₦airaland Forum

nnekamezor: D EVIL dat men do lives with dem & after dem. A pure case of it here. Hmm nw things re beginning to fall into place wit d oda characters. ... Eyah, poor Kathy had to go thru dis awful ordeal... ... I really do feel fr her... It got me crying... Estar thanks for d nice update, jisike nwannem

You're so Welcome darl.

Still following.

Ziziola: I guess God is already dealing with them one by one in his own way.

Abi.

boladex1: nice one, but she don suffer enough ooooo.

That was fast darling.

***

'We buried him.' Katherine sniffed and coughed. 'The press arrived before we took Kennedy home, so they captured him lying in his pool of blood. They came to the house after the burial and wanted a couple of interview. The man who killed my brother was sent into thick clouds and not presented to face the consequence of his action.'

'What obscenity!'

'I honored one interview where Nigerians were given the opportunity to call in.' She continued weakly. 'They expressed their grievances to the extent I broke into tears right there in the studio and then it dawned on me that it can only be talked about until the matter dies and whatever force or click he belonged to would protect him. So when I was asked for an interview to talk about the horrifying experience, I refused.'

Kelvin placed the thick woollen shawl around her shoulders because she was shivering and the sea breeze had become cooler.

'Did you check his name tag, can you remember his ranking from his uniform?' There was optimism in his voice and expectation in his eyes.

'I don't even know if I can recognise him, I can't remember what force he was in, all I know is that he was top ranked. Kelvin, no matter how people like me try, we don't have advantage over people of high class. He was so protected that even his name wasn't released. The law can always be modified to suit people who know how to grease the right palms.' She blew her nose and wiped it. 'You wouldn't believe the number of terrifying that are allowed to slide on daily basis.'

'That's crap.' Kelvin said irritated. 'How can it just be swept under the carpet?'

'For the fact that he had committed murder when his defense was not threatened, for the fact that he was a uniformed man and should know better would have been the reason while he shouldn't go unpunished. That is obtainable in this part of the world. When a poor person tries to get justice done, he will eventually discover that he had wasted his resources, time and hurt himself more.'

'That is baloney...absolute nonsense.' He bobbed his head from side to side before drumming his fingers on the table in controlled agitation.

'I have learnt to place my solace in God.' She said calmly and glanced at the sea. 'Let's hear the conclusion.' She drew out a shaky breath.

He directed his attention back to her.

'Kennedy and I were born with golden spoon yet our parents taught us that life was not a bed of roses, times of yesterday might never be that of today. When the rainy days came, we were able to find our feeting, when Kennedy dropped the baton, I picked it up with determination. What he wouldn't have me do, I was compelled to. I had to fend for my daddy and I. I got a teaching job.

My dad and I were closer than ever. 'She blinked severally and tears fell off her bloodshot eyes. 'Those days, I used to have horrible nightmares, he was there for me and we were always there for us. We spent most of our nights crying. We couldn't recover from the absence of Kennedy. My daddy was not happy that I had to work, he didn't express it though but I could see it eyes, in the way he looked me over when I came back from work. His eyes held disapproval when Kenny was working talk more of his baby girl. He wasn't pleased that he had to helplessly watch his children fend for themselves and him so early.

In the course of working, I did understand what my big brother was trying to protect me from. Despite how they tried they couldn't change me because I had already took the words of my parents and brother to heart and sealed it there.

When my brother was alive, I was ready to wait for him to gain his feeting before going to college.' Katherine shrugged.

'When all expenses were deducted from my salary including my daddy monthly appointment with an orthopaedic doctor, there was hardly anything left. ' She shrugged and exhaled. 'My dream was to become accountant and a financial consultant as I go higher.'

Kelvin beamed.

'My daddy was an orphan but he had two younger step brothers from my grand mum who remarried after the death of grand dad. Being from a poor family, my dad struggled through school and worked his way to the top, he sponsored his much younger brothers through school and got them connected to good jobs after they graduated.' She gave a short laugh and dabbed her eyes.

