₦airaland Forum

doctorexcel:
shaggy deserve more than death. Possibly a gradual emotional breakdown, shame,depression and death can be the icing on the cake

doctorexcel good to have you. Maclean told me to deliver this message, 'Shaggy will get what he deserves. Trust me'.

cassbeat:
Kill shaggy thats what I would like to see in season 3

Long time. good to hear from you cassbeat. May you find what you seek in season 3

doctorexcel:
Wonderful write but is sansa truly gone?

Yes, but you know how these serials are...

Taadaa! It's the last episode of season 2.
Thank you for standing with me.
If you've not read it, or don't understand certain parts, you can scroll through the pages or check superiorwords.com/blog. I'm sure you'll find the answer. Or hit me up.
So what would you like to see in season 3?

S02E18 Season Finale



I was standing on a pedestrian bridge watching vehicles whiz back and forth on the road below. Sansa was on one side of the road glancing this way and that, waiting for the right moment to cross. It was too dangerous; the traffic was too fast. I called out to her but she did not hear. I caught movement on the other side of the road; Shaggy was gleaming as he manipulated a controller which seemed to be increasing the speed of the traffic. I flailed my arms to warn Sansa, but she had found a tiny break in the traffic and was now moving across the road. She saw my signal halfway across the road and stood, hesitant, confused, like a deer caught in the headlamps at night. A truck swept her off and Shaggy chittered like a monkey. Dropping the controls, he crunched his knuckles and began to look for the way up the pedestrian bridge. He changed his mind and started chasing after a balding man dressed in corporate bank attire on the same side of the road as he. I woke up in cold sweat, Mr Abayo’s name on my mouth.
Fresh perspiration broke out on my forehead as I remembered Shaggy’s phone conversation with me two days earlier at the hospital. I had honestly thought of dashing him against the wall, squishing his face into a concrete crevice until it was pulpy with gore.
“I’m not your friend, Shaggy.” I said, the contempt in my voice showing.
He chuckled.
“Well, I only called to send in my condolences. Sansa was a good girl. I heard you guys were engaged—you could have made a great couple.” He chuckled again. “It's comforting to know that Sansa lived a good life, but to think of all the things that awaited her—branch manager, chartered accountant, regional officer—who knows. All whisked away… It’s a shame, I wonder how you can live with yourself knowing that you were responsible for her death.”
My ears pricked. Did he know what had happened?
“I hear things… and being the new branch manager at TrustMond—I’m due for another promotion in six months—oh pardon my manners. Perhaps we can discuss this over lunch sometime eh?”
I was fuming and wondering at the same time why I was listening to this madman.
“You are such an slowpoke Shaggy. May you encounter misfortune all your life.”
I got off the phone in a rage. Then, he followed with a text message.
YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT MR ABAYO IS SAFELY IN THE EFCC’S CROSS HAIRS. CIAO
I looked around the room, the shadows had fallen. Pascal left yesterday with the promise to return sometime during the week. What day it was? My almost dead phone said Wednesday. I sighed. What if Shaggy was bluffing? What if they found Mr Abayo? And what about it? Was I to spend my life waiting for some soon-coming judgement? If it came, fine. Otherwise, fine. My hospital experience had taught me a few things. If anything, I would join Sansa someday, but until then, I would do something worthwhile, something befitting enough to make Sansa smile from above.
It was dark; faint light sifting through my window from the lone bulb from a neighbor’s generator lit my room. I lashed about in my mind thinking of what next to do. I’d been fired from work for not showing up, then...
I couldn’t think straight because I was hungry. I went to the kitchen for something to eat.
I was peeing in the toilet bowl when power was restored. And with the light came a stream of ideas, bubbling so hard that I hardly had time to pull up my shorts. Moments later in my room, I stared down at my own handwriting.

- Make your experiences into a book.
- Begin a camp for boys with addiction and low self-esteem
- Read 25 books on self-image
- Get another job

I stared up at the cream wall of my room as a glimmer spread in my heart. I smiled to myself and to the picture of Sansa in my heart. Then I wrote the last point

- Kill Shaggy.

One more episode to go & it's the end of season 2.
Be a sport, read & comment.

