Nora was on the mattress, pale and tired. She reassured herself that it wouldn?t be what she was thinking of, she was definitely sure. Rolling to the other side of the mattress, she grabbed a small towel by the drawer and cleaned her soft glabrous skinned face. She exhaled deeply as she dropped the towel and remembered Daniel again. She hated to remember him. It was already a part of her that she couldn?t give away but it was always tough to withhold the tears once Daniel was been remembered.
Tears rolled down her cheeks again as she remembered him. Series of questions flowed through her completely troubled mind; she started asking herself again if Daniel was alive. He was shot by the head! She recalled again as she tweaked her runny nose and reached for the towel again. Nora had always expected a kind of miracle or the other but she hadn?t seen any yet, she just wished God could touch the heart of Alex and just let her leave.
She had always pondered why someone who claimed he loved her could lock her up in a room and be enjoying his own life out there. He wasn?t like that when they were still together; could it be the incident of that day that had turned his brain upside down? Letting out air from her nostrils, she pictured how Daniel was shot by the head again and how she was carried to the vehicle. Wouldn?t people say when he was shot, his wife ran away? Or won?t they say it is even his wife that is responsible for his death? No! Daniel! She sobbed.
** ** **
Tonia had been up and driving around the city if miracle would let her see Nora. She felt that was weird, but she had no choice. She was just coming from the station to lodge the complaint about the missing Nora and Daniel that was shot dead. According to the I.P.O, he had told her they would start to work on the case as soon as they could. She had dropped the details needed- pictures, mobile phone number and many more. She had no choice; it was her brother’s doing. She got off the car, tired already. She had been praying in her heart for miracle but nothing was coming forth. An annoying life!
** ** **
Gloria whisked to her feet.
“I think we should get going.” She said to David. David was shocked. He never knew she would stand up to tell him that. I?m I that boring? He questioned himself in his heart. “Are you bored?” He was forced to ask.
“No.” Gloria shook her head instantly and smiled.
“I?m sorry of my sudden reaction, I?m just remembering that I have to do some things now.” She said to David. David cleaned his mouth.
“Really? Are you really serious?” He asked again.
“Sure. I have to see someone, please.” She said.
“Lunch time is almost over, wont you return back to the office?” He asked with concern.
“I don?t even know yet. I really have to see this person and clear my guilty conscience.” She said, looking away. She couldn?t place her hands on why her zeal to see him arose to that stage.
“Alright, I think this is a very important thing then, do you mind me taking you there?” David enquired. Gloria nodded quickly.
“Sure.” David smiled as he stood up.
“Off we go.” He stretched his hand forth by the way, telling her to lead the way. Both walked out and hopped into the vehicle as they sped off, it was off to Alex?s house. The gate was locked up. Alex must have gone to his place of work, Gloria had thought as she shook the gate. She placed her ear by the gate if she would hear sounds of either television set or Alex himself, but all was quiet. She knocked on the gate again and stood akimbo. David was just looking at her, wondering what she was doing there.
“I don?t think the fellow is around.”
“..help me!” Gloria heard a faint voice screaming from inside the house. Help me? She repeated as she looked back at David who was looking at her from the car. She felt she hadn?t heard the right thing and called on David.
“Please come.” She said as she placed her ear near the gate again.
“Help me.” She heard the voice again. This time, David was just coming down from his car, walking slowly, he got beside her and tapped her before she knew she had travelled out that vicinity, already thinking of what must be happening inside the house.
“Can you hear that?” she asked David. David contorted his mouth and shook his head.
“No.” He replied. She hissed softly and pulled him closer to hear the voice
screaming inside the house.
“Someone needs help, can you hear now?” She asked.
“Oooh.. a lady is shouting there. I think something is happening inside the house. Can we call the police?” David asked, scared already.
“Where is this place?” He quickly asked again.
“Just leave that for now. I don?t think we should call the police. I was thinking of you, jumping the fence to save… you know?”
“Huh?” David frowned.
“I know we haven?t talked up to that point, but let me let you know now, Sister Gloria. I am the first and the last born of our family, so you hate me this much? You want me to die just like that?” Gloria scratched her head.
“Something is not working fine inside this house and before anything so bad happens, you can jump in while I try to get the officers.” Gloria added.
“Oooh.. now I see that you don?t even like me..!” David smiled and took steps backward.
“Alright, how can we contact the officers within a twinkle of an eye?” She asked.
“I really don?t know too, but I have a friend I can call who can help us out. But before then, can?t you just let us go and stay somewhere? What if the owner of the house comes out or is driving in?”
“Why are you a great coward? And you call yourself a man? Nothing will happen to all those who trust in God.”
“Urgh.. Okay oh, I just know the bible also quoted that we should be wise and not foolish.”
“when did you read your Bible to that extent? This isn?t an act of foolishness, just… I mean just call on that friend of yours to help us out!” David swooshed out a long breath from his nostrils, he was already sweating. Nora was still screaming for help inside the house. Alex had just left his office. He was on his way back home. The traffic was already building up on carrila road and he was rushing so as to get home as quick as possible.
He hated traffic and heat so much that he could pay someone off to get him off the traffic instantly. He peeped out of the window as his vehicle shifted forward, following the bus at his front.
“I now rule my world!” He muttered, remembering that he had Nora with him already.
“Daniel who is a problem is already gone, I now have the chance to do anyhow to my newly acquired property!” He laughed aloud. Soon, he got to a junction by the right, speeding off on the free road. He was almost at home.
** ** **
to be continued
