LIFE OF PAINS
Episode 21
.
After leaving Abel at the prison, they
returned to Maria’s place and sit to
deliberate. Preye was sed@t£d and left in
the room to sleep. They gathered in the
sitting room to discuss on the next step
to take.
Maria: “My major concern is getting my
son out of jail. God has done it, the real
killer is alive.”
Barr. Odumodu: “you see that girl in
there. She cannot make any submissions
that will be taken seriously by a
competent judge. Her memory is
skewed. We nee-d a better testimony
than hers.”
Felix: “what about her father? He knows
what happened that day. She told him
before she had the accident. Can’t we get
him to testify before a judge?”
Maria: “ehen…the father can be made to
testify. After all his daughter has told us a
damning tale about how he and his
friends used her for their own selfish
S-xual gratification. We can use that to
hold him”
Barr. Odumodu: “we still fall back to the
same issue of how reliable is Preye’s
testimony given her mental state? We
nee-d more than just the chief’s
testimony. We nee-d another witness to
testify. One person may be doubted but
two witnesses might make it throu-gh.”
====
Detective Boniface sat with Collins in the
interrogation room. The boy was not
happy. Nothing was working for him, I
expect, detective Boniface thought to
himself.
Detective Boniface: “so young man how
do you know Preye, the daughter of
Chief Bright of Omini Oil?”
Collins: “I heard she is dead, what has
that got to do with anything?” he asked,
his voice shaking from fear.
Detective Boniface: “well we have reason
to believe that she, not Abel, your
supposedly close friend, killed Bimbo. We
know that it was not a deliberate act but
a mistake. We simply want to simply clear
Abel’s name.”
Collins: “I don’t know what you are
talking about.”
Detective Boniface: “my boy, if you do
not cooperate you will find yourself in
the same prison as Abel, serving time.
You think you were arrested by mistake.
We have been waiting for you to come
out of whatever hole you were hiding. I
could make it so bad for you that, Abel’s
time in prison will seem like a vacation
compared to yours.”
Collins: “Oga we-tin I do you? I no know
anytin o. I sit down my own when d level
pl@yo.”
Detective Boniface: “tell me what you
witnessed. Everything.”
Collins started talking.
=====
Chief Bright was on his morning exercise
with his physiothera-pist. He was
working on his leg, so he was on the
ground, wincing in pain as the
physiothera-pist bent his leg at the knee
then stretch it again. This stro-ke was a
real bad luck, he thought to himself as a
flash of pain speared him from his l@p.
The physiothera-pist was kneading his
l@p. How can ru-bbing be this painful?
His phone rang. The physiothera-pist
st©pped kneading and brou-ght the
phone to him. It was an unknown
number. He looked at it for a second,
then decided to pick it.
Maria: “Hello, am I on to Chief Bright?”
Bright: “yes. Who am I speaking to?”
Maria: “My name is Maria. I am Abel’s
mother. We nee-d to talk.”
Bright stared at the phone in surprise.
Abel…why is that name familiar? Abel…
Bright: “talk about what?”
Maria: “About getting my son out of
prison.”
Bright: “I still do not know what you are
talking about.” His heart beat increa-sed.
He motioned the physiothera-pist to
come and help him up. The man carried
him to a chair and he sat down.
Maria: “I see. Well Preye has been
sharing some pretty revea-ling secrets
about you and your friends, Chief.”
Bright: “you have Preye? Well if you do,
you should know that she is mentally
unstable and nothing she says will be
considered admissible in court. So forget
it.” He ended the call. His heart beat was
like a drum in his ears.
He waited for the pressure on his che-st
to ease then he placed a call to Benson.
Benson: “hello dad, I am yet to find her
but am on it…” Bright cut in,
Bright: “don’t bother. She is with a
woman claiming to be Abel’s mother. I
am thinking blackmail here. I want you
to confirm it and handle the matter, is
that un-derstood. I am s£nding the
number now.”
Benson: “Ok dad.”
Bright stared at the phone and sighed. I
am tired. This thing nee-ds to be
contained before it turns into a
nightmare.
====
Maria: “he didn’t fall for it o.”
She sat, looking from Felix to Barr.
Odumodu.
Felix: “what other option do we have
now?”
Barr. Odumodu’s phone rings. It is
detective Boniface. They talk briefly. Barr.
Odumodu smiles as he places his phone
inside his pocket.
Barr. Odumodu: “we are in luck. That
was detective Boniface. He says he has
found a witness. The young man claims
to be a friend to Abel. Collins is his name
I believe. The friend that disappeared.”
Maria: “ehen…that is good news o. but
will still nee-d chief.”
Preye: “take me to my father’s house.”
she spoke from the room door.
Maria: “what do you mean?”
Preye: “they do not know that am alive
except for my father and brother
Benson. If the family sees me and hear
my tale, he will be f0rç£d to act.”
