Spilled Blood

by A. Achaka

  “Old Legislative Quaters” he was robbing his face almost regretting it

  “You want me to come over?” The word almost throw Erica out of the chair in jubilation, and was giving him thumbs up and nodding her head in agreement, he let out a sigh then answered

  “I will like that if you are not busy” then cleared his throat

  “Ok, were exactly” he told her, he would text her the address and ended the call, Erica was on her feet dancing while he was scratching his head in thought, how can he start telling her all he had done, he has kept his life a secrete from every one, not until Erica came to his life and everything was changing rapidly but on a second thought it’s a turn around in his life but he never imagined it will be this fast as it is going.

  Gideon was very nervous after the lunch, He can’t seems to understand himself, he was feeling very weak as a man, she was virtually making plans for his life. He was actually in control of his life until she showed up, and now adding more gas into the fire, calling Mercy.

  Erica understand his aggitation and kept out of his way, she tidied the house and was watching the television when she heard the door bell ringing, before he could come down, she was outside to open the gate.

  She was heavily smiling when she opened the door and stood face to face with a very beautiful lady, slim and very well dressed, she was not quite what Erica had pictured, she was way better and gorgeously dressed as well probably in her late mid twenties and tall just as he is.

  “You must be mercy, you look very beautiful as he said” Erica extended a hand shake, Mercy was startled by the girls mode of communication, children don’t really talk like that

  “Thank you and you too are beautiful, you must be?”

  “Your new daughter” her face stared in surprise “Am just kidding common in he’s inside” Mercy was still in shock looking at the girl and Gideon came out of the main building all changed, she froze as she saw him, almost in tears may be that was when their life flashed in her face, she broke into run and jump on him, with a tight hug the eyes gave way and the tears flow.

  Erica was so happy at the half reunion “lets just wait and see what will happen when she hear the reason she is here” she said to herself and she ran and joined in the embrace too. They went into the house and sat at the seating room looking at each other, Erica was so keen and was pushing him to say something but he didn’t

  “Gideon told me that you are his girlfriend” He turns sharply towards her with his mouth open and Mercy was looking at him “Is that true?” She continued

  “Honey we...” she was trying to find a suitable word to tell her, when she interrupted

  “Do you have a boyfriend?” All of them were seriously looking at the girl

  “Amm ehh no” she was almost laughing in surprise of the question

  “Thank God, he has no girlfriend too, so you too can be together” Erica focused on their faces and they were looking at each other,

  “Who is this beauty?” Mercy asked

  “I told you, am your new daughter” Mercy couldn’t help but laugh and Gideon raised his shoulder and down again “it’s obviously you two need to talk, you either go up or outside because i want to watch television” Mercy was still in awe fo the little girls confidence, she could only smile. On her way coming she had imagined a thousand and one ways to meet him, amoung was to slap his face or to kiss him but now iots a different ball game, and beside the girl is doing some magic that she had only imagined to happened. They got up and went out side.

  Thirty minute later Erica approached the door and was looking at them through the door frame, she saw Mercy crying deeply, it must have hurt her to hear the whole story, he saw still talking and was trying to gather her into his arms, but she pushed him aside and ran out of the house, she had even forgot that she had a bag.

  The sun was already setting, he was furiously kicking the bumper of the jeep and screaming, exactly why he never told any one about it, what if she did not come back his secrete is out, he was comtempleting on how to dispose of her, he mean even taken her life to keep it a secrete and a voice came.

  “She will come back, its not easy to hear something like that from a love one, it hurt her yes but she will come back” He turned and looked Erica, thinking why on earth did he let a little girl talk him into doing something he don’t want to do, his eyes were narrow at her “When she comes back, she will ask you to promise her that you will never go back to that life again, no matter what happened, you have to be sincere to yourself, do you know what you want?, she just gave you a time to be sure on what you want” His anger rouse up and calm down almost immediately and went into thought “Does he know what he really want?” He sat upon a chair in the garage, staring at the floor, still in thought, He didn’t know when she left him and went back into the house.

  After lunch the third day since the secrete was out, Gideon was still devastated at the incident that had happen, still in his night cloths, he had not taken his bath just sat down in front of the television but his mind was never there, it seems he was watching everything he had ever done, from the killings to the fighting and the initiation to a cult group which, he was kicked out for reckless behaviour.

  I guess they became more scared of him; He wasn’t a noise maker but a dengarous one, no one could control him so they dethrone him and was let go off. Deep in his thought Erica stood in front of the television but he wasn’t there at all, his eyes were not blinking straight into her face but had no idea she was there. Erica screamed out his name but yet he did not respond, she made a move closer to him and pinched him by the neck.

  Gideon response was frightening, he jumped out of the couch in confusion, he must have gone too deep in his thought, just when his mind came at ease, and Mercy and Erica were staring hard to him.

