Grace sat at the corner of her bed, curled up. Her mother watched her with tears flowing from her eyes cursing and blaming herself.
“My baby, am so sorry, I should have listened when you said you wanted to stay back at campus. Look at you now; Am so sorry!” Her mother sobbed.
Grace doesn’t turn. She doesn’t say a word. She doesn’t move. But silently sobs… she had watched it. All of it and was in shock. She wanted to die. She wished they had killed her after. She wanted to die and wished she could end it.
Rose walked in, seeing the state of which Grace’s mother was, goes to give her a hug… slowly cuing her. Rocking her back and forth.
“Don’t worry ma, she would be fine”
The woman cried in her arms. Rose thought, she was thankful her mother was in the village and didn’t use the Internet. There was no need to worry her. She worried for Grace, who had been sitting in that corner since the video aired. Silently crying. Not letting anyone touch her. Not even her mother. She felt her pain and cried for her and with her.
Few men walked into the room, and with them the Dean.
“I am really sorry for the ordeal you ladies went through, but you need to tell us what happened, the details or any information you can give so we can try and identify this men and bring them to book. Can you do that…?”
The Dean spoke to Rose and then Grace. Who didn’t turn?
“How is Anthony? Has he regained consciousness? James said he has been like that for hours…will he live??”
Mr Anthony senior flinches, and gives a weak sad smile…
“I am hopeful.”
Rose nods…
“They didn’t wear masks. They weren’t even scared. At first we thought they were just drunkards fighting…or beating up a young man and before we knew it… It quickly turns into something else, one minute they were attacking the boys, and the next we were pulled from the car by our hairs and everything escalades.”
“Anything familiar about them. Do you think they were students?”
Rose shakes her head. “No. I have never seen them… but… “She squeezes her face…
“But what??
“They seemed to be cautious around Anthony. When he was hit the first time one of them reacted, and then the second time he was knocked out… One of them, I think the leader attacked the one who hit him. And because I was closer I heard him say…
“We don’t touch him, something about ordered not to… And a she. Or I don’t know. But they seemed to know who he was and/or was cautious of what they did to him”…
The inspector in charge nodded.
“The same thing the young man made reference to. It seems as though who did this had a grievance against your son Anthony. It can’t be a coincidence or a case of being in a wrong place at the wrong time.”….
He spoke facing the Dean. ..
***** Two rooms away, down the hall****.
Victoria runs her hands down Anthony’s body, touching his face and his chest…
“Am sorry baby, don’t worry, I would punish the person who touched you… I told them not too. But good news, Grace would be out of your life and I would be here…waiting to nurse you back to health. Don’t die baby. Victoria loves you. Victoria did this for you. For us… Please baby” …she plasters kisses all over his face… his lips…
“What are you doing here… who are you??” The deep voice caused her to jerk up.
“I a-am sorry sir… I came as soon as I heard. I came to be at my boyfriend’s side. I was so worried. “She replied. Her eyes filling up with tears…
“Who are you??”
“My name is Victoria. We are course mates. We have been dating for a while and I feel so bad. He came to my party last night and left and now this…” She sobbed.
The Dean knew he didn’t know much about his son’s love life, but he knew his son never liked drama Queens. And this one seemed to be full of drama. But if she cared enough to be by his side, who was he to chase her.
He nods and leaves.
The inspector joins him as they walk down to the lobby. His phone buzzes, the caller was the secretary. He didn’t have time to think of school work. It could wait. But she kept buzzing him.
“What is it? Everything about Uniport can wait, I need to take care of my personal matter. Handle it.” He snapped.
“This is about Anthony sir, there is a young lady here who says she has information on it. Please come quickly. . ”
He relayed the information to the chief inspector, who alerted his boys and they all zoomed off to the dean’s office…
*** two hours later *****
Victoria strolls into the class with Sandra.
“Shouldn’t we go home??” Sandra askes…
“Of course not, I need everyone to see me broken and worse for wear about what has happened to my baby love and that lowlife Grace and all of them. I have turned a new leaf remember, I have to play and act the part” she confided. Sandra nodded, and so they both entered, and Victoria began to cry and lament, raising her fisted hands in the air, lamenting and cursing. While students gathered around her, consoling her.
When she sobbed enough, she thanked them, even accepted a prayer on Anthony’s behalf. As they dispersed and left her to herself, she turned facing Sandra.
“That’s strange, where is Bunmi? She didn’t follow us to the hospital to see Anthony and she isn’t here in class either waiting on us.”
“Maybe she is still nursing her face from the slap you gave her. She is such a baby.” Sandra laughs, shaking her head..
“Hmmm. Call her. I need my girls with me. From today…it’s going to be happy days ahead. Bye bye Grace “she smirked..
