In The Dark – Episode 12

A Story By Stanley Oluwatosin

I stopped to run when my legs could no longer carry me. I looked behind me and i could no longer see my house, i was far away from home. I looked at the signpost in front of me and i saw “The Apostolic church of Nigeria”, A church was the last place i wanted to be, because i believed that the same God i danced and prayed to wholeheartedly in church some minutes ago made me fail my examination but the sun was shining too brightly and i could no longer take the effect on my skin. I slightly pushed the door to the church open and i entered into the church. The church was quiet since i was the only one there. I sat on one of the chairs and the event that took place few minutes ago with uncle mike came to my mind. The cause of the trouble was my failure, i looked at the image of Jesus on the Altar and i asked the image, why he did not perform a miracle and make me have a high score in the examination. I continue to think about my life, The adorable days i had with my family and the days of agony i was having without a family. Tears filled my eyes and i did not hold the tears back, it rushed down freely on my cheek.

I stayed in the church for more than an hour, i found peace and comfort there but i could not stay there forever. I knew going back to uncle mike and his wife was not an option, so i decided to call khole and aunty oyinkan. I placed my hand into the pocket of my jean trouser to get my phone,but i could not find anything in my pocket apart from a squeezed #20. I was stranded again without a phone. Going to khole’s house would take me more than three hours, if i should trek down, so it was not an option for me. Jordan’s house was closer to my present destination and i should be there in the next one hour on foot. I stood up from the chair and said my prayer before leaving the church premises.

It was not eassy to journey on foot but i was able to get to Jordan’s house weak and tired. I knocked on the huge gate and i heard a voice say “Who be that? I dey come o” from inside the house. I leaned on the gate and not long after, the gate man opened the smaller gate. He greeted me and i could tell he was surprise to see me. I thought it was because of my appearance but i was wrong. The gateman said “welcome aunty Nancy, when you con go change cloth again, shebi nah now you enter?” i did not understand what he was saying, i just asked if Jordan and his parent were home. “Oga Jordan never comot ever since you come nao and i don tell you before say mommy and daddy done travel” From his statement, the only thing i could deduce was that, Jordan’s parent were not again but Jordan was home. I was grateful for this because he was my last hope. I was hoping he would take me to khole’s house if i could not stay with him.

I pushed the door to the main building open and it gave way. I entered the living room and called Jordan but i did not get a response. I stil remembered his room from the party, so i went upstairs to check for him, probably he will be in his room, i thought as i climbed the stairs. I was almost at the door of Jordan room when i heard voices, one of it sounded like the person was moaning. I moved closer to the door and i heard a female voice clearly. “Yea…. I cant believe you are this good baby…where have you been all my life….faster baby…..ohhhh….faster….i love you Jordan….” That was it! My heart started to beat fast. I came here to get a comforting shoulder but now my heart is breaking into a million pieces. I wanted to run out of the house but my spirit stopped me. My inner spirit wanted me to find out if he was really cheating or not. Who could he be cheating with? I asked myself and i suddenly remembered the gateman’s statement. He was insisting i was here before. O.M.G could it be Nelly? No….. It cant be. I thought of how betrayed i would feel if i should catch Jordan cheating with Nelly and i almost ran out of the house for my eyes not to see such act of Betrayal. But stil i wanted to find out the  truth. I moved to the door and slowly opened it. I was a lady underneath Jordan, both nude.I looked closely and it was Nelly.I did not know when i screamed “Jesus!!!” and jordan jump off her, i could see his huge d**k when he faced me, i did not have the time to look at Nelly as i ran out of the house. I ran outside and rushed to the gate, i could hear Jordan calling my name from behind but i did not stop. He has always been a disappointment and today he brooke my love and trust with his art of betrayal with a friend i once call sister. I kept on running even when i got outside their compound and i was too blind to see the car coming with full speed. I was in the middle of the road already and unable to reverse my step. Before i could say ‘Jerk!’ something bigger than me hit me from behind like a big rock and i felt my body brooke down into pieces. The last thing that came to my mind before going out of this world was “Men are simply Evil!!!”

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I was hoping not to open my eyes to see the world again. I wished to die and never wake again but it was as if the God i believed in still had more suffering in stock for me because, instead of taking me to heaven to be with him and my parents, he brought me back to this cruel world filled with fake love.

I did not know for how long i was unconscious but i woke up with pains all over my body. I could not move any part of my body order than my eyes (i could open and close my eyes). I saw myself on a hospital bed when i woke up and that was when i remembered all about the accident. How i survived was a miracle, i was not grateful for.