  “Am so sorry, i left the way i did, it was...”

  “Don’t....” He buried his face in his palms, Erica was staring at her, and she caught her gaze, Erica encourage with nodding her head to go over to him, comfort him then left the sitting room.

  Mercy down sat close to him but contemplating if to touch him or not and, she was still annoyed with all that he had told her but, she kept fighting the fact that she was still in love with him, all she want to know is ‘What Now’ she was also scared but the little girl was confident, so she would be. She rested her arm on his shoulder

  “I don’t judge you, because I don’t really know what has happened to you, I just want to know, what now, i do love you” He couldn’t believe his ears, did she really mean that or she was just saying “You know all these years, I couldn’t bring myself to love anybody, it hurt me to my soul when you left and now you are back with all these stories, i feel like you want to hurt me again” she was sobbing

  “Oh no” he raised his head up “Baby, I never meant to hurt you, I was scared of dragging you into the mess i have created for myself, you were so innocent and i can’t make you go through the pain i have created, you are all i’ve got, no one else and i rather see you happy with another man than leave a miserable life with me, that’s why i left” Slowly consciousness was taking a shape in his life, He couldn’t help the tears dropping from his eyes, she used her palm to clean it

  “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have believe you, I was ready to do anything with you” She was also in tears, he also reach out and clean it “So what now” She was confident and clean her tears, as if nothing did happened and was looking straight into his eyes

  “I want you, I want a new life, I want to change, I want to be a good person” she was still trying to get a conviction to what he was saying, all focused in his face

  “Am not ready to be hurt again, you think you can just come back and i will open my arms for you” Her tears was flowing up like a tap but she was holding the cry, even when he could feel it in her voice “Do you even know what you want?” He was quiet to let her say out her mind

  “This little girl, Erica, you see am almost calling her my mom,
she was like a God sent to me, I really would have been dead without her, even so i was among her parents issue, she came through for me, you need to see the way she disguised herself coming back just to save my life, she gave me a second chance or God has send her to give me a second chance, I don’t think before I act but now every day my life flashes in front of me, wishing i could turn back the hand of time, she put the first thought in here” He was pointing to his temple “And now, I want a better life, full of love, that even when I die i will know i have done something right in my life, i want you, I love you” Mercy eyes widened in disbelief, thoes were words, she had never heard from his mouth since they started seeing each other.

  “I don’t believe you” she said sobbing

  “What do you want me to do?” he quickly remember Erica’s words outside yesterday, She draw further from him, facing the other side, her mind was searching for what to tell him, she really don’t want to be hurt and certainly don’t want him to go back to the same thing again.

  “I want you to promise me” She turned and faced him “I want you to promise me that you will never go back to your old ways or even think of it and you will always be there for me, no matter what” His eyes flood open, that commitment sound easy but too difficult for a man like him, and immediatly Erica’s words came running into his mind, if wants to change his life, it won’t be an easy step but finally a step had to be taken.

  “I promise, I will never go back to my old ways and I will be there for you” He answered firmly looking straight into her eyes; he left no room for doubt and they were locked in each others embrace.

  Erica was at the stair case looking at the happy reunion that just happened and smiled.

  They spend the entire afternoon discussing possible ways to get Erica back home or to the police, because in the news it has been announced that the two daughters of the murdered deputy Speaker House of Assembly, werew missing and a certain young man as listed from the park and a reward money has been set already.

  They deliberated for a while with no possible outcome and were exhausted from going off point, either way they took, it will end up in a mess, Gideon got up and was pacing through the sitting room from one end to the other and immediately came to a hault, it seems he had found something from searching his head

  “Look guys, I think we should just make it simple, I will take her and told them I found her” their face look pale

  “What?” Mercy said

  “No you can do that, it’s too risky” Erica said

  “Yea I know, but I have to face my fears, it will be the right thing to do” they were all uncomfortable with the idea he came up with and were now looking at each other. At first they came up with the idea, that they found her running along Jos - Nassarawa road with no place to go, but now he wants to change it and put himself into trouble, what if they arrested him in the process what will they do.

  He turned to them “Just trust me, it will work perfectly” it was settled after much argument that he would take her up tomorrow to the house and narrates the story as it was.

  That night they all slept in one bed, Erica was in their mist, the thought of her going home humbled him to his knees, he has build his world around these Her and trust her to the brim, how can he go on without her, the thought lingers for a while and moved to the main purpose, he was not thinking of ever been free without serving for what he had done, the people he killed and robbed, and back to Erica, just then he found the will to sleep.

  In the afternoon the next day, it was time for the process to commenced, Erica wore the very clothes, she had from Kaduna to Jos it was still unwashed and rumpled to make the story more believing. Before leaving She hugged Mercy and told her to take care of Gideon no matter what happened and to Gideon to love and treat her right before she comes back. They set out on their way to Ray-field where their family house was situated, close enough she started crying deeply, Gideon thought she was faking it to show how serious she was but deep down she will miss him, just as he will, she had never been herself the way she was with Gideon.

