Toby's POV: felt the date was getting boring, so I tried changing topics. I asked Bukky about her siblings. At least as a diversion, I just spoilt everything. “I had a brother, he died...”
“Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know. May I ask how?” “he died” Bukky answered. I had to find another topic to talk on.
Bukky’s phone rang, the caller was Florence.
“Hello?” Bukky said, picking up the phone.
“Where are you, I’m outside your house?” Florence replied over the phone.
“I was at Toby’s, I’m on my way I should be there in... -how many minutes before we get home sir”? Bukky asked her driver.
“ten minute tops” the driver answered.
“In ten minutes Florence Is it an emergency?” Bukky asked.
“I have vital information Bukky I can’t keep calm I have to see you now” Florence said hurriedly.
“Okay, I’ll see you in 9.45 seconds then” Bukky replied before hanging up.
After about three minutes, Bukky realized she has never asked the driver where he was when Banky died so she asked.
“Sir, may I ask you a question?” Bukky shifted uncomfortably in her seat
“Mr. Ruben, that’s my name and you can ask me anything as long as I can provide the answers to them” Ruben answered while driving.
“Okay sir, so Mr. Ruben I have been meaning to ask you this, where were you the night I Bankole left us?” Bukky asked and Ruben sighed.
“Bankole” he sighed “I was at home, I was off duty” Ruben answered.
“Have you ever drove to the area where they found the um God…… I mean the body?” Bukky said difficultly, she didn’t want to refer to Banky as a body.
“No, I have never drove him to that area or any where related to it, I’m surprised when I heard about it too. Your brother doesn’t have friends except the ones in school” Ruben answered.
“I see... Thank you” Bukky replied.
After about five minutes, their car arrived at Bukky’s house where a very anxious Florence was waiting outside Bukky’s gate, pacing up and down. Bukky got out of the car outside their gate and the Ruben drove the car inside the compound
.
Florence dragged Bukky besides her car “I have been waiting for almost fifteen minutes. FIFTEEN MINUTES!” Florence barked
“Sorry okay, why are you getting mad at me it’s just five-minute difference. And why are you so worked up?” Bukky replied.
“Because I found something” Florence slowed down “and you were right Bukky” Florence gave Bukky her phone, there was a blurred picture of two people on it
“I went back to the pharmacy, I heard the CCTV had a glitch that night the incident happened so the owner removed so they can fix it the next day” Florence went on.
“That explains why the police report had no CCTV records, how did you get this?” Bukky asked while still looking at the pictures.
“The owner’s son was easy to talk to, since the camera was bad, the only information he can extract was this picture, it was screenshotted from the Only video existing. He claimed they didn’t delete it because they thought the police might come back for it” Florence explained.
“But I can't make their faces with this blurry pictures” Bukky zoomed in the picture very well.
“Don’t worry about their face, look at their cloths” Florence told her and Bukky zoomed in the pictures, then it hit her.
“School uniforms?” Bukky looked up from Florence’s phone to Florence
“Our school uniforms” Florence confirmed
“Shola and Toby?” Bukky asked suddenly feeling like vomiting what she ate at Toby’s house.
“We don’t know for sure Bukky stop jumping into conclusions, it could be anybody” Florence answered
“But it could be them?” Bukky asked
“Yes, if only we can ask them where they were at that time, it would be better but there is no way we can do that without being suspicious” Florence sighed “and we can’t involve the police seeing after seeing their reports”
“Florence” Bukky said after a few minutes “Why don’t we involve the police?”
“What? Do you mean we’ll submit everything?” Florence was shocked.
“No, not everything, think about it the police ended their investigation after two days because they had no suspect and we need answers, we have suspect, so we will give them suspects and they will get answers” Bukky said trying to prove a point.
“What are you talking about” Florence asked.
“A plan, and you Florence has an important role to play in this plan” Bukky explained her plan to Florence and Florence sighed
“Do you think it will work?” Florence asked
“Only one way to find out, do it” Bukky answered
“Okay, let’s do it” Florence answered before adding “The hunt begins”
“So, you wanna tell me why you’re been cranky all this while?” Bukky asked Florence because it seemed like Florence was angry at something or someone.
Florence let out an audible puff of air “my sister is getting married” Florence confessed
“That’s great right?” Bukky answered but judging but the look on Florence face, it wasn’t a good news.
Florence wanted to elaborate more but her phone starts ringing she clenched her teeth when she saw the caller id but she picked the call, she didn’t say anything to the phone but after a beat she just said “ina zuwa (‘I’m coming in hausa language’)” and she hanged up.
“You speak hausa?” Bukky asked surprised
“I’m Fulani” Florence said, leaving Bukky deadpanned “anyways, I got to go. I just got a call from home. I’ll tell you about everything tomorrow” Florence pulled Bukky into a comforting hug, Bukky wasn’t sure if that hug was to comfort her or Florence herself.
Florence entered her car, after she closed the car, Bukky knocked on the car’s window which caused Florence to rolled down her car window, Bukky ducked her head through the space and asked “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I will be, and don’t worry. I’ll start working on the plan like right now. You’ll see tomorrow” Florence assured her.
“Okay, goodbye, take care Flo. I’m worried” Bukky told her.
“I'll be fine, don’t worry. See you tomorrow”
“Yeah, bye”
After Florence car left, Bukky went to her house, her mother Bumola was waiting for her at the living room, that wasn't a good feeling.
“Good evening Mum” Bukky smiled nervously
“Where have you been?” Bumola asked clearly trying to control her anger “the driver came in to the drop the keys about twenty minutes ago”
“My friend came. She has left we were talking” Bukky sighed and then she added “I’m sorry”
“You have friends now, good for you. Good night”
“Mum is everything okay?”
“If there is a problem, you won’t able to solve it” Bumola turned towards the stair but she almost fell, Bukky ran up to hold her up
“Are you okay mum?” Bukky smelled alcohol on Bumola but Bumola laughed
“Mum? Did you just call me mum?” Bumola managed to asked in between her laugh, she detached herself from Bukky but she almost fell again, Bukky held her again but Bumola detached herself from Bukky again
“I’m okay” she breathed, she stood up straight, she gracefully breathed in and out, Bukky knew Bumola didn’t love her as much as she loved Banky.
Bumola was raised by a Misogynist father, her father had little respect for women that might be the reason God only blessed him with seven daughters and one son, at least they only knew about seven daughters, he has many children outside of his marriage even so all of his grandchildren had been girls but when Banky was born that changed.
It was as if a messiah was born, so when Banky met with his untimely death, Bumola’s father had blamed her for his death, he had bullied her, he had called her a failure, Bukky witnessed that incidence herself, Bukky heart went to her mother. She was also hurting it has not been easy for all of them.
Their house maid, who had been Bukky and Banky’s nanny came into living room, Bumola almost fell again, this tine four hands held her, Bumola laughed as if the gestured was the funniest thing in the world, Bumola looked at Bukky after laughing and said “It should have been you.”