I did not realise that someone was with me until i tried to change my sleeping position but it was too difficult for me to move my body. “Easy my dear” she said and rushed to help me up. I looked up at the person and it was aunty oyinkan. I smilled at her and she asked if i was feeling better, i could not talk so i only noded. Aunty oyinkan touched my forehead and said “sorry dear, you will be fine, you got us all worried,i was so scared when Khole called and told me you got involve in an accident. She said you were lucky your friend Jordan was close to the accident scene and he helped you to the hospital. If not for him, i do not know what would have happened to you” aunty oyinkan ended her speech and i could not help the hatred growing in me toward Jordan. He did not only cause my present predicament, he also had to lie to cover his a$$. Aunty Oyinkan brought me out of my thought when she asked if i needed anything. Yes i do! And all i need is my mom right now! I screamed in my head but i could not utter a word. I noded as a response to aunty oyinkan’s question and she said ” Ok…………. Khole just left some minutes ago, she has a test to sit for. We have been here for the past three days with Jordan, she will be happy you are back when she comes, i need to make a phone call dear. Give me a minute”. I noded and she left. So i was unconscious for three days i thought after aunty oyinkan’ s departure.

The doctor came to examine me. He said i would have to rest for a week for full recovery since i did not sustain any serious injury. The doctor left and aunty Oyinkan arrived later, she told me that she called my uncle to inform him of my where about and he said he traveled and will be back the following day. I did not respond to her statement because i do not want to believe i have a family,i only noded.

Khole came with Jordan later in the evening and she was all over me. I was happy to see her but Jordan’s presence got me angry,he only sat for a while before he left. I gussed his conscience was judging him already because he distanced himself throughout his stay.

The following day, i was able to talk and move my body slowly. Khole and aunty oyinkan were with me and they made me feel as if i had a family ones again. Khole was slicing an apple for me when i heard someone shout “Where is my Nancy” from the door. We all looked toward the door direction and aunty Nike rushed in with uncle mike and Lizzy. Aunty Nike knelt and greeted aunty oyinkan before rushing to my bed. She was behaving all caring and nice, she touched my forehead to check my temperature and sat down on the bed with me. She carried my legs, placed it on her lap and she said “Nancy my dear, how are you? My God, i was so worried about you, i almost died of heart attack when i heard you had an accident, thank God nothing happened to you, i need to go for a thanks giving service for your sake dear. Am happy you are ok” aunty nike ended her speech and i continue to stare at her. I knew she was mean and evil but been a drama queen was out of it. I only noded to aunty nike’s question and uncle mike came close to me as well. He asked if i was getting better and i noded. Only lizzy was quiet and she only smilled at me when i looked at her,i could see the tears in her eyes when she looked at me without pretence like like her parent.

My uncle brought provision and he promised to pay off the bill. They left later in the evening and aunty nike promised to come back the next day after she said home was not the same without me and she missed me alot.

I knew aunty nike missed her errand girl not that she missed me out of love but her level of pretence made me doff my hat for her.

Aunty nike’s pretence made aunty oyinkan and khole believe i was safe with them again and against their previous decision,they agreed to me going back to stay with my uncle.

I was discharged on friday afternoon and my uncle was waiting to take me back to the house, my land of pain and agony. Aunty Oyinkan gave me twenty thousand naira before leaving and khole packed my provision to uncle mike’s car. I left the hospital sad, with the thought of the struggle before me. How could aunty oyinkan and khole be so blind to the fact that my uncle and his wife were pretending?

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The journey home with uncle mike was quiet. He would look at me briefly and face the road again. I did not know his reason for that but the thought of how i pushed him before escaping from the house made me scared. Probably he was stil nursing his a$$ and the pain i caused him was the reason for his wicked glance. A part of me was saying him and his wife had turn a new leaf but i laughed the thought off.

We got to my compound and i alighted immediately uncle mike parked the car. I brought out my provision and went to my room. Uncle mike turned the car around and left immediately he dropped me off, aunty Nike was absent from home as well. I was happy to be free from all the monitoring eyes. I went to Lizzy’s room and she jumped at me immediately she saw me. She told me how worried she was and asked how i ended up at the hospital. I took a deep breathe and narrated all the event that took place before my accident to lizzy. She came closer to me and held me tightly. I was stil in lizzy’s arms when i remembered Kelvin, i knew he would be worried about me. ‘Before the accident,he calls me everyday and its been more than a week now, definately he will be worried’ i thought in lizzy arm.

