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“You are a useless boy Etinosa!” His mother’s heavy voice rang inside his ears, as he looked at her straight-faced in the kitchen. She was a very fat woman with a pretty face.

He had left the house very early in the morning to play football with his friends in a small field three streets away from his home. He was nineteen years old and awaited his result to gain admission into the University. It was the second time he had written the exam. When he returned home at 9:30am, he went straight to meet his mother for breakfast.

“But I went to…” He tried to explain but she cut him off.

“Shut up your dirty mouth before I do that with the back of my hand!” She spat out, her eyes raging in anger. “Who is your slave in this house?”

“No one ma.” Etinosa said and bowed down his head. He felt bad. It was not intentional to get his mother in such mood; he loved seeing her smile and watching her in a furious attitude made him sad.

Mrs. Vasco dropped the knife on the chopping board she was holding to slice some vegetables. She jagged a finger at her son. “You are the only one giving me problems in this house. How can you leave as early as six ‘O’clock to play football with children that have no future? Are you a footballer? Can’t you read your books at that time so that you can pass?”

He raised his head and looked straight into her eyes. She noticed his facial appearance changed into a frown. “Most of my friends are already in the university. They have bright future and I don’t play with agberos.”

She set her hands on her waist. “That is your business! Try to change. Your younger sister is doing well at school. You have to come out in flying colors. If not, don’t be surprise when your sister enters into the institution before you. Be serious and act like Osaro, be like him. He is better because he behaves well! He does not give his mother headache like you.”

He did not act surprise. He expected her to compare him with the son of her best friend, gossip partner and neighbor. Osaro was already a 300 level student in the university and twenty years old.

“Have you heard me?” She asked.

“I’ve heard ma.”

“I know your father will never say anything but he is tired of you running around doing nothing meaningful!”

“Mama Etinosa!” A tall and slender man in his early sixties said. They never knew he was standing close to the door. “Leave this boy alone.”

She glanced at him and hissed. “Why should I when he has refused to listen to me?”

“Can’t he play football again? It is also a form of exercise. I will advise you to join him next time. You need to shed some weight.”

Etinosa burst into laughter and quickly covered his mouth the moment his mother made eyes contact with him.

She eyed both of them. “I don’t blame you and your son. Instead of you to advise him and emulate my friend’s son but you won’t listen. You would rather support him.”

“Why won’t I support him?” Mr. Vasco asked his wife. “He plays very well and if he wants to be a professional footballer, I will give him my blessings.”

“God forbid!” She said and snapped her fingers. “Not in this house. He will go to school and behave like Osaro. That boy is a good example and I wonder why Etinosa has refused to get close to him. Osaro goes from the house to school unlike the dullard that insisted he wants to live in the hostel when he miraculously enters the University. Osaro comes back home after his lectures. He assists his mom in the kitchen and reads his bible every day.”

“How do you know all these things?”

“I go to their house and I am aware Osaro has invited Etinosa to church programs and even night vigils. He always gives him silly excuses.”

Etinosa shook his head.

She faced her son and continued. “Pray to God that you should pass when your results come out in few days’ time otherwise one of us will leave this house.” She walked out of them.

“I don’t know why mom keeps comparing me with Osaro.” Etinosa said to his father. “Is it by force to behave like him?”

“Don’t mind her. Dish your food, eat, bath and rest.”

He grinned. “Thank you dad.”

Mr. Vasco cleared his throat and wore a serious facial look. “But don’t put me to shame. I hope you will pass.”

“I will dad. I had a minor issue in the examination hall the first time. I won’t fail a second time.”

He faintly smiled and left.

*****
Two days later, in the evening, Osaro was holding a bible and a wallet. He was dressed decently in black pants, yellow long sleeve shirt with a brown tie. He was wearing leather sandals on his feet. Osaro went into the residence of the Vasco’s and requested to see Etinosa. When he came out, he invited him to a night vigil close to his school.

“I can’t go.”

“But you promised to follow me the last time I invited you.” He said in a calm tone.

“I am busy, maybe another time.”

Mrs. Vasco voiced out. She had been listening to their conversation at the dinning. “You must go!”

Etinosa knew his father was yet to return and it was an opportunity to force him and follow Osaro. He grabbed his stomach and started shouting he was having severe pains. His mother panicked and ran to grab olive oil to rub on his forehead and belly. Osaro began to pray until Etinosa said he was getting better. Osaro decided to go alone. He requested Etinosa should stay at home and rest.

*****
The following day at 5:30pm, Etinosa and his parents were gazing into a laptop. The three of them were about to check online his result when they heard the siren of police vehicles close to their house. They abandoned the computer and rushed outside to check what was happening.

Their jaw dropped as they watched Osaro whisked into the car in handcuffs. Etinosa noticed he was leaping. Mama Osaro was weeping hard. Her friend went to console her and asked what happened. Mr. Vasco went to meet one of the policemen for answers.

“He is an armed robber.” The officer said in a loud voice for everyone to hear.

Neighbors, passerby’s were in shock.

“It is impossible!” Mama Osaro cried. “My son can never be an armed robber. My son went to church.”

