The day dawned crisp and cleared. It was another day. A day of tears, a day of sorrow a day of bitter sweet truths, a day that comes with a ray of despair or hope. Who knows what fate had stored for today, who knows? It was Saturday 8:06am. I woke up to the harmony's whistles of the birds. I smiled at the sound of it, but it faded the moment I came to my senses, and every single thing that happened the previous night brushed my mind. How I wish all that happened yesterday was just a mere dream. But that's the bane of life. You can choose neither your dreams, nor reality.
I sighed heavily as I got to the sitting room. Seeing that no one was home, I decided to call dad.
"Hey dad, good morning".
"How was your night angel?"
"Dad", I said ignoring his question.
"Where is mom?".
"She has been taking to the
police station" he replied.
"What is the name of the station?", I asked curiously.
"I don't want you there, am not telling you".
" Come on dad, I promise I won't go there", I said while I had my two fingers crossed.
"Okay, Dante station", he replied.
" Where are you?".
"Am at a law firm, preparing a solicitor for your
mom".
"Okay", I replied. He hanged up.
"Dante station, hmmm", I muttered.
I went back to my room. I brought out late cousin
Vincent phone from my cupboard and I gave it a strong gaze. I turned it back and forth, after which I
booted the phone. The phone was on. What brought tears to my eyes this time, was his picture on his lock screen. I felt like I should be blamed for his death, if I had allowed Vincent go, he wouldn't have been dead by now. Life has a way of leaving preys with blames , blames that no longer matter. After all ,he is gone, which no amount and magnitude of blame can bring back. Vincent is gone, forever.
I sat on my window sill, basically trying to put all of this life puzzles together. What secret was Vincent wanting to tell me, and who could have
murdered Vincent at the hospital. As I tried to put all of this puzzles together, the thought of it became more complicated, but at least a start wouldn't hurt. "how do I get to open this phone, the phone requires a face ID, it also has a password, and what was Vincent trying to record yesterday, what secrete could this be after all, is there any other dangerous secrete other than mom is a killer".
Questions upon questions mounted my head, questions that deserved answers. The only way forward was to get his phone unlocked.
"what do I do?", I said hitting my teeth together.
I tried typing several passwords, but was to no avail. I attempted to flash his phone but I got struck with another taught saying in my head;
"flashing the phone would automatically flash the secrete as well and I know you don't
want that".
"Oh. Right", I mumbled.
"What do I do now", I bite my lips together.
The only way out is to get Vincent face ID, and I think I know how to do that. I hurriedly grabbed my purse alongside Vincent phone and mine as well with some cash.
"Take me to Saint Joseph Medicals", I told the uber driver, then I hopped in the
vehicle. So here is my plan, I plan to sneak inside the hospital, and go to the hospital morgue, where Vincent dead body has been kept. I know it's a bad idea, but seeing that I have no choice, that is the only resort. I took a deep breath for like two seconds which felt more like minutes.
"We are here mam", the driver said. I came down from the vehicle aftèr which I paid for the ride. "Saint Joseph Medical", I smirked.
I walked in hospital.
"Hello", I said to a nurse at the reception.
"Hi, how can I help you", she replied.
"Ehm", I cleared my throat, then I continued.
"I was wondering if you happen to know where they have taken my late cousin to?", I asked.
"Am sorry, who is your cousin?".
"Vincent", I replied.
"Am sorry I do not know who you are talking about, when did he die?", she asked.
"Yesterday night".
"Oh, my bad, I wasn't at duty that night, hence my
ignorance", she said.
"Okay".
"But he should be at the hospital morgue",the
nurse said.
"And where is that?", I asked, being the curious person that I was.
"Am sorry but I can't tell you that, I hope no problem", the nurse said.
"No, there is no problem, its fine", I said as fast as my lip could give my utterances.
Why does this has to be complicated, no like why? "What do I do now?" I said in aggression as I smacked my left hand on the reception desk, so hard that it impulse blood from my knuckles which followed a spontaneous bellow.
"Ahhh", I shouted in abject pain, my knuckles where bleeding.