'I remember those beautiful days when our lives were rosy, they were always around the house at the littlest break, they enjoyed the treat in my mum's restaurant like they were Co founders. I remember the special treat every weekends.' She inhaled deeply and exhaled. 'Wind of fate could be such a merciless snatcher. The home front was my mum priority, she was kind hearted and an epitome of the Bible's virtuous woman. I remember how my friends, classmates and neighbours wished my she was theirs. They all looked out for invitation to treats in my house. Every Sunday was Africa salad treat.' She smiled at him.

'I see.' Kelvin chuckled.

'When things changed, we stopped seeing the faces of my uncles, the older one got married a couple of months before mummy died. They attended her funeral but they didn't come for Kenny funeral. They didn't give any assistance... I mean any.'



Kelvin raised a brow.

'When Kenny was alive, how I love that guy. He didn't consider begging anyone. I decided to give a trial without my dad approval but in his presence I called them and a minute into the conversation, I was so pissed, I hanged up and switched off the phone.

As days rolled into weeks, I did my best to take care of us. Four months after Kennedy passed on, that month was a rainy one, that very week got streets and houses flooded, so many were displaced.' Tears formed in her eyes and she extended a palm to Kelvin.

He took the palm and placed his free palm over it. It was cold.

'The weather situation made news because the rain descended the earth with no mercy. It was so serious that most couldn't go out to work.' She closed her eyes briefly and took a couple of deep breaths. 'You remember I told you about having nightmares.

Kelvin nodded.

'At a point, I couldn't sleep alone so I slept with my dad. On that particular day, I woke up to discover my daddy wasn't in bed, I turned on the table lamp and the table clock told me it was forty minutes past four a.m.
I went to the sitting room and discovered he had gone outside. Out of curiosity, I lingered at the window with a worried frown because he was allergic especially to such weather condition. I couldn't hear him but from his geetures, I knew he was pouring his heart to God so I didn't interrupt.' She paused and stared into space as tears now flowed in torrents. 'If I was not too young, if I had known that the wind of fate was not through with me...I would have know...I would have known.' She bit her quivering lower lips and sneezed.

Kelvin jaw dropped at her last statement.

'I left the window before he came in to boil water for his bath and make breakfast, his cloths were soaked and dropping, it was all stained. He met me at the kitchen, I had planned a surprise breakfast for him. When I told him, he told me I should have prepared for me alone.' She smiled amidst tears. 'I wouldn't hear of such. He told me how much he loved me, I never knew it was the last -I love you, his last words. He also asked me to take care of myself.' She rocked herself obviously in pain. 'I promised him I would. Oh my God...' She broke into sobs.

Kelvin took her into her arms.

'By the time I went to his room to wake him for the breakfast but he had passed on.'

He closed his eyes feeling her pain and conscious of the wetness on his shoulder. He felt her neck temperature was on the high side when he rested his palm on it momentarily.

'He was my mentor, the best daddy in the world, the only person I lived for.' She shut her eyes tightly though it was burning. 'I was dazed, I was only sixteen. I had perspectives of human and a distasteful taste of wind of fate.' She placed an arm around his neck. 'There is still more to come.'

'More to come?' Kelvin muttered flabbergasted.

'Yes Kel.' The sound of her voice more like a croak. 'After all, the Lord said in the book of Jeremiah chapter seventeen verse five that "Cursed be the man that register in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord."
Verse nine said, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked who can know it?" She freed herself and looked him in the eyes. 'Let me make you understand why I quoted from the holy Scripture.' She adjusted the shawl around shoulders.

He opened a bottle of water and handed it to her. 'Drink water. '

She obeyed.

'Drink more. ' He told her when she took only a sip.

She took more almost emptying the 75cl bottle.
+++

Hameenat94: passing a bucket 2 her

(Dab eyes and sniffs ) Thank you dear.

Ziziola: Chai! Poor Katerine. She had to go through all that

All that and more dearie.

Jeanfortune: just because of jeep scratch, gosh!!, if i were Kathy, i will survive, u know y? so i could wipe out that man and all his lineage, rubbish, cos of ordinary car

My dear... I'm sure that thought must have crossed her mind too.

babyzai: Av been good. Just taking tins easy bt really loving nd enjoying ur story. D last update made me cry. Well done nd may ur fountain of knowledge neva run dry.

What a shiny royal pence! Amen and thanks. .

Ma'am, I learnt a lot, thanks for sharing.

