The lady he was talking with now also seemed eager to leave, seeing that her friends and other people were walking into the party. Edmond did not know what to do in this fleeting moment.
But somehow, the secretly amused lady understood the urgency of the situation after his brief explanation. He said he was a medical doctor and that some children’s lives need to be saved. She was going to allow him use her own car parked just beside his. Edmond gratefully accepted her help, and they exchanged phone numbers. She rightly also gave him her home and office address, so he could return the car later. She then handed the key to him and wished him good luck. His thank-you to her gesture was quite excited, loud, and very much understood.
Edmond promptly left at once to attend to the kids at the hospital, leaving his own car behind.
The lady watched as he sped off, and now she took a moment to finally release her chuckles. However, she hoped the man would reach his hospital in time to help rescue some “kiddies’ lives,” according to his quick recapitulation. She also hoped more that he kept his word and return her car to her.
Her beautiful baby—a sleek Toyota model convertible—is gone with the man, but he promised to return it to her home the same evening. She hopes so, and really hopes he won’t fail.
The lady now turned around and went into the party. But she suddenly stopped in her steps within a split second of reflection. apparently prompted by something beyond her usual self. From his accent, carriage, business-like mannerism, and swiftness, that guy seems polished! she thought to herself in admiration of the stranger. Then she suddenly muttered;
“So help me, oh Lord!” What was her business summing up that guy in this one moment of time? She chided herself. “Hmph! So much of this unruly ability of always assessing people quickly and with ease!” she warned herself.
Then she quickly walked into the function she had been attending before meeting the man outside. Luckily the man was known in the party, and she was happy and relieved to hear the host assured her that she would not have any problems with him.
The lady was Cynthia. It was later that she realized he was a pediatrician, and that his name is Edmond.
After he returned her car in the evening, Edmond maintained contact and kept seeing her for weeks and months afterward, until love became so obvious between them.
Cynthia has never fallen in love before, and Edmond’s heart has never before truly been taken so much by a woman. He is taken completely by her lovely affection and intriguing depth. She is swept off her feet by his masculine gusto and eternal adoration. Both are passionate lovers.
It is truly just a gradual process, but the unfolding of themselves to each other as days go by makes it so clear to them now that their incidental meeting at the party was surely not a chance meeting at all. It must have been prearranged by destiny somehow, for his tire to go dead flat that day and for she to come by just at the right moment to his rescue. They still laugh endlessly over the funny side of it. But they also marvel at how so simple it is, for them to just meet in one ordinary moment of time and discover their endless love. And at the same time, they wonder at the easy possibility that they would never have met. It is amazing! What if they had never met? What could have been, if they did not discover their love? And what else could be better than this?
Their love is true, and Edmond is a wonderful man. He is all the love she ever needs. Edmond is everything Cynthia could ever want or ask for. He loves and adores her like crazy, and she loves him so much.
She gives all her heart and soul to him, trusting that nothing will happen to her. He will not be hurting her, and even if he did, she won’t be crying anymore, for she is quite certain that she has seen and received a good part of his love. She believes the love he has given her can nullify any kind of pain. Edmond inspires in her a love that is so deep and trusting. Her scared heart is no longer afraid of life or of love. That is the power of Edmond’s love for her.
And on his side, Cynthia is his queen, and he treats her so, if not more like a goddess.
Fifteen
When that bus they entered to the city over twelve years ago had departed to Dike’s chagrin, he later went home that day, a very angry man.
Back on that day
He has searched for Christy everywhere he can. Dike is so exhausted in both strength and spirit now, and he finally decides to go home and swallow all his disappointments of the morning. It has taken him all day to go around town and ask of Christy, without yield.
But it won’t take him too long to devise another plan, he assures himself as he walks home now, dragging his disheveled bicycle along petulantly. His red rumpled chieftaincy cap is long off his head and is presently tucked away on the bicycle.
Later in the night, when Onochie also returns home from his farm, he is debriefed of all the events of the day. He is equally as confused as Dike, especially about Onuma’s plight of strange wounds.
Much later on, amid their discussions into the night, a fresh plan hatches from Dike’s mind. They will have to go further in search of Christy at least, if they can’t be sure of finding the missing children. Since he had seen Cynthia on that departing bus, and he was later informed by two different people through his inquires that Christy was seen hurrying toward the market at a time the bus had already left, Dike is at least sure, that Christy did not leave town with the children. With this information, they must act fast by setting off the next morning to find Christy, before it becomes too late for them. This means they will have to trace her to her own home, which they have not located. Time is not on their side.
To that suggestion, Onochie says, “I think at this point we also have to inform the kin’s men and the entire village, and let everybody know what has happened. Let the entire village officially know that the woman went missing with the kids. That would be the most responsible thing to do at this time, and it would help find them faster.”