S02E17



"Nurse, your patient is stirring…"
"He's not my patient, he's just someone I'm trying to help…"
The conversation seemed to be taking place in eternity. I opened my eyes and gazed unblinkingly at the view in front of me. I immediately recognised the sight. From my multiple encounters these past few years, it could only be an hospital. My head was pounding and my nostrils felt inflamed from the acrid smell of antiseptics and drugs. Needles stuck out of my arms and a tube ran into my nostrils. Someplace distant in my head was ringing with unnerving tenacity.
Nurse Akpavia appeared in my view and stared me in the eye; she lifted my eyelids and checked beneath them. I busied myself trying to recall what had happened. Last I remembered was holding Uwem's fidgeting body. When we came apart however, I left the building and broke into a run. Whatever happened from thence, I didn't know. Did I get knocked down by a car? I could feel my toes and fingers, but there was a je ne sais quoi tiredness that seemed ingrained deep in my marrow.
"How long has it been?" I asked.
"Two days. What were you thinking acting like that, dehydrated and unstable? You could have gotten yourself killed. Thank God you weren't far from the hospital." She sounded like my mother.
"How're you feeling?" She asked.
I nodded a few times.
"Not too worry. You'll be better in a couple of hours." She plucked a needle from my arm.
"What about the body?" I asked.
"Oh, it's been embalmed and taken to the mortuary."
"And everybody else? Uwem and…"
"They've all left. What's there to wait about for? Although Uwem came around yesterday for the death certificate."
What next now? I asked myself.
The nurse left me staring at the white ceiling.
On the stool beside the bed were a couple of small brown refill tubes in a stainless steel tray. I figured if I took a sip or two of the liquid I could end it here and now. What else was I to do down here? I'd caused too much damage down here to still be around. What next was to end this madness. I wasn't fit to be here. I reached over and held up one of the tubes--doxorubicin 500mg. Good. There were two other vials. If i downed all three, my farewell would be sealed.
"Forgive me Sansa, I'm not strong enough." I said, and downed the vials… one, two, three. It tasted like nothing.
Nurse Akpavia walked in just as my arm arrived back at my side.
“I see you’re still awake." She said, and her eyes strayed to the tubes.
"Your heart would have failed, and you would be having a terrible seizure right now if I had not filled those tubes with water."
"Water?" I sighed and slumped back in bed.
"I can't believe you'd still want to kill yourself after all that's happened?"
Her eyes were ablaze with disapproval.
"What's wrong with you? Are you not normal? Someone needs to talk some sense into your head. You lost Sansa due to your mistakes. Will killing yourself bring her back? Dude! Two wrongs will never make a right. End the blame games. Accept this new tabula raza and begin again. You need to face life now and confront all your fears. Stop being a coward. Sansa had expectations from you. Live it up and be fulfilled for crissakes!"
Her hands flailed viciously at her side and her eyes teared up as she spoke.
"I have to discharge you now. I won't have you dying on my hands."
She slipped on a pair of gloves and began to pack up the trays by the side of the bed.
I sighed aloud.
“Your brothers are here to see you." She said, not looking up. "They’ve been here a couple of times already.”
“Why do you help me?” I asked.
With the trays stacked upon each other, she walked out.
Onyeka and Pascal walked in moments later. We were exchanging talks when a phone rang.
“Bros, this person say him be Mr Anichukwu. He say make he follow you talk.” Onyeka said.
Anichukwu? I knew someone by that surname, but things were blurry for the moment.
I took the phone and put it to my ear.
“Sorry for your loss, Clean."
A picture pieced up in my mind in that moment.
Shaggy!