I released myself from lizzy’s grip and told her i needed to get my phone before leaving her room. I could remember keeping my phone in the bag i took to church that sunday, so i went for the bag immediately. I searched the whole bag and could not find my phone. I searched the whole room and still the phone was yet to be found. I started to sweat, i was not scared of loosing the phone, but i was scared of loosing kelvin’s contact if i could not get my phone. That was the only place i saved his contact on and i did not even know where he lives. Even if i do,he was out of town. I was so confused after searching my entire room over and over again without finding the phone.

I went to ask lizzy if she took the phone but she said no and followed me to my room to search again. She also searched everywhere without any luck. We were stil searching when lizzy did as if she just remembered something and she said “Nancy, wait, i think my mom took the phone. I caught her searching your room the day you left. You should probably ask her when she gets back.” I did not know what to say when Lizzy ended her speech. ‘If aunty nike has the phone, she definately will not give it back for anything. She can only give it back if she has genuinely turn a new leaf but the chance of that happening is very slim. I will be loosing kelvin if i do not get the phone back’ i thought. The thought of loosing kelvin almost gave me a heart attack. How will i survive without kelvin? He was always there to encourage and advice me, his words of encouragement gave me the hope of having a future. Noo i cant let go just like that,i will do anything to get the phone back. Just for kelvin’s sake, i can slave for another year. I said to myself. Lizzy tap on my shoulder brought me out of my thought, she asked if i was worried because of the phone and promised to get me a new phone. I told her it was not about the phone but kelvin’s contact. Lizzy did not really understand the importance of the contact but she concluded that i should wait for aunty nike.

Aunty nike arrived late in the evening and i rushed downstairs. I got the sigh that she was stil her wicked self from the way she looked at me but i was stil hoping she would release the phone. I greeted aunty nike and made to help her with her hand bag, she hesitated before giving the bag to me but she eventually did. I took the bag to her room while she followed closely from behind. After dropping the bag on the bed, i turned to her and said “Aunty,please i have been unable to find my phone did you by any chance find it for me?” she looked at me and said No coldly. I knew she was lieing but i was determined to get the phone from her,i went on my kneels and begged her. I was stil on my kneels begging when she shouted ” “Are you stupid? Am i your phone keeper? Dont let me loose my temper on you, your presence is irritating enough. I wonder what you have been doing with that phone and i took it, so what? You can go to hell for all i care because, the phone has been neatly destroyed along with the sim card. Now get out of my room, you idiot!” That was it! My phone was gone along side with kelvin’s contact. I moved out of her room with tears and i thought about the number of people i lost already. Dad died, mom died, Jordan chose to betray me along side with nelly and now i cant reach kelvin,the only person that as been my comforter. “Kelvin wherever you are, please come back to me, you are the only friend i have left. You promised to stay forever, please get through to me soon in anyway you can” i said.I was talking to the walls of my room as if kelvin was present, I was so lost on what to do or who to talk to. At that moment all i wanted was KELVIN (MY TRUE FRIEND)

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After loosing my phone to aunty nike, i was unable to contact kelvin and not having someone to talk to made me withdraw myself back into my shell.

On a Saturday afternoon, of the third week of been discharged. Lizzy took permission from her mom and asked me to see her off to somewhere. We got to fonemart and suprisingly she got a new phone for me after which we retrieved my damaged sim card. Lizzy told me not to worry and she promised to be there for me,she also assured me that kelvin would call soon. I believed in lizzy’s word and i became lively again, hoping kelvin would call soon just like lizzy said. I thanked lizzy repeatedly and she hugged me tightly before we went back home.

The remaining weekend went uneventful but a life changing event occurred on the first day of the new week, it was an unforgettable incident.

Aunty Nike woke me up early in the morning on that very monday, she said are goods would be arriving on that day and she needed to be there on time. Without having breakfast, we left the house for the supermarket. Immediately we got to the supermarket, aunty nike ordered me to sweep the entire store after which i went to get her food on foot at a resturant far away from the supermarket. On my arrival from getting the food, the goods aunty nike was expecting arrived and she asked me to join in off loading the goods immediately, with an empty stomach, i obeyed her. After off loading the goods, I went to inform aunty nike that i was hungry but she shouted at me and called me useless before saying i should arrange all of the goods alone in the store. I arranged the goods with my last strength, hoping i would eat after arranging the goods but aunty nike said i should dust the whole good and place a price tag on each of them. I could not take it any longer, even though i promised to abide by her rules, i had to disobey her else i would die.

