Tunde had gotten himself in a pickle.
After closing from work early and on his way back home, Tunde was attacked by armed robbers. It seemed like their prior aim was to rob him of all he had there. They had made away with his car and all the valuable assets in it, with a handful of punches, they bundled him into a nearby farmland and gang beat him.
They left him in more or less a lifeless state. The seldom movement of his head was amongst others a sign that strength though diminutive, was still in him.
About half an hour later over their departure, the owner of the farmland where Tunde had been left in an unconscious state, came by his farm to round up for the day. As he ventured far into his farmland, he came to find an unknown figure, Tunde almost unconscious. He reached out to him in his blood-filled state and tried to get out of him any information that would be relevant in assisting him.
The farmer seemed to be aware of the fact that he must have been ambushed and robbed. Upon searching all through the unknown figure and all his surroundings, the farmland owner didn’t see anything that could be accounted for a useful. He was beginning to lose hope on getting him somewhere safe before something bad would happen to him or even worse the bad-minded individuals who left him in that state return.
“DI-VIN-E HOSP-IITA-LL.” Tunde found energy to say.
Tunde could sense there was a presence hovering all around him and could feel the ransacking of his body. He left himself in the belief that there could be someone who cared to help him.
Those were the only words that Tunde could manage to utter in his terribly bruised state before he fell into an unconscious state.
The farmer heard him even in his low tune. Knowing the place as it wasn’t too far from his farmland, he carefully lifted Tunde unto the back seat in his truck and with the little petrol he had left in it, he drove down to the hospital.
When the young farmer brought Tunde into the hospital, the nurses and medical personnel easily identified him as the Doctor-in-charge and attended to him immediately.
With immediate effect, his family was notified – Katherine.
“I’m sorry Madam. Your husband now has a complex-fractured spine and his nervous system has been severely damaged as a result of the beatings and injuries he sustained from the assault.” said Dr. Samuel, Tunde’s assistant.
“Oh really?” Kate said not hiding her lack of interest and sympathy.
Deep within herself, she was overjoyed at the news of her miserly spouse’ ill condition.
Dr. Samuel quite surprised at Kate’s indifferent reaction to the news thought to make her understand better the gravity of this medical condition. The doctor seemed to be ignorant of the weight of indifference that existed between his friend and his friend’s ill-minded wife.
“To be a lot clear on his condition, Tunde is now paralyzed from his waist down to his feet and as such risks the chance of him ever using his hands or feet again, Madam”
“Good.” Kate replied with a smirk. “I need you to help me finish the job.”
“Whaattttt??!!!?!.” Dr. Samuel exclaimed in total shock.
“Do you know the gravity of what you are asking me to do?” he asked in a much lower tone, fearing that someone might over hear their conversation. “5 million naira.” said Kate in a desperate tune.
“Madam are you asking me to completely incapacitate my colleague and friend and if that isn’t enough, you ask that I kill him?? I could lose my medical license and sent to jail. Presume I get through with this your crazy plan and get myself caught. Do you know what that would do to me, my reputation, and my family?” said the doctor trying to decode the intentions of the woman before him and the possible effect upon his life as a whole.
“15 million naira! That should be a more than enough enticement.” Kate replied, now getting impatient. “I would pay you the whooping sum of 15 million naira if you do as I have said” she added with a mischievous smirk all over her face.
“You’re sick Madam and require urgent attention. Even if you bribed me with the whole world, I would never involve myself in such a despicable act! For crying out loud he is your husband. Anyways that’s your business!” “If you dare tell me such again I will involve the authorities. Excuse me.” Dr. Samuel said storming out of the office.
“Just look at him. A Spineless and foolish man! Na because say you see person way one give you 15 million naira na! Mtcheeewww! (He is acting this way out of pride, after all it is not every day that someone gets to have a 15 million naira proposal.” hissed Kate in pidgin dialect.
Deep down, Kate was happy about the whole situation. Tunde was hospitalized for over a month plus, after which he was fit to be discharged. Kate was forced to buy a wheelchair for his locomotion.
She had heard of similar situations before and knew he would not live long. She just pretended to care for him so she can be allotted a large share of his will alongside her daughter, Mirabel. All she did were in the best interest of her wallet.
“Daddy is on his way back okay? Make sure you complete all your assignments before I get home.” Tunde said speaking to Oluwole on the phone.
“Yayyy! Okay daddy. Love you.” replied Oluwole on the other side of the line.
“Love you too, Tim.” Tunde replied, as he terminated the call deep in thought.
Throughout the journey back home, he pondered on what to tell the little boy. He loved him so much, he did not want to see him get hurt by the news and the sight of his present condition, but what choice did he have?
