chapter 37a

CHAPTER 37a

Lekan could not believe his ears as Sukanmi spoke out the words. He moves closer to him, in order to understand him better...)

LEKAN : wait, who did you say raped Tade's only
daughter?
SK : that useless boy, Andrew, Andy Silva's son.
LEKAN : what!...(Looks at Charles who seem a little confused about the whole thing)...Charles! Charles...are you not hearing what is happening?
CHARLES : no, I don't understand...
LEKAN : remember Tade, his friend, the one they both collected the money...
CHARLES : (cuts in)...oh okay...
LEKAN : the minister's son raped his daughter and now she's pregnant.
CHARLES : what! Are you serious?...(Looks at
SK)...
SK : please let's go there.
LEKAN : Charles let's go.
CHARLES : (surprised)....Me?
LEKAN : of course...we're all in this together.
CHARLES : em...okay....(wondering how Tade will feel about his presence at such a delicate issue, but decides not to probe any further)


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Meanwhile, Ken has been counting the days when Bukola will finish her exams. He had called her last month but Bukola had told him she's
busy with exams.

It's almost two months now, he felt its time he gets back to her. He puts a call through to her...)

KEN : hello?
RECEIVER : hello
KEN : em... how was your exams?
RECEIVER : it was fine.
KEN : you're through now, right?
RECEIVER : yes...but that doesn't mean you now have the opportunity to keep bothering me.
KEN : Bukola...are you now dating Andrew?
RECEIVER : is that why you called me?
KEN : no. Its because you've refused to even have lunch with me...
RECEIVER : Ken, must I go out with you? Haha....
KEN : Bukola, I'm concerned about you, that's why I'm telling you this.
RECEIVER : you're concerned about me, that's why you're asking me out...
KEN : (cuts in)...no. I mean, I'm concerned about you that's why I'm asking you if you're dating Andrew.
RECEIVER : oh...I see...wait Ken, of what concern is that to you?
KEN : because....because I don't want you to end up like....like....anyway..
RECEIVER : end up like?
KEN : don't worry.
RECEIVER : no, say it, end up like what?
KEN : don't worry.
RECEIVER : fine.....don't call my number again! You're such a jerk! I've always known you don't have any tangible thing to say!
KEN : no, its not that...
RECEIVER : (cuts in)... then its what? You called me just because you wanna blab, right?....anyway for your information, I'm going steady with your friend..
KEN : (cuts in)...no you can't!
RECEIVER : why not? I can see he's more of a man than you. He won't withhold himself from telling me what a crap you are.
KEN : Bukola, Andrew is not what you think he is. Please don't date him.
RECEIVER : you'd better have a good reason why you're saying this.
KEN : because...because Andrew has messed up so many girls already...
RECEIVER : yes, I know. But not has much as you have....what's more, he's changed now. He wants something serious with me. Unlike you, you're just a pretender.
KEN : ...Bukola, don't trust him. Don't trust Andrew...
RECEIVER : look Ken, all those points of yours are baseless, so forget it.
KEN : I'm telling you the truth Bukola...okay, you know what?
RECEIVER : what?
KEN : if I can give you a tangible reason why you shouldn't date Andrew, will you stop going out with him?
RECEIVER : (thinks about what he just said)....let's see....if the reason is good
enough...
KEN : good! Then let's have lunch and I'll tell you all you need to know about Andrew.
RECEIVER : are you sure this ain't a bait in order to go out with me?
KEN : no. I promise.
RECEIVER : okay...make sure whatever you want to tell me is a fact.
KEN : trust me...
RECEIVER : fine, we'll do lunch
KEN : (feeling really happy)...so when?
RECEIVER : (Trying to think fast about what to do)...next saturday, by 1pm.
KEN : I'll definitely be at your place to pick you up...send me your address.
RECEIVER : okay.
KEN : alright see you then.
RECEIVER : yeah...
KEN : (hangs up)...yes! Yes!...Andrew, you sure won't take Bukola from me...


