"I did it. I did everything!" Mr. Achebe yelled.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes despite being confused.
This had got to be one of the most dramatic events I've seen in comparison to that of Nigerian movies.
I suddenly remembered all that mother had said about Evan's dad, and how mother's past had caused my nightmare.
Somehow, I felt this was the moment I had been waiting for, and as curiousity continued to eat me up and Mr. Achebe bent his head in silence, I brought Jomafu's phone out of my pocket and immediately set it on video.
Mr. Achebe suddenly turned to my brothers and he struggled to speak.
"I killed your father!".
His words hit me hard, like a large pile of rocks that had been thrown directly to my heart. I could hardly believe what I heard. How could he say such a thing?!
"I killed your father."
He didn't. He died in an accident... unless....
"It was all his fault." He continued. "Years ago, I discovered your father and my wife were having an affair in the offices they worked in, though they claimed to be just friends and that the news was just a rumor I knew they were lying. I visited my oracle an... ".
Did he just say oracle?!
"It confirmed it. I decided to forgive my wife despite knowing she cheated on me—".
"I didn't!" Evan's mother voiced, but a police man stopped her from speaking.
"Let him talk." He said.
"But I couldn't, and when I heard about the birth of Ejiro, It took a lot of strength not to do anything violent.. until the day I decided to cause an accident that'll kill your father and then, kill my wife as well. ". He said.
"I killed your father and tried to kill you too in the accident, but he was the only one that died. I got Caroline involved by promising her marriage if she got rid of my wife, since that was what she had always wanted. ". He paused.
The words were finally beginning to sink in, and with each second that passed, each word that was let out of his mouth, I felt. . .I felt my heart ache badly, like more rocks were thrown at it and I struggled to hold back my tears. My body shook in anger and the atmosphere felt hot, and at the same time cold.
I turned around immediately and pulled a hand, not caring whose it was as I stormed towards the gate.
I didn't want to hear it anymore. I didn't even know what to feel anymore.
I was shocked, shocked that he actually had hand in the death of my father, something I thought was because of a car accident.
I was angry, at the handcuffed man, at my dad, at my mum. Mr. Achebe killed my father.
My father had another family somewhere else and a daughter who tried and is still trying to kill me.
And my mother.
She turned out to be untrustworthy!
"Ejiro....".
I wished I could walk quickly out of this building. I didn't want to be here anymore with this... this... Man!
"I caused those nightmares.".
I stopped on my tracks, now doubting my own ears and afraid to look back.
"I couldn't kill you, not because I didn't want to, but because I couldn't. So, I decided to torment you through spiritual means. I knew about your friendship with my son and daughter, and how close you were to Evan especially, so I visited you every night as a demonic creature carrying the face of my son.".
Mr. Achebe averted his gaze and rested it on Mrs. Achebe and the twins. "I hated those children, because they came out from the womb of a cheat!".
"Please forgive me everyone. I was blinded by the devil. I could have solved the issue through much reasonable means." He said, bending his head low.
Oh? You realize all that now because you're getting arrested!
"Are you done?" A police man asked, and he nodded his head slowly.
The other police men ordered him to move, and though the police men were making loud noises as they blew their horns and drove out of the gate with Mr. Achebe in their vehicle, the compound still seemed silent to me.
"Come on." Jomafu said. "Let's go home.".
•°•°•
For an hour, I locked myself up in my room, crying my heart out as all the emotions I had managed to contain in my aching heart poured out in form of tears.
I would cry, stop and stare at the ceiling for a while, but then the rememberance of the events would come rushing in and I would begin to cry all over again.
I chose to ignore the knocks and bangs that hit the door to my room, in hopes that my family would understand and leave me alone.
They did, eventually.
I sat up sniffing as I looked around my room. And once I spotted my phone, I stood up, grabbed it and went back to sitting down on the bed.
I tapped on the phone icon and quickly dialed Hannah's number.
For a while the phone rang, and I just watched as the word 'ringing' displayed on the phone's screen.
And just when I thought she wouldn't pick up, the phone vibrated as it changed from 'ringing' and displayed an excited Hannah.
"Hi!" She said, waving frantically at me. "I know I left like... Yesterday? I miss you already."
A small smile wore it's way to my face as I let out a low "You too".
"Ejiro, what happened?" She asked, her smile quickly replacing itself with a frown. "Have you been crying? Why's your eyes kinda puffy?".
I didn't want that. I wanted to see her smile, and give me full gists of things that's happened since she went back to Ebonyi State. I wanted to feel better, and not make Hannah worry about me.
"I just woke up. Took a nap." I said.
"I don't remember eyes getting puffy when you wake up from a nap." She said, raising a brow.
"I'm sick." I said immediately.
She let out a small gasp and pursed her lips. "I just left and you've fallen sick already?".
I giggled softly. "Yeah.".
"Get well soon, okay?". She said.
"Okay. So, any gist?" I asked.
She beamed widely as she clapped her hands. "Trust me na, I can never disappoint.".
"So what happened?" I asked, letting a small smile as I blew my nose.
"Apparently, when I left, one new girl that said she's lived in America for twelve years came into our class. And, Oh My God! She's so pretty, and she's dark chocolate. She's the exact definition of black beauty.". She squealed.
"You nko?" I smirked.
"Me?" She asked and let out a hiss. "I've already accepted my fate that I'm average looking.".
"Hannah you don't know what you're saying. You're beautiful.". I said.
"Thanks, even though I know I'm not." She said, pretending to cry which caused me to giggle.
"Continue with your gist joor." I smiled.
"Okay, all of a sudden, all the guys that make sense in our class started following her about and flirting with her. It pain me oo!" She said, and I only laughed.
"But turns out, those guys placed a bet on the girl. The bet is that they have to make the girl fall for one of them within a month.". She hissed.
"Ah! Hannah, how did you know?" I asked in shock.
"I'll never tell." She laughed.
"Wow! Guys sha." I said, shaking my head.
"The girl seems to like one already, Michael.". Hannah added.
"I pity her. " I said, shaking my head again.
Knock! Knock!
I heard. "Yes!" I yelled. "Hannah, please hold on for a moment.".
"Sweetie, please come out. We need to talk.".
Talk? With mother? I didn't feel like it.
"Hannah, I'll call you later. Bye." I said.
"Okay Bye." And I caught the call.
I dropped my phone on the bed and walked towards the door, then unlocked it and pushed it open.
As soon as it was open, mother pulled me in for a hug. A hug that seemed to last for an eternity ... Until she pulled away.
"Come with me.".