Credit Temitope Daniel
S01E01
He tried as much as he could but couldn’t sleep. He had switched off the light in the small room, perhaps, it might be the one disturbing his sleep but that was still up to no avail. Though that wouldn’t be his first time of sleeping in the illuminated room, it seemed something had gone wrong which he must fix before getting to bed again.
He took the pillow off his head angrily, blinking as if he had just fought a Lion. All he had been trying to hassle with could be likened to a strong Lion, though. Swooshing out air from his nostrils, he sat up on the bed and picked up the picture beside him. Staring at the picture, he couldn’t see anything because of the imminent darkness that had brimmed the room. He hissed and whisked to his feet to switch on the light.
He could then see the picture clearly again. He pulled out the wooden chair tucked under his reading table and plopped down on it. Placing the picture on the table, he picked up his pen and a hard-cover book. He flipped the book open and closed his eyes for a moment, possibly thinking how he would start his journey.
He dropped the pen again, agitated and short of ideas. He picked up the picture and stared again before he stood up, picked his laptop from the wardrobe and retired back to the chair. He placed the laptop on the table and switched it on, as he waited for it to boot, he picked up the picture again.
He stood up and searched his pocket, brought out his modem and fixed it beside the laptop. Licking his lower lips, he picked up the ball pen and hit it on the table languidly. He opened the Mozilla Firefox and typed something in, he needed to know more about some people.
He stood up as the information loaded, walked to his wardrobe again and brought out a diary. He opened it and flipped the pages till he got to the place he needed. “The first man is Chief Sam.” He muttered as he got back to his seat and clicked on a link. After some seconds, he started reading on the history of Chief Sam.
****
Vivian fickle her wrist to check what the time was. She traipsed into the living room and saw Victoria seated on a couch, watching a movie. It was past nine already, as she yawned using her right hand to cover her mouth. “Vicky, how are you?” Her smiled faintly as she dropped her handbag and sank into the couch.
“I am not fine. Why would you come this late? It is parlous for ladies to walk at night!” Victoria blasted, shaking her legs unremittingly.
Vivian smiled and yawned again. “I was with Frank.”
“Really?” Victoria smiled as she faced her.
Vivian grinned. “Where is my son?” She enquired, picking up her handbag.
Victoria hissed. “You expect the boy to be awake by now? I don’t know why on earth you’ll come late.”
“See the person talking!” Vivian clapped her hands together.
Victoria squinted her face. “How was your day with Frank?” She sat up to listen to the latest gist.
“Fun filled! We went out for dinner.” She replied Vicky, tilting her hair with her right hand and staring at the television.
“That’s cool. It means something is happening already, isn’t it?” Victoria winked.
“What? I only went there with him because I didn’t want to mortify him. He requested for it before his friends and would be sort of an embarrassment if I rejected him that time.” She hissed.
Victoria relaxed, seemed disappointed as she tweaked her nose. “What is now your problem? Did he tell you anything about his love for you again?” Victoria asked.
Vivian chuckled softly. “He did. I told him I wasn’t interested, I am really not into any guy and I don’t wish.”
“Girl, what is your problem!” Victoria clapped her hands together indignantly.
Vivian smiled. “I told you before, didn’t I? I can’t marry any man that will later dump me because I have given birth before, or a guy that will later be maltreating Anthony! I don’t!” She hissed again, packing her hair to a side.
“All guys are not the same. Do you now wish to be single for life?” Victoria questioned.
“Does it mean I won’t see Nicholas forever? Are you God?”
“How sure are you that Nicholas is not yet married? It’s ten years already! Wake up!”
Vivian sighed. “Anyhow! I just don’t want anyone that will sprinkle sand in my salt. I don’t want to pass through pain again. You know what I passed through in the hands of a Pastor and his wife, I don’t want such again!”
“So, are you still connected to them? At least they disowned you because you got pregnant, you’ve also disowned them! No parent will chid you again.”
“If there are no parents to chid me, I can do that myself. Nicholas and I only lost contact after our Youth Service, it is not that we have ended our love story.”
Victoria laughed. “One thing is that Nicholas doesn’t know you were pregnant then, do you expect him to believe he is the father of Anthony? Girl, I repeat, wake up!”
Vivian hissed as she stood up. “If there is anyone who’s meant to wake up, that is you! He will surely believe because the exact birth mark on him is on Anthony too. Why do you have weird thoughts?
