This is a short story by a friend, I thought it worth sharing. Enjoy.

© MI THOMAS

No part of this publication may be copied in part or whole and reproduced without written permission.

PART ONE

Kenneth and I had been friends since our days in the university of Maiduguri. We were 3years and counting when he met and started going out with Adesua, a light-skinned beautiful student of the department of theatre arts, University of Jos. He was doing pretty well in his marketing job while she was a very popular girl on campus due to her enviable talent and ability in singing.

A multiple campus award-winning act, she was well known in the city and had hosted red carpet events at several major entertainment shows. A year to graduation, she wasn’t going to be forgotten, her marks in the city seemingly eternally engraved.

Her parents worked as bank branch manager and accountant respectively with two of the top leading financial institutions in the nation’s capital- Abuja. I recall meeting her father in 2014 during a brief stay at my sister’s. he was a gentle, soft-spoken man, who left a lasting impression on me.

“I hope one day you and Adesua get to make a movie together” he had said to me that day “she talks about your skills all the time”.

I mentioned this to her when I saw her much later, alone, at the Airport junction, in Jos, May 2016.

“Yes, I hope so too, but I will make more money than you” she had laughed

That laughter that hot afternoon in May was to be the last I would ever see on Adesua’s face.

By December 2016, She and Kenneth were tinkering on the brink of a nerve-wrecking break up for they have become more of a married couple. Too many fights, too many arguments, too many troubles, too many silent treatments.

“Now I’m sure this has to end- it’s no longer working” a dejected Kenneth had told me over lunch the day I visited him in his railway quarters residence. It wasn’t the best of times for him, the marketing agency had recently laid of staff, and poor Kenneth, he was waved away too. He was both heartbroken and frustrated.

“Look, Ken, “I told him quite frankly” no one should make you feel less of a man, not this way. Were you working for her in the first place’?

“a man needs to feel he’s a man, taking charge of proceedings”

“What the hell. She’s got enough money to take care of her until things fall in place for you”

Without a shred of doubt, he was not the guy I had known all along. Weight loss, blank distant face and occasional pensive mood made me feel sorry for him.

After eating, we returned to the flat and saw a series on cable, then played video game until very late in the night. By 1:00am, we decided to sleep

“goodnight, buddie”

“if you like sleep, if you like think about Adesua”

He chuckled and turned his back to me. The night was cool, calm and soft and only the crickets’ orchestra assailed its sanctity.

Fate was beckoning…….

*************************

At about 4:00am, we were rudely woken up. Someone had gained entrance into the compound and was trying to force their way into the front room. We both jumped out of bed

“You guys have armed robbers or vandals around here?” I whispered my question

“no, “he replied shaking his head “this is strange, never experienced it around here”

Suddenly remembering Maiduguri and the many safety tips we had learnt, I motioned to him that we pick somethings- anything to serve as weapons. We just shouldn’t stand helplessly as cowards waiting for the intruder to come finish us, for I was certain it wasn’t opportunity knocking on that front door. He took a clipper, I quickly settled for a sledge hammer.

The miscreant was gaining leverage.

We tiptoed to the sitting room through an alternate route in different directions. Momentarily, I caught a glimpse of the unwelcomed figure. The room was dark but our nocturnal guest had something that looked a small tough light. Fortunately, I was in a position secure enough to knock the person from behind without them realizing in time. I moved closer, my hands clutching unto the sledge hammer fiercely.

Then the figure spoke……the voice decidedly unmistakable.



TO BE CONTINUED……….

sorry for taking long, the complete part is here.

PART TWO

“Adesua!” Kenneth exclaimed shocked, as I was

“yes baby, it’s me, please turn on the lights”
She was standing there in a lose black trousers and a hoody, hands bloodied. She had cut her hands while breaking into the glasses sandwiched between the metal frames.“

“oh, my God, you are hurt” Kenneth breathed heavily and rushed to her.

