[Story] The Bonny Island Massacre – S01 E17

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 17

Prince Ngegwu had fought to have Yvonne attend her mother’s burial. He had also decided to bury her in the private burying space he had bought for himself and his family. Another decision he made was to bury Annabel before Daisy, she was his wife, and had left her country to follow him to a strange country. He also did it to atone for his sins, for he blamed himself for pushing Annabel to take someone’s child. If he had been more supportive during her many miscarriages, she would not have gone to that extreme, and perhaps she would still be alive.

For her mother’s burial, Yvonne had chosen a black lace dress which had a sheer back, and long sleeves that covered the bruises on her arms. Her swollen eyes were covered by dark sunshades, and her bruised legs were covered with panty hose. She looked dark and sad. She walked slowly because she felt pains all over her body, even on her waist where she had been kicked.

The guests who had come to pay their final respects to her mother looked at her warily, they saw her swollen lips which despite been covered with lipstick, still looked swollen and bruised, and they wondered why she had not confessed to her crime yet. Her foster father watched her with pitiful eyes, despite her ensemble, she still looked beautiful, but the light that made her more beautiful was gone. Looking at her now, he was sure that she did not commit the crime for which she was accused. But he could not prove it because he was also confused.

The event planning team had told everyone that after Yvonne baked the cake, the cake was in their custody and no one came near it till it was taken to the garden where the birthday party was held. Also, Raji Lawal’s statement made it hard for anyone to listen to him. Even his money was not able to save Yvonne, for his law firm was advising him to advise Yvonne to plead guilty, for there was no other way. But how could he tell the girl whom he had raised as a daughter to plead guilty to a crime she did not commit. He shook his head vehemently. No way!

Yvonne wobbled to where her mother was laid in state, and knelt down before the casket. Her eyes were dried because she had cried so much that, her lachrymal had refused to produce more tears. Now, she only cried in her heart. Yvonne turned and looked at the guests, she was looking for Femi, but couldn’t find him, also absent was Mira. She turned back to her mother’s corpse. Even in death, she looked perfect. Yvonne wondered why she had same creamy fair skin her mother had, if she was not really her mother. She took her hand and saw that her favorite jewelry, which was the ‘sun and moon’ engagement ring that her father had given her, was resting on her fourth finger. Yvonne kissed it, as her heart broke more. Then her shoulders began to shudder with sobs. She was crying, but no tears were coming out. Her pain was on national television for the whole world to see.

Meanwhile, Femi woke up in the little three bedroom duplex he bought when he fell out with his father. A splitting headache tore at his head and he rubbed his fore-head, trying to ease the pain. Then his hands touched a body, he grabbed it and then bolted up from the bed. He didn’t mind the feeling of hammering in his head, as his eyes stared at Mira’s naked form. She was still sleeping. Femi shook her to wake her up.

Femi: “What the hell are you doing in my bed?” he asked aghast.

Mira: “Really, what kind of question are you asking me this morning?” she fired back.

Femi: “Morning, morning?” he asked confusedly, and then his eyes went to the bedside table, on which a clock stood.

Femi: ‘Yekpa, this is noon. Today is Yvonne’s mom’s burial” he said and jumped out of bed.

But Mira just sighed and went back to sleep. However, Femi was having none of that.

Femi: “I still don’t know what the fuck you are doing in my house, much less my bed. But you better dress up and get out before I throw you out naked” he barked.

Before Mira could reply, the bedroom door burst open and a throng of reporters burst into the room, with their cameras snapping away, taking pictures of the naked duo. Femi grabbed the duvet and covered himself, but the deed was already done.

Femi: “What is the meaning of this, don’t I have a right to privacy anymore?”

Reporter 1: “Are you and Mira now an item?”

Reporter: “Is it because Yvonne Ngegwu is in jail for murder, have you lost hope on her?”

Femi realized then that these were tabloid reporters but they had a huge following and before long the whole country would be looking at his big, long, dick. He was however surprised at Mira’s countenance, she was relaxed and even striking poses.

Femi: “Mira?” he asked quizzically.

Mira: “What? I might as well be the Nigerian Kim Kardashian” she replied him, obviously unperturbed. A disturbing thought formed in Femi’s mind and he hoped he was wrong.

Femi: “Before I count to three, I don’t want to see anybody here, if I do, I am going to unleash my Rottweilers on y’all” he barked in anger.

The reporters didn’t need anyone to tell them that he meant what he said, they scurried off, out of his bedroom.

Femi: “You are included. If I find out that you had anything to do with this, you are finished” he said glaring at Mira, who began to throw on her clothes in a hurry.

