THE HOUSEMAID DISASTER
EPISODE 17
David zoomed out of the compound with many thoughts racing throu-gh his mind. Where could she have gone to?
Ebere’s place was where he first drove to but she wasn’t there. He called Ebere on the phone and asked her if she has seen her friend, Ebere told him she never saw her that day.
The thought of her running away to kill herself scared him. He knew the whole incident got her shattered, downcasted and heart broken. The only thing on his mind at that time was to find her safe, then whatever happens between them would be another bridge to be crossed.
She had left her phone at home.
Somewhere along the road, David saw a crowd of people. Some were peeping, others were stretching their n£¢k while others only shook their head.
He wound down the glas-s of his car to inquire from one of the on-lookers what was going on.
“Na one useless driver o wey jam one woman leave am there run” The bald headed skinny man answered, revea-ling his brown teeth.
Without waiting for him to conclude, David hastily alighted from his car to see the victim. Could it be Angela? His heartbeat increa-sed.
He pushed throu-gh the crowd and behold there she was. A young lady in a purple dress with her long hair scattered on the ground. He could see traces of blood. His heartbeat dropped as he sighed, wiping the sweat off his face. Angela was wearing a red t©p with a Sk-irt made of jean material but he felt sorry for the lady lying on the ground there. Who knew if she was still breathing? That’s the problem with people, David thought, instead of people to take her to the hospital on time, they left her there, staring at her as if she was something from another planet.
He ran back to his car and saw four missed calls from his father-inlaw who also went his way in search of her daughter. He dialled back, shook his head, ab-orted the call and re-ad the message he s£nt:
“HAVE YOU SEEN HER?
WHERE ARE YOU?” He drove away his mind focused on finding his wife.
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Ebere had paid some boys who raided Angela’s shop but didn’t get her. However, David’s call informing her of Angela’s disappearance got her worried because she was bent on s£nding the boys to her home to kidnap her. She went over to see things for herself only to Angela’s mother pacing all around the house pensively.
The baba said she must be brou-ght to his shrine that very day.
She hung around with her boys near Angela’s locality, searching everywhere with her eyes for her prey.
It was when she finally gave up hope of ever finding her that she caught the sight of something. They were from Angela’s area. Ebere focused her attention on the person she saw. She was trying to hang herself with a large rope, It was no other person than the Angela everyb©dy has been looking for.
Angela opened her eyes when the blindfold was re-moved from them. She felt some pain and closed them again.
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“What do this people want from me?’, She kept asking herself, they should have let me alone to have peace. To rest from all these pains’
She remebered how she had gone over to Sonia’s place with the gun in her hand. If only she had met her there or even her mother but alas, the door was locked with a heavy padlock.
She ru-bbe-d her hand over her eyes burning with pains. She glanced around the place. The angry looking faces of the gods,combined with the furious men that kidnapped her made her nervous.
“What do you people want from me!?” She asked with shakyl-ips.
“Your time here on earth is up, woman” the old ‘dibia’ who was just emerging answered her.
“You lie, you are not my creator and so,you can’t decide when my time is up” Angela, who convinced herself that her time was up when she wanted to take her life heard herself say. Her words earned her a heavy sl@p from one of those men, leaving traces of his f!ngerson her face.
Ebere showed up, looking at Angela straight in the eyes.
“Times comes in this life when we pay for the crimes and sins we commited. Angela,this is the time to pay yours” Ebere said with a mean face.
“What are you talking about Ebere?” The confused Angela asked, not believing what was happening.
“You thought i wasn’t aware all this while? So you are happy that i have remained unmarried while you are enjoying life to the fullest with your husband, right? You drove away Mike, the only man that wanted to marry me by telling him how i do go about slee-ping with men, Isn’t it?” Ebere stressed out.
“Ebere, What do you take me for? Goodness me. So you believed i did that to you? Why should i? Everyone knows the type of life you are living. Its never a secret” Angela felt betrayed.
“I’m sorry. Sonia is alre-ady pregnant for your husband. I masterminded everything. She will take over your home because you are not getting away alive” Ebere said and turned her back on her,leaving.
“Ebere, Ebere, Ebe…why, i am innocent, why are you doing this to me? Save me oh God, my hands are clean” Angela cried, her heart almost crashing to pieces.
“Take her to the execution ground” The old dibia commanded.