But that opinion is very different from Dike’s idea. Dike would rather take the blame later because right now, all he wants is to find Christy and assault her. He will get some thugs to do that for him. With substantial torture, he hopes Christy will be forced to explain herself and the destination to which she sent the kids. The thought of the woman being manhandled and physically injured seems more appealing to Dike than any reasonable or responsible proposition of making it a public affair, either just for the records or for easy tracking of the missing ones. It would surely please him to have Christiana cry for him. How dare she outsmart and flout him this way! He fumes to Onochie, who is his only companion at the moment. Onuma is presently in his room, being nursed by his wife; they can hear his constant cries of woe as Nneoma tends his prolific wounds.
But of course, news travel fast in the small village because by the next morning, various stories are already being whispered about the missing kids and their aunt. Many rumors also abound about Onuma’s mysterious wounds. But these two rumors are quite small, compared to the heavier ones about Susan’s death.
Before 10:00 a.m. the next day, Dike and Onochie, having received reliable directions to Christy’s home, set off on the long journey. By 2:00 p.m. they are standing in front of her house, alone, without the company of either Dike’s thugs or town security. They decided against involving thugs because the two of them are surely capable of dealing with one woman! Now they see the gates of the main entrance ajar.
Inside the house
Christy is in one of the rooms, moving the bags she has parked for herself out toward the gates. Dike and Onochie actually arrive in time to still meet her; had they come some minutes later, they wouldn’t have found her. She is about to leave on a journey of her own, to an unknown destination in the city. She believes it to be the last option for her own safety, as she is well aware of Dike’s capabilities. She decided on that not long after Cynthia and Okechukwu left.
That feeling she had abou
t Dike’s impending approach has remained with her still, long after Cynthia and Okechukwu were gone. She left hurriedly in a different direction as their bus zoomed off, and she did not see Dike, who had appeared from another direction.
Christy meant it when she told herself she was willing to face Dike’s fury, and even risk her own life, for the sake of the kids she loves. But now she is not quite sure of it anymore. A sudden panic seized her as soon as the bus departed, and she realized then that her heart beat faster than she could contain. She was so restless all through the night, getting very little sleep.
This morning, she wakes early and spends the day packing and sorting various important items she will be returning to the appropriate owners. She really has a lot to sort out, and she doesn’t think she would be coming back any time soon. She is taking her little remaining time to sort things all out and be appropriate. She has almost accomplished that already, and now she must leave the town; this is what her conscience keeps prompting her to do. She would leave for the protection of her own life. But now, who are these two coming right through her gates? An untold fear quickly grips her, as she looks up through a window and sees Dike and Onochie approaching.
They are already within Christy’s property and are striding past the open gates outside and coming toward the open front door of the house.
Immediately Christy sights them, she stops momentarily in her steps. She has already moved two bags outside and is presently hauling a third one; while the fourth one, a smaller bag, is sitting on the floor beside her slippers. She was moving the bags out very quickly and didn’t want to be slowed down by slipper shuffles. She would wear them when she is finally set to go.
Now, seeing Dike and Onochie pass through the gates, walk past her two bags outside and hurriedly approach her doors; Christy drops the bag she is carrying quickly to the floor, runs across to the adjoining sitting room, and shuts the door loudly before they can get in. The door slams heavily on them with a big bang, Gboa!
Onochie, from the other side, makes an instinctive rush to stop the door but fails. He is now moving and turning the door handle frantically, but to no avail; Christy locked the door. From the inside, she moves to secure the door even more strongly now, with two large bolts and a hinged hook that is built on the door.
She feels completely secure inside the sitting room and out of their reach, while the men are outside ruffling with the door in vain. Christy now moves closer to an open front window in the sitting room, to have a closer look at the men. She is satisfied to note their futile attempts at the door. She feels very confident in her safety, knowing that the door is the only accessible door that leads into the house.
The main gate outside is large, a two-in-one gate at the first entrance to the compound. The house is built such that the fifty-feet-long rectangular block of three rooms stands parallel to the fence from end to end, facing the semi-spacious span of the front yard before the main gates. The main gate is in the fence. There are two other smaller gates by each end of the block, leading to the back yards as side entrances to the house, but these two are always on bolts and padlocks. Christy lives alone and has no children, so she has no need of leaving the smaller gates open. Since she is the only one living in the house, she just makes use of the main entrance door at the center, where there is a small balcony. This main entrance is the front door that delicately opens into her sitting room, or what she calls her “Welcome Place.” All her friends and visitors use only this one door to gain entrance to her house.
The fifth gate in the house is also always on locks except when use becomes necessary, and it is located at the backyard. It opens through the back fence and into many narrow paths of surrounding farms and bushes.
Christy feels very safe knowing that she is completely out of reach from her unexpected assailants. Unless things get out of hand and they break down her door, she will only have to see or talk to them through the small windows.
