***THE ADVENTURES OF BIMPE***
EPISODE 31
At Mama Cas-s, Oyinda sat by the door, and waited for Brian. She wished they could escape together when they c@m£, but she knew the place was surrounded by the police. Then she saw her brother coming, he wore a cap covering his face, she was tem-pted to signal him to run. She stood up but it was too late, he was alre-ady in the restaurant, once inside there was no way he could get away.
Brian: “Oyinda mi, I am sorry for whatever you have gone throu-gh because of me” he embr@ced her and k!$$£d her hair as he used to do when she was still little. Oyinda began to weep.
Brian: “Don’t be a crybaby now, it is almost over, we will leave this f—-d up place for good, dad and mom are no longer here. It is us against the world now” he embr@ced her, then his eyes saw a man dressed in plainclothes, and the hairs at the back of his head stood up, he knew alre-ady that he was in trouble.
Brian: “Oyinda what have you done, did you set me up?” he pushed her away and made to run away.
Detective: “St©p there!” he had his gun drawn out. Yet, Brian still ran, but he forgot the glas-s door of the restaurant in his haste, and went throu-gh the door with his head.
Oyinda: “Ye oh, egba mi o, Brian!” she wailed as she watched her brother stabbe-d on both sides by the ragged ends of the broken glas-s door. Brian fell and the police rushed to his side, they loaded him in their van and rushed him to the hospital. But before they got there, he died in the van. There was no way he could survive, the glas-s had stabbe-d him near his heart and perforated it. The news of his death spre-ad like wildfire, at the same time, the police flooded the internet and news waves with the fake news of Bimpe’s fast recovery.
Alhaja was in her hideout, since the day they attacked Bimpe, she had been on edge, watching the news for any snippet of information about Bimpe. She was consumed with rage when she found out Bimpe was recovering.
Alhaja: “It seems you are a cat with 9 lives, but if I have to kill you 9 times I will. I will not rest until you are out of this world.” She got the information about the hospital she was in, and this time she decided she could not entrust anyb©dy with this task, she had to do it alone. She put on her burka, it made her feel invincible because she could walk in anywhere and they wouldn’t k now she was the fugitive they were looking for. At the hospital’s lobby, she inquired for Bimpe’s room at the nurses’ station. A detective was standing by and heard her inquiry, he looked at her and none of her b©dy was showing. He did not know why, but his instinct told him to watch her. Perhaps it was his distrust for women in Burkas, borne out of his days with the army fighting suicide bombers in Bauchi state. He followed her covertly as she climbe-d up the stairs; she went to Bimpe’s room.
Alhaja was plea-sed when she saw that the floor where Bimpe’s room is was deserted.
Alhaja: ‘I want to see your eyes when you face death at my hands. This time I will not spare you” she said and opened the door quietly. As she entered the room, the whirring of machines was deafening, she looked at Bimpe and saw that contrary to the news, she was nowhere near recovery. She’s long dead. She wondered why the media would give false news, then it occurred to her it might have been put on the news on purpose, and she had just walked into a tra-p. She rushed back to the door and opened it. Alas it was too late, she starred into the nozzle of a detective’s gun, and two others stood behind him, with their guns drawn. She raised her hands up in surrender, she cried in her heart, because she had failed. But she was comforted with the fact that Bimpe might not live. One of the detectives who was a radical, used his pocket knife and to-re throu-gh the burka, to reveal Alhaja’s face.
Detective: “Well well well, Alhaja Zainab it was nice that you could join us, we have been looking for you everywhere, thanks for coming to us” he turned her around and shoved her at the wall. They handcuffed her and took her away.
EPISODE 32
When Yusuf heard that his mother had been arrested, he c@m£ back to Nigeria, he heard that she and Brian had attem-pted Bimpe’s life and now Bimpe was fighting for her life. From the airport, he rushed to the hospital. There in the courtyard, people were alre-ady lighting candles and keeping flowers un-der Bimpe’s picture.
Yusuf: “Who did this, she is not dead yet” He rushed into the lobby and asked for Bimpe’s room. As he was climbing the staircase, he brou-ght out his prayer beads and began to pray. He blamed himself for what happened to Bimpe, she loved him, but he was consumed with getting his father’s properties back that he could not see. Reaching Bimpe’s room, he was shocked at how lifeless she was. Gone was the strong Bimpe, in her place was a weak lifeless b©dy.
Yusuf: “I am here now, forgive me, plea-se my love forgive my foolishness. Do not give up, fight for us, give us a second chance” he began to cry. Something strange happened, Bimpe began to j£rk. The machine she was connected to, began to beep, she was having a flat line. Doctor Dapo rushed in, with some nurses and they tried to resuscitate her.