  There was hold up on the road due to constructions going on, Gideon drive as a professionl get away driver and finally get them out of the mess and headed finally into the Rayfield it was more like a government reservation area, Where the Government House was, it was the most developed environment in the whole of Jos, Plateau state, the properly arranged trees, buildings, business offices and other buildings as beautified.

  Gideon almost hit a passerby unknowingly because he wasn’t concentrating, he was seriously thinking, when she pointed the next bend “There pull through here” his heart started beating as fast, its really happening, he made the turn and drove slowly, and she told him to pull over before the final curve to the house.

  Erica throws herself on him crying seriously telling him, how she would miss him, He on the other hand couldn’t hold back the tears as they fall freely, she made him promise her that he will eventually come back for her, he made that promise without hesitation and they proceeded to the house.

  The house was indeed something to talk about, It was a big mansion; You can see it from outside the fence, one of the gate was wide open and the security guards were checking the people going in, most of whom were there to pay a condolence visit. Erica took a heavy sigh as they draw nearer, on the sight of the people, the thought of her parent dead came flooding through her mind and she started crying, all he could do was console her as they approached the gate, somehow he passed without been checked because they were busy with some hooligan, fighting to get in.

  In side was littered with people in different directions, forming groups and discussing of nothing they knew about. Tears couldn’t stop running down her eyes but she wasn’t crying anymore, the car came to a hault right in the middle of the house, more security men were going round the house, it was huge, neatly tendered grasses and flowers, given the house a beautiful look.

  Erica climb down from the car, tears was still running her face, she started towards the the main building and most of the people outside who saw her took of in flight, some trembling on the floor, they were shocked surprise, most of them heard that the girls were dead but here she was at every one’s view.

  They made for the door to the house and once inside, the sitting room was filled with people, and was very stuffy, some were sitting on the floor as the chairs were occupied, the sight of her brought panic to the people, the same thing happened, they took to heels, screaming “Ghost”. Mercy one of the house help came out and saw her, she ran and gathered her into her arms crying, they both were held together.

  The activity in the house wouldn’t let one view its full beauty but it has a garage of more than four cars at the left side and a small garden at the right side, with shades for relaxation. Through all the shock, the people one after the other came out and covered all around her asking too many questions but she kept quiet, No one seems to pay attention to Gideon who was heavily scanning around, he was looking for a way out when a man came to him and tap him, turning around it was a man in police uniform, he froze for a moment and responded to his greatening the man showed him the way into the house.

  They walk in silence to the front door, the smell of sweat hit him, no space in particular inside the house some were sitting on chairs while others were sitting on the floor mourning and still jubilating. It’s hard to tell the beauty of the house with all these people going up and down some crying with joy and others serving food. The house of mourning holds alot of cruel people, some are the enemy or the very source of death but so to appeice the family.

  Gideon stood at the door way, he was looking inside, the police man asked him to go inside, he step in and stood close enough, it was very stuffy, the people were back, throwing one question or the other to Erica. All eyes went to him as he greeted them; they murmur the answer and continue what they were doing.

  “This is the man that brought the girl home” The policeman pointed to him, Immediately the whole peop
le came alive and came greeting Him, the hands he shook in the room were uncounted, He was given a seat to sit, both him and Erica would steal and look at each other

  “Please, well done Sir, we thank you for the effort to bring our daughter back, Please where did you find her?” The police man shhh the man asking up

  “This is not the time and place for questing, lets just be happy and be merry that she is back to us that’s all” The word struck him, He thought it will be a give and take affair, although he knows there will be more to it.

  The voices were still going on, he saw more police uniform coming in and finally the Commissioner for police came in greeting the people he knew and to the policeman that ushered Gideon in, who was now pointing at him

  “Good afternoon sir” The commissioner approached him and extend his hand to him, Gideon stood up and accepted the hand “Please can we talk outside?” He turn and wave to Erica and followed them outside, once they were outside they studied him for a minute, he was casually dressed but looking responsible “Please sir, due to inconvenience, we are sorry but you know its necessary for it, i would prefer we go to my office to get some information” without hesitation he agreed and they left.

  They got to the police office, in less than thirty minute on a convoy speed, the premises was small but active policing work going up and down with offenders pleading or running up and down to get one document signed or the other, when they got to the office everything changed instead of normal questioning they started interrogating him, he told them the whole incident but they didn’t believe him saying he must be a kidnapper coming to claim the money which he would later bring the other girl for more ransom.

  They tried but he still remain resolute with his statement, no matter how they twist the question, he still remain adamant with the first story. Since they could not get what they wanted from him, the commissioner told him that they are going to detained him for few days.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN