HOPE IT'S OVER 2

I just left the hospital after having the abortion when Don called to tell me he had executed my order. "It's done ma. It was a clean job. Very neat." He emphasised. I felt some kind relieved, relieved I wouldn't be having someone to disturb my ass anymore. I wished with that, it would be over, even though I didn't know if the video still existed. After murdering the idiot, I felt more stupid than I was. I thought I should had first destroyed the video tape before I sent Gabriel back to join his companions in hell.

Steve and I returned to the wedding preparations and planning. He wouldn't stop asking for forgiveness and saying 'I'm sorry' whenever he dropped me at my flat. I wondered if he was so gullible that he didn't even suspect a thing. I was about spilling who got me pregnant when the doctor called. As a matter of fact, the cry and the tears had already proved it all that I had a skeleton in my cupboard. How come he easily bought the idea that he was holding another person's test result; Steve must really be foolish and gullible, I thought, and was ready to act upon that as his weakness in the future.

Steve kept looking passed my eyes, and would leave, leaving a long lasting kiss behind on my lips and memory.I hoped he wouldn't eat up my lips before he was asked to kiss the bride. I wondered what he would kiss at that time; Steve would rather kiss the tongue and teeth out of me than lifting up the skirt.

Favors can't be overlooked, kept secrets should be appreciated over a loose tongue. I picked up my Gucci hand bag that morning and left for the hospital. I needed to thank Dr. Smith for covering up for me and keeping my deepest secret; concealing my shame.

"I'm sorry. She didn't come to work today. Seems something bad happened." A nurse said. I felt so cold within me at the nurse's words. How could something bad happen to such a good person, someone who had been nice to me?

"Please, can you give me her home address?" I asked, politely.

"You're funny, sister. You must be the only person who doesn't knows Dr. Smith's house." She said. "Well, she lives two streets from here. She owns that big tiled duplex beside Calvin Joe's."

I was able to get a bike which dropped me at her gate. The atmosphere in the house was totally different from what I experienced at the hospital. I could hear wailing and weeping. A fair lady left the house when I got down from the bike. She was dressed in black, and I could notice her wiping her face severally till she got a cab that got her out of the estate.

"Please, is this Dr..." I asked the gatekeeper.

"Yea, this is Dr. Smith's house." He cut in, also wiping tears off his face.

"Did something happen here?" I was curious.

"Ha!" He sighed loudly and entered his room, sobbing, without even answering me. I was becoming uncomfortable with things I was experiencing. I became more suspicious when I took few steps further to the main building when I noticed a police vehicle parked in a corner.

I opened the door, turning the knob slowly and entered with fear. I was thinking some armed robbers had come to her place, but the other lady was dressed in black. Could Dr. Smith had lost her husband? I thought. I entered and found some people in the living room.

"They murdered my only son. They murdered him." Dr. Smith cried. Someone who I supposed was her sister patted her on the back, trying to calm her and console her as the police were trying to ask her some questions.

The police shifted their attention to Mr. Smith, seeing they could not derive anything from the sorrowful mother. "Sir, how did this happen?"

"Hmmmm." The man sighed slightly. "I don't know, but as big as this house is, our son would not live with us. He rented an apartment somewhere in town, and that was where he was killed. And as you know, we didn't even know he was dead, not until you people phoned us."

"Okay?" The detective said. "But is there any reason your son wouldn't live with you anymore, apart from the fact that he needed freedom?"

"No."

"Alright sir." He said, rising to his feet. "The investigation has already begun and we will get back to you as soon as we get something."

"Find me the murderer of my son. I'm ready to spend all I have on it, please." Dr. Smith cried.

"We will do our best, ma'am." A sergeant promised.

I watched the police left the room, packed themselves in their Land Rover and drove out. I left the seat I was to sit by Dr. Smith's left. "I'm sorry about the loss, ma'am. Accept my condolence."

She looked deep into my eyes and repeated it again. "They killed my son. They killed him." I could feel her pain and agony. She stood from the seat and walked slowly to the other living room adjacent to the dinner room. I walked behind her, feeling so bad for the woman. I saw she was heading to a family picture frame there. I saw her removed the frame from the wall, kissed the figure between herself and her husband, and hugged the frame tightly against her chest. She wouldn't stop crying.

I went over to take the frame from her, she was just hurting herself the more, looking at the late son's picture. I really felt her pain as that was her only son and hope. "It's okay. Please, don't hurt yourself." I pleaded, as I took the frame from her bosom. I cared to look at the handsome guy she lost. I took the frame from her and turned it over to view. How the frame fell from my hands, and got its edge broken, I couldn't say. My hands was still shaking, my heart unrest. I could hear the beat of my own heart, the pumping of the blood through the artery to other parts of my system. My eyes became dilated, as I couldn't even get hold of myself. I tried bending to pick up the frame and sank into a nearby chair.

"What happened?" Crying Dr. Smith noticed.

"Your son was so cute. How could someone had murdered such an handsome man? I'm sorry." I pretended, wiping tears off my face.

Dr. Smith smiled softly, "He took after me. Yea, he was so handsome and romantic." She said some few other things about her late son before we returned to the main living room. Mr. Smith was still there, listening to the T.V news. I reached for my bag to say a 'goodbye'. I left the house unrest, with my heart still pumping blood under pressure. I stopped a bike to take me home. I knew I was in trouble, and I needed to leave the state or the country itself as soon as possible. Since police and detectives are now involved, it wouldn't be long before my whistle be blown, before the world knew I was the murderer of Gabriel, Dr. Smith's only son.

to be continued ...

Story by: MICHEALHADEN & OLAWUYI TABITHA