“Lies!” the officer said. “He managed to escape last night but we caught the other members. Did you ask the cause of the injury on his leg?”

“He said he mistakenly fell into the gutter on his way home and that I shouldn’t worry, he would take care of it.”

He gripped Osaro out of the vehicle and raised his trousers upwards. He removed the scarf he used to tie the leg, Osaro whimpered in pain. All of them saw a deep sore, dripping blood.

“He was shot before he ran away!”

She placed her hands on the head. "My life is over! I trusted my son! Oh my God!"

Everyone exclaimed in shock. Etinosa shook his head when his mother looked at him. She was speechless. He went back into the house to check the result by himself.

After few minutes, his parents marched into the house. Etinosa was all smiles.

“I passed.” He said and showed them.

Mr. Vasco hugged his son cheerfully and congratulated him.

Congrats o" Mrs. Vasco said softly and scratched her head before walking away to her room. She got there, entered and shut her door with the key. Etinosa and his father could hear her crying.

*****
The end.

After Eki’s one-year wedding anniversary, her spouse, Hank threw a bombshell that she should quit her job as an accountant in an oil company. Two of his reasons were it was taking most of her time and he needed her to take good care of him. She refused at first but Hank promised to increase her monthly allowance.

Eki discussed it with her mother and she advised her daughter to quit. Her marriage was too early to have a big disagreement because of her career. Her marriage was more important, she advised. Her elder sister suggested she should venture into any profitable business. Eki thought about it, resigned and planned to open a saloon. She knew how to make hair but never thought about making money from it until now.

Her savings was more than enough for her to start without any financial help from her husband. She thought that even if she no longer had a job she would have her new business to keep her busy and still have enough time to cater for her home.

She was going to surprise Hank after putting everything in order. She found a shop close to the house, ordered for equipment’s online and the shop was ready after few weeks of preparation. Eki was happy and ready to announce it to Hank.

After he came back from work that day, she prepared his favorite food Eba and Ogbono soup with cow leg. Just the aroma from his dinner made him smile. He told her she was doing exactly what he expected. The moment he finished eating, she told him.

Hank acted surprised, puzzled and angry. “Never!” He spat at her before walking out.

She begged him for more than two weeks, and he still refused.

“You belong to me.” He told her.

She promised she would employ people to work with her, resume work after he had left for the office and return home on time. He declined. On a Saturday, after she came back from the market, looking tired, she met her mother, sister and four of Hank’s family members in the living room. She was surprised, went to the bedroom and asked her husband if anything was wrong.

“It’s a family meeting and you have to come with me.” Hank said. She followed him without asking more questions.

Hank narrated what his wife did but none of them supported him. They didn't want Eki to be a full housewife. His relations praised her.

“I can’t believe you.” One of his uncles said. “These days men don’t want a wife that is a liability. You should be proud she is still ready to get her hands busy after quitting her job. If she was my daughter I would have disowned her for doing that.”

“But I am not complaining. I want her at home. She needs to look after me.”

“Are you a baby?” His elder brother asked. “Is Eki your baby sitter? I know your wife belongs to you but….”

“There is no but!” Hank cut off his statement. He was furious. “My wife belongs to my living room, my kitchen and the other room.”

All of them except Eki and Hank gazed at each other and exploded into laughter.

Eki rose on her feet, staring at her husband shocked. She pointed at him. “Is that the major reasons you wanted me to quit my job? I shouldn’t have listened to you. I left my job because I didn’t want any misunderstanding between us and I love you. But one thing you should know, you don’t own my life. I will do whatever makes me happy and I will continue to be a good and faithful wife.”

“I have told you where you belong.” He said.

“How can you say I belong to the living room, kitchen and the other room? What do you take me for? A maid or a robot? What do you even mean by that?”

Hank stood up. “I will not answer your question because you know what I am talking about. Your duty is to take care of me. I have already told you where you belong and I insist you must remain a housewife.”

“Never!” Eki said and stormed out. There was nothing that could stop her. She had made a decision to resume and nothing could change that.

“I don’t think my daughter will agree to that.” The mother of Eki said to her son in law. “You cannot stop her.”

He sighed. “If I cannot stop her at least can she agree she belongs to the other room? I don’t want her to ever deny me of my right.”

His in-laws and family members looked at him and hissed. They got up and began to walk away without saying goodbye. Hank had wasted their precious time. Hank watched them leave his living room.

When he realized he was alone, he went outside and raised his voice for them to hear him clearly. “You are all hypocrites! Everybody loves the other room!”

*****
The end.

Title: Murder in room 16. Episode One.

On a tepid Saturday evening, a police officer Rose Bankole, average in height, chubby and smartly dressed in a fitted black suit arrives at a motel, where a man was seen dead.
She was directed by the manager, a very tall man to room 16. She walked in to survey the crime scene of a lifeless body of a slender man in his late thirties.

A dead soul.

He was sprawled facedown in a thick red substance on the white rug.

It was blood.

Blood, bits of some of his skull were scattered, seen on the rug.
An average size Iron art work with a sharp edge was on the floor with blood all over it.

Murder weapon.

Rose moved away from the semi nude body that wore only a yellow shorts and wristwatch on his wrist.

