₦airaland Forum

Kanshi1:
LarrySun can i purchase Retribution on okadabooks?

I've been waiting for it to be out

Update 2

***

While Peter Black was remanded in jail and awaiting trial, surgeons were working on Maria in the operation theatre of Fortress Hospital. Doctor Rukewe had paid a huge sum of money to bring the surgeons to try to save Maria’s life. They were the best surgeons he knew in the country and it had cost him an arm and a leg; he didn’t mind the cost though; all he wanted was Maria to be saved.

The surgery took longer than he had expected; he had thought within an hour or two the surgeons would be done, but that was not to be – it took the surgeons twelve hours. Even the professionals confessed that performing the surgery was the most challenging experience of their careers. And even after the surgery, it was unclear whether Maria was going to survive or not.

“She’s a very strong woman,” one of the surgeons had told Rukewe, “Only very few people can survive what she experienced. Now that the surgery has been done and the anomalies in her brain have been corrected, the rest is left to God. This is a very critical moment, Doctor Rukewe; there’s nothing more we can do for her at this point but to pray. It’s left to God and her; she has to fight to survive – like they say, she must resist the urge to cross the river to the other side. My professionalism rests on her shoulders; if she dies I swear to never hold the knife again – so she’s not only fighting for her own life, she’s also fighting for my profession, if you know what I mean.”

The doctor continued to watch her and care after her. He had moved her from the theatre to a special ward that only he and his trusted subordinate had access to. They would clean her up and tend to her wound, changing her bandages and giving her the necessary injections. But after a day, Maria was still unconscious; Doctor Rukewe was scared that she might have gone into a coma, which would even be very bad. It would simply mean she was not dead and yet not alive. In some cases, it would be better for a patient to die rather than being in coma. Rukewe found himself praying to God to spare her life. He had spent a lot of money on her; he didn’t want all his effort to go to waste. Besides, Maria was his salvation; if she lived he would become whole again; her death would only put him deeper into that dark place he had been struggling to get out of.

Forty-eight hours passed and yet Maria didn’t wake up. Even the surgeons were surprised that she was still unconscious; they were afraid that she might never wake up again.
On the third day, Doctor Rukewe had to process a fake corpse to release to the police for burial. He had to visit the mortuary and pay a heavy sum for the keeper to find a fair skinned girl of Maria’s stature, someone that could pass for the famous Maria. Finding a fair-skinned girl was not the issue but to find someone that was even half as beautiful as Maria, for obviously there was no way they would find anyone remotely as beautiful as the woman. Eventually they found one that had the same complexion and hair colour and length as Maria’s but her face didn’t come any close. Then Doctor Rukewe devised a plan of tying a huge bandage across her head, the bandage would cover half of her face. If anyone asked, it would be explained that the head wound was bad that it would be wrong to expose it – and they were going to insist on keeping the coffin closed. If the coffin remained close, only few people would know the truth. Rukewe prayed that the police officer would not detect any foulplay; if the corpse could go past the scrutiny of Officer John Balewa, then it could fool any other person. Doctor Rukewe even went further by puncturing a hole into the corpse’s neck to give the impression of the gunshot wound Maria had sustained – perhaps that alone would convince anyone that viewed the corpse; that attention to details might be what could save him.

Fortunately for him, Officer John Balewa did not show any interest in viewing the corpse; all he wanted was to get the burial done as soon as possible. He was too preoccupied with setting up a befitting burial for his father-in-law to care about whether the second corpse was truly Maria or not. And so the wrong body was moved from the mortuary down to the cemetery. Rukewe followed the procession in order to make sure that nobody attempted to open the coffin. The crowd that turned out to pay their last respect for Maria was massive. Even the doctor wondered how Maria was able to gain such a large followership; no other female in the history of the country had ever been given such a great deal of respect. As he followed the procession, staying close to the hearse, Rukewe wondered how the world would take it if Maria eventually woke up and it was revealed that she was alive. It was going to be crazy.

They finally arrived at the cemetery just at the same time the corpse of Mr Gold also arrived; those who had come to pay their last respect to the man had been policemen from the station he controlled. His wife had been buried just the day before and so his grave had been dug just beside his wife’s. Maria’s grave, however, had been dug a few yards away. About ninety percent of all the people had circled around to watch Maria’s interment. It seemed like a historical moment of the nation.

Then a short while later, Doctor Rukewe started hearing an excited buzz around him. It seemed like something was happening but he was not seeing it immediately; then the name ‘Peter Black’ began to escape from the mouths of everyone around him.

Is Peter here?

He looked carefully around until his eyes travelled across to the other side of the cemetery and noticed the police van that had just pulled up and Peter, shackled in chains in his legs and hands, was being led out of the vehicle.

It’s really Peter Black!

