Pemisire was still at the same spot until she made a move to peep at the entrance, if there was no one there. She didn’t know what would become of her father and twin sister if she ran away. She was agitated, short of ideas at that time. If she didn’t leave that spot as early as possible, she might even be caught.
“Alright, tell me. Where are the classic documents?” The guy questioned Davies.
He had already made them kneel on the floor as he stood like a mountain before them, wearing the face of a hungry lion that could devour any animal seen. He was breathing heavily, to make his anger known to them.
“There are no documents.” Davies replied.
“I hate liars!” The guy roared as he hit his hand on Davies’ head and made him lay on the floor. His breathing hadn’t changed, neither the look on his face. He looked into Pemisayo’s eyes and walked closer to her.
“I repeat, for the last time. Where is te documents?”
Pemisayo couldn’t tell. She didn’t even know any document existed, if she knew, she’d have told the meniac guy before her as she shivered on her kneels. She was just quiet, it was just a earring that was on her, the second one must have fallen while she was trying to obey the assassin.
He gave a wicked laughter and brought out his phone. He punched some buttons and stepped aside to make a call, maybe to the person who sent them.
“Proving stubborn, boss.” He said and was quiet for a moment.
“Alright, the ball is in my court? I’ll waste them.” He said and ended the call. He walked back to them exasperatingly and pulled Davies up.
“Now…” he was about to talk when his accompanist stepped out.
“No other person.” He stated as he walked closer.
“No problem. They will be wasted.” He laughed and faced Davies again.
“Where are the documents? For your information, Mart is already dead and all his companies would be shut down soon. You know what I’m saying, don’t you?”
Davies had lost control then, he looked worn out as he knelt before him. “I.. d.. don..don’t.” He stammered.
“Don’t tell me that crap!” He blurted as he stood upright and faced the fellow guy.
“What do we do now?” The guy asked.
“I was told they are three in this house, make sure you get that last lady! From all indications, it seems she has the documents.” He responded swinging his hands along.
“Alright.” The guy replied and hastened back.
*****
PEMISIRE
I think I better go back inside. This guy keeps repeating that word ‘waste’, was it Lawrence that sent them? If this classic documents will be the one to destroy my family, I think going back will be the best. Pemisayo must not die, neither dad. What have they been passing through there? There’s no way I can raise an alarm, I’m not sure if they’ve not been in some places, hiding and watching out to get me. This is frustrating! I reall.. I really don’t know!
Money is the root of all evil, if not for the wealth, why would they be looking for the documents? What’s the….. wait, was that a gun…shot?”
******
“Pemi!” Pemisire screamed as she shook her twin sister continuously. She was shivering, tears running down her cheeks as she held on to her and screamed again. She had flung the attaché case to a side and was in the saddest mood ever. The white terracotta tiles had turn to red already as the blood of her twin sister and father had gushed out immensely.
“No!” She weeped.
She turned around and sighted her father again.
“Your…id..identity..tity..” he said and gave up at once.
She never knew he could still speak, she held on to his Ankara dress and shouted. She turned to her twin sister too, she didn’t even know which to hold, it was still like a dream. She was breathing heavily, her cherished white skirt had turned red, even her v-neck was blood-stained. It really looked like the end.
*******
SATURDAY MORNING.
Richard rose up from his brass full-sized bed and yawned. He shook his head and yawned again and stretched along. As he opened his eyes fully, they caught the pieces of the shattered mirror on the floor. He couldn’t pack it up the night before.
He took a glance at his wounded hand and raised his head to check what time it was. It was six-thirty in the morning. He scratched his head snd sank back into the bed.
As he sat, he stared at the picture of his sister that was placed on the Sony Television which was at a certain angle, facing the bed. His room was not too big but it was well decorated for him, by his friends. He didn’t have time for decorating the room, all he did was to enter into the room to either sleep or cry.
The room was wallpapered in predominantly christain calligraphies on the lavender walls. It had two windows, adjacent to each other and with a computer table which had a swiveling lamp, placed on it. He had his shoe rack at angle, near to his wardrobe and checkered curtains. The room also had a small gray bookshelf filled with some of his files and diaries, a well rugged abode with a brown ceiling fan.
“I think this alcohol worked out.” He said softly as he laid his hand on his sister’s picture and stared at it. Usually, he wouldn’t sleep like he did, he did sleep for few hours and use the remaining hours of the night to cry or question God.
It would be a very nice thing to keep doing, if that would scare his worries away.
“Christina Omolara.” He called her name softly and smiled faintly. As he kept staring, his phone buzzed.
“Hope there’s no problem again?” He asked Stephanie as he picked up the call.
“She’s ill.” Steph replied Richard almost instantaneously.
“Again?” He asked as he looked terrible, down in tears again. He flung the phone to the other side of the bed and knelt on the floor as usual. “Anaemia!” He burst out.
He stood on his feet at once and walked out of his room, aiming to drive to his parent’s house. He looked bellicose.
————
“Off to where?” Uche asked Richard as they both ran into each other.
“Somewhere important.” He replied without waiting to discuss more.
“Richie! Where? You look horrible!” Uche shouted and walked before him as quick as he could.
“Guy! My sister is ill again. I think I still have something to sort out with these parents of mine.” He replied as he halted.
“Your sister is ill, instead of you to go to her place and help her to the hospital, you’re here talking about fighting your parents.” Uche hissed.
“You won’t understand me.” Richard walked away.
******
“Tell me this is a lie!” Helen shut the door and moved closer to Pemisire.
“They… d..died.” Pemisire cried.
“Died? Wait.. I don’t get this. You came all the way from Lagos to Ibadan here?”
“Helen, please.. I just don’t… I don’t know!” She kept crying.
“What happened? You shouldn’t be here crying.” Helen sat beside her on the Vitafoam that was on the carpet in the small room. It was a small room with the small matress at the left corner of the room when the door was flung open to the right. It had a black wall clock, a small television and DVD player with a fan near the reading table which was located close to the wall at the back of the room. The room was painted bice-blue colour and had asbestos ceiling. It was a rented apartment.
“They were killed.. Dad.. Pemisayo..”
Helen shook her head sadly and held Pemisire’s shoulder.
“You shouldn’t cry, don’t cry.” She repeated.
Pemisire couldn’t hold the tears back, she didn’t even care if she’d be killed overnight, she sat with the corpses till it was morning again and left the house when it was past four that morning. Her eyes were red and her body was still stained with blood. “I shouldn’t?” She continued weeping.
“Yes! Remember all you did tell me when we were in school, remember life is not a bed of roses, do you remember your nickname? A man’s destiny? I think you should recall all those days you’d sit with me and admonish me about my future, about life. Don’t let this weigh you down, and besides, what really happened?” She asked.
They were close friends when they were still in the university, they were also roommates that did share everything they had. Helen had lost her family to a fatal accident while she was about completing her secondary school education. She was living with her father’s sister who turned out to be monstrous to her overnight and made life uneasy for her after he tertiary education. She had to rent a room and became a chemistry teacher to make living.
to be continued
