.

Expressionless he asked "Ogini...What is going on there?"
"Olisa it is true. Tiwa has been confirmed dead by the medical team here. Her body is about to be deposited at the morgue"
 Beluolisa's heart beat increased almost immediately "You saw her.... Yourself? "
"I confirmed Olisa... I identified the body myself"
"What is wrong?"Iretikan asked alarmed
"Shut up "Beluolisa barked" Ikennaya there's a big problem"
"I know Olisa.. We.."
"No, you don't understand Ikennaya. You are telling me a different thing all together"
"Why are you sounding like this? Tiwa is my family too.. "

"Far from that, Ikennaya. My daughter flew in from New Orleans last night"
Ikennaya took a minute to take it in "What?"
"Yea. My daughter flew in from New Orleans, last night. As we speak now, Tiwa is currently in her room, in my house" He took the words one after the other.
   There was silence. The heart of both men were pounding heavily against their chests.
    In Tiwa's bedroom, she sat on her bed staring into space, in the dark of the night.


source: https://www.suavedef.com.ng/2019/01/the-pulse-of-oblivion-pilot-call.html