He couldn’t believe that Peter had been granted the permission to attend his wife’s funeral; the government wasn’t always this considerate, this humane. It must have been the work of the police officer: the formidable Officer John Balewa must have pulled some strings.

It suddenly occurred to Doctor Rukewe that this might be his moment to finally be able to tell Peter Black the truth about his wife. He was struggling to reach Peter but there were so many people blocking his path. He moved in a snail’s pace; it was frustrating. The moment was now; he could see that Officer John Balewa was not the one guarding Peter; he would easily go past the police officers and whisper the truth into Peter’s ears. He needed just a few seconds – less than five seconds with Peter Black.

As he continued struggling among the crowd, he saw Peter collapse on the casket that contained the fake corpse. He was weeping so sadly. Everyone’s attention was now focused on him as he wept helplessly, calling on his wife’s name. It was so painful to watch Peter break apart in his presence when he knew the truth. A man shouldn’t have to suffer this way, especially when the suffering was unnecessary. He continued trying to make his way away from the crowd to reach Peter but the crowd was thick. He tried to call Peter’s name but his voice was carried away by the noise and the wind.

By the time he finally freed himself from the throng, the casket had been lowered into the soil and Peter was now being returned to the van. Doctor Rukewe ran and tried to catch up before the car would move but it was futile; Peter Black was now being transported to the prison where he would spend the next ten years of his life.

***

While the wrong Maria was being buried at the cemetery, the right one stirred in the ward she was kept in. She stirred again for the second time but her eyes were still shut. Then at the third stir she opened her eyes wide. Someone had been calling on her. It was like she had been hearing her name from a distance; and she recognised the voice – it was her husband calling on her. Peter had been calling on her repeatedly and she heard everything. The voice had been filled with so much sadness that when Maria woke up tears ran down her cheeks.

She tried to speak but no word emerged at the first attempted. She coughed the oral cobweb out and tried again. The first word she said when she woke up was her husband’s name – Peter!

She remained supine on the bed but she was very much alert, taking note of her surroundings. She tried to remember what had happened but her head was blank now; she couldn’t really recall much. It seemed like the damaged part of her brain had been cut out and with it some very important memory. What she had left at the moment was the memory of her husband, every other detail seemed foggy – that was even if she could remember anything else. In fact, the details she had of Peter Black were merely tidbits. And for the next couple of hours she remained there just staring at the ceiling, her mind barely containing anything significant.

Nurse Muyiwa unlocked the door and stepped in only to meet the shock of her life – Maria was staring at her as she entered the ward. She had come in to change her drip and give her a dose of injection.

“Maria!” she whispered, apparently blown away by shock. “You-you-you are awake.”

Rather than responding, Maria was simply staring at her, studying her, observing her expression. She didn’t understand what was going on.

“What’s happening?” she finally asked; her eyes helpless and sincere.

“Wel-welcome back to earth.”

“Did I die?”

The nurse nodded vigorously. “Yes, you died. In fact, everyone knows you are dead – except me and Doctor Rukewe,” she explained and quickly added, “And-and the surgeons who operated you.”

“I don’t understand what you are saying.”

The nurse frowned. She didn’t know what to tell her. Perhaps she would have rehearsed her statement if she knew Maria had woken up before she stepped into the ward. Now she wasn’t sure if what she was going to say would be giving out too much information. She wanted to tell Maria that her funeral was currently being performed in a faraway cemetery but she felt it would be the wrong thing to say.

She knew she wasn’t supposed to be here right now. She was supposed to rush out of the ward to inform Doctor Rukewe about the good news, but Doctor was not in the hospital, he was attending Maria’s funeral. She wished she could find a way to get a message across to him fast but there was not – she would have to wait for the doctor’s return.

When Doctor Rukewe returned he would know how to handle the situation; he would have the right words to tell Maria; he might understand why Maria could not recall anything.

And so with this knowledge, Nurse Muyiwa politely said to Maria, “Just stay there. The doctor will be with you shortly. Please don’t attempt to leave your bed. The doctor will be here very soon.”

She slowly stepped out of the ward and gently locked the door behind her.

Nmezor:
Thanks for the update oga Larry

do4luv14:
yes, from the starting,

things are hard, but I refuse to give up

Lordfave98:
Thanks for the update

Teco2:
Thank you for the nice update, Mr. Larry.

nkemdave:
The book will definitely teach you that not everyone is an evil person... there is good in every soul you meet.

Thank you Larry

Ann2012:
I don pitch my tent here ooooo

sparta191:
Am glued to my phone as usual whenever larry is cooking

Bukolaberry:
Thanks for the update

Kaycee9242:
Nice one Larry well done

do4luv14:
make una clear front make I see, Oga Larrysun is back mehn

mrdoye:
nice to finally see the best story again. keep up

Damidave1124:
Lemme pitch my tent here

Vulcanheph:
I can't believe I've been following a particular story since 2018 (it's been over four years now).