Every 10th of May, Mathias took off from work and locked himself in his house where he lived. On this day, he would send all his housekeepers away and have the house to himself. Then he would cry and pray for God to forgive him for his mistakes of the past. They always said a man who was always conscious of his past never progressed. But Mathias had progressed to be a household name in Nigerian justice even though he still held on to the past. This date was the day he set aside to mourn the loss of his girlfriend, who died giving birth to his child. Mathias always felt like it was the many abortion attempts they did, which made the delivery complicated. It was his fault; his girlfriend, Laila had wanted to keep the baby, but he had insisted they abort it. His reason was, he had just finished his compulsory service year and no job was forthcoming. How could he cater for a woman and a child, when he had no money?

He had assuaged his conscience by saying that he did not want any child of his, to suffer lack. However, the child had other plans, and they didn’t include dying. No matter what they did, the child remained, and Laila had rejected D and C. So they had resigned to fate and allowed the child be. But the pregnancy was a troublesome one, and when it was time for delivery, it was like the child wanted to payback the mother for trying to kill it. Laila had labored for two days, with no relent. She had passed out and on the brink of death when the midwife whom Mathias had called to help deliver Laila’s baby, had demanded that she be rushed to the hospital as she could no longer help. The midwife had seen death hovering around Laila, and didn’t want her to die on her hands, as it would be a bad repute.

By the time they got to the hospital, Laila was in coma. Mathias was not even worried that the hospital was a high end one for the rich; he was more worried about his girlfriend. However, everything done to make Laila push her baby out, was futile. So she was operated on. Laila died on the operating table, long before her baby was in the world, squealing her tiny lungs out.

Mathias was pulled out of his reverie by the sound of the television. He always left it on, not to listen to it, but just to have background noise, just so that he could be held to this world, lest his musings of the past and his guilty conscience sent him to the other side of life. He wiped his face with his hand, as a single tear dropped from his eye.

Mathias: “I am so sorry Laila, I took you to an untimely grave” he said, and then his eyes strolled to the television. He stood up abruptly and stared wide eyed at the television screen.

Question: What did Mathias see on the television screen that got him reacting that way, does it have anything to do with Yvonne? Also, do you think Mira had anything to do with the reporters in Femi’s room?

Mathias stood transfixed, looking at the television. On the television screen, was an enlarged picture of Annabel Ngegwu, the commentator was talking about her many achievements in the oil and Gas industry. Then the picture went away to be replaced by the burial ceremony.

Mathias: “That woman, it is her” he said incoherently, and pointing at the television.

“My sins seem to be staring at me today” he thought as he watched Yvonne cry on her mother’s casket. There was something about her swollen face that made him remember she was the same girl who was accused of murdering twenty people at her birthday.

Mathias: “It cannot be” he shouted, but it came out as a whisper. His face had a faraway look about it; he was thinking of the past. His only sin was not forcing Laila to have an abortion, even when his girlfriend had died on the operating table, while they were operating on her to bring out the child, Mathias still went ahead and gave out the child.

He remembered it all like it happened yesterday.

That fateful day full of woes that his girlfriend had died trying to bring his daughter to the world, he had sat in the nursery thinking of how he would take care of a baby alone. He had many dreams and ambition, and a child whose mother was dead would definitely stop him. He was thinking that perhaps he should run away after all, he had no money to pay the hospital bills which the doctor had billed at 500, 000 naira. He stood up to leave but was stopped by the baby who began to whimper. He stopped and looked at the baby girl, who was as pretty as his girlfriend, Laila. He looked at her red pouty lips and black downy hair and concluded that his daughter would break hearts when she grew up. Her eyes captivated and held him, he kept staring into them even though he knew she could not see him.

He was still staring at the beautiful baby when the door opened and the doctor entered the room. He looked at father and daughter and shook his head.

Doctor: “I am so sorry about your loss. If only you have brought her earlier she would have been saved. Be strong because now you have to think about the future of this child” he said to him, watching him intently.

Mathias: “Ok” he said simply. It sounded off to his ears but that was the only reply he could manage. After all, was he going to tell the doctor that he was about to run away and leave the child?

Doctor: “Even though you are not saying anything, I know you are confused. It is written all over your face. I can help” he ventured, still watching Mathias.

Mathias: “How can you help?” he asked

Doctor: “I can help you give this child a better life. A woman just lost her baby, and she wants a baby to show to her husband, or else she would lose her marriage. You will be giving this child a good home because the couple is rich and renowned people in the society. You will also be helping a couple stay together. Think about it, you could become rich from this” the doctor implored.

Mathias: “Yes” he said without thinking, “But on one condition”

Doctor: “What condition?” he asked.

Mathias: “That I see who I am giving my child to” he said and watched emotions play on the doctor’s face. The doctor was contemplating whether it was alright to let the young man see Annabel Ngegwu, but he decided there was no harm in that, as the young man didn’t even look like someone who wanted a child to burden him.