I left the shop against aunty nike’s order and went to eat in a nearby canteen. I arrived twenty minutes later and met a furious aunty nike. I knelt to greet her but she reaponded with a double slap on the both of my cheek. My eyes turned red and i staggered. I was yet to gain my balance when aunty nike shouted at me, saying ” You this idiot, i told you to arrange my goods, do you know how much they worth? They worth more than your yet to come generation and you have the guts to abandon my goods in a bid to satisfy for hungry stomach. I will not deal with you here, you will meet your death at home. Now get up and do what i asked you to do!” aunty nike ended her ranting and i was so scared of what awaits me at home, that day. I rushed to the store room and with tears, i arranged the goods.

I left shop with aunty nike by 6:30pm with mixed feelings, i was hoping aunty nike would forget her threat if i should do the house work on time. Immediately i got down from the car, i went to the kitchen and washed the dirty dishes, though i was hungry, i did not eat before doing all the work. As if aunty nike was watching me, she called me immediately i got to my room after working for more than an hour.

I got to aunty nike’s room and she was laying on her bed. She asked me to go on my kneels and i did, then she said ” you think i have forgotten right? You disobey me in public and i am going to deal with you indoor. I have two punishment for you. It is either you allow me to cut any part of you body and i will apply pepper on it or i will iron any part of your body smoothly with this hot iron” aunty nike ended her speech but it was hard for me to believe she was serious, how could she be so mean? I asked myself. “Young lady i do not have the whole day! Make a pick or i will administer anyone on you!” aunty Nike’s voice brought me back to reality. Accepting other brutal treatment was something i could handle but when it comes to messing with my body, that is something i can never take. I started to cry, i was alone with aunty nike without help. I wished mom was here or kelvin or even lizzy or aunty oyinkan, but nobody was there, i was left with a difficult decision to take.

I had to think about the least painful of the two purnishment but i found no answer. Aunty nike was about to abuse my body and i had no other choice than to accept, or do i? I asked myself and finally i decided to accept one of it.

I was about accepting the iron deal when the spirit of a fighter in me arouse. No! I cannot take this anymore i screamed! Aunty nike stood up with shook written all over her face. She asked me to repeat what i said and i did. She made to slap me and i showed her the DEVIL in me.

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Aunty nike made to slap me but i held her hand, i stood up to my full length and i was taller than her. I looked down on her and fixed my gaze on her before releasing my grip on her hand. Aunty nike raised her hand to slap me again and this time around, i held her hand half way and landed a hot slap on her left cheek. Aunty nike staggered and fell on the table. I fold my hands and waited for her next action. Immediately she regained her balance, she rushed at me, i pushed her to the bed and sat on her. I started to punch her all over her body after sitting on her. While giving her the beating of her life, i started to scream on top of my voice ” Nike how can you be so wicked? Tell me! You want to iron my body? In my father’s house! All this is suppose to be mine! The house! The car you are ridding! The supermarket! The hotel your husband is spending from! All the jewelry mama left behind! All the wealth and properties are all mine! My parent worked for it, for me to have it all but you took everything away. All the good things i ever had, you took them all! My mom! My hapiness! Even kelvin! Its all your fault and now! Now you want to abuse my body! How can you be so mean? So wicked? I want you to die and rot in hell! Die nike!” i said as i continued to punch her. I could hear her scream for help but the merciful me was gone. This was the seed she planted in me, it germinated and she had to reap the fruit.

I stood up from her stomach and rushed to her wardrobe. I saw all my mom’s clothes and expensive jewelry she claimed she burn. I packed my mom’s personal belonging and rushed to my room. I took my traveling bag and filled it with my clothes and all the important things i have. The bag was full so i had to pack my mom’s belongings into the bag Josh got for me. I looked around my room and i was satisfied with all i have packed. I dragged the bags to the living and made to leave. ‘This devil in human clothing is making me to leave my father house, i must deal with her before i finally leave’ i said to myself. I dropped the bags and rushed upstairs. I met aunty nike sitting on the bare floor, with her present condition the formal me would have pitied her but pity died in me a long time ago. I pulled her with her hair and landed two hot slap on her cheek before i rushed to the kitchen to get a rope. She started to plead immediately i returned with the rope but my ears were deaf to her plea. I dragged her to the bed and started to tie her while she shouted for help. I was stil tieing her when i heard someone shout “Nancy” behind me. I turned and i saw lizzy. I became ashamed of myself,even though aunty nike was wicked toward me, lizzy was there for me and beating her mom and tieing her down was no way to reciprocate her kindness. The rope fell from my hand and i ran out of the room in tears. I could not leave without apologizing to lizzy, so i went back to her and said “I am sorry lizzy. Goodbye” lizzy was in tears and she could not give a response. I ran out of the room and got my bags. I dragged the bags outside the house and i took a last look at our mansion. The house i once called a home. With tears i left my father’s house.

…to be continued