by A. Achaka
She knows she is lying only trying to make her feel better, now she caught herself missing her presence, they both confide in each other, like there was a time a guy asked Emmauella out, during her first year in school, she had to call Erica for advice and what she should do.
Here she was seated on the chair staring at a two hundred pound man lying on the floor unconscious, her mind has been racing on what she should do, she wouldn’t call for help because she knows the situation they were in and wouldn’t risk it, she happens to care for Gideon now as a friend.
He trust and understand her, and now here he was acting strange and finally pass-out, she end up doing nothing but tune in the television to a movie the Conjouring 2 going on.
While watching her thought came back on the cloth she had bought from the mall outside the hotel premises. They were two dresses, one T shirt and trouser for herself, while for Gideon she bought a jean and T Shirt. Into the bathroom she tried her’s and it indeed fit perfectly, more like she measured it, she end up wearing the t shirt and the jeans and came back to her watching television.
In just a little while she heard him make a sound, he was still holding to his head, when finally he opened his eyes, she was staring down at him
“what am I doing on the floor?” he asked, she now sensed the familiarity in his face and immediately hug him, “Ok, let me get up first” she got up and he did the same and sat down on the chair still holding his head “why was I on the floor?” he asked again, she was now smiling
“Thank, God you are Back, I thought I have lost you, you even tried to kill me” she watched as his eyes bulged out in surprise but she interrupted as he opened his mouth “it was a joke” and burst into laughter “but you changed, I went out to buy us some cloth and when I came back you were all looking different and asking me, who am I and where were we” he was still confused
“But how did I get on the floor?” he spoke, she seems to be enjoying the event very much
“on the floor, oh yes, you started crying like a little child, my head my head” she was demonstrating it and soon feel on the floor laughing, he got up and pick her up and throw her on the bed tickling her, she laughed until the phone went off, he look at her with a questionable eyes, that say ‘are you expecting anybody’s call’ but he went over and pick the call, when he heard the massage he turn looking at her
“did you order anything?” she nodded in agreement “Ok yes” he turn and look at the wall clock which reads five minute after six “I must have slept for long” he said
“off course, I bought you some things to change into” she pick up the paper bag and handed to him, he accepted it and emptied the content on the bed, he look at her and back to the cloths, he rushed into the bathroom and what she heard next was the shower.
The waiter knock on the door “Room Service” she went and opened it, it was the same lady of yesterday, her eyes quickly went round the room, she was expecting to meet him but was disappointed, she had a more tight dress than the previous day, her bosom was almost falling out of the dress, when she bend to put the tray on the table, Erica at her back could see the pink panties she was wearing
“you know, if you learn to dress decently” Erica said “men will fall for you” the lady was surprise at that statement, she turns quickly to look at who was talking, it was just Erica “yes it was me talking to you, you are here trying to seduce a person that don’t even look at you, I wonder what your management will say when they know you harass their client dressing like these” Erica watched her face go from bad to worst, but it seems the words got to her, she was standing looking at her like a discipline child.
Immediately Gideon came out from the bathroom, dressed in his new cloths it was perfect, he stare at the two of them for a minute
“Who are you and what are you doing here dressed like these?” he watched Erica raised her shoulder to the lady, ‘like I told you so’ tears starts dropping from the lady’s eyes as she made to leave the room.
“wait” Erica called out, she stop before she laid her hands on the door and turned “what is wrong, would like to tell me” it now downed on her that there was a particular thing that make her do what she was doing,
“Don’t worry” replied the girl and went for the door but Erica called her again and she stopped and turns back
“Come and seat with us” she turn to Gideon, he seems to understand her perfectly and knows that she wants to know what the problem was
“Yea come and join us” he said, his voice made her comfortable and she pull down her dress and adjusted the top button and approached them, and they allowed her seat at the chair while Erica sat on the bed.
They dished out the food and were eating, Erica who was now curious as the lady devour her food in massive hunger
“ what happened to you?” Erica finally asked looking at her trying to swallow the bit, she took from the meat on her plate, now she feels guilty for not starting the conversation with the lady’s name. When she has swallowed the food, she set the plate down and raised her head to look at them and smile
“My name is Linda, I leave here in sabon gari with my two children and mother” She paused and fought the tears that was trying to come out of her eyes “my husband was killed by some people and his family came and took everything and send us out parking, through the argument one of his brother used something and hit my mother on the head, she has been in the hospital for months, no treatment not even having a bed, she sleeps on the floor” Erica watched her wipe her tears and she felt sorry for her but no sign of tears in her’s as well as Gideon “We were force to leaving in an uncompleted building, I tried many job but all the people want to use me before they give me the work, I refuse but I end up with nothing, even these work here nobody pays me, I have to beg them to give me food to take to some rooms, I know anyone could, you know do and give me money, my children are starving” She couldn’t resist the tears anymore and burst into a loud cry.
