THE TRAGEDY
Episode 18
“So all these while, Alhaji has been the one threatening our lives? Poor Ope, she died not knowing she was trying to save my life” I said to myself
Those were the words I kept repeating to myself the whole day
I had my bath nine times, Miebaka was thinking I had fever, not knowing I spent the whole time in the bathroom trying to figure out what I was going to do. I knew I had done wrong by chopping off hisl-ips, but he did not leave me with any other option. Are post wedding days were as challenging as the past. I pitied my husband; maybe he shouldn’t have looked for me. Maybe he should have gone ahead with Ope and lived a happy life after. Maybe I was the badluck. Yes, I knew I was, and I was re-ady to fix this problem myself.
I began to use the NGO as an excuse. Each day, for the first three months after our wedding, I would go out there, trying to gather information about Alhaji. But I would lie to my husband that the NGO work had been too demanding, and he un-derstood.
One afternoon, I finally decided to contact Godfrey. I had invited him for our wedding but he did not show up or call to give any explanations why he didn’t attend.
Me:”Hello Godfrey. It’s Shiber.”
Godfrey:”Iyawo how fa now. You just forget us abi. Big woman. I was in Accra during your wedding. That’s why I couldn’t make it. But I heard what happened. I am so sorry”
Me:”That is why I am calling you. We really nee-d to see”
Godfrey:”Ok. I’ll let you know when I am back to Abuja”
It was more than eight months after our wedding. I was alre-ady heavily pregnant. I abandoned the NGO job, leaving it to the hands of Miebaka’s friend to manage. Having a twins inside ones stomach for months wasn’t an easy thing.
Everything was perfect, the timber business was moving fast and Miebaka and I were alre-ady planning to relocate to the US. We also began to make plans of opening new br@nches for our NGO while we control the organization from abroad. I could not believe I would ever be happy for months without encountering terrible events. Miebaka on his p@rt was the best husband one would pray for; he made sure he was there with me at the hospital during every check up on the twins, he did the chores and sang for me at night when I couldn’t sleep…he would call our babies cute names…saying I was in heaven is an un-derstatement.
He had brou-ght two maids to stay by me incase there was any reason for me to be at the hospital because he was travelling to Osun State to seal a deal with his clients on the timber business.
Just as he predicted, the Labour pains started two weeks after he left for Osun state. First, the pains began just like the usual menstrual cramps, then it got h0tter, I f0rç£d myself to catch some breath. I had heard stories about women who would spend days in the hospital because they had gone there before the right time of delivery; I did not want to be that kind of woman. I hated hospitals, I wanted to go there, have my babies and return home the next day.
I called him to inform him of the new development and his response made me laugh
Miebaka:”What has come over you? Are you joking with the lives of my angels? You better go to the hospital else I’ll call the police to drag you out” he warned
I laughed at him on the phone as he spoke with all seriousness
Me:”So I am no more your angel abi?” I tea-sed
Miebaka:”You are now expired hahahah. Common go to the hospital joor” he laughed
After the call, I called the maids to help me down the stairs, I could feel Miebaka’s angels trying to f0rç£ their way out.
……………………………….
Miebaka:”My Angel! You finally open your eyes. Doctor! Doctor!” He called at the man in white shi-t
“My Angel is awake” he said holding my hand
“Should I bring our angels? They look so cute just like you my love”
Doctor:”She does not have enough strength to hold them. Let us give her an hour to be fully awake” he spoke to Miebaka
Miebaka:”Do you want rice? MoiMoi or Pepper soup? I have them all here” he said with excitement
Doctor:”Mr.Miebaka your wife can’t eat anything now.You may want to take those meals back home because even if she starts eating, it wouldn’t be that kind of food, for now” he smiled and tapped him on the shoulder
……………………..
My twins were the best gift God had given me. They looked so much like Aunt Engee, so stubborn. We had postponed our trip to the US, I wanted to be strong before relocating. I also wanted my kids to breathe the African air before going to America.
Meanwhile, Godfrey was reporting to me each week. My kids were now two months old. I would leave them with the maids and run to the park to meet with Godfrey. Our last meeting was not plea-sing; he had told me that Chief had informed him that Alhaji was still bent on destroying my marriage with Miebaka
Godfrey: “I think you should leave town. I spoke to Chief to help us beg Alhaji but he said this is now beyond his control and that if you and your husband love yourselves, you should leave Nigeria, because the Alhaji he knows will not give on you” he advised
Me:”Thanks for your effort. The truth is, I can’t because of Alhaji fast forward our trip to the US. I have plans for him too”
As I sat with Godfrey, ma-king sure no one took note of us, my br£@st milk began to drip out of my t©p; I had left the twins at home with the maids. Miebaka was also home, resting. He had just returned from another business trip. I left Godfrey at the park and drove to the house.
On my way, I st©pped by the aboki to buy fruits for my husband. As I stood waiting for turn, I noticed smoke coming from a direction far from the street; the kind of smoke Miebaka and I saw when there was crisis in Kano. I couldn’t help but ask the aboki as people ran towards that direction.
Me:”Mallam a beg we-tin dey happen for there? Why people dey run?
Aboki:”Wallahi I no no.But Mallam Yinusa say na big fire o! The man, the woman and fine twins…all of them die for the fire wallahi Madam”
On hearing this, I dropped my hand bag and every other thing I was holding, lifted my Sk-irt up and began to run as fast as I could. I had gotten there too late, our house was burnt down; I could not even recognize the location. All I saw was a piece of the toy Pastor’s wife had given to my kids during their dedication. I knelt down in pains staring at the smoke and all I could say was
“God! God! God! Why!”
I opened my eyes and saw myself being held by two men. I pu-ll-ed myself out and ran to the streets. I remembered where Alhaji’s house was located; I had found out more about his family during my research about him. I took a cab and headed to Maitama, where his first wife lived.
Locating the house a second time was not an issue. I stood opposite the house, observing who went in and who got out. Then I saw two kids, his only sons, gr@bb£d them, stabbe-d them multi-ple times and left them lifeless. I saw the security man ma-king calls, I didn’t mind, I kept hitting the gate shouting on t©p of my voice…
I knew I had gone insane, Yes! What was left for me on earth? NOTHING. I was re-ady to face death himself, after all death had been pla-ying games with me. I wanted to face death and ask him what wrong I had done to him.
………………………
The police had come, handcuffed me and dragged me into their dirty vehicle as neighbors stood and watched.
I did not stress the judge in court, I told them I was guilty and re-ady to be imprisoned.
To be continued…
QUESTIONS
Would Shiber be jailed?
Has Life been fair to Shiber?
What would be her fate in jail?
Should she have stabbe-d Alhaji’s two sons?
Do you think miebaka and her twins are dead?😁😀