Love?

THE TRUTH IS BITTER?

"So you guys are not on talking terms?" Nike asked me as she dropped the sandwiches on the table and sat beside me. She noticed I was moody when I entered the restaurant. I had to tell her what happened between Amos and I last night. John was sleeping in his stroller as I talked with Nike. I nodded replying to her question. She hugged me.
"It's a phase and I'm sure it will pass. Besides It's not like Stefan and I don't fight all the time. Men will always be men Sis." I laughed at the gesture she made towards her statement. We ended up eating our sandwiches with her catching me up on things I missed concerning Mum's disappearance. We had no leads. I bid Nike goodbye as soon as John slept after I breastfeed him. There was no traffic as I headed home. It was a Saturday and I knew Amos would be at home. This was the best opportunity to bake him his favourite cake. I entered the house and put John in his room. I was headed for the kitchen when I heard some noise. It was coming from my room. I looked around but I didn't see Amos. I took a baseball bat and headed to the room. Opening the door slowly I peeped to see Amos and Precious fighting?
"What are you doing!" They seemed surprised to see me and let go of themselves. Amos was not wearinv any T-shirt. He wore only shorts and the whole room was disorganised.
"Will someone please tell me what's going on here?" Amos was the first to speak.
"Love please can we talk about this later when she leaves?" When last did Amos call me 'Love'? Something was fishy. Precious tried leaving but I stood by the door blocking her way.
"What do you take me for? A fool? I JUST CAUGHT YOU HALF NAKED WITH 'HER' AND YOU TELL ME LATER! REALLY!" I glared at him. They were getting on my nerves.
"Would you please just calm down? You're shouting Abike." She sighed.
"Finally she talks. I'm guessing you want to tell me what happened since my husband is to dumb to say anything." Amos put on a T-shirt then and tried ushering me out of the room but I wouldn't budge.
"No need to listen to her. She has nothing to say." When he saw that I wouldn't budge he tried pulling me so I bit him.
"Ah! That hurts." He let go of me and rubbed the place where I bit him.
"You should have thought about that before trying to force me out of this room. Besides no one is leaving this room until you guys tell me what's going on." Precious put her hands on her face.
"We found your mum."
.
.
.
.

   The body whose face was disfigured turned out to be Mom's. I fainted. The body was found in Precious apartment. Nike and I cried our eyes out. Precious was arrested soon after. I went to the police station to ask her why she killed Mom. She claimed she didn't do it.
"But the body was found in your house Precious!" She started crying.
"I know I've offended you in the past Abike but please believe me when I say I didn't kill your Mom. I have no reason to." I laughed.
"Meaning if you had a reason to you would right?" She looked at me for the longest time then made a statement I would never forget.
  "It's clear you have no intention of believing me but just so you know I slept with Amos. Not once not twice. Maybe she knew?" She then laughed hysterically. I couldn't believe my ears. I left the police station furious.

   "Did you sleep with Precious Amos?" The glass cup in his hand dropped. "Oh my God! You did sleep with her." I  ran into my room and locked the door. He knocked the door.
"Please let me explain Abike." His voice was irritating me. I took some of my clothes, put it in my hand bag and headed out. I needed space from him. I opened the door to see him kneeling. I walked past him but he held my leg.
"I'm so sorry I hurt you Abike." I tried to shake off his hands from my leg but to no avail.
"Let go of my leg Amos." He wouldn't budge so I pushed him with my hands but he was so strong. I kicked him with my other leg and he let me go. I ran to the garage but he hugged me from behind.
"Please don't go Abike. I'm truly sorry. I love you." Was he crying? I turned around to see him with tears in his eyes.
"I love you too." I hugged him and we both wept.

  We entered the house later on. We had our bath and we lay down facing each other.
"Amos I want to ask you some questions. Please tell me the truth." He nodded.
"Were you having an affair with Precious or it was a one night stand?" He put a strand of my hair behind my ear.
  "It was a one night stand." I didn't truly believe him.
"It happened two days after your mum went missing. You didn't have time for me anymore so I went drinking in the bar downtown. I was surprised to see her there but she offered to take me home. I was so drunk I thought it was you beside me. I woke up the next morning to see it wasn't you. I apologised to her and was about to tell you what happened when she started threatening me. She said she'd tell the whole world we were having an affair and that I refused to accept her pregnancy. She seemed so toxic and God knows I tried telling you but you were too worried about your Mom. She had come the other day to force me to have sex with her if not she would kill me like she killed your mum before you entered." He placed a kiss on my forehead.
"Am I forgiven?" I smiled at him and kissed him. "I'll take that as a yes."

*
*
*
  Mum's funeral took place two weeks later. I had left John with his Grandma and Nike left her daughter with Stefan's sister. I prayed to God her soul rest in peace from the gruesome death that she experienced. I was making pasta to eat that night when I heard a knock. Amos had just left for a business trip. Did he forget something? I opened the door to see Sandra.
"Oh my God Sandra. It's so nice to see you. Please come in." I hugged her but she didn't reciprocate my hug.
"What's the matter Sandra?" She put off her jacket and closed the door.
"Where is the bathroom?"
"Over there." I pointed to the door by the right.
  "Come and meet me there in three minutes." She whispered. I went there exactly three minutes later. She locked the door soon after.
  "Now listen to me and listen to me good. Precious didn't kill your Mom. Amos did. Your mom had discovered his affair with Precious and he killed her to shut her up."
"What is this nonsense Sandra? Is that why you called me here?" I shaked my head and headed for the door. But she blocked me.
"Why don't you understand? This is the only place he hasn't put a camera. He is freaking obsessed with you." She gave me a tablet where she played a video. It was shot in Precious apartment. I saw Amos push Mom down the stairs over and over again. I gasped. My knees felt wobbly. I sat on the floor.

  As soon as Amos came back from his trip, I confronted him. He had just dropped his suitcase on the cushion and was about to hug him when I stopped him.
  "I need you to answer what I'm about to ask you honestly, okay?" I waited for his reply.
"Okay dear."
"Did you kill Mom?" He scoffed and took off his jacket. I didn't expect this from him.
"Well..." He sat on the couch and folded his hands.
"Why would you ask me that?" I bent down facing him.
"Please just answer my question. Yes or No?" He pulled my face to his and whispered in my ear.
"Yes I killed her." I couldn't believe my ears and fell flat on my buttocks. Amos was a murderer? I got up as fast as I could and grabbed his shirt.
"If I understand what you just said, you're confessing to the fact that you killed my Mom!" He removed my hands from his shirt.
"Yes dear. You asked me a question and I answered you." He was a psychopath! I hit him with all the strength in me. He avoided some but I  was able to land some blows to his face. He was bleeding in the face and nose by the time I was feeling out of breath. I sat on him and pulled his shirt so we were looking each other in the eye.
"Tell me why you killed her you scum!" He pushed me off him and was about to run away when I bit his leg. I made sure I peeled off a piece of skin before I let go of him. His screams were echoing throughout the whole house.
"That hurts! What's wrong with you Abike!" I spat the blood and skin in my mouth.
"You should not have tried to run." I pulled him to sit on the couch, tied his hands and legs and continued questioning him.
"Now tell me why you killed Mom." There was a sudden blackout and I lost consciousness...