It's been six months- Imade's Chronicles part 7

"Why is everyone unnecessarily happy? A moody Tania walked in on her parents and her two cousins in the living room

"The governor has granted some prison inmates pardon"

"so?" she frowned

Her father shot her an angry glance. 

"One of the inmates is a friend of the family" Her mother replied calmly

"who is that?" she fumed from jealousy. No one had noticed her sadness yet everyone was more interested in some condemned prisoner who had been a friend of the family

"Adesuwa, the daughter of your father's business partner was incarcerated 16 months ago"

"Oh really, i don't know her" she sat on the arm of a sofa

"Yes that's because you were abroad studying when she was prosecuted for attempted murder and kidnapping" Her father rejoined

"waooo... why would she do such a thing?"

" You children of these days are so mischievous. She was fighting for the love of a man" her mother replied

"A married one at that....such a useless child. I just hope the event has taught her a thing or two" Her father hissed

something inside Tania twitched. "A married man?" she cleared her throat

"Yes... two men infact, ... the story is really complicated" her mother replied

"and she resorted to kidnapping?"

"the details are gory Tania, just stay out of trouble" her mother warned

 "if she was that bad, why then did they release her?"

"she was pardoned based on good behavior. Imprisonment has a way of changing people" Her mother replied again

"but it didn't change Obasanjo" she murmured. Neither did it change her....she shivered at the thought of her incarceration back in South Africa- the one reason she had, had to return home.

"What is Obasanjo's own in this story now? Omo ale( meaning Bastard)" her father spat

"You know you have never explained to anyone why you suddenly decided to return home after your stay in South Africa. Her mother decided to switch gears. She was from Benin but, her marriage to a Yoruba Man, had helped her understand the language sufficiently.

"is the story important?" she tiffed. "I got tired of living there besides, it's not so different from Nigeria. When i said you guys should take me to the US, you insisted i stay back home to practice my profession" 

"isn't it going well for you? You are happy and if you behave well,  i'm hopeful you can get married soon" her father replied

"well about that, tony called it quits"

"why?" her mother asked

"because...be..because of some girl he met" she stammered

"what girl? that young man seemed responsible. I'll call his Mother, I just hope you haven't done anything to disgrace me yet again" her father replied

" If he isn't ready, we can introduce her to other people. Tony isn't the only person we know, my husband" her mother said

"no i want Tony.. last time there was a match making, it went sour"

"well, that's because he caught you sniffing cocaine" her father spat

"Abel, Paul go upstairs now!" Tania barked. Why would her parents decide to expose her darkest secret in front of distant family members

"mum, dad, there's a limit to what you should say in front of strangers" she said as both boys fled the living room

"and my brother's sons are now strangers?" her father asked angrily

"aren't they?" her mother questioned her father

"well, you can take sides with her. This girl will bring nothing but shame to you. Rubbish!!!"  he hissed as he stomped towards the staircase angrily

"mummy warn your husband oh, warn him! how can he embarrass me in front of those bastards? mtchewwww"

Her mother sighed. She loved Tania. After she suffered years of miscarriages and barrenness, Tania had been her testimony. Sadly her attitude was nothing to write home about but she prayed and believed, Tania would outgrow it.

"Abel or Paul, go and turn on the water heater in my room" Tania called out

"where are you headed?" her mother asked

"i'll be at the balcony, i need to light a few cigarettes"

"Not in my house you accursed child!" her father shouted from the staircase-he had returned to get the reading glasses he forgot on the table. "Not in my house... if you decide to smoke your entire lungs out, do so outside this premises Omo Ale Jati Jati! (meaning, useless bastard!)"

"The father of an omo-ale is what?" she asked angrily

"since i am not your father, find him and ask him that useless question... I curse you...i..." he shook with anger 

"no, no, no.... Daddy please forgive her" her mother begged

"You and this girl will regret...she will end up worse than Adesuwa... i know she will!" Picking his spectacles from the table, he stormed out angrily

"mtchewwww... stupid man!" Tania hissed

"Tania! what has gotten over you?"

"ask your husband!" she said as she walked out of the living room


*****************

"you know you never keep your word, yea?"

"hey Tony..." Imade murmured

"were you sleeping already?"

"i wish...i'm covered with tons of paper"

"oh really?"

"yes... i brought work home"

"hmmm...busy bee. Have you got a minute to talk?"

"sure shoot- I could use the break"

They went on to have a long conversation about anything and everything- laughter and chuckles filled the air on both sides

"you know i'm so comfortable around you right?" Tony asked

"yes, and i also know you are in a thing with Tania"

Tony cleared his throat, "well, well, well, Tania is a family friend. We were match-made. My mother would do anything to have me settle down quickly"

"so, you guys should be heading to the altar anytime soon"

"it's a lot more complicated babe"

"babe?"

"he chuckled, get over yourself, i like to address female folks as babe"

"oh...i see....you must have a string of babes then"

Tony laughed..."monster you are"

"well, thank you... feels better than calling me a liar"

"i didn't!"

"you said i never keep my word- that is telling me straight up that i lack integrity" 

" oh Christ. You are worse than Sabrina." He chuckled. "That didn't mean i called you a liar madam"

"whatever..."

"well, Tania is just a friend"

" Friends marry each other, why not marry her?"

"like i said, it is complicated"

"how so?"

"Tania is a difficult person and she's just not my kind of woman"

"what's your kind of woman?" she pressed further

"errrmmm...i'd rather not go into that"

"Well, i'd rather you did..."