Erica turned to Gideon who was also looking back at her, he know she had felt enough pity for the woman, and could closely reads her mind she would want them to help her, for some reason he also feels the same but wouldn’t show it
“When are you leaving here?” he asked her
“Any time, I get something to feed my children” Erica eyes trail from who was talking to the other still in pain of the story, she had heard worst in her little live but these one happen to get to her.
“Ok can you come back in thirty minute please” he said to her and he turn to Erica she seems to agree with his words, she got up and smiled her face seems to change, some how she have finally gotten the help she wanted, even its a little token to feed her children she would be happy.
When she left the room Erica’s eyes were glued to his without blinking, “what are we going to do” she ask
“That was exactly what I wanted us to talk about, when I asked her to come back in thirty minutes”
‘How much can you give her that will meet her needs?” she was now looking out the window
“I was thinking of following her to the hospital, to pay her mother’s hospital bills, before going to see her children” He always do good despite the heartless person he had become, so many times he had donated his share of the spoils to ophernage homes.
Erica turned and smiled at him, he must have seen something, when the little memery lost hits him, oh how she wish he could just stay a good person.
“I agree with that, let’s eat and wait for her to come” they sat and ate the food.
“How did you know my size, the cloths, it fits perfectly” she just smile, he got to the drawer by the bed, where he kept the bag and pull out two hundred thousand Naira in large bills and sliped them into his pocket and sat down waiting for her.
Thirty minute later they heard knocking on the door, Erica rushed to the door expecting to see Linda but when she got there, it was another young lady that was standing there, she was dressed in the hotel service uniform
&n
bsp; “Am so sorry to disturb you but Mrs. Linda, asked me to come tell you, she had a call that her mother collapsed”
“What, please do you know where the hospital is?” Erica asked
“Yes but I am on duty, you can just take a taxi cab there, its Sabon Gari general hospital” she turn and left, Erica was now agitated and was waiting for the word which eventually came from his mouth
“Lets go” his mind settled well, as they fly out of the hotel and at once board a taxi cab, that took them to the hospital.
Despite the traffic that always comes with closing hours of work and evening, the cab driver manover his way to bypass it, he was a rough driver, an impatient man too, for so many times he almost had accidents,
“driver watch it” they would shout from the back seat, but instead of apologising he would in turn be insulting the next driver. They finally got out of the traffic, they thought the driver was a James bond guy, he was an expert but very risky, in no time they arrived at the hospital gate “we are here” Erica asked, he pointed out the window to the hospital gate.
It’s was almsot getting dark, the traffic must have been a lengthy one, they paid the driver and made their way into the hospital, it was a little crowded to the left side of the hospital, Now the question of how to locate Linda was the problem and none of them had her numberto begin with.
Erica pull him towards the crowed people, they seems to be mourning because many women had their hands on their head; it really shows signs of mourning. They approached a man standing at the back
“Sir, what happened here?” Gideon asked, the man turn in fright “Oh sorry I don’t mean to scare you”
“Is wan woman way die, good woman but the hospital say no money to put am for mortuary” he was not well educated, his english wasn’t polised either.
“So, where are the owner of the body?” he looked at them as if they were saying something strange
“You say owner of the body?” he was still confused
“Ok, I mean where is the woman’s family?”
“Ok e dey for there, dey beg for the body, na wan woman and her children” he pointed to the heart of the crowd
“yes, I see them, thank you” he turn to Erica and stretched his hand, she understand and took it, they went through the crowed, to a woman crying and begging the hospital, to either give her the body or to keep it in the mortuary. They approached them and at once recognise it was Linda, she was holding her her two boys, and crying profusely and begging at the staffs of the hospital.
They pushed through people and got to the arguement, every one was shouting, they have no idea what was really happening. Gideon still held on to Erica’s hand its not an easy thing for children to get lost in the crowd. Erica stretched and tapped at Linda arm, but she wasn’t responding, actually every one was touching one another in the crowd but she shouted her name “Linda” she turns and was surprise to see them, the tears runs freely out of her eyes.
“Can we talk to you aside please?” she nodded and she followed them further away from the crowd, she was dragging her two kids with her still trying to clean her tears “We heard what happened and came immediately, sorry for you loss, so what did they say it’s the problem?” Gideon asked
“They won’t give me the body or put it in the mortuary” she burst into a fresh cry, but quickly composes herself, looking at them, she always have little to say, she was really hoping it was a goodluck that had arrived, though she was happy and sad at the same time.
“Amm, How much is for the Mortuary?” Gideon asked, she raised her head to look at him talking “it not proper to keep the body outside, it will be a shameful thing, at least for you to prepare for a burial”
“Fifteen thousand naira”
“Fifteen thousand? So they would do that for fifteen thousand naira, kai, they are have no heart, ok it’s getting late and we don’t know about these place much, so let’s go to their office and pay for the mortuary, then we will settle the other later ok?” Gideon said. She almost sank into her knees in appreciation but he stopped her on the way, they followed her to the office and made the payment.