That night, Tunde came back a different man, a different father from the one who had left weeks ago. To Oluwole, it was just his dad returning from one of his long business trips.
“Daddyyy!!” Oluwole exclaimed with joy on seeing his loving father in Kate’s car.
Katherine came out of the car, went towards the trunk and brought out the wheel chair. She helped Tunde into it and rolled him inside the house.
“Omo mi” (My child).” Tunde replied as Oluwole ran to meet him. “How are you my boy?” he asked with a pleased face.
“I have been doing fine daddy!” Oluwole said, playing around his dad’s wheelchair with smiles on his face.
Soon the sound of Mirabel’s cries were heard.
Kate went in and carried her and placed her on Tunde’s laps. Little Mirabel looked up at his face at regular intervals whilst playing with his fingers. She was the blue-eyed child of Kate while Oluwole was the blue-eyed child of his father.
“How are you daddy?” Oluwole asked. “Mummy said you went on a long trip and got sick.” He added.
Trying to carefully pick his words, Tunde replied – “Daddy is fine, now!”
“Are you sure?” came the next question by Oluwole. “My health education teacher taught us that it was only sick people that sit on this chair daddy”
He held the arms of his father. He knew something was certainly not right. Tunde was dumbfounded, he did not want to hurt his feelings by saying the wrong words.
“Oluwole have you completed all your homeworks?” Kate said trying to change the subject and remedy the awkward situation.
“Daddy?” Oluwole said ignoring Kate completely.
“David!! I asked if you have completed your homework!” Kate roared now.
With tears forming in his eyes, Oluwole ran to his room and jammed the door. He started to cry as he was afraid that something bad had happened to his loving father. He prayed amidst his tears.
That night, Oluwole refused to eat anything. He shut himself out in his room refusing to talk to anyone, including his dad whom he thought to be a liar at that moment. He cried all night such that when he got out of his room the following morning, he looked so pale and tired.
Tunde was placed on a mobile bed and a caretaker was assigned to him. Oluwole went to school as usual, just that sleeping during classes now became a new norm for him.
“What’s wrong with you Oluwole? What’s going on?” his social studies teacher enquired of him one. Oluwole never replied her or any of the teachers who cared to ask. He just stared blankly at them with his head hung up in his palms.
It was only his favorite teacher - Mrs. Sharon; that was able to break him.
“Talk to me Oluwole.” she said.
“My da-dd-yyy!” Oluwole stuttered with tears filling his eyes once again.
“What happened to him?” she asked softly.
Instead of giving her an answer, he ran quickly to the toilet to continue his wails.
Had the universe and all good things in it finally turned their backs completely on young Oluwole or was this just a passing phase?
When Kate had come to pick Oluwole up from school, his teachers made several complaints to her.She casted a nasty look at Oluwole and his tears began to flow again. Oluwole knew within himself that now that his father was paralyzed, Kate would deal with him mercilessly and there would be nothing his father could be able to do about it.“Why were you sleeping while your teachers were teaching today, Oluwole?” Kate asked with.“I-I-I-I…” Oluwole stammered.“You don’t want to answer me, right? Don’t worry, we would see about that when we get home” she said visibly pissed now.Oluwole impulsively ran and hid behind Mrs. Sharon. He did not want to be beaten up by anyone anymore. Kate however dragged him forcefully to the car and drove off roughly. Mrs. Sharon only looked on with sad eyes.“She is his mother anyways, my hands are tied.” she thought to herself.That evening, Oluwole received the beating of his entire life. Tunde yelled from the room that Kate should stop but she only intens
Oluwole and Mrs. Sharon kept on with their conversation until the horn of Kate’s Toyota Camry vehicle was heard.Oluwole felt a cold chill down his spine and a rush of fear run down his body.“David that should be her, right?” Mrs. Sharon asked.Oluwole nodded affirmatively to her question.“By you sudden change in mood I can tell that she was the one whose car made that horn even before I asked you.” Mrs. Sharon said. “Take care dear!” she added with a smile.Oluwole stood up and embraced Mrs. Sharon tightly returning the smile.“Thank you so much for always being there for me Ma. You’re like the loving mother I never had.” Oluwole said amidst stifled tears.Mrs. Sharon returned the embrace warmly after which Oluwole ran off to meet his step-mother at the reception. He did not need a prophet to tell him that she wasn’t in a very good mood. Without staring so closely at his stepmom’s face, Oluwole stepped into the car without saying a word to Kate or even sparing her a scan. On their
When Oluwole woke up, he could neither find Kate nor the car.He looked all around searching for the car or his stepmom, Kate both of which he didn’t find. He was so confused. The feeling and urge of a night sleep was far from him. The only thing installed in his thoughts were questions that he had no apparent answer to. Mutually bad and blameless thoughts competed in his mind for which was right. Oluwole was totally lost.When observing at his sides, all four cardinal points around him seemed to be covered with thick land space of vegetation and were pitch black. Some many questions ran through his poor, young and troubled mind. It was far into the night and he had no idea where he was or what had happened to him. The last thing he could recall was being in the car with his stepmom driving. The several bites and perches of mosquitoes on his arms and legs only heightened his confusion and agitation.Bad and fear-fueled thoughts began to run through his mind.“What if this is not a mis