Felix: “she is right. We should f0rç£ his
hand.”
====
Chief Bright’s compound was quiet
when Preye made her entrance. Nob©dy
was outside. She told the gate man that
she was s£nt to deliver a message to
Mama Benson. She had asked Felix, who
had brou-ght her there, to wait outside.
she wanted to do this alone. The gate
man called Mama Benson throu-gh the
intercom and she c@m£ out. Preye
entered the compound and walked up to
where she stood.
Preye: “Koidei.”
Mama Benson looked at her curiously.
Mama Benson: “your voice is familiar but
I cannot claim to know you.”
Preye: “it is me, Preye, Ebiere’s daughter
ma.”
Mama Benson: “Jesus! You are dead!”
She took to her heels. After a short
distance, she st©pped and turned
Mama Benson: “you are not a ghost?’
Preye: “no ma but am no longer what I
used to be. This is my tattered remains.”
Mama Benson: “Jesus! Come in…this
house is going to fl!pupside down.”
They start to walk inside, the mama
Benson st©pped.
Mama Benson: “does your father know
that you are alive?”
Preye: “I have been his prisoner, him and
Benson, ma.”
Mama Benson: “ha! Bright…Bright…”
they got close to her ap@rtment. They
entered,
Preye: “that is not all ma…” Someone
turned at the sound of her voice. It was
Benson, seated on a chair, re-ading the
morning papers.
Benson: “well there you are. I have
searched for you all over Warri.”
Preye’s heart thumped loud in her che-st
LIFE OF PAINS
Episode 22
.
Detective Boniface sat in front of his
desk and stared at the different papers
on it. So Chief Bright was trying to
protect his daughter from the law. A girl
that he had been S-xually inti-mate with
for years. If he can hide her from the
police and fake her death, then he can
go any length to keep her survival of the
accident a secret. Will he kill his own son
to do that? Hmmm…. I nee-d more
information. We know that Preye was at
the scene of the crime; we know that
she accidentally killed Bimbo but we
nee-d someone whose testimony will be
respected to testify. He brou-ght out his
diary and looked at it. He nee-ded to get
something on Chief Bright. I nee-d to
speak to that his Doctor son, Benson.
they seem to be close, the two of them.
But can a father’s love be so strong that
he will kill one child to protect the other,
or is there more to this than meets the
eye?
Working on a hunch, he picked up his
phone and dialed an inlaw of his, Lady
Anita Okagba-re, who works with SPDC.
Detective Boniface: “Sis Migwo, It’s been
a while. How’s the family?”
Lady Anita: “Boniface…Vrendo…you
ehn…you just forget me for the street o.
na wa o. dis one wey you call me so,
hope I dey safe o?” she replied, laughing.
Detective Boniface: “sis no be so o. you
know how work be na. And you na busy
person, I no wan dey block you anyhow
na. How bros?”
Lady Anita: “He dey o. you dey hear from
my sister so?” referring to his wife, who
was studying nursing in the United
Kingdom.
Detective Boniface: “she bam. We talk last
night sef. abeg no vex, I dey hurry. I
nee-d information concerning Omini Oil.
You know anything about them? I nee-d
d info as soon as possible.”
Lady Anita: “Omini Oil? That na Bright
company na? no worry, give me today. I
go get something for you. You dey
investigate the company?”
Detective Boniface: “no. something else
na I dey check. Thank you.” they talk
some more before the call ended.
====
Preye stood before her step brother and
looked at him quietly.
Preye: “I have not come to see you,
brother. I c@m£ to see Bright.” Mama
Benson g@sped.
Mama Benson: “Preye since when did
you start calling your father by his first
name. It seems the accident did not
change you or you must be really insane
as Benson says.”
Benson: “I told you mama, she nee-ds to
go for treatment.” He said walking
towards her.
Preye turned to her step mother and
smiled sadly.
Preye: “Mama I want you to ask Bro
Benson, why the fact that I survived the
accident was hidden from my friends
and family.”
Mama Benson turned to Benson, looking
at him suspiciously.
Benson: “what! She killed a girl in a
h0tel, papa wanted her safe. She was
supposed to be on a plane to Dubai
when the accident occurred. When she
recovered from the surgeries and
everything, she had gone crazy, what
were we supposed to do? Bring a crazy
person home?”
Preye: “why did you not allow my family
to see me?”
Benson: “the fewer people who knew,
the better.” He said, looking at Preye
venomously.
Preye: “yet on the day Pere died, he was
seen at the house where you kept me.
People saw him enter the estate with
Kelvin, my friend. Pere died and Kelvin is
missing.”
Benson: “what are you talking about?
Pere found out something. I told him to
shut up and let it be. I never saw him at
the ap@rtment. Who is Kelvin?”
Mama Benson looked at Benson
curiously.