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(Lekan, Sukanmi and Charles got to Tade's house and found
him and his wife almost in grief....)
LEKAN : Tade Bawo ni?...(Translation : Tade, How's everything)
NIKE : good afternoon Bro Lekan.
TADE : Big Bro, e ka san ( Translation : good afternoon)...there's problem o...
LEKAN : what happened?
SK : is what you said true Tade, please, explain to us...I told you Bro Lekan already knows about the whole thing with the minister.
LEKAN : what really happened?
TADE : Bro Lekan, that bastard's son impregnated my daughter!
LEKAN : I don't understand....
TADE : we just noticed that she was vomiting. So my wife took her to the hospital for a test and it came out positive. That was when she told us what happened. She said she went to visit him because they are friends. Then he drugged and raped her.
CHARLES : (shaking his head)...sorry, but its so funny that, that same boy happened to be the one that actually raped your own daughter?
LEKAN : I tell you...
CHARLES : Jesus Christ!....(In his thought : so this is how life is?...imagine the way everything is turning around....)
LEKAN : ....so this is how you all are paying back for the money you all collected!
NIKE : (confused)...the money? Which money?
LEKAN : oh...your husband didn't tell you....(Then something clicks)....ooooh! Now I see.....that was where you got the money to do the elaborate wedding!...eh ehn...I was wondering....I was wondering where you got the money all of a sudden to organise such a big wedding. So it was the money....you collected
from Andy Silva.
NIKE : which money is Bro Lekan talking about nau?....(Turning to her husband)...
LEKAN : my dear, some years ago, your dear husband here collected money from the same man, whose son raped your daughter, to drop a case against an innocent person. Guess what? The boy that raped your daughter was the same person that committed the crime....
NIKE : what! Tade! You did that?
CHARLES : that's not all..thank God your daughter is safe because that boy did not just rape the victim, he also killed her...
NIKE : yeee!...so my daughter was raped by a murderer?
CHARLES : exactly!
NIKE : Jesus Christ!
LEKAN : Tade, if only you had indicted that boy then, he wouldn't have been around to rape your innocent daughter....a girl who knew nothing about what you did...
NIKE : haa!...so Tade, you are the one that brought all these on my daughter!
LEKAN : just look at how you're paying for what you did to an innocent person...
TADE : please Bro, what can I do now?
LEKAN : what else? You go to his house and tell him what his son has done, of course! He has to take full responsibility...
CHARLES : but that doesn't mean he won't pay for the crime he committed against that poor girl by killing her...
LEKAN : definitely!
NIKE : eh! this man has killed me!
TADE : I'm done for!
LEKAN : or what else can you do?
CHARLES : may be....have an abortion?
(They all turned to look at Charles)
LEKAN : I don't support abortions. It can be
dange...
TADE : (cuts in)...I'd taken her to the doctor before I called you. He said its dangerous for her...
LEKAN : you see...
NIKE : this man has killed me!
SK : but how do we face him?
LEKAN : the same way you faced him when you were going to collect the money....
CHARLES : (shaking his head)...this is a very delicate issue....
TADE : (taking a deep breath)...if only...
LEKAN : (cuts in)...hmm if only, abi?....its better you let the bastard know what his son did.
SK : if only we knew that this is how it will all end...
LEKAN : hell no, no one ever knows the consequences of one's wrong actions...just look at me, I transferred the money I found in my account and ended up loosing my whole family for it...your sister gave you the wrong advise and the same man killed her. (Turns to SK)...You collected money to destroy an innocent man's life and you lost your only sister and the money for it...
SK : (cuts in)...I didn't even get to enjoy the money...
LEKAN : oh-oh...(Points at Tade)...he collected the money and his daughter is paying for it...
SK : we're all paying for our sins.
LEKAN : well....Tade, make up your mind and take a decision. Thank God you know the man's house....how old is Toyin now?
SK : she's about nineteen.
LEKAN : hmm...
CHARLES : karma....(Shaking his head)
LEKAN : (turns to Charles)...you can say that again....well, we have to go now...(Standing up to leave)...Kanmi, get back to me as soon as you can.
SK : alright Bro...


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(Bukola decided to come back and see Jide. She has not been able to get him off her mind since the last time they came to see him. She knew the news about his mother would still be affecting him. While coming, she stopped at the groceries’ to get some few things along for him.

When Jide got to the office where she's been waiting for him, he wondered why she came back again...)

JIDE : you again?
BUKOLA : Jide...you sound more like you don't want to see me?
JIDE : the last time you came, you brought me bad news...now what news have you brought again?
BUKOLA : Jide...if I'd known you'll react that way...I mean if I'd known you didn't know about your Mum, maybe I wouldn't have said anything to you...(Sits beside him even with the sweat and odor emanating from his body)....Jide, I'm really sorry about your Mum...I didn't get to tell you that the other day.
JIDE : hmm...being sorry doesn't bring her back does it...thanks anyway...
BUKOLA : Jide...(Takes a deep breath)....em...I got this for you...we forgot to get you something the other day we came, plus we I didn’t know if they would allow us bring....
JIDE : (cuts in)...never mind.
BUKOLA : (surprised at the way he snapped at her)...em...Jide, Susan, Stan and I are trying all our best to get you out of here....
JIDE : (cuts in)...what for?
BUKOLA : (shocked)...haha...
JIDE : yes, what for? My mother is dead, so why do I have to be out there? I have no one to go to...
BUKOLA : (cuts in)...but we are there for you. We're your friends...
JIDE : oh please....okay, tell me, will your mother allow me to come and stay in your house if I leave this place?

(Bukola becomes dumbfounded, knowing her mother may not.)

JIDE : oh...you see...so where will I stay? Under the bridge?...well, here, I still have a roof over my head....I've lost my scholarship, so what is out there for me?
BUKOLA : (becoming short of words)....Jide....I understand you...but, you need to prove your innocence all the same...
JIDE : hmm....
BUKOLA : (putting the bag of provisions beside him)....I got these for...
JIDE : (cuts her short)...I didn't tell you I need anything, did I?
BUKOLA : but Jide...
JIDE : (cuts in)...look...I don't need you people to pity me, okay....take it and leave, I've resigned to faith....I don't want to get used to a pleasure that will only last for a while...
BUKOLA: why are you being so pessimistic Jide? This is not the end of the world, for God's sake life continues...
JIDE: why wont you say that? Are your parents dead?...(he looks at her for an answer but she says nothing)....you people should just leave me alone.
BUKOLA : (takes a deep breath. She could see that he’s really proving difficult)....okay, I'll be on my way now.
JIDE : yeah bye...(refusing to give her an encouraging look)

(Bukola leaves with tears in her eyes, though not allowing Jide to see that.)


to be continue...