Kudos larrysun.

Abosede512:
Thanks for the update, more and more blessings.

Olaoluwa122:
Keep it up brr

Abdulreheem:
in flavour voice .finally oh is about to go down. hey who is that on my sit ! op thanks so much. am already on the front raw. may God embarize u with blessing

Kanshi1:
When will this book be available on okadabooks?

Update 1

Preface

Doctor Rukewe placed his stethoscope on Maria’s chest to feel her pulse; her heart was beating fast, too fast, as if it was struggling to burst out of her chest. If nothing was done to relieve this now, he knew Maria would begin to convulse. He had expected this reaction from her a long time ago; he was surprised that she was exhibiting it now – this showed how incredibly strong this woman was. Obviously, she was a lot stronger than he had initially given her credit for; and he felt ashamed of himself – not only for doubting her strength but also for all that had happened to her. In a way, he felt responsible for what had happened. In trying to help Maria, he had caused her even worse pain. He believed that if he had not called the police on them, Maria would not have been shot in the neck, her condition would not have become suddenly critical. No matter from what angle he chose to look at it, the truth remained that he brought this on Maria. He might decide to blame it on her husband’s stubbornness but he knew that would only be an excuse, for Maria herself had clearly told him that she was not going to do the surgery if her husband didn’t endorse it. He should have respected their decision; he should have left them alone. Surely Maria would live a little bit longer than this if he had not chosen to interfere in their lives. He thought he was doing what he believed to be the best but clearly he was wrong. If Maria died now, her death would be on him.

But he had to try. He must do everything he could to save her. Perhaps saving her would be enough to make up for the mistakes he had committed. But it was clear that her chances were extremely slim. She looked very weak now – almost lifeless; anyone who didn’t know better would think she was dead, except for the occasional wheezes and gasps; it was clearly the image of someone who had already died but the nervous systems were only doing one last job before they finally retired.

Doctor Rukewe had recorded a lot of deaths in the course of his profession – the deaths had been many, too many in fact, and he mourned every life that got lost under his care. Sometimes he would plunge into an abyss of depression so strong that he would even contemplate killing himself. At times he would see the dead eyes of his latest patients pleading to him in his dreams – some of them would beg him to save them, and others would blame him for allowing them to die; some few would even question his professionalism. Sleep was sometimes a luxury he could not afford himself because he was scared of encountering those ghosts.

Thankfully, he discovered drugs that helped him cope with all the mental pressure. If not for the drugs he would have lost his mind a long time ago – and instinctively, he knew that if he lost Maria too, then there was no drug that would keep his sanity intact. He would either run insane or simply end it all. The suicide thoughts that the drugs had kept suppressed for so long would come to the surface and overwhelm him.

Saving Maria would be the highlight of his career.

But in this case he was not a surgeon. Maria’s condition was beyond his professional capability. All he could do at this moment was try to induce her into a stable condition, then he would call on the right professional to work on her. However, everything must be kept in the strictest confidence. He intended to save Maria totally – it would not be enough to only save her life, he must save her totally too. The only way he could do that was to deceive the police officer into thinking Maria was dead. He knew this was a dangerous game, and if he was caught his license might not only be revoked, he could also be prosecuted. Well, at this point he didn’t care about all that. If going to jail was going to be the payment for all his mistakes, if that would keep all the ghosts from haunting him, then he would gladly go to jail. Besides, after Maria, he intended to retire from this profession anyway. He had always known from the beginning that the medical field was not for him. Even though people praised him for his skills Doctor Rukewe knew within himself that he was not good enough. He had been doing this profession for the past thirty years but he had no love for it. He had attended medical school because his father had insisted on it, all he wanted to become was an engineer – but that dream had been crushed now. Well, this was obviously the right moment for him to retire from this cursed profession. He would decide on the next thing to do with his life after Maria had been saved, provided he didn’t end up in jail.

After giving Maria the proper injections and her breathing was stable, he also injected her with an adequate dose of Diazepam – an injection used for causing drowsiness; and in a few seconds Maria was asleep.

“You will be fine, Maria,” he said to her, “I won’t let you die. I promise you.”

At this point whatever happened, he would not allow anyone to see her, most especially the police officer. He was doing something dangerous, he knew it, but he felt he had no choice. It might be dangerous, but it was the right thing – at least as long as he was concerned. But the truth remained that he could not do this alone. He would have to bring in someone he could trust – a nurse he could rely on who would help ensure that the secret remained a secret. The only person he felt he could trust at the moment was Nurse Muyiwa.