Mama Benson: “I am curious. What has
been going on in this house? Let us go.”
Preye nodded. Mama Benson sat down
quietly and watched Benson walk out of
her sitting room. She turned to Preye
and both of the left for her father’s
ap@rtment.
====
Kennedy listened on the phone as his
elder brother informed him that Preye
was in the house. This spoils everything.
I don’t un-derstand what papa and
Benson are doing to that girl but there
are better ways of handling issues.
Dumb people…they cannot think for
themselves. Just to eat, fv¢k and sleep.
He ended the call and turned to the
banker. He had come for a loan to foot
the bill for a big project, Omini Oil was
pursuing. He smiled when he thought of
the money that was coming his way. I
don’t have time for all these drama. He
liked when things went smoothly; the
account books in the black, the accounts
tallying, and new projects coming
up….he did not like messes like Preye.
They irritated him that’s why I don’t get
into whatever is going on in that house.
His phone rang and he picked. It was
one of his informants in NNPC. They
talked for a few minutes and Kennedy’s
face grew h0t with anger. He
suppressed and went back to talking
with the bank manager. After the
meeting, he left hurriedly.
====
Preye entered her father’s sitting room.
He turned at her entrance. They stared at
each other for several minutes.
Bright: “you look terrible, princess.” He
said quietly.
Preye: “you don’t look too good
yourself.”
Bright raised his hand up and beckoned
her forward. Preye walked closer to him.
Mama Benson watched the two of them
quietly, then she hissed
Mama Benson: “I have been hearing
some strange tale about you and this
child here.”
Bright looked at Preye guiltily. Mama
Benson saw, and her curiosity increa-sed
Bright: “what is that supposed to mean,
woman? What are doing here? Don’t you
have anything to do?”
Preye: “when I was 14 years old, you…”
Benson: “Preye!! Shut that mouth! Don’t
you see that your father is ill? You want
to kill him?” nob©dy had seen him enter.
Preye started laughing. She laughed so
ha-rd that tears started rolling down her
cheeks. She walked to her father and
t©uçhed his face.
Preye: “Papa why did you hide me from
the world after my accident?” she asked
quietly. Her eyes glittering strangely.
Bright: “it was to protect you, princess.”
He said tiredly.
Preye: “No Papa, it was to protect you.”
she turned to Mama Benson.
Preye: “he R@p£d me when I was 14 and
we have been fv¢king for years until I
had that accident. during the same
period, he gave me to his friends and
business p@rtners to help strike deals
and seal business transactions. i basically
fv¢ked all the wealth in this house for
him.” She told her quietly.
Mama Benson g@sped in shock. She
looked at Bright and saw the resignation
in his face and realization dawned.
Mama Benson: “you R@p£d a girl of 14
years? Your own daughter?” she asked
in disbelief.
Alero: “who R@p£d his daughter…? Jesus!
Who is this?” She asked as she entered
the room.
Preye: “good afternoon ma, it’s me,
Preye.”
Alero starts to laugh, she looks at Bright
then turned to Benson, and then she
st©pped. She walked to Preye, looked her
all over.
Alero: “Preye…Your father R@p£d you
when you were 14 years? I am calling
the police. Bright you will pay for this…”
Bright: “plea-se don’t. If the police gets
into this, it will destroy this family. My
reputation…” he started coughing again.
Mama Benson looked at him and shook
her head then she turned to Benson.
Mama Benson: “did you know?” Benson
nodded his head.
Mama Benson: “you and your
father….God!” she walked out of the
room in anger.
Alero had called the police to come to the
house.
Benson looked at his father in sadness.
He sat down on the chair and waited for
the police. As soon as Alero was done,
she started calling all members of the
household to come and see Preye and
hear her story. Bright’s sitting room was
soon full with his children and
grandchildren. Preye told her tale. As
Preye talked, she wept, then she
laughed; she twitched, she smiled then
she snarled. Her siblings could not
believe that this was the beautiful wild
Preye they remembered.
Bright listened, then his blood pressure
started rising. He tried to call out to
Benson but he started coughing again.
He slumped on his chair. Benson who
had stood aside to let his siblings in did
not see him at first. A grand child had
seen him and he tugged at Benson’s
shi-t. When he turned, he saw his father
slumped on his chair, almost sliding to
the ground. He called out to the nurse.
Preye st©pped her tale and turned to see
Benson cradling their father. At that
moment, the police arrived.
Alero pointed to Bright but the police
agreed with Benson that he should be
taken to the hospital. They quic-kly
rushed him to the hospital and placed a
police guard on him.
====
Kennedy sat in his office. the bank
manager had been no help. He sat and
thought ha-rd and long. This was an
opportunity that the company could not
ignore. Well let’s get to it. i have delayed
too much as it is. I will have to get Papa
to sign off on this plan.
Will Bright survive this second stro-ke?
What is Kennedy up to?