“Christy open the door!” shouts Onochie. He and Dike have been trying in vain to force the door open. Realizing it is well secured from inside, they resort to talk to see if she will eventually open the door for them. Both custom and courtesy demand one welcome visitors, even if unexpected.
But for Christy, uninvited—and especially unwelcome— visitors should better remain unwelcome.
“Christiana open this door. We will have to break it down if you don’t!” threatens a very distressed Dike, calling her Christiana with so much disgust. His patience has been tried by Christy’s refusal to budge to Onochie’s pleas, and he is no longer going to take it easy. He is actually going to try to break down the door.
“What do you want?” Christy finally asks, far away in the inside. Her voice is faint with tremor.
Outside
Dike is moving about the compound frantically in search of a log, block of stone, or anything to aid in breaking down the door; while Onochie still pulls and turns the door knob. “Open the door first. Let us sit and talk like elders. We come in peace,” says Onochie once again, this time in a pleading manner.
“Just say what you have to say. I will hear and respond from here,” Christy says from the other side. She seems to be picking up some strength in her voice.
“You are a daughter of the soil and know that keeping your in-laws outside is not of our culture. It’s an insult to us!” continues Onochie, hoping to win her over by explaining the cultural implications of her actions.
“Mazi Onochie, I have nothing of yours in my house. What brings you to my house? What do you want?” she questions disconcertedly, interrupting him from his explanation. The initial tremor in her voice has suddenly disappeared.
“It looks like you are about to go on a journey. Where are you suddenly going off to, and where are your sister’s kids? The boy and the girl—where have you sent them?” he asks gently again, hoping that Christy will open the door for him.
By now, Dike has returned with a heavy lump of stone. He is actually going to make true his threats. He is tired and carries the stone with great difficulty. He rushes to the door at once and throws the stone heavily at it. The door shakes violently at the impact but does not budge just yet. The stone falls to the floor, with some parts of it breaking off.
Dike lifts the stone again and throws it a second, third, and fourth time at the door; still it stands strong. He throws the stone and jumps back to avoid the stone falling back on him or hitting his toes. At each throw, the stone becomes even smaller, as pieces of it keep breaking.
Dike is not happy at all. His effort does not yield the desired result! He is intensely worked up by that single activity. Feeling so depleted and not knowing what else to do now, he is sad to note that he will not make any success with the door. Dike’s fury is indeed very evident all over him, but Christy does not seem to care about that anymore. Onochie pleads and explains, Dike shouts and threatens, but Christy will not listen to either of them. She resolutely refuses to open the door for them.
The men got tired. After some time and silence, Christy comes to the window again, looking at the two men as they glare at her ferociously.
“What do you want?” she asks once again, in a calmer voice this time.
“Open up this door, Christiana! Where did you send Okechukwu and the girl?” Dike charges at her very bitterly, shouting, at the top of his voice. He has reached the peak of his exhaustion and is sweating all over from a combination of his evident agitation, the intense heat of the afternoon sun, and his lifting and throwing the heavy stone at the door.
“What do you want to know that you do not know already, Mazi Dike?” Christy charges back at him. She seems now ready to talk, and she is going to give these men a long-winded piece of her mind.
Christy suddenly remembers everything she has always known and heard of Dike, especially the reason constituting why she and her little ones are now on the run. She now strongly
believes that Okechukwu’s report on the men the previous
nights is true. She believes that they killed her sister. So she asks, “Why are you so upset? What do you even gain from the death of other people? You cannot kill everybody! Can you? They are young children, Dike. Umuazi! Dike, you are an old man. Why do you want to ruin them? Leave me alone and leave my house. Leave these children alone!” Christy has suddenly poured out those words in her own matching fury, without trying to beat about the bush, as the men are definitely most likely to do if she had started with a plea instead of a confrontation. The men are totally shocked by both her audacity and the very words she said.
“What is she talking about?” Dike asks snappishly, looking at Onochie in mock surprise.
“What are you talking about, Christiana? Have you suddenly gone out of your senses?” adds Onochie, in seeming surprise, too. Both men quickly exchange knowing glances for their dramatic collaboration. Seeming truly surprised at her, they wonder aloud at her allegations.
But they won’t fool Christy. “Oh you don’t know what I’m talking about?” she retorts, making no effort to be nice or act like a submissive woman, as they naturally expect her to remain. She can’t believe they are fooling around and pretending that they are wonderful, or that she does not know about their misdeeds. She continues.
“Wicked people! Murderers! “What are you doing at my house? You came to kill me, too! Evil men! Murderers!” She calls shrilly and very heatedly. Then she pauses a bit, but only to catch her breath.
“So you dare to challenge your elders, Christiana? You are talking to me, Mazi Dike, like this?” Dike bellows, pointing his right thumb to himself and humping up his shoulders, all to create a more intimidating effect. He is trying hard to impose himself on her.
One Love, Many Tears Page 16