"Are you okay?", a nurse asked,pacing towards me. "Obviously, am not', I said in pain as I breezed my
knuckles.
"Follow me", the nurse said. I followed her.
"Take this handkerchief and press it on your
knuckle, to reduce the pressure impelling the blood", the nurse said as she passed me her handkerchief.
I looked at the handkerchief bizarrely before I used it.
We soon arrived at a block. " The dressing room", I whispered as soon as I saw it on the door post.
The nurse pushed the door which led to it
opening. I followed her in.
" Oh, you forgot to lock the door", I said to her. "Don't bother, come sit", she said as she pointed a chair for me to sit, while she was busy
preparing the first aid.
"Stretch out your wounded hand", the nurse said.
I removed the handkerchief from my knuckles. My knuckles looked much better, but then, it needed to be dressed as it was still paining. I stretched out my hand to her. She brought out cotton- wool and a spirit.
"This is surgical spirit", the nurse said as she applied it gently on my knuckle.
"Ahhh, these hurts", I mumbled in pain.
"Are you for real, this don't even hurt", the nurse said in her black American accent.
"It does, it hurts so much", I said as I started to cry. "You're way older than this kind of attitude, come on girl, I have dressed the wounds of children, and they don't even make a gesture of pain, not to talk of shedding tears".
" Pain sees no age, pain sees no gender, pain preys on its victims and leave them with those eternal scars, scars which would tentatively not fade", I said as I even cried more.
I was talking in parables, the wound wasn't the pain, I promise, it was the way life has chosen to devour me.
"My dear, what you're going through right now
is a phase, a phase that would surely glide pass",
the nurse said to me as though she understood the profundity in my words. She continued.
" Worrying about the scars?" she said as she chuckled humorously.
"The scars are basically like the stars; they shine so bright at night but at dawn you can't see them, that doesn't mean they aren't there. Time has and will be the only medicine for a partial healed scar".
She was done dressing my wound, she sat at the hospital bed opposite where I sat, then she continued;
"10 years ago, I had a son, named Michael, he
was my only child, his father had abandoned us in abject penury, he got me pregnant at age 19 when I was still in college, I got kicked out of the house by my father, who tagged me as a call girl. You see, I was only raised by my dad, he was a typical drunk man, his elder brother sponsored my schooling, but when he heard I got pregnant, he stopped helping me. My life was literally hard from there. I started looking for petty jobs that could fetch me money to survive. I was in my third year in college. I paused my schooling to gather money, so as to take care of myself and the unborn child. Did aborting the child ever crossed my mind? yes it did. I was encouraged by my girlfriends to go take an abortion.
On my way to the hospital to abort the fetus, I got involved in a road accident. I was rushed to the
hospital, my baby was saved but fortunately ,that was where I saw the light, the man who crashed into me whit his car obliged to allow me work in his house as a cleaner where I got my monthly stipend. He was a nice man. He allowed me live in his house. 10 months later, I delivered a baby boy. The man rented an apartment for me and was responsible for the rent fee. The name Michael was given to my son by the man. Three years later, I went back and continued my schooling where I graduated with a 2nd class upper in nursing. I got a job at a nearby hospital, I lived the cozy life I desired, but no sooner did it go that my past started to haunt me.
My ex-boyfriend who got me pregnant came by one morning and expressed his sincere remorse, he looked like a change man, and I was ready to give in, I still loved him, but the more reason I gave in was that, I didn't want my son to grow up without a father figure in his life. I wanted a complete family. I observed my boyfriend attitude for the first 4 months and he was apparently a changed man,
he loved his son Michael so much, he took us to the movies, we were literally living our lives like an amiable family. He proposed to me and we got married. That was the game changer, getting married to Desmond. Few months into the marriage, Desmond began to misbehave. He would sleep out of the house for two days and more. He started drinking and misbehaving with me, but I tolerated it all, heeding to the words of my therapy that he would change.