Now that Maria had been put under, he drew the white sheet over her and walked out of the room, not forgetting to lock the door of the ER after him. He saw the police officer talking to Maria’s husband who was still in handcuffs. He walked towards the two men, making sure he kept his facial expression as morosely as he could. He could see Peter Black staring at him with eyes filled with fear; it seemed like the young man already sensed what he was going to say, and Rukewe felt sorry for him. He wished he could talk to him alone privately, but the police officer would never allow that. Rukewe had no choice but to make Peter Black a victim of his deception too.

The words were heavy to say now but he knew he had to say them anyway. He hesitated a bit, knowing that whatever he said now would never be unsaid; he would be committing himself to something risky when the words escaped from his mouth. He felt the urge to inform the men that Maria was stable, but that was not going to help anyone, most especially Maria.

“I’m so sorry, young men,” he finally spoke out as he reached them, “She’s gone.”

There, he finally said it. This was one of the parts he hated most about this job – delivering bad news; telling friends and families that their loved ones had died; that they would never see them alive again. While some of the people received the bad news well, the reactions of those who didn’t always put his soul in great terror. Oftentimes, Rukewe would feel that he was responsible for the deaths, that if he had done his job well enough those people would still be alive. And the stares some of them rewarded him could be so accusing that Rukewe would have to walk away from them as fast as he could. In fact some of the grieving relatives had questioned his professionalism – it was indeed hurtful.

Now that he had said the words out, he had to brace himself for the impact of the reactions. Would Peter accept it as the truth? Would the policeman believe him? Their reactions would tell.

“Who is gone?” It was Peter Black that spoke; the voice of the young dark-skinned man was so loud that it jarred Doctor Rukewe.

He was scared of saying the next words but he had to say them anyway. He had already crossed to the other side, there was no point trying to swim back – damage control was futile at this point. He had to go all in now.

“It’s Maria. She’s dead. I’m so sorry. I did all I could.”

The first thing Doctor Rukewe noticed was the gasps from the mouths of the nurses around. It seemed like even they had been praying for Maria’s recovery. Everyone loved Maria, it was clear. Well, maybe except the policeman who didn’t even seem moved by the news. Rather than feeling sad, his angry expression remained constant; Rukewe wasn’t sure whether the man’s anger stemmed from the news or from whatever discussion he and Peter Black had been having. However, the saddest part of everything was Peter Black’s reaction.

“Oh no! No! It can’t be! Not Maria! Oh! Not my Maria!”

Rukewe tried to remain aloof but he could not. This was too much on him. He could not help the tears that were starting to flood his eyes. He tried his best to look away. He had not cried for a long time but now he could not control it. He felt a strong attachment to this couple; they were different from all the other patients he had been having, or any other people he might be associated with for that matter. Although both husband and wife might be criminals, he still felt an endearment towards them. As Peter Black tore up so badly, Rukewe was more determined to save Maria now. He would give everything he could to make sure she never died.

As he looked away, he noticed the nurses walking away; they were all crying, dabbing tears from their eyes with their handkerchief. They couldn’t bear to see Peter in that state. It was electric – this was not their first time of witnessing relatives react to the news about the passing of their loved ones. In fact, some had even reacted a lot more sadly than Peter and they had always remained dry-eyed. But here they were crying with Peter Black. It was incredible and mildly eerie. Both Peter and Maria had left great impressions on people they encountered.

When he turned to look at Peter, the young man was sprawled on the floor, weeping sadly and calling on his wife’s name. Rukewe wanted to kneel down before him and tell him the truth; he wanted to inform him that he had lied, that his wife was still alive, but he could not. If only the policeman could just leave for a few seconds. Just ten seconds would be enough for him to bring Peter Black into his confidence, and he had absolute faith in Peter to keep the secret to himself, but the policeman was not going anywhere.

Then sadly, he watched the police officer lift Peter to his feet and lead him out of the hospital. Rukewe followed slowly behind and watched as the officer put Peter Black in the police van and drive away.

As Rukewe watched the car travel down the road, he wondered if Peter would ever find out the truth about his wife. There was no doubt that the young man would be going to jail for a long time.

Even with everything, one truth stood erect in Doctor Rukewe’s mind – he would be responsible for Peter Black’s imprisonment; he would be responsible for keeping a husband away from his wife.

He vowed to find a way to tell Peter Black the truth after finally saving Maria. What he didn’t know, however, was that it would take him ten years to finally be able to talk to Peter Black.

You can contact the author, Larry Sun, via larrysundynasty@gmail.com or WhatsApp him on +2349061754872

Cheers,

LSD

Echetex:
I have sent u a mail, called u but u didn't pick.i need a feedback, I want to purchase the retribution

yungbanks:
how can we negotiate?? Maybe off the forum or something