“If you?ll kill me today, I don?t care but I wish to know some things, Dan.” Nora exclaimed.
“Dan? Can you see that you?re being mistaken? Am I Dan?” Alex smiled.
“You must be crazy for saying that! I am no longer afraid of you, boy. All I?m after is that you have killed the child?s father, let the child live!”
“Child.” Alex repeated as he squinted his face as he began to ponder on what she had just said.
“What did you just say? How do… do you mean?”
“You already, know. Don?t you? By the way, before you kill me, I wish to know why you killed him. I never knew you to be animal before! Thanks to God that we got separated, I would have been married to an animal that has no value for a lady, not for God or for mankind.”
“Nora!” Alex shouted, rolling his fist.
“Kill me! I seriously care less! All I want is for my baby to live and by the way, in the hands of sensible and God-fearing human being, not you!”
“You?re already carrying his baby, right?” He began to laugh. I said I want to marry you and you are already carrying his baby. How will I have my way? The baby has to go and will surely go.” He laughed again.
“Even your grandparents can?t stop this kid from coming into this world. Even none of your generation, Alex. You fool!”
“Nora! I now see that you really wish to die.” He took some steps closer and slapped her so hard that she fell on the mattress. He started beating her up until he found out that she had fainted. He just hissed and walked out of the room, leaving the door unlocked.
** ** **
David had driven the car near to Alex?s house again. He and Gloria had felt the police officers were meant to be closer to them now and grab whom they ought to jail. He looked at Gloria every minute, wondering if he was safe. If not for Gloria who had told him to drive back to Alex?s place, he had already parked his car, awaiting the police from where he could not be found. Soon, the police?s vehicle came around and the two got down from the car and rushed forward to meet the policemen.
“Are you Mr. David?” One of them had asked as they saw David.
“Sure.” He stretched forth his hand to exchange a handshake. His friend must have told the policemen about him, definitely. The officer shook his hand.
“Is this the house?” He glimpsed at the building and back at David.
“Yes, this is the house.” Gloria cut in.
“Alright.” The man replied and looked back at the other officers.
“Guys!” He called out as they motioned towards the gate. It was locked.
“Locked.” The officer said to his guys as he signaled to one of them that climbed over the fence. he was so quick and silent that only a person who might be expecting them would notice. The officer opened the gate slowly while other officers came in slowly. David and Gloria just stood together and were looking at them. The policemen motioned further, walking stealthily till they got to the main entrance of the house. One of them just pressed down the door handle and luckily, the door was open! He waved his hand at them, signaling that the door was open. Then, they began to walk in.
** ** **
Alex had taken off his clothes. He was clad in only his singlet and boxer shorts when he walked out of the room to the living room. He picked up the remote control of the television and had his seat as he tuned the television. He had been thinking of what exactly to do with Nora since she told him she was pregnant. He didn?t want to kill her, but didn?t know how long it would take for him to make preparations for the two of them to travel out of the country.
“She must surely be mine! By the time I am through with all these, she will at the end love me. At least, there is no Daniel anywhere again, let?s see if she won?t dance to the tune of my music at the end!” He laughed aloud.
“Freeze, don?t move.” He heard next. He gazed at the television set with his bulgy eyes fully open, probably wondering if the noise came from the movie he was seeing or all was already dawning on him.
“No” He turned his head and saw guns, already pointing at him.
“No.” He repeated.
“This is a yes, Sir.” An officer stepped forward with a leaflet of foolscap sheet and unfolded it.
“This is our search warrant, we are here to search your house.” He displayed the paper before him before he looked at the men and tilted his head, moving in the direction of inside the house.
“Go in and search, guys.”
“There?s nothing to search in this house! This is illegal! You can?t just come to someone?s house with a sheet of paper and request to see what is in the house. I won?t take this!” He kept shouting at the top of his voice.
“Please, Sir. I?ll just advice you to remain quiet because whatever you say
here…” “-will be used against me, right?” He concluded the sentence as he stared at the officer and back to the ones who were already on their ways to search inside the house.
“No.” He screamed again.
“We found her!” A voice was heard from a room suddenly.
“Shit!” He hit his left fist in his right palm. Looking forward, they brought Nora out of the room, bleeding already.
“You?re under arrest.” The officer said as the brought the handcuffs forward. Truly, it has dawned on him.
** ** **
Nora was carried by two policemen. She was already weak that she couldn?t stand on her own that minute. The leader of the police officers around had made a call through, requesting for an ambulance as Alex was being taken away. David and Gloria were still outside, awaiting the policemen to bring him out, cuffed as he had been cuffed already. As soon as Gloria set her eyes on him, she felt bad and pitied him.
“Alex, despite all I have tried! Despite all the words of God I shared with you, I never knew you?d end it this way. I tried all my best to bring you to the line of Christ, I preached to you, I told you about God but your life never changed!”
“Can someone who?s preaching to the other to change be the one who invited the policemen to come and arrest the one she has been preaching to?” Alex questioned her. Gloria wiped her tears.
“Sure. I saved a life now, at least. No, I even saved two lives. I saved the life of the young lady in there and yours! If I never called the policemen, you might have killed that lady inside that house and you have added to your sins. I did pray to God to change your hardened heart, but as God is trying to change you, you have never been ready!”
“Officer, aren?t we going anymore? I have spent enough time out here.” Alex said to one of the officers.
“Alex.” Gloria paused for a while. “I am not crying because you were caught by the police force, I am only crying because if you continue like this, there will be a day you?d want to open your eyes and you won?t, a day you want to stand, but you can?t. If you don?t know, it is from the earth you?ll start suffering for the evil things you have done. Notwithstanding, God still loves you.” She turned around and walked to David?s car to lean against. Alex was just quiet. He was touched by her last statement. He was pushed along into the car and was taken away.
** ** **
to be continued
