I moved with caution towards the figure… The figure was hurdled up….
“ Who are you?, if you make any funny move , I will cut you down…“ I said…
“ Please Don’t hurt me…. I swear I didn’t kill her, it’s a false accusation”. a tiny polished female voice said
“ Open the gate now!!” At the same time, I kept hearing the angry voices of those at the gate…
“ What did you do? You stole? “. I asked
“ No, someone shot at a lady and they thought I was the one…”
“Ah! How come? Was the gun in your hand” I asked trying to gather as much information within the shortest time….
The girl opened her mouth to speak and in three minutes she managed to summarize all that happened….
********
“ Do you know who my parents are?… What is so special about your beans and plantain? I am just a beans freak. In fact where is the head of the caterers… “ the young girl told me she had said those words to a young lady who was serving food at the party she attended in the area…
“I screamed at her because I was pissed at the fact that the wedding my mother sponsored , I was not able to eat. Sir, my mother gave the couple 25 million for their wedding, I was right there… so you can imagine how angry I was when I asked for food at the party and the girl said I couldn’t have…”
“ So what happened?” I tried asking in a rush as the gate was consistently been banged…
“ So we exchanged words, she called me a spoilt brat, I called her a lunatic, she called me a Money miss road, and I called her a Money lacking fellow, I told her Money was actually on its way to her house, but the moment he sighted her home, money ran home because poverty was the head controller of her family… That was all I said and before I knew what was happening, she slapped me and pounced on me…” the childish girl was saying, the way she picked her words was highly irritating. I felt like pouncing on her as well…
“ So what happened?” I asked impatiently…
“ I heard a gunshot and I saw this blood on me…” She said showing her blood stained expensively beaded dress…
“ Someone shot at her?” I asked and she nodded “ So why would they be chasing after you…?” I asked still not getting the point…
“ The person who shot at the service girl was my Bodyguard… !” She said and I immediately assumed what happened.
The bodyguard who must have seen the girl under attack and he wanting to defend his job, shot at the service girl, and knowing the slum where the Lighthouse was situated, the touts in the area must have chased after the bodyguard and the girl….
“ Where is your bodyguard?” I asked
“ I don’t know…, all I know is that I have been on the run since afternoon. I hid in a public toilet since evening, so few minutes ago, I decided to come out because everywhere was dark, but little did I know, they were still hanging around… All I heard before jetting off was…
“ I tell you say she enter toilet, you no believe” the pidgin sounded like Greek on her lips. It was obvious the girl was from a wealthy home. She reminded me of the Late Rejoice.
“ Chuks! Chuks!” I heard Favour calling out my name…
I didn’t know what to do at that point…
“ Yes, I am here!”
“ Are you okay? Ajaara said…” Favour was saying when she saw the girl…
“ Who is she?” She asked very surprised…
“ Em.. em… “ I didn’t know how to explain…
“ Or is she the killer the police are looking for?”
“ She is not a killer, she was wrongfully accused!”
“ Chuks!” Favour said implying I should let the law take it’s full course …
The girl’s story did not make me realize, Baba Agba had gone to the gate to attend to those banging the gate. It was the touts accompanied by policemen…
“ Chuks, she could have told you her side of the story… Let her face the police, if she is not guilty she will be released”
“ Announcement, everyone… Let all housemates step out to the field for a roll call…” I heard Mrs Uyai’s voice over the public address system…
“ Chuks… she will be spotted out…” Favour said to me…
“ What would Jesus do?” I asked Favour at that point. I knew that could be an access point into her…
“ Jesus would have wanted justice to prevail!” Favour said
“ Yes, but in this case we don’t know the true story, what if she is innocent…Please Let’s do what Jesus would do…” I said pleading…
Favour looked away from me…
“ Remember when the adulterous woman was brought to the feet of Jesus, he did not allow them stone her to death…Please Favour…” I said with tears in my eyes…
Favour did not reply rather she walked past the girl and I and reached out for one of the clothes on the line…
“ Change into this…” Favour said and with that I moved away as I did not want my eyes to behold what it shouldn’t see.
I stepped out to the field and behold, I saw angry looking touts who had revenge written all over them. They had sweat all over them…
The youths had lined up according to their age grades… I watched as the policemen and touts shone torch lights on the faces of the teenagers…
I saw Favour walking out of the corner, with the girl but this time she looked different. Her long weave on was gone…
Favour took her towards Ajaara and Gloria and whispered to them..
“ Protect her”….
“ Who is that girl?” I heard one of the police officers barking out loud at Ajaara…
“ Jesus!” I exclaimed under my breathe…
To be continued