Dapo: “My little one, daddy is here now, your real dad is here, and don’t you want to hear my p@rt of the story?”
Bimpe: “I sure do” Bimpe said as she opened her eyes. Everyone was beyond shocked; they could not believe their eyes. They began to cl@p. Ladejo hearing the jubilation inside rushed in with his wife.
Bimpe: “Mother? Father?” she said looking at them quizzically. Then the memory of what happened to her flooded her mind and she cringed.
Bimpe: “Brian tried to kill me, he sh0t me, and his men did too” she said weakly.
Dapo: “Don’t say anything, you nee-d to recover first”
Bimpe: “So you are a doctor? Thank you for saving my life even though I caused the loss of your friend’s”
Dapo: “You are my daughter; I would give my life if it would save you”
Bimpe: “What?” she looked at her parents.
Ladejo: “Yes it is true”
Dapo told her that he did not believe Basirat and he was scared, after much pleading, Bimpe forgave him and embr@ced him.
Bimpe: “I also have a story to tell, but I want it live, broadcasted to the world”
They got a television station to broadcast it exclusively.
Bimpe: “This is my story” she told them about going to the University, falling in love with a boy and getting pregnant, she told them about the betrayal, the ab-ortion, the scandal in the village. She also told them about leaving the village and the decision to pursue money instead of love, meeting Alhaji Dambazzau and marrying him. Here she apologized to Dominic for using him the way she did, and begged his forgiveness.
Television anchor: “So the question on all our minds is, did you kill Alhaji”
Bimpe: “I had no hand in Alhaji’s death, but I knew he was going to be killed. I was going to see Alhaji in the office one day when I pas-sed a corridor, two men were discussing, i would pas-sed on my way, but I heard Alhaji’s name called, I hid somewhere to listen. I was shocked when I heard that the security men and one of his b©dy guards were on their payroll. I decided I would tell Alhaji; perhaps he would be so happy that I saved his life and he would reward me with something big. But as I made to leave, a hand gr!pp£dmine. Behold the third as-sociate had seen me, they dragged me into the corridor and threatened to kill me and track down my family. I wanted to call their bluff but they alre-ady saw me flin-ch at the mention of my family and knew they had me. They were going to kill Alhaji and there was nothing I could do about it. I did not want to lose at both ends, so I made a deal with them. They helped me manipulate Alhaji’s will with the help of Barrister Demba, in exchange I kept their secret and also gave them business priority in the companies in my care. This was a Wrong Turn I took, though the offer was a good attra-ction but fatal one. These old men were p@rt of a group called the Cabal, and Alhaji was among them, he fell out with them and they decided to re-move him from the scene.”
Before the end of that day, the police c@m£ and handcuffed her hand to the be-d, they would wait till she recovered before they arrested her. Bimpe recovered and was arrested for being an accessory to murder. In a short trial she was convicted. By this time, her relationsh!pwith Yusuf was going throu-gh healing. She was s£ntenced to two years in prison. After six months in prison in which she bec@m£ closer to God, and her family members especially her real dad, the Group for Woman Rights and Emancipation took up her case. It was repealed and it was ruled that she was threatened, she did not speak out due to self preservation, and there was nothing else she could have done. All charges against Alhaja was dropped, and fresh charges for her attempt on Bimpe’s life was made. She was s£ntenced to 10 years imprisonment. Bimpe bec@m£ free after 8 months in jail. She returned all the as-sets to Yusuf, and the ones she got from Chief Bamigboye she gave to Charity organizations because Oyinda was nowhere to be found.
Dominic watched Bimpe’s revelation on television, he cried when he heard all she had been throu-gh. He forgave her after carrying the grudge for so long. It was time for him to move on with his life and love someone else.
Barrister Demba was in his office one day when he was subpoenaed by the Nigerian Bar as-sociation. His role in changing Alhaji’s will was reviewed and he was disbarred and his license to practice law was revoked. Bimpe gave the shares she had in CYTRON COMPANY to him (Barrister Demba)
Oyinda left Nigeria after burying her father in a quiet funeral; she went to Ghana to start afresh While Bimpe started an advertising company with her finances. Yusuf wanted the, to get married, but Bimpe had cold feet towards.
Bimpe: “Give me time; I have been married more than most people my age. I want to go back to school;. Education remains the best legacy”
Yusuf: “You are right. I am here for you, not going anywhere” they embr@ced. Dapo watched them from his place bat the breakfast table and smiled. God c@m£ throu-gh for him and his daughter, they had both been giving a second chance at life. Not everyone got second chances.
THE END
Hope you gained from this. Thanks for your patience.
#STAYBLESSED