She examined the scene. The room was untidy with the bedsheets by the side of the bed. His luggage was opened with clothes littered inside it.

Unused condom, a pack of cigarette, an empty bottle of vodka was on the floor. A wallet placed on a shelf. The victim's identity card was inside it.

No money found.

The victim's name was Edward Kelechi. He was a car dealer.

As the officer looked round, she sighted a necklace covered in blood. Hand gloves were given to her by one of the paramedics. She picked it up and wiped away blood from the pendant.

'To my beauty' was crested on it.

Officer Rose thought, 'whoever was the killer may be the owner of the necklace. It was meant for a woman.'

She left the room to see a young, light-skinned receptionist who called the police to make the report of the unfortunate Incident. She was shaking and her eyes were red.
Rose said to her, 'You need to put yourself together in order to answer my questions. I need some informations about the man. Understood?'
She managed to nod.

'What's your name?'

'Nkechi ma.'

'Were you the first person to see the body?'

She shook her head, shut her eyes and opened them. 'This is the first time for me to see a dead body.' Nkechi burst into tears.

Rose took a deep breath. 'I'm sorry about that but please put yourself at ease. I need an answer from you.'
Nkechi wiped away her falling tears. 'The cleaner was the first person. She went to his room to clean up the place and saw his body. She alerted me and I went there to check for myself.'

'When did the victim lodge in this motel?'

'Yesterday morning and I have the record.'

'Okay.' said Rose. 'Was he a regular customer or was it his first time here?'

'He was one of our regular customers.'

'Is there any particular girl he came with?'

'Not really.' she said pitifully . 'He came alone yesterday but in the evening a girl came to see him and she left this morning.'

'Did you see him through out today?'

'Yes, early in the morning .' Nkechi replied. 'I went out by 10am but when I came back by 2pm he was having lunch with another woman at the restaurant.'

'Did they go to the room after lunch?'

'Yes.' Nkechi responded and paused. Her weary eyes fixed at Rose. 'I saw the woman leave in a hurry when she left but I never thought maybe something was wrong.'

'And you have no record of this particular woman?'

Nkechi scratched her head repeatedly. 'I will be in big trouble if I say it.'

'Say what?' Rose asked with her left eyebrow raised.

'Me and the workers knew she was dating Mr Edward but he doesn't know.'

'What are you talking about?' Who doesn't know.'

Nkechi sniffed her nose and spoke tearfully . 'The manager of this place.'

'What about him?'

The woman is the manager's wife.'

To be continued.......

"I go kill you today, your matter don tire me." Those were the words coming out from the mouth of papa Efe repeatedly. I am certain he was doing the same thing he did to his wife almost every night. I can hear loud noises from Mama Efe, pleading for mercy.

God knows am not bold enough or courageous to leave my bed and unlock the door to go and plead on behalf of my mother's younger sister. The day I tried it, na heavy hot slap I receive. The next day the monster in human form told me I deserved it.

Can you imagine?

He said I had no right to interfere in what I know nothing about, that I was immature. I am twenty three years old ooo. Seriously if not for the good home training I have and the respect I have for my aunt, I for curse the man die!

Two weeks with them has been unbearable for me, don't know why in my right senses I choose to come here to spend my 4 weeks holiday.

I remember my mom telling her sister to leave her beast of a husband alone since
she wasn't enjoying her marriage, but all she would say "Efe is still little, I can't seperate her from her father and I love my husband dearly, he will change."

Love? Abegi na foolishness dey worry her.

When my mom knew she couldn't convince my barrister aunt to leave her illiterate stay at home husband, she gave up on their matter. Whenever my aunt reports the issue to her husband's people, they will tell her to manage, that he loves her very much.

Love? Story for the gods. I have so many words to describe him but I choose one out of all "Wickedness."

"Please Mofe, I am begging, have mercy on me." I hear her begging. What will I do? The neigbours can't hear her this night, am very sure the noise from the generator won't allow them hear her. Should I call my Mom to inform her? What can she do? She's far away and I don't want her to panic. Efe is asleep. The little angel is only three years old. She's too young to understand all this.

As I gather all the courage left in me to go try and separate them, I hear a loud noise:

GBOZAAAA! GBOZAAA!! GBOZAAA!!!

I paused and stood with fear, cold flows through my body. I am afraid. That's the sound of a gun, shot three times.

The wailing, pleading, crying all stopped. I walked to open my door, tip-toed to the direction of their room. I knocked faintly out of fear but no answer. I am sacred to death. I opened the door.

Behold! My aunt in a kneeling position, close to papa Efe laying lifeless on the floor, blood everywhere including her hands. The pistol on the floor. Am in shock, words refused to come out from my mouth. I looked her straight in her eyes. I saw nothing in them, her eyes were dark and dead.

She says to me, "Call the police, I have a new case to defend."

"Wh..wha what cas..case aunty?" I asked stammering in fear.

"My case." she said sharply.

"Okay." As I turn to go get my phone, she called my name.

"Rukewe."

"Ma." I replied looking back to her.

"You are going to be my witness." she said to me smiling.

SAY NO TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE!!!