One faithful Friday evening, I closed from work and I went home. I yelled Michael's name, but he was not was not responding. I headed on to Desmond's room, only for me to start hearing moan of sextual
and amorous pleasure. I heard Michael shouting for help, I ran to his room as I pushed the door open, only for me to see the unseeable. My husband
making out with our son. I shouted and tried to stop Desmond but Desmond pushed me to the wall, which subsequently led to my head injury when I hit my head on the glass table. I was dizzy, I was getting weak. I used all of my last energy to stop him
but he pushed me away, he tied me up to a wooden chair with a rope, don't judge me, I tried my utmost, I wrestled with him furiously, but masculinity potent trumped over femininity momentum . He was successful in tying me down, while I yelled for my son to run. Seeing how it was, Michael was already weak as his dad gripped him effortlessly and continued making out with him in my very eyes, what could I have done. I watched my son got rape in my very eyes by his dad. No sooner did it go that Michael passed out. He died in that process. He gave up the ghost. I lost my son", the nurse
started to cry.
I stood up as I walked towards her to sit with her in the hospital bed panting her shoulders with my right hand.
"So, what happened next?", I muttered to her.
"The police came to the scene and did the needed. Desmond was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment", the nurse said.
"He should have been killed", I said in total disgust. "I lived the three years of my life after his
death blaming myself, I lived three years with that guilt, a guilt that was almost turning me into a lunatic. If I had rejected Desmond, my son wouldn't have died. Any time I stumble on Michael's picture or hear the name Michael being called, it
reminds me of that scene, a scene I witness with my eyes, it reminds me of how my son struggled for his life, how he constantly kept shouting my name. Those where the scars life left on me, scars of guilt, scars that could kill. With time, I moved on, after three years, I moved on, I was done moaning and weeping, I decided to face reality, after all nothing could be done, nothing. Time healed my
scars partially. I started living 10 days without
thinking about it, from 10 days to months and from months to years, but when I stumble upon his pictures, I wouldn't feel it like I did 10 years ago. So, allow time heal you my dear, it's okay to shout, cry and do all that stuff but it isn't okay to be there for too long", she said looking into my eyes placing her two hands on top mine.
"Remember this, IT IS JUST A PHASE, Oh, am so sorry am crying and all that", the nurse said trying to
wipe her tears of her eyes without trying to ruin her mascara.
"No, its fine. I have never seen anyone as brave as you, mam, you are so strong". I attempted to give
her her handkerchief.
"No, its fine, keep it with you", the nurse said. "Alright then, am going to my duty, and you should start going now", the nurse said as she exited the dressing room.
Well, everyone has their own problem, when we never get to hear other peoples problem and story, we tend to fill like our problems are the worst. At least life wasn't prejudiced, it gives out problem to everyone.
"It's just a phase", I said repeating what the nurse said.
She was a wealth of experience. What a life. Smiley faces everywhere but deep down, they are going through a lot. I stood up of the hospital bed and walked out of the room. I had soon almost forgotten why I came there.
Now, where is the hospital morgue, I need to use Vincent face to get his phone unlocked.
"Take it to the hospital morgue", I overhead a doctor ordering his nurses to take a dead body to the
hospital morgue. I waited for them to pass so I could follow them. I followed them as fast as I could, without them noticing. They got to the hospital morgue, they opened the door with a key and they entered. As soon as they entered, I followed
them in hiding behind a huge foam. As soon as I entered, I covered my nose.
"what the hell is smelling", I muttered. I waited patiently for them to leave before
I left my hiding place. They were taking a whole lot of time putting the dead body in the morgue can. As soon as they were done, they existed the morgue room. I came out of my hiding place 3 minutes after they left.
"Now, is the time", I mumbled.
They were lots of morgue can. Where do I start from? I started to check each and every one by their label. The smell emitting from each morgue can was enough to make me peak. I finally found a morgue can, labeled in Vincent's name.
"I think this is it", I said after spending an hour in search of Vincent's body.
I gave a spontaneous sigh, then I drew out the morgue can. I found a body covered whit a white cloth, I opened it slowly from the head, I saw Vincent face. I covered my mouth whit my left hand as I started to cry.
" No, I need to be strong, this is
just a phase".