S02E17


"Nurse, your patient is stirring…"
"He's not my patient, he's just someone I'm trying to help…"
The conversation seemed to be taking place in eternity. I opened my eyes and gazed unblinkingly at the view in front of me. I immediately recognised the sight. From my multiple encounters these past few years, it could only be an hospital. My head was pounding and my nostrils felt inflamed from the acrid smell of antiseptics and drugs. Needles stuck out of my arms and a tube ran into my nostrils. Someplace distant in my head was ringing with unnerving tenacity.
Nurse Akpavia appeared in my view and stared me in the eye; she lifted my eyelids and checked beneath them. I busied myself trying to recall what had happened. Last I remembered was holding Uwem's fidgeting body. When we came apart however, I left the building and broke into a run. Whatever happened from thence, I didn't know. Did I get knocked down by a car? I could feel my toes and fingers, but there was a je ne sais quoi tiredness that seemed ingrained deep in my marrow.
"How long has it been?" I asked.
"Two days. What were you thinking acting like that, dehydrated and unstable? You could have gotten yourself killed. Thank God you weren't far from the hospital." She sounded like my mother.
"How're you feeling?" She asked.
I nodded a few times.
"Not too worry. You'll be better in a couple of hours." She plucked a needle from my arm.
"What about the body?" I asked.
"Oh, it's been embalmed and taken to the mortuary."
"And everybody else? Uwem and…"
"They've all left. What's there to wait about for? Although Uwem came around yesterday for the death certificate."
What next now? I asked myself.
The nurse left me staring at the white ceiling.
On the stool beside the bed were a couple of small brown refill tubes in a stainless steel tray. I figured if I took a sip or two of the liquid I could end it here and now. What else was I to do down here? I'd caused too much damage down here to still be around. What next was to end this madness. I wasn't fit to be here. I reached over and held up one of the tubes--doxorubicin 500mg. Good. There were two other vials. If i downed all three, my farewell would be sealed.
"Forgive me Sansa, I'm not strong enough." I said, and downed the vials… one, two, three. It tasted like nothing.
Nurse Akpavia walked in just as my arm arrived back at my side.
“I see you’re still awake." She said, and her eyes strayed to the tubes.
"Your heart would have failed, and you would be having a terrible seizure right now if I had not filled those tubes with water."
"Water?" I sighed and slumped back in bed.
"I can't believe you'd still want to kill yourself after all that's happened?"
Her eyes were ablaze with disapproval.
"What's wrong with you? Are you not normal? Someone needs to talk some sense into your head. You lost Sansa due to your mistakes. Will killing yourself bring her back? Dude! Two wrongs will never make a right. End the blame games. Accept this new tabula raza and begin again. You need to face life now and confront all your fears. Stop being a coward. Sansa had expectations from you. Live it up and be fulfilled for crissakes!"
Her hands flailed viciously at her side and her eyes teared up as she spoke.
"I have to discharge you now. I won't have you dying on my hands."
She slipped on a pair of gloves and began to pack up the trays by the side of the bed.
I sighed aloud.
“Your brothers are here to see you." She said, not looking up. "They’ve been here a couple of times already.”
“Why do you help me?” I asked.
With the trays stacked upon each other, she walked out.
Onyeka and Pascal walked in moments later. We were exchanging talks when a phone rang.
“Bros, this person say him be Mr Anichukwu. He say make he follow you talk.” Onyeka said.
Anichukwu? I knew someone by that surname, but things were blurry for the moment.
I took the phone and put it to my ear.
“Sorry for your loss, Clean."
A picture pieced up in my mind in that moment.
Shaggy!

S02E16



“Know how long Sansa and I have been friends?” Uwem said, a stony expression on her face.
“We attended school together up until service year. When I lost my mom, and my siblings and I didn’t have anywhere to go, it was Sansa and her mom who brought us food and gave us shelter. I remember during our DELSU days, one dude tried to mess with me, I was all emotional and before I knew it, Sansa had organized boys to beat the daylight out of the bastard. That's how tight we were—she had my back and I had hers. So when I heard she was engaged to this dude, I kept wondering if he was someone who’d have her back just as I have. I had people check him out; I found he was some slobbery idiot—really I wish Sansa had listened to me. She argued over and again that this was what she wanted. We even had a fight over it.
“Then the guy got imprisoned and Sansa went shelling her life in the fight. Now what, the guy hears she’s sick and maybe preggy and the next thing he does? Bails. Yeah, bails, like a rat right out of the sewer. I can’t believe it. I’ve never seen such lily-liveredness all my life."
Uwem’s unsmiling face morphed into a cockish grin. Her hand moved and a small object with a silvery glimmer appeared from within her flowing gown. I half-rose from the side of bed where I’d sat by Sansa. It was a revolver. It had to be the smallest gun ever; here it was dancing in Uwem’s palm, laced up for action.
“I hear your brother wanted to travel out to seek greener pastures but you were too cowardly to help him, a lot less Sansa… And when people mess with my friends, they mess with me. I actually poisoned my last boyfriend with Sniper for messing with me. Think of what I could do to you, right here, right now...”
She glared deeper into my eyes.
“So tell me what should be done to cowards like you?”
My heart beat wildly, and in that moment, I could hear the creaking of the lone fan, the buzzing of some electronic gadget at the corner of the room, and even Sansa’s labored uneven breaths. I heaved a sigh and turned to Sansa.
“All I know Sansa,” I said, “is that when this passes, I will do anything to make us work again. Nothing will—“
“Hey, I asked you a question. What should be done to scum like you?” Uwem waved the gun towards me in the manner of a gangster, and I gripped the iron railing at the foot of the bed until my knuckles turned white. It’s like the moment during a stomach upset when the pang hits so bad you think you’re going to shat your pants right there. Then the wave passes and you’re relieved. For a moment.
“I’m sorry my love—“ I knelt, facing Sansa, “—even in my last moments Sansa, I will always love you.”
“Is this one mad—“
From the corner of my eye, I saw Uwem raise the gun and I shut my eyes tight. Suddenly, I was transported to TrustMond's banking hall on the day of the robbery; Sansa, Shaggy, Kome and I lying on the cold tiles, awaiting the barrage of hot lead from the armed hooded men.
“Oh my God! She moved…” It was Uwem. “She’s waking… Nurse! Doctor!”
I opened my eyes slowly to Sansa’s jerking body. It felt like déjà vu; those times when deep asleep and caught up in a dream you can’t wake up from even though you’re jerking all you want. I raced after Uwem and in moments, the nurse was hot on our heels. The doctor followed calmly moments later. They kept us waiting outside the room. Meanwhile, the revolver had disappeared, and Uwem was beside herself with worry.
It was the doctor who came out first. He was grim as he walked away. Uwem and I exchanged glances and made for the door. The nurse burst out, sighed and shook her head. We barged past her and looked. The breathing equipment was no longer heaving.
Uwem tore at the body, wailing and jerking. The nurse and I managed to get her off, and she clung to me, her shivering body melting in mine, the cold hard metal poking against my belly. We wept over each other.