Despite her sorry state, I felt something sinister about her presence in that room especially after how it was announced. Looking at Kenneth cuddling with this burglar made me wondered if men’s brains were Apps and Kenneth obviously is out of data to power his.

When I protested, as Kenneth administered a rather makeshift first-aid on her bruised hands, demanding she offers a world-court styled logical explanation to whatever the hell she was doing breaking in, Adesua lost her cool. Her eyes turned red, and her voice trembled and she started yelling in an angry voice. I was certain the night was going to be long.

Unfortunately, Kenneth wasn’t altogether honest with me all along for it was now evident he didn’t mean all those things he said about Adesua. He still very much cared about her and was in fact not ready to negotiate the relationship. That was clearly blinding him from the glaring reality that must be addressed there and then which was putting us in an awkward position.

He never paid me any mind.

After about half an hour of cuddling as I sit bemused watching them in my Gucci shorts, Adesua said she needs Kenneth to come with her to her place.

“just the hell why?” I asked more annoyed than interested in any silly answer.

She had realized Kenneth was everything to her, felt sorry for treating him bad and just couldn’t wait another night to see him again.

“and your big nappy sick head suggested you come knock us off bed past 4 in the morning, hunh?”

She ignored me.i

“no, bro. she isn’t sick” Kenneth defended

“oh, I see you must have got some explanations then “I retorted “look, Ken, none of this makes any sense. Look at me standing here like some amateur Olympic boxer”

“bro, ……”

“as a matter of fact, I have got reasons to believe both of you are on crack, I just didn’t notice”

I stood growling at Adesua while Kenneth went in to get dressed. The first round of Muslim prayers as being called and the wind brought us echoes. Kenneth was determined not to ask any questions, not yet, blinded by his love for her…………doomed.

**************************
“look at me, Adesua, “I barked at her “you can’t get me, you hear me?”
“shut up, man, don’t make me change my mind”

I was not to understand the full meaning of that warning until hours later that fateful morning.

Kenneth returned and we all went outside the house. I followed them, still in my shorts, shirtless, to close the door behind them. As Kenneth opened the gate, we found some police in a Hilux van outside the yard.

For me, the sight of uniformed security men confirmed my suspicions that something definitely was wrong, and at the same time confused me further.

Quickly, in a speed of light bolted the gate and did the unthinkable; she brought out a pistol from inside her baggy trousers and pointed it at Kenneth ordering us both the 200m distance back into the house.

Meanwhile the police at the gate were banging and yelling obscenities.

Helpless and in a total state of shock, I did as I was told, so did Kenneth.



TO BE CONTINUED……………

.http://sambisareports.com/category/slider/story-series-slider/

PART THREE

The moment we entered the room, Adesua held the gun to Kenneth’s body. I knew, from the dead cold and colourless look in her eyes, that it was done. I knew he was going to die, and I will be next. In a moment, the gun jammed. She panicked and kicked Kenneth. He tried running to my position at the far end on the east corner of the room but fell face down.

Suddenly, a burst of small arm fire shell pierced the silence. To my horror, Adesua continued shooting aimlessly for what seemed like eternity, then she must have thought we were both dead and stopped, turning the gun on herself. The police burst in, just in time to subdue her, perhaps too late by then. I saw the police surround us, Kenneth lying a few meters away from me, his hands over his ears but wasn’t moving. He never did.

Days later I was to learn that Adesua had shot both her father’s driver and their gateman in Abuja killing both men in circumstances never fully resolved before disappearing only to reappear as the messenger of death that fateful morning in December.

Less than a year since this event, I decided to share this for obvious reasons.

I believe a lot of us- both brothers and sisters- give in a lot in relationships including our brains and ignore warnings signs. Adesua’s actions were glaring but Kenneth decided against his better judgement hoping to mend a broken union; oblivious that he was going to be murdered in cold blood by the very woman he loved.