I brought out Vincent's phone from my purse as I
showed it on his face which subsequently opened it. "yes!".
The phone was unlocked. First thing first, I had to change the phone password so I can use it afterwards. I changed it to a short password that
could remember.
"The deed is done", I said to myself as I put the phone back in my purse.
Before putting his morgue can back to its position, I had a few moments of tears. I then put him back inside the morgue can.
"I need to go now", I said as I careened towards the door. I moved the door handle, but it wasn't opening.
"what the heck, I hope it's not what am thinking", I muttered in fear.
I tried opening the door through it handle but was to no avail. That moment, I soon realized that I
had been locked in there, because before they entered into the morgue room, they opened the door with a key and they would also have locked it.
"Why does this has to get any complicated" ,I
muttered in frustration.
"What do I do?".
I started hitting the morgue can as loud as possible so as to get the attention of anyone who would probably be passing by the morgue room. I did that for about 20 minutes but the plan was futile, no one came in. I brought out my phone from my purse, it was 4: 56pm.
"Who should I call for help now"
no I can't call anyone to help me, what will I tell them I was doing here.
"What should I do", I bellowed as I went down on the floor, inserting my two hands in my hair.
No sooner did I hear a noise from the walls of the room, the sound came once and then it was followed by a numerous hitting of the wall as though
someone was boring a hole. I was trepidation written. As soon as I saw sands coming out of the wall due to the constant hitting of the wall, I hid myself back at the foam, from where I witnessed everything. It was an intruder. The two
unknown men invaded in through the wall as they were successful in braking down the walls of the room.
"Let's get the body and leave", one of the unknown
men said.
"What! What body?" I muttered in my mind.
They horridly careened to a morgue can and took a dead body. My eyes where widened as
numerous questions stormed my head. Whose body are they taken?, who are these men?, why are they doing all this?.
Questions came in one at a time in my head, questions that demanded no answers as it was not even my business and I needed to leave, but the curious person that I am took the better part of me. I
had the opportunity to abscond through the broken wall, but I didn't. I was watching these men. I brought out my phone as I attempted to video them. I took two stealthy steps forward in other to get a better view of them, but unfortunately, I mistakenly pushed a stainless tray consisting of some medical
apparatus. As soon as the stainless tray hit the floor, it made a loud noise, I mean a very loud noise, it felt like a prolong symphony of singers holding a particular high note, that even two executive lungs wouldn't draw.
" Who is there?" a lady voice was heard from outside the morgue roomImmediately. The men heard the
voice they took the body out of the can in a jiffy as they managed to escape through the broken wall. I lumbered towards the broken wall as soon as the men passed there out with the dead body. As I was about leaving through the broken wall, they opened the door of the room.
"Hey stop", a nurse yelled at me.
"Stop". she continued shouting.
I finally made it outside. As soon as I got outside, I ran for my life, so fast that I could be the next cheetah. I ran past several streets, as I encouraged myself;
"You did it Jadah, you did it ".
I was practically gasping for air, never been so tired in my life. My legs where inching from running. I stopped at a nearby shop, there I bought water. I booked an uber to take me home, the uber driver
arrived 10 minutes after I booked for a ride.
"Thanks for the ride", I told the driver as I paid him his fund.
I trudged in the house looking just about weary. It was 7:39 pm already. No one was home. I made my way to my room. I then took a long shower bath. I let
the hot water gush all over me, washing all the tiredness of my sore body, I scrubbed my body
thoroughly, owing to the fact that I had contact with corps. Just then, the thought of those unknown men flashed my mind, leaving my head with questions upon questions. At least I got Vincent phone opened, the secrete will finally be revealed. I came out of the bathroom cleaning my hair with my pink towel. I changed into my night wear, and I went down stairs to prepare dinner for myself. When I was done preparing dinner. I made my way to the sitting room, sat on the couch, turned on the TV as I ate my food quietly. immediately the TV was
turned on, it was on the news station. I read out loud the heading of the news. "A dead body got stolen from Saint Joseph Medical". The news was already
over.
"Hell no, what did I miss?", I muttered as I hide my face in the palms of my hands.