I was blocked by the spambot last week, so I had to split the post, and post the new one for this week.
If you're following, let's see your face o...

S02E15



I glossed half-mindedly through the photos, the tip of my fingers cold, wet and numb as they slid across the LCD screen. They were pictures of various stages of Sansa's life—on the swing at the playground in primary school, a teenager at the beach with tiny buds for breasts, at college matriculation in flowing hand-me-downs, in TrustMond banking hall flirting an engagement ring and so on. In one particular photo, she stood, back against the large ICAN logo in Abuja, gleaming back at the camera. I shut my eyes tight and dropped the phone. Sansa had always dreamed of being a chartered accountant. What had I done?
I slumped back on the bed and glared at the ceiling, my hands were fidgeting and my head was pounding. Sansa had been helping me. She gave herself to get me out of prison and I had disowned her. What was more heinous? Now, she was dying, of god-only-knows-what. Hot tears trickled down the side of my face in the darkness and moments later poured in torrents as my body quivered with sobs. I lay curled up like a fetus all the night, eyes wide open like a cat’s. When I came to, it had been two days.
It occurred to me then that I ought to go back to UBTH, give Sansa my ignorant part of the story and seek her forgiveness, and that of her family and friends. I could at least try and reason with them.
I got on the road, weak, dehydrated and nursing a fight scene against Uwem in my mind. Later, I resolved that Uwem or anyone else for that matter would have to kill me to keep me from getting to Sansa’s side. I didn’t care any longer. Only fortune could possibly have steered me on the journey because I was unthinking—all the taxis and okadas I took.
Thoughts crept in and out of my mind. Would Sansa die? Why couldn’t the doctors treat her? Oughtn’t I to die in her place?
As I walked across the security outpost, a blue Toyota Prius honked fervently at me, plunging me out of my reverie. Nurse Akpavia—who preserved my hide from Uwem the last time—was behind the wheels. She wound down the glass and cocked an eyebrow. When she saw I was trying with great effort to explain why I was back in the very place I agreed not to set my foot on again, she motioned for me to get in the seat beside her. She eased the car away from the path and left the engine and AC running.
“Speak.”
I told her. How messed up I was, how messed up this was, and how messed up the whole world was because I messed up.
When I finished. She shook her head ruefully.
“What do you want to do now?” she asked.
“I need to see Sansa.”
“Even in her current state?”
“She’ll hear me, I promise.”
“Hear you indeed. My concern is that Uwem wouldn’t tear you into pieces and I would have another case on my hands.”
She put the car in gear and turned around for the hospital. I stayed in her cubicle while she conferred with her colleague who had taken over duty from her. When she returned, she said I was in luck, that Uwem had possibly travelled. And she’d reasoned with Sansa’s mother and she had agreed, although, she’d rather not see my face. So I strode face-forward, hat-in-hand into the ward, accompanied by the nurse on duty.
Sansa lay there, pale and almost lifeless, an oxygen equipment on her face. Spittle slid down her left cheek and her upper lip hung open, revealing gap-tooth.
I gasped.
“She wasn’t like this the last time. What happened?”
I held a hand and called her name multiple times, each rising until it became a silent scream.
“Mister, she’s unconscious.” The nurse said, contempt in her voice.
“Sansa… I miss you. Please come back to me. I never knew… never knew you did all this for me. I need you to come back to me baby, I love you. I’m so sorry for how I treated you. But you could have just told me. I swear, I would have understood. I’m not heartless—yeah, I’m a real jerk sometimes, but I’m not heartless.”
I massaged the finger where the engagement ring used to be.
“Remember what we said about getting married and giving birth to two sets of twin girls and a boy to top the pudding? We were going to name them Tessy, T—“
The corner of my eyes picked movement, and I heard a faint whisper.
“Thanks for the heads-up, sis.”
I turned around. Uwem was standing there, a mask of fury on her face.

