Murder On Christmas Eve

Chapter 6

The water was stinging, Michael didn't want to think of the dumps that may have been thrown in the water. Out from his blurry vision, he spotted Chioma. Michael increased the pace of his strokes and swammed fast towards Chioma, her body was already going down, she had lost consciousness.

He grabbed hold of her by her waist and her upper body part fell against his shoulder. She weighed nothing under water so it was easier for him to swim to shore with one hand.

When they had finally arrived at dry land, people were already standing there watching, some were holding out there phones recording, while others were taking pictures as Michael heard shutters, even an Igbo woman had her hands raised and was singing songs of praise to God for the rescue. Some Yoruba women who had stalls where they sold fish were clapping there hands and speaking in their local dialect.

Michael laid Chioma on the ground gently. She had a bruise on her forehead, probably doing the fall. He laid his index and middle finger against her neck to check for a pulse, when he found one he gave a sigh of relief.

"Let me help." Michael looked up to see a lady in a knee length skirt and a red blouse walking fast towards him, "I am a nurse, let me help." Michael nodded his head in approval, better a professional than him.

She stopped beside Chioma and proceeded to do CPR. She interlocked her fingers, pushing down on Chioma's chest a couple of times and then opened her mouth and breathe out into Chioma mouth, sending air to her lungs. She kept on doing this process, till suddenly Chioma's eyes opened. Chioma turned to the side immediately, coughing out the dirty water she had swallowed earlier.

"Chioma!" Michael rushed to her side, relief written over his face. Chioma sat up looking around her.

"Am I in heaven? If I am, heaven is ugly mehn!!" She scrunched up her nose. "Heaven smells too."

"Chioma!" Chioma turned and saw a very worried Michael beside her, along with a lady that she didn't know.

"What are you doing in heaven?! Wait a minute!" She looked around her again, slowly coming to her senses.

"God, you don't know how happy I am to hear your voice." He gave her a hand, which she grabbed and he pulled her up.

"What happened to me? My head hurts." She lifted her hand to feel the sore place on her head, wincing at the pain she felt there.

"Yeah, you've got a bruise there, probably when you hit your head during the fall."

"Well, I have to go," Said the lady. "I am glad you are ok."

Michael suddenly dragged his eyes away from Chioma, remembering the lady who had helped saved Chioma's life. "Chioma, this is..."

"Esther, my name is Esther."

"Esther helped to save your life," Michael told her.

"No, you did the saving actually, you were the one that brought her out of the water and prevented her from drowning. All I did was what any nurse would have done."

"Thank you," Chioma told the lady, she wasn't still in her right mind, but she did understand from what was said that the lady had helped her.

"You're welcome," She said to Chioma, turned and gave Michael a smile before walking away. People were already walking away after seeing that Chioma was ok, and some even came approached to congratulate Michael for his heroic act on saving Chioma's life, soon they were alone.

"Wow, so it seems you are the superman to my Lois." she gave a low laugh and shook her head. "Thank you for saving my life Michael."

But Michael didn't answer, he kept staring at her, studying her features.