JeffreyJamez: *Starts selling handky *

buy 2 get one free!!!!!!

Lol the amount of tears wey them go shed because of this update ehn....e fit baff pikin

Jeffrey, I'm trying so hard not to laugh, we're mourning Dave.

Divepen: oga sammy carry
Mumsy exta...
Plz...
I requested your email address thru one of my works..it is urgent because I know u r d only one I can rely for dat type of Thn...
Oga sammyhoe, Tiffanyj, Davep, Princesa, Texanomaly, dygeasy,Therock5555,Rovyer Missyhorlar can all attest to it that is a somethinh great that must be kept a secret for d main tym

ugbajaesther@yahoo.com

Hameenat94: *crying*... Bring both d bowl nd bucket... Hw callous some Human cn b.. Guess d Yerima comes in nw... Still crying...

About the Yekinis, hmmm... (sniffs and joins her in weeping )

pweeeetychi: people can be damn wicked, why waste someone's life cos of material thing?
This episode is sooooo touching.

My dear...I don't understand myself.

pinetulips: ,thankskee Protect itself from Ebola

I try dear, may God's grace be sufficient.

Congratulations Audrey.

SammyHoe: Aunty Esther you are welcome...pls do take a seat at d front.

Sure will, thanks.

vivikul: can't help but to keep laffing at dat. Nyc work dear. We love u

I love you darling. Thanks

Candis009: How cruel*sobs*

(Wipe her tears and weep with her ) Very cruel.

This is really touching, sorry am late to join the train. Splendid work Sammy.

nnekamezor: Kai,my gudness. Is this wat Katherine went thruits so terrible.;(Wat a wicked wrld... Damn!!! . So touching...Dearie thanks for d lovely update

That was what she went through o my sister. Thanks for your royal pence.

TiffanyJ: So much painful memories. Nice one Queen

Very painful dear. Thanks for reading.

Babyzai, I sight you it's been a while. Hope you're okay.

Have a pleasant week, don't forget to fill the royal bowl with your pence. Hameenat, you can decide to use a bowl or bucket.

Cry louder dear Erica, Daddy's home.

'My life took a turn when I was fifteen, about to be through with my secondary education. It all began when huge amount of money was stolen from my daddy company. The money vanished as a result of conspiracy. Before then, my dad was bribed by some of his colleagues to join the plot but he declined, because of a declination, he became their enemy. When investigations, they placed him at the forefront. He was arrested, tortured, his bank accounts frozen, most of his assets was seized and they didn't bother to do a thorough investigation before he was sacked bearing in mind that he would be retiring and all the entitlements .'

'What! ' His brows furrowed into a frown.

'Kel... ' She called softly and held his gaze. 'That is why I didn't want you to go ahead to do the mass arrest, I didn't want the innocent to suffer with guilty. I remembered the ordeal my dad and we all passed through, the psychological implications.

'I'm glad I obeyed you.' He squeezed her palm and smiled at her.

'We had to vacate the house they were living in. Daddy had built a house in the country side and had complimented the ground floor of another in Lagos. We moved there. My mum took up the responbilities of the family gladly. We adjusted real good but dad wouldn't sit back. He tried to secure a job but he spent the better part of his working years  for the company. In spite of the disappointment, he didn't give up. One day, in the course of his looking for a job, he was involved in a road traffic accident that almost led to the amputation of a leg.' She heaved. ' When he recovered, I could remember been upset and saying -Daddy, I told you should take it easy, look what it has cause all us. Dad, I understand the depression, frustration and everything but you don't have to take it out all yourself. And then he said to me, honey, you don't understand. I sat beside him and embraced him. Kelvin... ' she called.

'Yes darling. '

It didn't take me nineteen- months to know my dad had been right. ' She sobbed and clasped a palm over her mouth.

'Darling easy.' He soothed and pat her palm.

'O... kay Kel. ' She mumbled but couldn't fight back the tears that were flowing down her cheeks like they were naturally meant to be neither the shakiness in her voice. 'We lived and our family atmosphere remained. I concluded my final exams in high school and graduated. Two months afterwards, tragedy stuck. ' She closed her eyes and blinked severally. 'Kel, my hands, I can't see.'