My parents sent me out because they thought I conceived a useless child, moreover they were men of God. After suffering for ten years on the child, you still want me to marry a man that will make life miserable for my son and I? Even if Nicholas is married, I will still take care of my son without the help of any man.” She left the living room.
“God!” Victoria shook her head and picked up the remote control to switch off the TV. She needed to sleep too.
****
It was eventually a new day. Nicholas found himself still working on Chief Sam’s case and his eyes unblinking. He had never felt the urge to sit and work on just someone overnight that way. He only knew Chief Sam among the council of the six he had to bring down, knowing the very fact that he was rich, influential and always guarded with armed men. He was one of the high chiefs in the palace of the Kingdom where a great King ruled.
He had studied the man properly. According to his research, he was an arduous man, heartless and could do anything for money. That wasn’t new to him, if he wasn’t that kind of person, he wouldn’t have joined the other five members that killed his parents and some other people just to have their hands on their wealths.
It was two years already, in the rented apartment he lived, working to get the money he would use to accomplish his missions. If there was anything he hated, it would be spilling blood. How would a human kill his own fellow human? It had been a hubble-bubble to his heart since his parents died two years back.
Trying to treat his past wound, the tears of the other children of the deceased wouldn’t let him rest too. He had been holding on to the picture his parents took together for long, always by his side everytime. He worked in a company as a Computer Engineer before he resigned just to uncloak the truth and unveil the faces of the wicked that were being celebrated everytime.
He shut down his laptop and closed his eyes for minutes before he stood up again. He had been the source of help to the family who also lost their parents through the evil men. Even though he resigned, he ventured into his talent and started practising the talent through; playing instruments and singing in different occasions for two years now. As he saved the money from his sweat, he tried to cater for Stella and her sister, Doris.
The two were the daughters of his father’s close friend whose parents were also shot in cold blood like his own too. He had been the source of help to the ladies who also lived in a rented apartment not far from his house. Stella was his mate, a medical practitioner to be precise. She started working as an employed Surgeon in a big hospital just a while back, with her sister as a special cop. Being a cop had always being the ambition of Doris, she believed some day, she would lay her hands on those who killed her parents. Though she knew them not.
Nicholas knew Chief Sam as one of the evil men. His father had discussed with him concerning him and the other five he didn’t know. He had told him he was one of the six that did threaten him because of contracts that government and other great people usually award to his company. But, he knew the men who directed Kings Company were much and couldn’t figure out the other five involved easily.
****
Vivian stepped into the dining room in a purple dainty button-down shirt, tucked into a black knee-length skirt, holding her pair of shoes with her left hand. She took a glimpse at the wall clock and headed to the living room.
She dropped her shoes and sat down when Anthony walked out of the room and approached her. “Anthony!” She raised her brows with a smile on her face as she welcomed the boy. “How are you?” She pulled his cheeks.
“I’m good mum, good morning.” Anthony smiled too and sat beside her.
“Morning son.” She ruffled his hair
“Why did you come late yesterday?” He sprung to his feet, standing akimbo as he stared at his mother, wearing a threatening look as if he was angry.
Vivian got him and burst into laughter. “Anthony!” She pulled him closer. “I was busy with my boss, we had to sort out some files.”
Anthony laughed as he hugged Vivian. “I have been promoted to JSS1, don’t forget I’ll be marking my tenth year birthday next month too. I am no longer a kid.”
“So, what do you mean by all the story on ground?”
Anthony smiled. “Were you really sorting out files or you went elsewhere?” He dimmed his eyes and he stared at Vivian.
Did he hear all I said with Vicky? That’s not possible! He couldn’t have heard that I have been lying to him concerning his birth father.
“What do you mean.. I was really busy with my boss.”
“For coming late, you have a punishment that you must make sure you get done on your side.” He kept quiet for some seconds before he continued. “Buy me an acoustic guitar.” He finally said, beaming.
Vivian’s eyes widened. “What’s that for? You want to start blackmailing at your age, right?” She said, trying to avoid his request.
Anthony laughed. “I am serious mum, I need an acoustic guitar.”
“You don’t know how to play it, why would I spend my money on something that won’t be useful?”
“I haven’t completed, I need a teacher also that would be training me on that field.”
“Field?” She stared at him.
“Yes.” He replied.
To be continued after 50 share
#Teampobs✌