“No need”!!! They both turn hearing her voice.
Bunmi stood in the middle of the class, a handful of policemen stood behind her, and the Dean accompanied them. And a two ladies in their mid-forties.
Then she began to cry…
“There she is, the plotter. Every time I told her what she was doing was evil and wrong she hit me, countlessly. Threatening my life. And she, she pointed at Sandra is her co-conspirator. I was scared of her too and for my life, so I kept quiet. Then I heard what happened today to that poor poor girl and Anthony and the rest. I knew I couldn’t keep quiet, so I confronted her but she hit me again, as Sandra watched and threatened me. I knew a boy’s life was hanging by a thread. I knew Grace was ruined and I knew I couldn’t allow her get away, so when she left the house, I called and reported. Victoria is the mastermind behind the whole shebang. She would tell you the rest. “Bunmi ‘ s eyes gleamed.
“What nonsense is this bunmi. Sir Dean, officers… I don’t know what she is saying. How dare you Bunmi. She is lying officers. Look at me, what can I do. Who do I know? Everyone here came to my party last night. Everyone saw me mingle with everyone. Make peace. Besides my fight with grace was purely girly. Nothing harmful. Ask them …they would tell you…”
Students muttered in affirmation…
“See??”
“Yes officers, Victoria is telling the truth” Sandra backed her.
“Liar Victoria, you lie and I have proof” bunmi replies…
“Please show me the proof you have of your allegations.”
Bunmi shows her, her computer. Victoria smiles. She had wiped it clean before leaving the room. Even the recycling bin was empty. She raises her eyebrow… all that was in the computer was school work, old pictures, movies and music. She scoffed.
“Go ahead …show us” she folded her hands.
Bunmi opens up the computer, types in the password. Then she clicks on a file and turns it to the officers…
The chief inspector goes through, and every second that passes, the smile on Victoria’s face decreases…
“Why Victoria, are you scared??”
“There is nothing on that computer. I know that much. It’s clean. You can’t lie and frame me for what I didn’t do!!”
“Really? Did you forget that I bought your kind of laptop a month ago? Same colour and stuff. And when yours had an issue you transferred everything on yours to mine so you could formant it and fix it up. And when you asked me to delete the files later on…I told you I had. …but you see Victoria … I lied. Every sneaky little dirty thing you have ever done is still there… Every tiny detail…Intact. “…
…” every girl you threatened and what you did to them waa…yyy before Grace. Every lecturer you blackmailed for grades and even the HOD, one you are currently servicing… and then your plans with him to ruin Gracey. ..
And those hoods and their contacts, the plot, the drug… Everything Victoria. . It’s in there… I copied it all. It’s there. So, what is it you were saying…?” Bunmi winks…
“You bitch!!!! You traitor. !!!” Victoria screamed and lurched for bunmi who stepped back. Avoiding contact with Victoria’s claws. But Victoria manages to hold on to her….. “You cunt. You Fxxking traitorous cunt… After all I did for you… you!!” Bunmi’s smile was broad… Snarling at Victoria. .. As she held onto her hands… Pulling her by the hair… making sure her lips was close to Victoria’s ears as she whispered…
“No!! You are the bitch. Your reign just ended Bitch-Vee!!!!” She laughed…
“Now I would be Queen. And When Anthony wakes up…I would nurse him and love him back to health. Thanks for clearing the way for me. Now go rot in oblivion you disgusting irritating cunt. I never liked you anyways”…
Victoria’s eyes opened wide… She screams and head boots bumni and they end up clawing at each other…
“He is mine!! Anthony is mine. I will kill you… I will kill you “!! Victoria rages..
“Let me go!!! Let me go… Someone take the witch away from me”…. Bunmi faked a sob..
The police men stepped him… Separating them from each other. bunmi arranges her hair. Sandra had begun to cry….
“I didn’t do anything I swear. Please. .. It was all Victoria. .. Please officers… Madam… Bunmi…tell them!!
bunmi turns away..
“Cuff her” the inspector ordered his men. “Cuff both of them”
The lady walked up to Victoria. She had tears in her bagged eyes… her nose flared…” I curse you. I curse you. May God forgive you? For the harm you have done to my daughter… I curse you a thousand times. “She spat, as she slapped her across her face..