Doctor: “Alright follow me” he said and carried the new born baby.

That was how Mathias had given away his newborn daughter for five million naira. With the money he went abroad to further his education, but the face of the woman was etched on his memory. He even remembered her face more than he remembered Laila’s face. When he came back from overseas, he was already a successful lawyer, but he never had peace in his life, enough to settle down with any woman. He never married.

Mathias gazed at the television, they were now showing Yvonne, he couldn’t see her eyes because they were covered by sunshades. He told himself that if he could look into her eyes, he would know if she was his daughter. He picked up his phone and called his private investigator. The private investigator helped him with all his cases, and he was extremely good.

Mathias: “I want everything on Yvonne Ngegwu” he said into the phone and hung up abruptly. He went closer to the television and traced his fingers on it.

“Whether you are my daughter or not, I will help you any way I can” he thought as he watched the sad woman on television.

Long after Annabel had been lowered into the freshly dug grave, and the grave had been covered, Yvonne laid on the cold tombstone, amidst the flowers that people had brought. She didn’t feel like living anymore, all she wanted to do was to be swallowed into her mother’s grave. She fell asleep crying, with everyone gone, even Prince Ngegwu. The prison guard assigned to take her to the burial and bring her back to the prison, could not find the heart to tell her that time was up. He told himself that she might as well stay longer, as she might never be free again. He knew what happened to political prisoners, their case never got to court but they languished in jail. She was still sleeping, while the guard stood watch, when Femi came.

Prison guard: “Who are you and what do you want?” the guard questioned as Femi drew closer.

Femi: “I mean no mischief, I just want to see her” he replied and went over to where Yvonne laid on the tombstone.

Femi: “Yvonne, why are you here, come on let’s go” he said rousing her from sleep

Yvonne: “Femi, why didn’t you come, neither you nor Mira. I needed you both” she said, her voice breaking with anguish.

But when she raised her head, the sunshades had fallen off and her swollen eyes were revealed to his view. He stared unbelievably at the purple patches surrounding her eyes.

Femi: “Who did this to you?” he asked aghast. He turned to the guard who shifted uncomfortably.

Yvonne: “They want me to confess to something I didn’t do. I did not poison that cake, you believe me right?”

Femi: “Yes, I believe you sweetheart. Do not lose faith, we will get to the bottom of this” he said and embraced her.

The guard was comfortable when she was the only one, but now that Femi was here, he didn’t want to risk an attack and Yvonne escaping so he told them time was up.

Femi: “Keep faith Yvonne, help will come, your father has not given up on you, neither have i” he said.

Yvonne: “He is not my father” she announced, and then told Femi about the events that led to her mother tumbling down the staircase.

Femi: “Oh no” he said and hugged her tightly. He loved her even more, because now they shared the same fate; they both didn’t know their biological parents. But at the back of his mind was the nagging fear that Yvonne wouldn’t want anything to do with him, if she saw that video.

“I have to look for those reporters and bribe them into selling the videos to me. But where do I find them?”he thought as he rocked Yvonne.

Before Femi could do anything about the videos, they had one viral. Yvonne had been given a reprieve since her mother’s burial not because they cared that she was hurting, but because there was a public outcry from human rights organization demanding that Yvonne be treated fairly during her incarceration, and that her case be charged to court.

However, while the NSS agents gave her a reprieve, Mutu-mutu was back on her case. She taunted Yvonne day and night, and it was she who showed Yvonne the video of Femi and Mira.

Mutu-mutu: “You think say him go wait for killer K like you?” she asked and burst into a mocking laugh, as she played the video for her. When Femi came to see her at the prison, Yvonne requested that she be taken back because she didn’t want anything to do with him.

Femi: “Just listen to me, hear me out Yvonne” he pleaded, as his heart beat faster, afraid to lose Yvonne. He had been called by Mira, who was crying on phone, Femi had felt that they both needed to comfort each other in this trying time, and he had gone to hang out with her in a bar. They drank to stupor and all he could remember was driving crazily, trying not to get them killed, on the deserted road at 2am, as they made for home. But he had woken up naked beside Mira, he didn’t know what happened, but it looked obvious that he had slept with her.

Yvonne: “What do you want me to hear, that I don’t mind that you were frolicking with Mira while I was burying my mother in the ground?” she yelled as tears began to drop from her eyes, “You were the only bright thing left in my life. Even if I died here in prison, I would have been comforted with the fact that you loved me” she said. Her eyes were full of sadness and they haunted Femi.

His anger was kindled against Mira, so much that if he had seen her at that moment, he would have strangled life out of her. Yet it was unbelievable how Mira was able to convince him to marry her.

Question: How would Mira convince Femi to marry her? Also, could Yvonne be Mathias’ daughter?