🙆WHO KILLED ATIM🤷
Episode 9.
Story by Miriam Edem.
Only God knows how long I waited inside. Sometimes I’ll lean on the door counting how many officers that has pas-sed and prayed one should just open the door I was.
Finally it opened with my dad friend seriously talking to the officer he was with while I just looked blanked.
“Okay sir! The officer finally said and saluted him before leaving then he turned to me.
“Come with me, he said and I alre-ady pas-sed throu-gh the door first without wasting time and there was Margaret with the officers.
Chai God! I was clueless on how to express my joy, I just looked at her for a while and saluted my dad friend.
“Well done sir! I shouted and he laughed keeping my hands down.
“I’ve told you I have nothing to do with Atim death! Margaret shouted as if we asked her anything and my dad friend looked at her.
“Looks like you’re re-ady to talk, he said to her.
“St©p keeping me here like a criminal, why not hold the person she died at his place, I didn’t kill her! She shouted.
“Okay, take her in since she wants us to rush this, the man told the officers and they quic-kly raised her up taking her in while she struggled with them shouting.
“Sir can I also come? I asked him.
“Ayi I don’t think so, he replied.
“plea-se sir, just in case she wants to lie you nee-d me I beg you, I insisted and he said nothing going in while I followed him behind.
Margaret voice was just all over the room shouting and cursing the officers that they were f0rç£d to hit her.
“St©p it, the man said st©pping them and she angrily looked at us.
“What kind of a woman are you? With such show of behavior how do you expect us to believe you’re innocent? My dad friend asked.
“There’s no prove I killed her or is there any? You have no right to keep me here! She shouted.
“We only wanted to question you and the best you could have done was give yourself up and hear us out rather you went into hiding. Why were you running away when your cousin is cold in the mortuary? The man asked.
“She’s not my cousin, she replied.
“Why didn’t you tell us that yesterday? The man asked.
“Did you ask me? By the way who told you she was my cousin? She asked back and the man nodded.
“Look Margaret don’t make this too difficult for you. If there’s anything we nee-d to know you better speak up now else your punishment will be grave, the man said and she smiled.
“What p@rt of English don’t you un-derstand? I have nothing to do with Atim death! Didn’t you see i was not even in town, how is that possible? Why ignore the man she sle-pt with in his house and ask me? She boldly asked and the man scoffed.
“St©p complicating matters for your self. You were in town, in fact you had a fight with Atim the same day she died, what are you talking about? The man asked and she smiled.
“Where is Uyo that I can’t travel anytime I want? She asked back and the man fiercely hit his fist on the table and violently looked at her.
For the first time I saw his anger that I shook because I wasn’t expecting it.
“St©p testing my patience, I’m trying ha-rd to be cool here don’t push me to the wall. Do you think we’re fools? Do you think we don’t know who you are? Do you think your Neighbours didn’t spell out everything about you? Now I’m going to ask you one last time, who killed Atim? The man seriously asked while Margaret fearfully looked around as we watched her to say something.
“plea-se, plea-se I don’t know, she shakily replied.
“You don’t know? Do you know that ap@rt from the food she ate at my house which was proven safe, she ate at home before coming to my place. And from what we heard, she was cooking at your place that fateful morning when you walked in and exchanged words with her, you told Atim that you’ll deal with her and Atim left the house after cooking to go get something leaving you at home alone and it wasn’t long you left the house in a hurry and never returned until the next day the police met you informing you about Atim death, I c@m£ in.
“What are you trying to say now that I poisoned her because she left me at home with the food she cooked? Why didn’t you take the food she cooked for test also before judging me? She asked.
“We did and do you want to know the result of the test? The man asked and she bec@m£ so uncomfortable while I looked confused knowing the result was negative, or is there anything else I don’t know? I thought.
“Speak now and explain to us why the food was poisoned! The man screamed at her and she covered her ears.
“I’m sorry! She shouted and i nodded and closed my eyes………
🙆WHO KILLED ATIM🤷
Episode 10.
Story by Miriam Edem.
That was not what we wanted hearing and the room was quiet as we waited for her to continue,
“Yes I accept I killed her! She finally dropped and I breathed in.
“Why? What did she do? My dad friend asked and she looked at us for a while,
‘I and Atim do runs, sometimes I give her clients and she does the job. But I noticed she has been cheating me with the money she do get, she began bringing peanuts home and gave excuses. But one p@rticular man made me know she has been lying and when she couldn’t deny, Atim said she borrowed her aunty 500,000 naira and she promised her aunty will refund the money..
2 months pas-sed and the attitude continued and even grew worst. She spent time in her aunty place and refuse meeting clients. When I talk about it she challenges me and when I asked about the 500k she’s owing, she said she dashed it to her aunty and there’s nothing I can do about it. I told her countless times to leave my house since she has grown wings I can no longer control and she boldly told me she is going no where and said I should pay her off for all the jobs she has worked for me………
“And so you killed her! I shouted cutting her in when my ears got soured with her dirty tales.
“Yes! We had a fight when i c@m£ home that day, she gave me 2 weeks to pay her 1.5million or else she will deal with me. When she went out to get soft drink to wash down the food she Cooked after scooping it into the plate, I didn’t waste time to poison the food and left the house also, let’s see how she will get the 1.5million now she’s laying cold! She dropped and I attem-pted to strangle her with the unremorseful tone she used but I was dragged outside while i struggled.