S02E14B



So when I kept falling sick, I took tests, the doctors couldn’t ID anything. I was scared but kept you at bay. That’s why I said no sex. I needed to know what was going on. Then they said I was pregnant. I wanted to get rid of it, because I knew you would throw a tantrum if you found out it. The doctor said an abortion would adversely affect my womb if we attempted to surgically get rid of it, so we did medication. One weeks, two weeks … the whole thing deteriorated. Eventually, I told them what I knew. The doctor was like, you mean you had sex with an orangutan? (Laugh) The diagnosis must have had something to do with that anyway.
You were in the prison rotting away for something you signed with your own hand and I was here taking the fall for it in my body.
I don’t even know what I’m saying (sigh). I blame myself. But was I being foolish for love? Did I do it because I loved and trusted you? Honestly, I don’t even know the answer. I just knew I was doing something for love (scoff and hiss). You’re worthless Mac, worthless. You could have waited a bit, asked, found out a thing or two about what happened. You just walked away. May your Chi give up on you (sniff).
Now, I am focusing on getting my health back. And I will. If I ever get out of this, I will make life miserable for you. You will wish you were never born. Worthless men like you are the reason the world gets darker and darker by the day.

*next recording*
(Heavy sobbing)
Clean, I loved you. I chose you as a friend. You betrayed me and left me when I was most vulnerable. You truly deserve what you get in life.

*Next recording*
I don’t know if I’ll make it out of this, I swear. How did I ever get involved with— (Cough and Wheezing).

*Next recording*
Static… cough … cough… wheeze.

*Next recording*
Clean, promise me you’ll get your acts together… Promise me you’ll deal with your own shit and stop being a coward. Forgive Cletus and Kome and stop being a baby. If anything, do it for me—you owe me your life now. Help those young boys you’ve always wanted to help. You’re still a good— (Heavy wheezing, panicky voices in the background).

End of all recordings.

S02E14A


You’re such a bastard, Mac. A royally bleeped-up bastard and you deserve everything you get in life. (Scoff) I can’t believe I actually thought you loved me. I mean, I messed up big time on that… thinking you were worth loving.
We got into this relationship because we thought we were best for each other, and we were actually going to get married. But you—you’ve always been one selfish brat, all you know is just yourself. As soon as it doesn’t go your way, you turn around and scamper off like a wet rat.
You are the reason everything happened. I wasn’t looking to get pregnant, Lord knows I never was unfaithful. I did all I did for you and you repaid me by walking off on me. Clearly, this is what you’d have done if we’d been married.
You are being deluded to think you walked out of that prison free of charge. I had to rub backs to make that document go away. Yeah, right, that document, the same one you signed with Mr Abayo in your ignorance. At times, the problem is not just your stupidity, it’s your outright ignorance of the fact that you’re stupid.
That single document was going to pin a lot of complicated things on you, and thanks to your friend-turn-enemy—Shaggy, he made certain it reached the highest tiers so that you could never recover—by the way how did we not know Shaggy was capable of this?
So since I was a lady, they preferred the backrubs. Yes, literal backrubs. They made me do things so grotesque, you’d wash your mouth with Jik if I told you. One of them made me lick a festering wound on his thigh—the kind of infected oozing wound that makes you throw up after staring for just two seconds (guffaw, silence, sniff). I was really crazy men.
I thought it would just be done and dusted, and back to life normally. And I was going to tell you. But I guess things don’t always go as we plan eh.