He released her hands and watched as she wiped her tears and blew her nose in a Kleenex. He knew it wouldn't be long before his tear ducts got active. How was he to know that his curiosity all along would uncheck checked emotions. He fetched a neatly folded handkerchief from his pocket. 'Here Kathy.'

'Thanks.' She collected it. 'On that gloomy day, my mum got to her guest house just to see... see her investment over the years ...her family financial lifeline razed to the ground by fire.'

He shook his head.

'We were not able to figure out how it came about. It occured in the early hours of morning and the fire claimed everything burnable. No life was lost but my collasped and never got on her feet. She never recovered from the shock even after three days of intensive care. It killed her Kel... it killed the Queen of my very heart, my role model, my lovely mum...' She sobbed. 'She was a strong woman but I don't anyone would stand that, considering all the kind of thoughts that might have rush through her mind.'

Kelvin nodded slowly.

'We wished that God had kept her because we knew that no matter what, we can still forge ahead. She was buried, we mourned her because of what she meant to us. We loved her dearly.' She paused and looked to heaven. 'We appreciated her, we cherished her and there was never, never going to be a replacement of her in our hearts. In the midst of it all, we comfort ourselves and draw closer to one another.'

'That's terrible.' Kelvin stated.

'Terrible? ' She almost scoffed. 'Hmmm...' She reserved. 'I've been to this beach about three times before today. First with my primary school, family and the third with my brother and his friends.' She smiled sadly. 'My brother took the responsibility baton. My mum car was sold and he used some of the money to purchase a commercial motorcycle. He also took a job. I was scared because he combined his education with job and used his spare time for transportation. I took care of the home front. I desired to assist him even if it is take away the littlest burden off his shoulder but he wouldn't hear of it... ' She pursed her lips, stared into space and her tears flowed. 'He wouldn't hear of such, he sat me down and told me something me being beautiful and didn't want me to be exposed to harsh reality of life. He told he didn't want to hear of such again since he wasn't asking for an assistant. I was annoyed and wanted to shake him until he agrees with me. I left his room for mine and cried myself to sleep. Yes, I did not accept, good, he was being protective, Splendid, because he thinks I'm a baby that can't differentiate her right from left. All thanks to him! '

Kelvin chuckled imagining how she must have pouted her lips then. 'I understand what your brother tried to do, good, you know your onions, you know what you are capable of doing but there is what is called voluntary deed and forceful deed. There is no limitation to what people can do to have their way. You never can tell what they might be thinking of and the set up that might came about. Your brother is more experience, definitely more learned and he was in this world before you came about, so darling he look at things far beyond your view. He knows that...' He thoughtfully continued after passing. 'He knows that you are going to give your output innocently and they in quote might give some forceful actions.'

She pouted her lips and narrowed her gaze at him.

'Don't look at me like that girlfriend.' He grinned. 'let's see it from your own point of view, you really want to help, you might be helpless when things tighten up. He is going to be very worried about you and that does not help relief stress instead it adds. If I were him after your suggestion and the reluctance you put off, anytime I leave I will lock the door in case you change after I've left.'

'You're sounding more bossy than my brother. '

Kelvin laughed and she smiled.

He had said that to lighten her mood.

'There was a time I followed him to his university. He wanted to show me around so he asked me to drop my bag with a course mate. By the time we came back, I saw three envelopes with contacts in my bag. I showed them to him, he opened and read their contents, he had an expression of anger initially but then he began to laugh when he handed the letters over and asked me to read them. ' She grinned in remembrance. 'When I was done, he asked me to sit beside him and educated me on guys and relationships.'

Kelvin bobbed his head from side to side smiling.

'They were love letters written by his course mates and they dropped them in my bag knowing the kind of person he was.'

'I can only imagine the kind of talk it was. '

'Of course you can, since you have two sisters and I can remember the bully whippers story. '

Kelvin rolled into bouts of laughter.

'Can you imagine two thousand naira was in one of the envelope? '

'That's some real competition.' He beamed.

'My brother used to tell me that I was his Princess and that if he had his way, he would have me beside him always because I was an influence to him and when people see us together and smiled at us, he felt taller and more handsome. He told me that I was his first lady and I glared at him bemused. He knew it was because of his girlfriend. Guess what he told me.'

'I suck at guessing.'

