BEAUTY AND ASHES PART 4

“Booo Kpuuu, Booo Kpuuu” Her heart beat so loud, she thought they could hear it. She cringed inside the freezer as silent as a mouse but her body quaked as sweat streamed down her brow.

She hadn’t prayed in a long time, “Help me O God…I don’t want to die” the words escape her breath.

Three men stand across the table a few feet away from the freezer in the dining room. Mr Ben’s Goons interrogate the man, “Mr Man, don’t joke with us. We have eyes all over town and they saw her come in here with someone”, “Oga, I just want to rest, I am coming from the hospital and have been in there for many months. I don’t want another reason to go back there…ABEG!” Tayo pleaded.

She couldn’t believe it, Tayo of all people becoming her Night and Shining Armour after all she had done to him. Meeting him was a coincidence, after running in circles she found herself cornered at the traffic on the Third Mainland bridge, she attempted jumping over the bridge but her legs froze, so she hailed an Okada and lifted one of the cases on to it and they drove down the bridge till she got to the park and realised she didn’t have cash on her and was too afraid to open the case lest the Okada man attacked her. So when she heard her name she freaked out, but then she saw him…even when the fear was etched in the lines across her face he didn’t panic but intervened and 2hours later after dodging and waiting in crannies we finally made it to his apartment but it wasn’t enough Mr Ben’s guys still found us out.

Mr Ben has the town in his pocket; even the police cannot be trusted. But now Nneka regrets her action, She prays, “I owe you my life if you save me this day…I, I,..” “BANG, BANG” Two gunshots rent the air, “Jesus” She muffles under her breath…she lifts up the lid and sees the two men hunched over Tayo. He is on his knees pleading, as the gunshots had been directed at his legs.

“I don’t know…Arrrgh”, Tayo writhes in pain on the floor. “We will be back for you and if we find out that you are lying, the next bullet will be going through your skull!”, he kicks Tayo in the butt, “Useless fool” the man spits. Tayo just lies on the floor holding his legs.

As soon as they storm out, Nneka bolts out from the freezer towards Tayo. “My God, I am so, so, so sorry. It’s all my fault” Nneka cries, “sssh! It’s not your fault…I hurt you and pushed you away and I haven’t been able to live with myself since that day. I prayed to God that before I die He should give me another chance to right my wrong…ARRRGH!” Tayo moans.

Nneka rushes into the bathroom. She comes out with towels and Dettol. She cleans the wound and ties it up tightly with a towel. “Thank God, it’s a flesh wound”, Nneka scrutinises his leg, “Hey, stop fussing over me like a child” Tayo reiterates smiling “Remember?” Tapping his abdomen; were Nneka had stabbed him many months ago “I took care of myself pretty good” Tayo continues.
“Hey, It was an accident, next time you’ll learn a better line to use if you want to get a ladies attention” Nneka purrs, “That’s for sure, I have learnt a lot…I could tell you all about them some time, over dinner perhaps when my leg is better”, Tayo counters with a wide grin across his face. For the first time she noticed. Tayo was beautiful.

Photo Credits: www.chinopoocreations.com

TO BE CONTINUED