Ehiiz:
Brilliant storytelling. Wow. This is great
I really enjoyed reading this. Please I would love to have this story on the platform I am with. It is called Clouddust, it is an online serial literary platform working to change the way African writers and comic book artistes earn from their stories. We are thoroughly interested in your story and would love to have it on our platform. We would love to hear from you. Please kindly send an email to us Clouddust.space@gmail.com We will gladly provide you with more information on how you can earn with us and our multiple revenue streams. Thanks and may your pen keep flowing.

Understood @Ehiiz
Thanks for reading too

S02E13


The nurse nudged me and nodded. It was time to go. I had been standing over Sansa’s shrunken white face for minutes, myriads of thoughts bounding inelastically in my mind.
The nurse warded me to the door and shut it behind me while slipping on a pair of gloves. Moments later, she came out and started for the waiting area. I followed her.
“I don't get, she’s should be recuperating after the surgery. Or did the surgery get out of hand? Is she infected… I mean HIV? But does HIV have this kind of effect…”
We’d arrived the waiting area and I didn’t realize that I’d been speaking out loud. I began to understand the reason for Uwem’s rage. Our friend was dying and there wasn’t a thing we could do about it.
“I’d have you to ask the family,” The nurse began conspiratorially, “but you’re in such a sour relationship with them that they don’t want to see you. So I’ll tell you what. We believe she was infected with a deadly strain of an STD which affected her womb but has now spread to other parts of her body. We're doing our very best, that I can assure you.”
She made to leave, then said. “You’ll have to leave now. I’m sure they don’t want you around, with all that’s happened.”
I looked over. Uwem was eyeing me like a hungry fox whose dinner was standing just beyond reach.
The nurse pursed her lips until they became thin slips, then she whirled about and headed for Uwem, leaving me standing there, pondering my fate. They spoke in hushed tones for some moments. Uwem kept stealing dangerous glances at me over the nurse’s shoulder and jabbing a finger at me as she spoke. There was a brief argument at some point with Sansa’s mother and sibling intervening; Uwem flailed her arms, stomped off, and then returned, gave me one last vicious look through narrow slits and handed something to the nurse.
The nurse marched up to me, pressed something into my palm and steered me out of the waiting area. I could see a strand of perspiration snaking down her hairy sideburn.
When we reached her cubicle. She sat with a long sigh and eyed me for a long time. I noticed the name tag on her chest: Akpavia, and the engagement band on her finger.
She sighed again and spoke,
“You have been very foolish Mister …. Now you have everyone against you. I had to make a deal with Uwem to get you out of sight, never to be seen around the family again. How did you get here?
“Anyways, I’m told what’s in your hand was left for you by Sansa, although the family has seen its content. I wouldn’t know what’s in it, but it's gotten the family really riled up about you. Should Miss Ebrima not make it, Uwem made it clear that her blood would be on you, and the family would never forgive you. They are in fact considering arresting you with the police, so whatever you do, pray. I’m told the—”
Another nurse stuck her head into the cubicle and Miss Akpavia nodded.
“—the device contains a voice note and some documents. I’m sure you’ll understand when you view it. You should leave now. Got to get back to work.” With that, she began to slide on a pair of latex gloves.
The journey to Asaba was a mindless one, I missed my junction several times. Incidentally, I didn’t have my multimedia phone with me as it had a flat battery, so all I could do was ponder and ponder on what could possibly be in the object I was given—a memory card.
At home, there was electricity, so I slipped the memory card into my phone and plugged in a pair of headphones. It was a 128mb storage and was mostly empty. I searched. There were a few abstract pictures and a folder that contained a couple of voice recordings and some more photos; one of the recordings was much larger than the others. I figured it had to be that.
Sansa’s familiar nasal voice filled my world as I pressed play.

Special Christmas read

https://1drv.ms/b/s!Aj2YGetA7QoVanzd4dTb_cztX_Y

It's a collection of Christmas short stories. You'd love it.