“I would ask you again for the last time boy. What is your name?” said Charles with a smile.“First tell me yours.” Oluwole said. “You tell me your name and I’d tell you mine.”Oluwole in his state could tell that there could be a chance of the man before him not being a Nigerian judging by his really light complexion. His skin had a far lighter tone compared to those he sees every day in school, church and in his neighborhood. Charles looked like one of those actors in the action movies daddy usually watches. He put his hands into his pockets and surprisingly found the picture of him and his dad in one of them. Oluwole was a bit curious as to how it got there.The last thing he remembered was holding on to it tightly when he got kidnapped.“Why don’t we say our names together?” Charles suggested forming a smile.“Okay!” Oluwole said trying to return the smile.“Oluwole David!” “Charles!” They both said in unison.“Wow!” “I like the name Oluwole. What a nice name for a handsome boy lik
Oluwole spent the remaining part of the week crying in his luxurious room. Now that his father was gone, the thought of going back home was far from him. Home without his father would be nightmare. The people that killed his father probably also sought to kill him too. He therefore decided to stay with Charles.He needed him now more than ever. He had nowhere else to go. The love and care Charles had shown him since he arrived was far preferred to that which he would receive back home.“I love you daddy. I do and I always will.” Oluwole said holding the photograph of him and his father to his chest. Right now, that was his most treasured and valued item. It was the only tangible memory of his late father that he had.He had no other family relations that he knew of. No uncles or aunts. He was still staring at the photograph when he had an asthma attack. He looked around his room frantically for his inhaler which was in his bag pack. The struggled to get it within his reach. He needed
Ben drove them back to the warehouse. On the way, they had change of vehicle for about seven times. When they got to the warehouse which was now Woles new or rather Samuels present home, Felicia placed a call to Charles. He informed him that they were back from the hospital. Charles gave her the instruction that henceforth, Wole should be addressed as his son and by the name of Samuel. He also told her to make sure that all the other staffs that worked in the warehouse got the message. Hand the phone over to him I want to speak to him, said Charles. Your father wishes to speak to you, he knows that you are sick so don’t worry he would soon be back home, said Felicia to the hearing of Charles. She wanted to make sure that Charles would think that she is actually going with the he is my son nonsense. Deep down she had pity for Sam. She knew that Charles would change him from the innocent boy that he recruited a week ago. Yet she had to go with it, even though it was all pretense. Sh
Felicia was 20 by age.She was just a simple girl going about every day on the streets in search of a job as a maid. She had gone to schools, hospitals and basically anywhere that required the maintenance services of a maid.She wanted to get herself the job even though it seemed menial just so she could settle her fees at the university. That was the point when Ben came into her life, the instrument that the devil had used to destroy her future. She had introduced to Ben by a friend of hers. Immediately she was told of the huge sum of money that was involved in the job, she applied for it. She didn’t even put into consideration of how a job as a maid could fetch out such a salary. The desperation to settle up pending school bills and return as a big girl flooded her thoughts and made her rush into it without having a rethink. Back then she was so filled with joy when she had received the news that she had gotten the job. She had no clue that it was a life time job with a contract t
As he watched the cartoon series, Sam could feel something in his heart. There was a feeling that was pointing out to him that all was not right. He was greatly disturbed by it. It was almost as if someone was trying to talk to him in his heart. He could hear a voice speak but could not understand what it was saying. He was ignorant of what it was pinned on. Yet he was pinned on ignoring it. He was really into the cartoon channel, enjoying every scene and every show.Before all this, Kate never allowed him to watch any cartoons when his dad wasn’t around and that was basically a lot of times. When he was not at school or doing his homework, she made him do house chores over and over again to her satisfaction. So it was normal for him to have a certain craving for cartoons at his age even though he didn’t know it. He got so caught up in the show that he ended up flushing both the feeling that was on him and the incessant voice down the drain. Apart from his afternoon lunch and his eve