When the body had been kept in the mortuary, it’s almost to eight and dark if not for the bulbs around, giving light to the path. At least the crowd started giving way with the latest development.
“Thank you very much, i don’t know what i would have done with you” she came back after the documentation. “Sorry these are my boys david and Jonathan, Greet them” she turns to the children.
Erica held them by their hands “How are you” she turned to Gideon. They really look hungry and un-kept, despite the dark one will notice it. Gideon kept a glue at his watch and beside he only paid for two days and they should have checked out by now and the bag of money was still there.
They said their plesentried and before they depart, Gideon gave her about ten thousand naira and ask her to come to the hotel tomorrow. Erica was smiling all through the way back to the hotel, she felt happy for held given to Linda.
Back to the hotel, the manager was at the lobby when they walked in, He was actually furious at the recieptionsit, when he saw then he was calm and approached them.
“Good evening Sir, we as an organisation does our things in an orderly manner, i realise you were supposed to check out, earlier but you left and had gone out with the key to the room, it is very uncold for, haven’t we been nice to you?”
“oh yes, sorry about, there was emergency, we have to visit someone at the hospital, we never imagined it will be this long” Gideon responded, Erica was actually scared he might do something to the manager but his action was calm and ordely. They approached the counter and renew the pay for another night.
In the room, Gideon sank into the chair, that was quiet a day, he cannot believe how normal his life going with this girl, He had grown soft and have pity toom much on people, and the manager, he would have been begging for his life but he allowed the words to pass by.
Erica felt exhausted, she went into the bathroom and had the shower running. She let the water fall on her, thinking about the life she had with her parent, she can’t deny it she misses them, and wished they would have not been that stubborn, they would have been alive by now and probably having the best time of their lifes.
Now she feels a little responsible to keeping Gideon in his right senses, a lot have been revealed to her about him, but she was wise enough not to discuss any of it with him. She came back into the room and sat on the bad, a brief peep at him, he must be lost in his thought, she pick up the Remote and tune in the TV. The image on the local station froze her to death, she made a little sound of distress, it brought Gideon back to the room and his face to the same direction, His eyes were almost gulging out of the socket.
This must have gone way round the country by now, it was the picture of Erica and her sister decleared missing and if anyone should have a visible contact, should inform the police.
They were both startled, Gideon horridly brought out the bag and load their things in it. Erica was in a separate kind of thought, she just watch him do the parking, he was in a panic, never has fear grip him as this, his mind was reading a thousand conclusion to the ugly event.
Gideon finshed packing and told her they should leave that night, because it might be that some one have seen the picture in the hotel, he wouldn’t want to risk it.
“What about Linda? We promised to help her” she sat down not ready to move, While his mind was getting boiled
“Common we have to get out of here, this is a serious crime, form me it will be a life sentence, we have to go” she crossed her hands together.
“there wont be harm, if we leave tomorrow, i just want us to help her and her children” He became more angry and left the room. She was aware of the situation but the life of that family is also at stake, beside she knows nothing will befall him.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Running in the dark night on a rocky soil was a bad thing to imagine and anyone to ever thin
k off or running from danger on a rocky soil, although sometimes the ignorance put on, when the toes kiss the pebbles is a feeling that could get to the heart of the brain.
Virgin land as it was with no hope of cultivation, atleast anytime soon could really gives an alarming danger to someone on transit because of danger. The half moon up was our only consolation that night but even at that “Aww” was the sound we making every few distance, we put in our busy schedule to escaping what would been a tragic situation.
I just imagine what she had been fed with, she was moving at my pace, without complain. The concoction used for my injured hand, has done an amazing job, I wasn’t feeling the pain or my hands heavy as it use to earlier. Someone would have imagine the trauma, she had under gone when she realised what they had intended her to be must have trigger alot of strength in the way she moves, i on the other hand was getting exhausted.
I turned back still in our flight to safty and discovered that the view of the village had disappeared, I could not see it anymore, it means we have run a reasonable distance to have lost the village out of sight, to turn back again, I came crash into her back and fell on my back, she had already halt and was looking forward panting, while i lay hoplessly on the ground, its a good thing i didn’t hit my head.
“Hay, what is it? I manage asked, she didn’t answer nor turned back to me. I know something was wrong, I cleaned my eyes and look between her legs, there were red eyes looking back at us, they were like dogs but not dogs, I have never seen them before and I guess neither have she.
I pushed myself up, she was seriously shaking, i moved closer and touched her, she almost jump up, but held me when she realise it was me. I held out the gun with my left hand and rest it on the right, we stood there looking at each other for a while, actually they wanted us to be afraid before they could do what they wanted, at least they succeeded in getting one, I think she must be almost wetting her pants in fear, then I pull the trigger, what we heard was a laughing sound and they dashed into the darkness.