EPISODE 18
“David, you have been reserved and taciturn. You have refused answering my questions and i can’t condone it any longer. What happened to my daughter. What led to her fainting” Mr Uwa asked, the pain and anger of his daughter still missing showing all over him. It was alre-ady getting dark. They just returned from the police station after ma-king a report.
“Did she fight with the maid? Were they fighting?” His wife added.
David shifted on the chair where he sat and stole glances at them. He felt bad within himself. He didn’t know how to tell his inlaws what happened because all these while he had felt like someone un-der someone else’s control.
He concluded it would be better if Angela told them by herself.
“She just fainted Nothing more. What else do you want me to say” David replied calmly, pacing up and down.
“Who’s that woman we saw earlier? Is she the mother of the maid? And why were they leaving with the bag which i believe is hers?” Mrs uwa asked.
“She is her mother. oh, what do i do now? Where else do i go in search of Angela”
David lamented, carefully avoiding more questions.
“Pray nothing happens to my daughter because if anything happens to her, you will regret it” Mr uwa as-sured him while signaling to his wife to follow him as they have stayed too long.
“Wherever my daughter is, the living God that i serve will protect her. David, You must show me where they live” Mrs uwa who stood on her feet said referring to David.
“Is it necessary? i went there severally, she wasn’t there. Nob©dy was at home” David replied her.
***Mr.Uwa’s house***
“I have been thinking” Angela’s mother whispered to her husband, reaching for her bible.
“What about?”Her husband asked.
“Do you remember that Adaora’s two children died with her husband in that ghastly motor accident that made headlines on several news forum?” She asked.
“I do remember that”
“I was suprised when they said she’s the mother of that girl Angela brou-ght in” She said vaguely.
“She might have adopted her”
“My mind doesn’t seem to think that way. We have to get going, the pastor and prayer warriors would soon be arriving at the church for the vigil. Trust God, Angela will return safe and sound. Our God answers prayers” She as-sured him and glanced at the wall clock. 9:15PM
“Everything is happening so fast but i believe my daughter is safe. God will protect her” He agreed.
The air was filled with the voices of prayer; a miraculous medium of miracles. Prayer, which changes things beyond human comprehension.
The prophetic voice of the pastor was heard saying that Angela is in great danger but nee-ds divine grace. At a point, he called out her husband’s name, telling everyone to pray upon him for liberation from any power acting upon him.
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David woke up the next morning feeling so fresh, despite being up in thoughts all night till sleep stole him at the early hours of the morning. He ru-bbe-d his hands against his eyes, surely, something he couldn’t explain died in him last night.
Tears trickled down from his eyes when he remembered what he has been doing. He had been busy going against the promise he made to Angela on the alter.He had been commiting Adûlt€rywith their housemaid.
“What happened to you David? What went wrong”, he wept,”Forgive me Angela, i have wronged you, plea-se come back to me. If you leave me forever, i will never forgive myself. Oh God plea-se bring Angela back to me…”
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Angela’s eyes were swollen. She cried all night, while gigantic mosquitoes feasted on her delicate skin. She was kept in an uncompleted building with two young men watching over her. She was too weak to cry again, they didn’t give her anything to eat. She wished someone she knew comes to her aid just as it happened in the dream. She blamed herself for not telling her mom about it; perhaps, they might have prayed it away.
She just la-id there, tied hands and legs pretending to be asleep. She soon felt a t©uçh and opened her eyes, it was Ebere.
“How do you feel my dear friend?” she asked with a wicked smile.
“My God is alife and He will surely vindicate me because i am innocent of your accusations. I have finally come to believe that the devil you know is better than the angel you don’t. Ebere you are a betrayer” Angela weakly said and spat on her with enough strength.
“Have your fun, you may never be able to do that again for life”, Ebere said using her handkerchief on her face,” i advice you start saying your last prayers because before dawn tomorrow, you would be no more, i’m sorry. And corncerning sonia,don’t worry, she is not taking over your home. she is going to jail for murder”
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Sonia and her mother were at her aunt’s place whom they pleaded to let them stay with her for a little time watching the mid day news when Sonia saw it. Her ph0to was shown on the television with the caption,”wanted”
According to the news, she ran away from home with her mother when she discovered that someone saw her kill someb©dy.
h0t tears rolled down from her eyes as she fell into her mother’s arm, sobbing sorrowfully in fear.
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 19