“Ayi! my dad friend shouted on me when i was insisting to go inside. I was so furious and for the first time i felt the pains of Atim death.
“Sir she didn’t deserve to die, I said breathing ha-rd .
“Did you deserve to be in jail? What if the truth didn’t come out? The man asked.
“But sir i don’t un-derstand, i thought you said the food was negative, what happened? I asked.
“The food in the pot was negative but my boys saw a food covered in a plate, looks like the one she remained while eating. So the food in the pot was tested despite we carried the both, but when the result c@m£ out I thought about it and to be sure I made a call that the other should be tested also and it c@m£ out positive, the man replied and i heaved.
“I’ve eaten with Atim thrice and she doesn’t finish her food, she’s a type that can’t eat but Is Margaret boldness for me? yet she’s not even remorseful for what she did, i said.
“Okay Ayi we will take it up from here, you’re free to go home. Go meet the officers at the counter i alre-ady talked to them, they should be waiting for you, the man said.
“But sir……. “Ayi thanks for your cooperation and we are sorry if we mishandled you in anyway, truly i am. The murderer is found and you are off from this case, go meet your family and leave the rest to us, the man interrupted me and i sadly nodded.
“Thank you so for everything, i will never forget this, i said.
“Thank God and not me, okay bye, the man said.
“But sir, I’m i free to visit you anytime? I asked and he smiled.
“Bye Ayi and be careful next time, the man replied and left while i slowly went over to the counter to get cleared………..
I went home first, and from my street everyone was just looking, few approached me but I ignored and went straight into the compound and saw Ekpenyong washing.
When he saw me he quic-kly ran and hvgged me,
“Nsitibe? Are you freed? Ekpenyong asked and I only nodded and he screamed hvgging me again as I bluntly ignored the neighbors and got into Ekpenyong room where I told him everything.
“Sai! Iso ofon fi, don’t leave that man one bit oo because guy you’re lucky. The man took his time with wisdom and made sure he got who the real killer is, he’s rare, Ekpenyong said and I nodded.
“Sure, i weakly said.
“What’s wrong guy you don’t look happy, he said and I heaved and ru-bbe-d my head.
“Its Atim, I don’t know I’m just feeling her death now. Maybe then I was only thinking about myself but I can’t get her dying face off my head now, I replied.
“Even after she’s such a person? He asked.
“Who I’m I to judge her? I don’t know what made her thre-ad on that path but that girl made me happy. She’s such a lovely soul and I appreciate the friendsh!pwe shared before she got cut off that way, I replied and Ekpenyong slowly t©uçhed me.
“Its okay guy e don do, you’re only feeling this way because you’re re-leased. Trust me if you were not proven innocent you would have hated and cursed Atim soul if you ended up landing in jail. Kom abasi fo o, he proved himself real in your life, he said and I nodded.
“Sure, and thank you guy, you’ve been a good friend and right now I know someone I can really trust, I said smiling and he laughed.
“What do you expect me to do when my Efik brother was in such mess? How many we dey sef? Abeg o! He shouted and we bur-st out laughing.
“Let me go meet momsy, you nee-d to see the die die prayer she wanted displa-ying today, I said laughing.
“Woyo! Mbok go and see her o, but guy I’m happy you’re back, Ekpenyong said and hvgged me………….
I got to my family house and sighted my mom lost in thoughts sitting outside with her hand on her chin. Despite my mom is a tough woman, her weakness is her children and it breaks her down more than anything in this world.
My sister coincidentally c@m£ out of the house and saw me first and let out a scream alerting everyone. And within seconds, I was on the ground with my siblings on my b©dy hvgging me ti-ght.
“Mbok ooo I’m hungry don’t kill me yet! I shouted as they raised me up and that was how I saw my woman dancing on her own ignoring her wra-pper that even fell from her w@!st.
“Hey! Who said I don’t serve a living God? No na he can’t put me to shame, thank you Jesus! She shouted while I smiled watching her and gave her a big hvg.
“Welcome my son, so when are you getting married now? My mother dropped and my throat went dry.
“Ahhhh mama! I managed to say…………….
Atim family c@m£ out in full and made sure Margaret didn’t go unpunished and they equally apologized to me.
“Its okay, I’m just grateful God vindicated me because I’m sure you wouldn’t have asked for my forgiveness if I was not proved innocent, I said to them.
“I know and that’s why we are here to apologize. Seriously speaking we wanted seeing you when you were in the station but we were not allowed, and I think it was best and wise they took you away from us. We are sorry but Margaret will surely pay, an elderly woman said.
“She’s paying alre-ady and it serves her right, my mom said and I looked at her and smiled.
Atim was la-id to rest 2 weeks later and I couldn’t miss that for anything in the world.
From the cemetery I left to the station to meet my new found father which he warmly welcomed me.
“Hope you’re okay? He asked and I nodded.
“I’m fine sir, I replied and he smiled.
“Nice to hear that, Mr Inyang said.
“You know what sir, the bible said in everything give thanks to the Lord. I got one thing from what happened to me, and that’s you and I’m very grateful, I said and he smiled shaking his head.
“I’m equally seeing you as a son I never had and yes I’m grateful knowing you also. If there’s anything I can help you with, don’t hesitate to ask, I’m just here for you, Mr Inyang said and I stood up and hvgged him.
Today I walk free because of a man who allowed himself to be used by God, but I can’t take off one thing from my head, and that’s Atim dying face when she looked at me while struggling with death.
The End😋😋