[Story] Too late – S01 E26

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 26

Rosa sat on the bed with her swollen hand. The night was so eerie and strange, and it baffles her. She stood up to put on the fan before returning to the bed. The pain shot through her brain and she cried aloud.

Since her hand landed on the face of Evangelist Chris, the hand had not remained the same. Before she stepped out of the church premises that very day, the hand had begun to heavy her.

Tonight she had thought she would be able to sleep after taking pain reliever, it seems the medicine wasn’t effective.

The pain makes her hallucinate. Sometimes she thinks she sees hands about to hold her neck and snuff life out of her. When this happens, she would scream with sweat soaking her clothes.

The time struck 5:00am, she didn’t bother to bath. She brushed her teeth, got dressed and she went to the living room waiting for dawn. She wanted to see Baba Ifa concerning the swollen hand and if possible deal with the evangelist who caused her hand to be swear. Rosa looked at the time again and then parted her curtain to look at the sky. Satisfied, she put off the TV, returned to her bedroom to collect her bag. Before locking the door, she glanced at the sitting room to ensure everything was in order. The house she left was one of the houses she built with her ill gotten money. She hides there after any of her operations. Two cars were parked in the big compound. Rosa decided not to go with any of the cars. She would take a public transport. Hugging her bag with her good hand, she walked quickly.

Baba ifa’s shrine wasn’t motorable. Rosa highlighted from the bike and followed the bush path leading to the shrine.

Occasionally, she would stop when the pain increases. She would bend a little and cry out in pain. She was almost close to the shrine when she thought she saw two men and women holding cutlasses approaching slowly towards her. Taken aback she shouted.

“Leave me alone. Don’t touch me. Don’t come near me”

Before she would open her mouth to shout again, she saw no one.

“Something is wrong with me” She said as she doubled her steps.

Baba Ifa was carrying out some rituals when she entered. Without looking at her, he instructed her to step out of the shrine. Rosa did without asking questions. For hours she waited until the ritual was completed.

Baba welcomed and ushered her in. He raised an alarm when he saw the swollen hand. Rosa began to narrate the story behind it. With no comment, he stood up and started consulting his gods. Rosa listened as he communicated with his gods in a strange language.

“The solution to your hand is to apologize to them or kill them.

“May the gods forbid that I apologize to them. Rosa doesn’t apologize to anyone. I can never do such. Kill them baba. They deserve the worst death ever for the insult and embarrassment.”

“Do you concur to their deaths?” He asked again.

“Yes Baba!. I came here for solution. Aaah!. The evangelist wife would have allowed me share her husband with her. Baba!, For my hand to be swollen means that both the evangelist and his wife are occultic people. They use juju like me to deceive people. I am convinced now that they used juju on my hand”

Baba Ifa laughed.

“They didn’t use juju or charms. They have their source of power like me. But I will show them today that the gods of my forefathers have never disappointed me” He said laughing.

“I trust you”

Usually, when he wants to kill a victim, he carefully selects the weapon to use. He went straight to where he keeps his weapon. He took a gun. He couldn’t remember the last he used it. Baba stepped out of the hut and Rosa followed.

From where she stood, she watched Baba take position and then a shot rent the air, followed by another shot and the third and fourth. Rosa and Baba cried out in pain at the same time. The gun fell from his hand as he landed on the ground.

“You have shot me” Rosa cried out in pain.

“I have been shot” Baba cried too as blood gushed out of his left chest.

“I have been shot with my own gun”

Call my children” He managed to say as blood trickled from his mouth.

Rosa who got shot on her leg and chest too could not move. With tears in her eyes and blood oozing from her chest, she tried to drag herself but couldn’t. Her bag was far from her. Both of them couldn’t access their phones or call for help.

It was late evening before both of them where discovered dead.

They bled to death with their eyes opened.

———————————-

Charles stepped out of the car and rested his body on it waiting for Elena. He had called her in the morning that he would drive to her office and take her out for lunch. What Charles wanted to actually do was propose to her.

He had thought of telling Pastor his intention before proposing to her. On a second thought, he didn’t like the idea of being counted among the brothers in the church waiting to marry Elena. He thought about it over and over before calling Elena that morning.

Although, they had gone out for lunch several times but this was to be a special one. He looked on admirably as she walked towards him.

“What a beautiful woman” He thought.

Her beauty fascinates him. They exchanged pleasantries and he opened the door for her to enter the car. He entered and gave the driver direction to a particular eatery. It wasn’t far from Elena’s place of work.

The first time he visited her, it was her who recommended the place to him. The driver parked in front of the eatery. Charles and Elena stepped down. As they took their seats Charles became tense. What if Elena refused his proposal?. What will be his reaction? Unconsciously he frowned.

“Why are you so tense?” Elena asked looking so concerned.

“Tense?. I am not” He said smiling.

They ordered for food and drinks. Charles wasn’t eating much neither did he contribute much on the discussion. He watched the expression on Elena’s face and the way she gesticulate as she narrated events. He would only smile and nod his head.

“You are not eating” She observed.

“Start eating now!” She ordered

“I have something important to tell you, but I want you to finish your food first.” No more talking” She said with finality.

With smiles on his face, he started attacking his food. What would Elena want to tell him if not to express her love for him, he thought and smiled absent mindedly. Another thought crossed his mind. Elena may refuse his proposal because of his leg. He had tried as much as possible to wear the artificial limp whenever he is home. Most times, Elena and her brother had visited unexpectedly revealing his amputated leg. Though she had never shown any sign of irritation towards him, but he never could fathom the thought running in her head. Charles dropped his cutlery and folds his arm around his chest.

“I am done” He said smiling.

“I can see” She said wiping her mouth with the sievette. Then she gulped some water.

“I have told pastor that I can’t marry any of the persons coming to him for my hand in marriage. I have prayed concerning the brothers and God said ‘No’ to them” She said looking at Charles for his reaction

“How is it that God told them you are made for them?” He asked with a serious expression

Elena laughed and picked her phone from the table unconsciously.

“I don’t know. God did not mention any of their names to me and I won’t be deceived”

Charles sighed deeply. He was happy she finally bashed their hope. This was happening because Elena was made for him. He dipped his hand in his pocket, but slowly removed it when she spoke.

“I have been praying and God has revealed who my life partner is. I know who I am to get married to. God has told me”

“Really?” He asked surprised.

“Yes”

Charles sat up and cold sweat broke out from his forehead.

Do I know this person? Have I met him before? What is his name?, Is he a member of our church?. Is he a born again Christian? These questions were rushing out of his mouth. These questions only made Elena to laugh. She was enjoying herself.

“I won’t tell you who this person is” She said

“I am an expressive person. I don’t bottle up what I feel when God mentioned his name. In my heart I am grateful because I am already in love with him. Charles sighed deeply. He forced himself to smile but his heart was bleeding and it was as if a hammer was hitting his head.

“I have told God to tell him Himself. I know He will do it” She said smiling.

Charles wanting to close the topic of discussion, looked at his wristwatch and stood up.

“I need to get back to work” He said

He requested for a take away food which he handed to his driver. After paying, both of them left the eatery. The drive to Elena’s office was short. Charles didn’t speak to her, but before she stepped out she told him to pray.

“I told you because I want you to pray also. I want God to also confirm the..”

“It’s alright” He said cutting her short.

“We will see on Sunday” She said stepping down from the car.

Charles never prayed about it. He kept wondering who the brother is that want to take Elena from him. He was angry. Angry and sad that Elena was already in love with this brother. The weeks to follow were the worst for Charles refused to recover from the shock that Elena was in love with another man.