"seee...that's it... the, "i'd rather you do this..." kinda person is exactly my kinda woman"

"meaning..."

"you are my kind of woman"

"are you hitting on me?"

"did i sense a British Accent?"

"well i schooled in Great Britain the accent may have sneaked into my speech as a bonus"

"i'm not hitting on you directly"

"so you are indirectly, same-thing"

"hold on Sabrina...."

"okay go on..."

"i like you, really...really like you. But i'd like to get to know you... gradually, hopefully?"

"oh that's not so bad" She liked him too....she liked him

"so can i be your friend Sabrina"

"I cant say no can i? You'd probably withdraw my discount privileges if i did"

Tony laughed...talking with her had lightened his mood indeed. His sister moved slowly into his bed.."Sabs i'll rather you don't!" he shooed her as she tried picking up his phone -He had connected the device to a headset so he could talk comfortably with Imade....."i'm on a call" he mouthed

"who's that?" Imade asked

"my sister"

"oh Sabrina, my name-sake. Can i say hi?"

"Yes.. yes... he smiled" This pleased him greatly

Sabrina and Imade talked for a few seconds. A conversation that ended with- "so do i" from his sister's end. Tony wondered what had preceded it.

"Okay Doc, i'd like to get back to work" Imade chuckled

"arrrghhh I've been hoping you wouldn't say that"

"well i have to, else my boss would have my head by morning"

"He wouldn't...i'll see to it that he doesn't"

"are you guys that close?" Imade asked

"He was my late father's lawyer"

"oh i see....what happened to your dad tho, was he Ill?"

"He was murdered"

"woooo! I'm so sorry about that"

"it's okay..."

"Hope the culprit is paying?"

"not yet...i actually asked that the police close the investigation"

"why?"

"I got tired of their endless visits...each time they came, it reopened old wounds"

"I do understand. But getting Justice for your dad would bring a great sense of relief, i do hope you find the culprit... prosecuting them would be my pleasure"

Tony smiled... that meant the world to him. No one had ever said things like that to him
"thank you Sabrina...."

"Tony, i look out for my friends. Whether or not you end up dating and getting married to Tania, i would always look out for you."

" i won't be caught getting married to Tania, but as for having my back....i really do not mind"

"okay doc, talk to you later"

"you too babes....."

He looked at his phone for one more second... he could feel the butterflies flutter in his stomach they made such a clutch his meal nearly regurgitated.

"what did she say to you Sabrina?" he swallowed hard

"who?"

"My friend"

"oh....the sweet soul?"

"hmmm" Sabrina had special aliases for everyone. Their mum, she was her nightingale, he Tony, was her knight in shinning Armour, the gate-man was Shrek the monster, Tania was Queen Grimhilde ( The evil queen in snow-white and the seven dwarfs)

"Yea.. she's really nice. She told me to chin up, hold my head high and never give up....and when i laughed she said that was the best sound she had heard tonight since after yours"

"she did...?"

"yes..."

"What was the so do i reply for?"

"She said she loved me dearly... and i thought that was the cutest thing ever....don't you?" Sabrina asked with widened eyes

He just stared speechless, and thought-more....much more...that's how he'd response when she said same to him.

***************


Ralph hissed as he rolled onto the other side of the bed. His wife had left the room for him. Not that he cared, but the distance between them was annoying. How could a man and woman share the same home and finances yet different beds?
He stood to take a leak and returned to find his phone ringing

"Hello?" he queried

"hi..." a cold feminine voice replied

"who am i onto?"  he asked innocently

" The names don't matter, right now, you have less than 10 minutes to live"

" well, i neither have a terminal ailment nor plan to die anytime soon.  I am not in the mood for games"

"i don't play games, you had a hand in bringing my down sometime ago when  i wanted something and couldn't get it, but you let me suffer so greatly even when the pain of what i couldn't get covered my soul." 

Ralph stiffened. He knew who was speaking, the voice had given her away. "Daughter of Hades!" he spat

"I've paid someone to do a little job for me....You're the prey"

"i thought you would let go after..."

"after what? You murdered him! but, no sinner goes unpunished....what do you even have to live for? she doesn't love you, and she would be glad to have you dead and gone!"

" i have a child, a son and a brother who loves me!"

"Don't shout at me! and who told you he is your son? he isn't; Stephanie was just using you- besides, when Charles finds out what you have done, he would detest you forever"

"please don't kill me, i promise to be a better person to Stephanie please..."

" well, tell that to God in heaven...." she laughed wickedly. 

" Whatever you paid, i'll double it, triple it...call off the hit now, please don't kill me"

"Look outside your window"

he turned to look outside the window

" You may say your last prayers!"

"no, no, no, don't!" he begged as he noticed the red light rest on his chest

"i used to be merciful, right now, i show no mercy!" Rounds of bullets poured through the air, Ralph screamed as he fell to the ground. The phone line went dead

Stephanie rushed from the other room. The gunshots had woken her, what was going on? the screams came from Ralph's room. 
"Ralph, Ralph?" Stephanie bent to see her husband's body lying in a pool of blood. "Jesus Christ!" she gasped as she took her phone to call Charles

"Hello Charles come quickly, Ralph has just been shot over and again!" she stood shaking...she had hated him, never saw any good in him. But she had silently loved him and didn't think it could end this way...Ralph, i'm so sorry, please wake up, please....she cried as she shook his lifeless body


to be continued..............