“You shall not know peace. For every girl you have brought pain. Yours shall be a thousand fold. For ruining my innocent… innocent girl. Who has never harmed a soul? All because of a boy whose feelings was never returned… You shall reap what you sow. I curse you. I curse you… I curse you!!!!!” She drags her… pushing her to the ground
“No sir please, she forced me. Victoria forced me. Tell them Bunmi. She threatened me too please… Bunmi, ma, Sir”… Sandra pleads as she was cuffed alongside Victoria who stared blankly at Bunmi…
“Anthony… Anthony is mine… Mine mine… Anthony is mine. I am queen. I am Victoria. Victoria always gets what she wants. Me and Anthony.. Mine…all mine….” She began muttering to herself
Bunmi turns away. Satisfied. Victoria would receive a dose of her medicine. Sandra her loyal dog with her. And she, Bunmi, she becomes queen and once Grace leaves, and maybe Rose with her, she would nurse Anthony back to health. She wins. She smiles.
“You bitch… You rotten squealer. You are in this as much as I am. You carried my bags and plotted with me you traitor. You are as guilty as I am”… Victoria spat pointing at Bunmi… laughing hysterically.
Students had begun to gather as the commotion began anf news spread… wispering and taking pictures…
“You will pay for the harm you have done to my son and those innocent kids. You will pay. I do not understand how a girl can be as evil as you… it is appalling. But you will pay. All of you. For standing by and doing nothing. For helping her. Indulging and conspiring with her, you lot… Every single person involved would face the wrath of the law. You are a curse. Rotten spawns of the devil…
Chief inspector!!”… The Dean bellowed. Anger filled him like venom. .
“Take her away, take all of them away, and take this vile scums of the earth away from my school. Take them away. TAKE THEM AWAY…DRAG THEM OUT… STRIP THEM ..FLOG THEM. I DON’T CARE. JUST TAKE ALL OF THEM AWAY!!!!! “He bellowed in anger.
Victoria was pulled and pushed alongside Sandra out of the classroom. Students had begun to throw things at them… the jubilation began like a silent drop of rain… then began to spread..
“Victoria…Queen Victoria…Evil Victoria… Be gone!!!!! No more fear… No more terror. .No more V… be gone!!! They chanted…
An officer stood infront of bumni… “gimme your hands…” he snarled
“No! Wait. Me? I told you already. She beat me. She threatened me. I had to look for something to bring her down. It’s just both of them sir. Victoria and Sandra. I am innocent. I came forward to tell you who the mastermind is. I am innocent. Don’t believe them… go cuff her legs… She might run… I am a good girl… I never did anything. .. I am inno—
*wham*!!!! Multiple slaps on her face. Shock and pain registered as she held her burned chicks….
“But Sir… I-I-I-…. aaah ayam innocent oh… I swear on my mother’s grave”… she put her finger to the ground, touching her tongue with the dirt of the earth and raising it to the heavens…
“Oga I swear. I dey innocent! !!…Bunmi cries
“Your mother would be turning in her grave. Take her away…”…The chief inspector order.
As she was pulled away with Victoria, and Sandra in handcuffs crying and pleading and thrown into the truck. Victoria had a wicked smile on her face. .. Sandra in tears and Bunmi pleading her innocence. Victoria didn’t stop laughing. While the crowd booed…. she laughed and laughed till the car faded out of sight.
Some say she looked mad. Only one who is insane would smile when dragged to their doom.
……. Barely thirty minutes later…
Mr Bamidele threw in some important files in his bag, and made for his door. He needed to leave. The news had spread like wide fire. He knew they would come for him. Five other lecturers were already picked. He needed to leave town and Now. As he opened the door… Two uniformed men,the secretary to the Dean( his wife) and the Dean stood outside , waiting.
“Going somewhere Mr Bamidele?” Mr Anthony senior asked, his jaw flexed. He had always hated Mr Bamidele. Because he reminded him of himself. Playing with a loyal woman till she found pleasures outside.
“Sir please….it was the devil”…
“It was the devil that directed your penis between Victoria’s legs every day in your office and empty hotels right? It was the devil that prompted you to help ruin a poor girl’s life eh?? It was the devil that made you a lousy sick husband…. it was the devil eh…eh???” His wife steps him, holding him by the collar and shakes him.
The Dean steps in and pulls him by the neck and pushes him to the ground..
“You are a sick sick man. I hope you find redemption in the four walls of your cell. Your teacher licence is being invoked. You will never teach again. Heck!!! You will never hold any position country again… not even to hawk on the streets. You are finished. You sir is repulsive and i hope you rot in your cell for many years to come.” he towelled over him..
“Get him out of my sight!!!” He retorted.
His phone buzzes…
“Yes chief inspector?”
“We have picked up the four culprits. How would you like us to proceed sir.??”
“As you would treat any criminal of the law. Do what the law requires, I don’t care. They touched my son and ruined other people’s kids. They should pay with the full extent of the law”
He cuts the call. He needed to see his son and tell him….that he found them. All of them. He was safe. He needed to see his son to apologise and tell him that he was sorry. He needed to go to his son, hold his hands and pray he opens his eyes…and tell him he forgives him.
He rushes back to the hospital.