S02E12


It wasn't until I entered UBTH's sprawling facility that I realized I hadn't confirmed the location of Sansa's ward. Knowing that whoever held her phone would decline to give me the answer, I went to the ward she'd been admitted to the first time. She wasn't there. No one knew where.
I was walking down the corridor thinking of where next to go when someone called me.
"Oga long time."
It was a slim elderly-looking lady wearing light blue garbs and wielding a broom and dustpan.
"Shebi na you come with one banker woman that time wey con do surgery?" she said, a curious look on her brow.
I nodded, wondering where I'd met her.
“Ahahn. You travel? Why you no come since?"
I scratched my head.
"You dey find madam abi?"
I nodded again, but she'd already started leading the way, whistling a tune.
We went back the same way I'd come and walked past the flowers and trees to another block of bungalows. She spoke to a beautiful light-complexioned woman in brown garbs who eyed me warily before asking me to approach. She led me to a corridor, pointed at a waiting area and said visiting time was in thirty minutes.
I made to seat, completely neglectful that I was not in good terms with Sansa. The edge of my vision caught a sight—a large cuboidal projectile bounding at me. I managed to ward it off with my hands. The buxom dyed-close-crop-haired projectile was Uwem, Sansa's bosom friend of many years who lived and worked in Benin. I'd met her once but Sansa had told me all about her—and her rabid rage—which she now bestowed on me, clawing at me with all her might.
"Accursed son of a gun. Mad man! Goat! What are you doing here? You traitor you!"
It took a few seconds for those around to react and when we were finally separated, I'd lost my photochromic specs, two of my shirt’s buttons and a sharp pain was surging across my face.
I was flustered, not knowing whether to back off and go home or try to reason with Uwem. I looked over and saw Sansa's mother and another sibling of hers sitting on one of the benches. They just stared sober-eyed at me. In that moment, I felt a twinge of pity for Sansa.
"Leave the bastard for me—the good for nothing... He's lucky Nnedinma is not here. She'd have eaten him for dinner—"Wicked laughter, fresh lunge "—Just give me a moment with this bastard…" Strong pair of hands restrained her again.
A matronly bespectacled lady in white garbs walked up to us and after eyeing me critically, asked me to follow her. She led me to her cubicle, sat me down and asked why I was causing more trouble to the troubled.
I explained as detailed as I could, Sansa was my fiancée but no more because she had been unfaithful. I had cared my best for her but did not realize that it was this complicated.
When I finished, she snorted.
"Still, I don't approve of what you did. You've not heard her own side of the story, have you?"
I shook my head, wanting to hint her that I wasn't here for it either, then thought better.
"So you're here to discuss what exactly?" She asked, her hands in front of her on the table.
"I just wanted to clear the air on a few issues."
"Hmm, she's actually not in any condition to talk…"
After a silent moment and a sigh, she rose and strode out of the cubicle. When she returned, she beckoned on me and led me past the waiting area—in sight of fiery glares—to Sansa's room.
The body on the bed was a gangly frame of bones with flesh stretched taut over it like leather over wood. Her skin was pale and sallow, with patches of cottony white on portions of her skin. Tubes ran in criss-cross lines all over, one running into her nose, another into her mouth. Her chest heaved slowly and uncertainly.
"My God, is this Sansa? What happened to her?"

S02E11


“But how far this babe na--?” Cletus asked.
“Who? Sansa? I don free her na. nobody messes with me--”
“No, Kome.”
“Seriously? Guy, I don’t bother with losers like that. I've got a life to live."
“Yeah. But do you know where she is?”
“I know she’s somewhere in this Delta State sha. I don’t know where exactly. Why are you asking?”
“I was just wondering if I could speak with her.”
Speak with her? My mind began to rove. What did Cletus know about Kome anyway...
“Una get business?” I asked jokingly.
He ignored me and said. “I’ve called Sansa and asked her to help me get her number, but she said I need to call you and tell you first.”
“Tell me what?” I said and cocked my ears.
“I'm sorry for all I've caused you bro, but that pregnancy, the baby…”
Holy Uriel. I couldn’t believe my ears. Cletus!
If he hadn’t cleared his throat, I wouldn’t have known that I had been quiet for long minutes.
“I don’t know what to say bro… I just don’t know what to say. Do you know what I’ve had to go through because of that experience? This was the last straw that led me into drugs. I almost took my life. You were responsible?”
"I'm sorry man."
I still couldn't believe it.
"First, tell me how it happened." I said, finally.
Cletus sniffed.
“The night Shaggy brought you and her home, I woke up as soon as you came in and chased all of us out of the room. I kept wondering what was special about her. Then I saw she was drunk, and I later went into the room and it happened. She didn’t know. I thought she'd blame it on… I mean... her boyfriend. I didn’t mean for it to happen, I promise.”
I considered telling him to sod off, then reconsidered. This was my brother. But he had been responsible for all that I had gone through and faced with Kome.
"So why are you telling me now? What difference does it make?"
"It's been a burden on my heart, and when I spoke with Sansa, she said I needed to apologise to Kome to enable her heal, but that I needed to tell you first."
“You’re crazy. It’s better to drown in a swimming pool than to tell Kome. Do you know that she took my matter up with an international NGO? Now you want to go and tell her that you’re responsible. What if she puts the baby and all it's care on you? Or she takes you to court. Do you know what that means?"
“I kind of feel responsible for what she may be going through now. Just thought I should let you know since Sansa already gave me her number.”
“You are still in talks with Sansa? What do you need from these ladies anyway?”
“Bros… you should go back to that babe. Things are not as they seem.”
“Go back? Lai lai! But you really messed up that Kome's issue..."
We said our goodbyes morosely and I went back to my brooding. Thankfully, I was not at work so I had time.
This new revelation was completely unsettling, and had Cletus not been my blood brother, I would never have forgiven him. What did Cletus mean by things were not as they seemed. Had Sansa told him negative things about me?
I resolved to speak with Sansa and find out why she was meddling in my family business. I called her phone.
The lady on the line said Sansa was unavailable. I didn’t blame her. Sansa must have stuffed her mind with bad things about me. I waited for an hour and then called with another number. The lady simply said Sansa was sick in UBTH and couldn’t talk for the time being. So Sansa was still sick? I thought she was recuperating...
I decided to go see her the following week.
The picture I saw on that hospital bed is something I will carry with me to the grave.