"You can tell her if you want to,afterall I knew you before I met her."

'Wow. I'm surprised you are tall and don't have a tiny head despite the endearment that was heaped on you.'

She could have jabbed him if she had the strength instead she rolled her reddened eyes. 'My brother was the best and I loved him fiercely. Hmmm... ' She muttered and then heaved. 'We lived happily though we didn't have the luxury we were used to. My life took another drastic turn during the month most people call the love month.' She sipped water and all previous excitement vanished.

'February. '

'Yes.' She stretched forth hands to him and he took them. 'I remember my brother asking if I wanted to go out and I said- yes. I got ready, it's been a while we indulged ourselves due to our shortcomings. We took permission from our dad and left on his bike. He took me to a couple to places where we had a pretty good time. We went to the library to pick two books as before, though since he got so busy, I went by myself and read alone. On our way back, we got stuck in an unusual traffic...' She sobbed and tears began to flow down her cheeks. 'Can I do this? ' She whispered in between sobs. Her body shook convulsively and her lips trembled. 'That was the last outing we had.'

He closed his eyes broken hearted. He felt the sting of tears when he opened his eyes.

'The place where we were began to tighten, in an attempt to move forward, the front tyre  of the bike scratched the lower part of a Jeep mistakenly.' She bit her lower lips and her grip tightened on Kelvin's hands.

'The driver of the Jeep came out and examined the scratch, he was in uniform, I can't remember which of the force. The traffic had become stand still. My brother and I alighted and began apologizing. He didn't hear them or it did fuel his anger because he leashed out insults that I never knew existed. At a point, I felt that the insults were just too much for a scratch after all, the vehicle was not made of gold though it was one of the latest Jeep at that time but since my brother was apologizing who am I to object. Never knowing that there could be no love lost in the human mind for another who he had not met afore time. The man went back into the car and brought out a gun.'

'Jesus Christ! ' He shook his head as though he was in a trance.

'What will one do if a gun was pointed at one, even if one was right, you resolved to begging. I could still.see my brother prostrating on the ground, I remember myself going down on my knees begging.' She continued with a voice energized by anger. 'I remember people that had gathered pleading on our behalf. All that went one man, one human... and yet...' She swallowed hard and tears flowed down her face.

'You know most people...' She wiped her weeping nose with the hanky but it was immediately was replaced. 'Most people are monsters in human form, they are beast not even fit to live in the jungle because most animals if not all care and most don't practise cannibalism.' She released a palm and massaged her forehead. 'As my brother stood, he pulled the trigger, the bullet hit his fore head and another to his abdomen. He was dead even before he reached the ground to lie in his pool of blood .'

Kelvin pulled her into his arms with eyes filled with tears.

'I flung myself at him so he could kill me too but he pushed me away, I stood to throw myself at him once more but froze as I thought of my father. He was going to die of cardiac arrest.

'I screamed and slumped on my knees and became absent minded of happenings around me as I placed his head and begged to survive, begged him not to leave because it was going to kill our father. I clung to him and screamed till lost my voice. It took effort for the crowd to separate us.

The man used the gun to distant himself from the crowd who were ready to attack him until the police came and whisked him away but they couldn't go with his Jeep. Other commercial motorcyclist set the Jeep ablaze. They organised a vehicle to convey him to the ...mortuary but I insisted they took him home.' She released herself. 'I never saw my dad cry until that day. That's how the life of a 400level medical student was cut short, that is how I lost my brother. ' She closed her eyes and shut her ears with both palms.

'Katherine? ' He called concerned.

'It's all coming to me that moment...just like a flood, am overwhelmed by it. I can hear the bullets, so loud and for a moment, my heart beat stopped. That was how I lost my Kennedy Sylvester, my bestie, my chief bodyguard, my head teacher.'

+++

The stage is set.

Hameenat94: Wat kind of a mother treats her daughter lyk dat.. Na wa oh

Selfish ones.

Essyydiamond: Are u the author of Ola: the moon maiden?

No, he isn't

It's funny how we feel committed to those who have hurt us. Walking away is not easy as saying it.

Still following... what else do I even know how to do?

TiffanyJ: Abeg come update o. Suspense too much

I'm coming Sweetie. No vex.