"How do I get to watch today's news?", I asked myself.
There was going to be a recap tomorrow morning by 9:30 am, as it has always been, that was my soothing
grace, as it calmed my nerves that was screaming curiosity.
I ate my food in silence, turning off the TV and every other thing emitting sound. I needed a moment of silence. I was done eating. I went to the kitchen to drop my plates, as I was about leaving, I remembered the words of mom.
"Do not leave dirty dishes at night without having to wash them, otherwise, cockroaches and rats will throw harvest party on it", I said exactly how mom is to say it.
I couldn't resist the urge to cry as I started washing the dishes. I wonder how mom is, how condition,has she eaten. Few minutes later I was done with the dishes.
"Now is the time to know the secrete", I said as I walked to my room.
On getting to my room. I tookVincent's phone and I gave a strong glance at it, observing it back and front. I opened it. I took a deep breath before going to the gallery. As soon as I tapped the gallery, I heard a loud noise from moms' room, which almost gave me a cardia attack. I offed the phone immediately, and I took to my heels from where I had sat. I walked towards my door as I moved the handle for it to open.
(phone rings)
As soon as I steeped a foot aside of my room, I heard a phone ring, it wasn't the ringing tone of my phone, it was Vincent's. I walked back in, then I banged the
door. I stole a glance of the phones screen only to see the name of the person that was calling. It was death, death was calling. I bent over my bed, as I took the phone to look at the name of the person clearly calling Vincent's phone, it was
death.
"Who the hell bears the name death?", I
muttered in shock.
Being the curious person that I am, I picked the call. I didn't utter a word, neither did the caller. All I could hear where sounds of a no signaled radio, a radio lacking signal. It was 2 minutes into the call and that was the only thing I was hearing. Suddenly,
the sound stopped and was followed by a word;
"Stay away from all this", a fierce ladies voiced warned me.
"And who are you?", I asked dauntlessly.
"You are warned little girl, you are warned", the voice said after which she hanged up the call. "Recorded", Vincent's phone said as soon as the call was hanged up.
"when did I even record this. Perhaps my hand pressed record by mistake.
"Who was this lady? and why was she warning me? what should I stay away from?", I asked myself.
I horridly ran to mom's room. I swung my way in. As soon as I stepped into moms' room, what I saw on the wall sent my spirit to the ends of the earth as I yelled, shivering. STAY AWAY FROM ALL THIS was written on mom's wall conspicuously with blood.
I buried my face under my kneels as I squatted to the
ground in fear making no utterance. I spent minutes in that position, minutes of which felt more like
hours.
"JADAH", I heard a voice calling me.
I was too lost in my thoughts to even budge from where I was. The voice called again the second time; I was oblivious of it sound.
As all that was going on; the calling of name and all that. I muttered these words only;
"This is only a phase, a phase that will glide pass".
I kept on saying it increasing in the pitch of my voice as I repeated it.
"This is only a phase, a phase that will glide pass. This is only a phase, a phase that will
glide pass", I yelled it as I took to my heels. I had no idea whatsoever, where the hell courage came from. I ran downstairs only to see dad entering in the house.
"I have been calling your name out loud, why weren't you responding?. You kept me standing there for half an hour, I had totally forgotten I had my own keys to the house house, so I had to open" dad said all at once.
I was literally motionless, completely lost in a thought of emptiness and darkness. Having my two eyes fixated on the entrance door as dad talked, I wasn't even listening to what he saying.
I was gone, gone to a place of absolutely tranquility, it was total silence in mind, my mind was blank. I wasn't thinking of anything that moment, the only
sound I could hear was the heavy sound of my ailing heartbeat.
I was gone, too far to be brought back by a mere vocab. All I needed was a smack on my head, and that was what dad did, he gave me a smack which brought my full consciousness back from where ever the hell it was.
"Ahhh", I bellowed.
"Jadah, are you okay?", dad asked me.
"No dad, am not", I retorted.
"Dad, dad, moms' room", I said to dad almost
turning into a maniac as I couldn't get a hold of myself. My messy hair and ruined eyeliner made me looked like every kid night mare.
