VILE

Chapter 41: The Past

It was after Iya Bose's burial and Tomike was having reoccurring dreams of her stepfather somehow managing to throw both her mother and Iya Bose down the staircase. Instead of the shocked, remorseful look that would come over him in her other dreams, he would laugh hard, looking straight into her eyes. In some other dreams he'd even boast of killing them and proceed to dragging her grown self and trying to rape her again.

It was toture and she was tired of it. She just wanted to live a normal life, but it seemed the universe had other plans for her.

She had finally summed up the courage to go see him. Instead of Bose's driver like Iya Bose had suggested, she hired a car and a bodyguard to accompany her. She sat at the back while he drove, the A.C blasting in full force. Every now and then she'd glance at the piece of paper in her hand where the address was written.

When they finally arrived the little village that was on the outskirts of Lagos, they were welcomed by dilapidated roads, domestic animals aimlessly roaming and the uncanny stench of cattle dung. Tomike immediately regretted lowering her window to ask for directions. They should have just stuck to Google map.

They parked in front of an uncompleted building. It seemed to Tomike that the place had been abandoned for very long. The walls were not even cemented and were turning green. The roof was only half way done, which meant that during raining seasons, the whole house would be flooded. There was a long wooden plank placed in front of the entrance as a make shift door. Clothes that looked like hundred year old rags covered the windows as curtains. The place was a huge mess.

As they stepped out of the car Tomike saw a beautiful young girl walk out of the building. She could recognise those eyes anywhere, it was Folakemi, her stepfather's first daughter. She had grown so much and was still as pretty as she was when she was younger, only she looked less happy. A little smile escaped from Tomike's lips as she stared. The girl was startled when she noticed Tomike's gaze on her. She didn't recognise this woman.

Tomike wasn't surprised that she didn't know her. She was very young when she left the house. The girl ignored her and continued her journey down the street. Tomike walked up to the house. She turned to the bodyguard who was behind her "Stay here. Just watch the door. If you here me shout or see anything strange come in"

"Okay ma" he replied in a deep voice.

Tomike hesitated for a bit before entering the house. Her bodyguard had to help her carry the old wooden door before she could gain access in. The smell that enveloped her as she walked into the living room was not pleasant at all. There were cockroaches on the unpainted walls and wall geckos chasing after them. The chairs meant for sitting looked more like death traps with nails pointing out from their disjointed parts. There was nobody and for a second Tomike thought she was the only one in the house.

Then suddenly a rat climbed pass her feet. She instinctively moved back, hitting a small stool and a cup of water fell. As she bent to pick up the empty cup she heard a noise from the next room. Someone was home afterall.

She tried staying calm, but her hands began trembling. It was him. She knew it in her heart.

"Who is that?" A faint voice called out from the room. She didn't respond. She was no longer sure it was him. It didn't sound like the voice she remembered.

"Fola, Folake is that you" the faint voice called out again. "Did you get it? Hope Rhoda's sister didn't trouble you much before giving you the provisions"

Tomike remained quite. She slowly approached the room.

"Folakemi. Who is there?"

Tomike slowly shifted the curtain that demarcated the two rooms. And there he was. He looked frail, weak, finished, wasted even. Like a long piece of broom, or a withering tree that would be blown away by the wind anytime soon. She could bearly recognise him.