S02E10



“Four thousand dolls for wetin?” I ejaculated. “Where they want mek you see am?”
Cletus sniggered. “Like play, like play, one month pass, two months, three months for detention. Nna ehn...”
My mouth was ajar on the other side of the line, I was wondering what Cletus now looked like after going through all of this.
“Many people die.” He said and paused for a long moment, then sniffed.
“Even Alex, Dumebi and Ekpo no make am. Those Asma boys waste them. Na God go punish those boys.” He sniffed some more.
I wiped a tear from off my eye and sighed. Life was hard.
“So how did you get out?” I asked finally.
“Na God o. One night dem go patrol, leave us with only one guard. The guy drink sotey e high. Na so we collect im gun, kill am, bundle im body for body, con start to dey waka for inside bush, we no know where we dey go. One time, we hear gun shot, all of us scatter. One farmer see me, con hide me. The man na angel sha. He take care of me for like two weeks. Me when be say dem don cut my finger comot—“
“Dey cut your finger!”
Cletus laughed.
“Dey shoot me for leg sef. Many things wey dem do for that camp. See as dem dey rape girls anyhow. E get one time wey they rape one thirteen-year-old girl for our front. Who born you to close eyes. Na there dem shoot me for leg. God save me, I for don kpayin tey-tey. Those people brutal, Boko Haram dey learn where dem dey.”
So my brother had lost a leg. Tears streamed freely down my eyes as I imagined him hopping about with a crutch.
“So na one leg you get?”
Cletus laughed.
“That farmer been carry me go where they hep me set the bone. To say the bone don set before, I for no fit use the leg waka again. I still dey waka now, but sometimes, e dey pain me.”
I exhaled. His legs were intact. Thank God.
“Small time, the farmer no fit hide me again as the Asma boys dey search the area for we wey escape. Na so e put me for lorry wey dey go Zuwarah, he loan me small money for transport. As I reach, I see one boat wey dey cross from there to Italy, he collect four hundred out of the five hundred dolls wey the farmer loan me. That farmer na angel, I swear.”
“Na so you take reach Italy. Na wa o.” I sighed, grateful for a final end.
“Reach ke? Fuel finish for the boat. They con say make we bring more money so that they go fit radio another boat to bring fuel. People con dey rake, as we wan turn am to fight, na im Proactiva—one rescue patrol—catch us. Oh boy, I don reason repatriation. But as dem carry us on board, o boy, na Italy straight o. I no believe am.
“So for there, I work small, Eke send me small money join, two months later I carry flight from Milan to Kuala Lumpur.”
The end. I sighed.
“You see why I no wan gree you go that time…”
He laughed for a long time, then said,
“Abeg tell them Onyeka dem say mek dem no try am o. Na to take straight flight. Mek dem no try am o!”
I nodded. You needn't teach the monkey to say "amen" after he’d been dealt with by Ijapa; it would be his natural language.
This was when Cletus dropped the payload.