" What about it? " dad asked.
" The walls of mom's room has been written
with blood".
"What was written with blood?", dad asked.
" Stay away from all this".
"What! I don't understand you Jadah".
"You know what dad? follow me, and see for yourself", I said pointing towards the stairs.
As I ran upstairs, dad lumbered alongside me. As we both got to moms' room. I opened the door as I
pointed my both hands to the walls looking at dad. "Dad, see for yourself," I said.
"Jadah, what the hell are you talking about, is this a joke to you, there is nothing written on the wall", dad said with full authority.
Immediately he said that, I turned my head to mom's room only to see an empty wall.
"No, no, this isn't possible. Dad I swear, something was written on the wall boldly with blood".
"Jadah my dear, the whole situation that has been happening with us is enough to traumatize a person , ranging from your mom's truth and Vincent's death, it might just be an illusion, you are seeing things Jadah. Seeing that it is really breaking you down, I have to book a section for you with a therapist",
dad said with concern in his voice.
"Dad, I don't need a therapist, am absolutely okay,
am fine. Dad, I can assure you that something was written on the wall with blood, I swear, I saw it with my own eyes".
"Jadah, stop it, it's enough, stop turning into a maniac", dad yelled.
"I am not turning into a maniac dad; I saw
something written on mom's wall with blood".
"Then where is it?".
"That is what I don't understand, how it disappeared from the wall".
"Jada, a person who is traumatize doesn't tend to understand anything as you are right now, they confuse illusion for reality and they can't decipher either of it. Go to bed Jadah, its already late, maybe if you catch some sleep, it will reduce the whole tension going on in your mind", dad said as he existed the room.
"I don't get it, how could the blood be cleaned so fast and neatly, without any traces of it. I can swear that what I saw wasn't an illusion, it felt so real. What is going on in this house?", I muttered to myself as I existed the room.
I walked in my room, basically locking my door with it key, I didn't want any distraction. Perhaps if I check Vincent's phone the whole secrete would be
revealed and all these formidable puzzles would be lucid. I walked towards my bed, my phone and Vincent's phone was there, I picked up Vincent's phone as I opened it with urgency. I went to his gallery, I saw two videos and one blur picture of our sitting room, where Vincent was stabbed. I clicked on the first picture, it was blurry and I couldn't see the person wearing a black hoodie well, I tried zooming it to see it properly bust it was to a debacle. I clicked the second video, it was a 5 seconds video. (Video plays)
I saw outside of our house through the entrance door.
"Don't do that, it could jeopardize our long-term plan", I heard dad voice in
the video.
It seemed like two people where outside having a conversation, I couldn't see them. I clicked the last video, that was 1minutes 30 seconds long.
"I hope this contains a revealing secrete", I muttered.
As soon as I clicked the video. I Saw mom trying to attack Vincent with a knife, but dad who was the one wearing a black hoodie tried to stop her, by hooding her.
"Let me go, he has found out about our secrete, lets end him along with the secrete", as soon as mom said that, dad allowed her go and ran out of the house. Before I knew it, I started seeing the celling of the house as Vincent's phone fell to the ground, which followed his loud scream. That was the end of the video.
"What do I do with this, I know mom killed Vincent, and Vincent was aware of the fact I know mom is a killer, so why did he say his phone contains the secrete or is there something he did not record?", I said.
"But why was dad there? so he knew Vincent was dead, what secrete where they talking about? he allowed mom killed Vincent?"
Questions upon questions mounted my head, that deserved answers.
"I don't anything", I said standing up from my bed. "The problem is Dad, why was dad acting like he never knew of mom truth, and why was he chastising her yesterday if they had planned all this together", I said anxiously.
"What should I do now", I muttered biting my upper lip.
"should I approach dad about this?".
"No", I replied myself.
"I can't rust any one", I said.
"But what should I do?".
"Go to Dante station tomorrow and ask mom, after all she's already facing the consequences of her cruel deeds", I replied myself.
I was basically having convos with myself in other to remedy the situation and at that, I figured that going to ask mom about it would be the ideal thing to do.