Deadly Desire

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 34

“Follow me” the secretary told Eghosa.

He stood up and followed the lady into a cozy office. He stood before a man who invited him to take a seat. He sat comfortably.

“Congratulations on your appointment Mr Eghosa” The man said handing him a letter of appointment.

“Wow!” Eghosa said, letting out air from his mouth “This is good news. Father, thank you for giving me reason to laugh”

He opened the letter and smiled. Everything pleased him. The salary was mouth watering. He shook hands with the HR.

“I am expecting you to resume on Monday”

“Alright sir!”

He thanked the HR and took his leave. Since he was sacked months ago, he had sent letters to different companies. Now it has paid off and he was excited.

He was broke and have no enough money with him. Life has not been easy for him. He had been sacked twice because he preached about Jesus to his Bosses.

Before he started working for any of his former Bosses, he had a business. It was just as if the devil was after him. His containers were seized by customs and the shopping complex where he does his business caught fire and consumed the goods worth millions of naira.

He was broke. Nobody wanted to help him. It was that same period his wife died and left him with his daughter. His mother had to carry his daughter.

When Nicole sacked him, he was not idle. He had been searching. Age was not on his side as most companies needed young workers.

He dipped his hand in his pocket and brought out the money there. If he decides to take a vehicle from here, he won’t have enough money to take him to his house. Eghosa decided to trek a little. He passed Nicole’s car then stopped. He stood there then looked around but couldn’t find her. He walked to the shop there and greeted.

“Please, did you see the owner of this car?”

The woman smiled.

“Oga, the woman wey get the motor don mad”

” I don’t understand”

“Wetin dey difficult for wetin I talk. You ask question and I answer you. I say the woman wey get this motor don run mad”

“Ehen!”

“Almost five months now”

“Jesus!” He shouted holding his head with his hands “God have mercy on her!, Jesus show her mercy”

“Oga you know her”

Eghosa nodded and burst into tears.

“When last did you see her or where can I find her”

“I dey see her for that market” She said pointing.

Eghosa thanked her and ran all the way to the market. It was a big market. He was searching to and fro for her. Exhausted, he bought two sachets of water and sat in a provision shop drinking his water and crying.

“Why big man like you dey cry?” A woman asked.

Eghosa looked at her sorrowfully and shook his head.

“Person die?”

“No!. I am looking for a woman that ran mad. I was told she entered the market”

“Aah many mad people dey market na. This market too big to look for her. Where you wan start from?”

The woman tried to console him but he was unconsolable. He stood up and walked towards the entrance of the market, there he saw Nicole. She was naked and dirty. Few people feasts their eyes on her.

“Boss it’s me” He said moving slowly towards her, but Nicole wasn’t seeing him. He left there and went to the shop he left.

“Please where can I get the security men”

“Wetin happen?”

“I don see the mad woman. I need person to help me hold her”

The woman directed him to the head of security of the market. Eghosa explained himself to the man and he decided to help him. The security man organized some boys who helped hold Nicole. She was bound and carried in her car. Three of the boys agreed to accompany Eghosa to Nicole’s house.

Eghosa drove speedily to Nicole’s house. When the security man saw Nicole being carried out, he shouted.

“We have been looking for madam. I don go report for police station”

Nicole was carried straight to the bathroom where she was cleaned, then tied.

“This woman strength too much. This rope no do anything. Una no get chain?”

“No” The maid answered.

Eghosa called the maid aside.

“I don’t have enough money. Can you go to her room and check if you can get money. The maid rushed in and returned with money. From it, he bought a chain. When he was satisfied that Nicole could not escape, he gave the four boys the money the maid gave him. They thanked him and left.

Eghosa was already exhausted. He sat with the security man and began to weep. The maid joined them too. She was visibly shaken.

“Where you for see madam?” She asked.

Eghosa began to narrated how he found her.

———————————–

Efosa was running errands for his mother. Ever since the Igiebor gave Itohan money, she didn’t stop the food business. She was yet to decide what to do with the money.

She still has some people owing her money. She called her son and asked him to go to a particular person to collect money. Efosa had collected the money, then met a gathering of people. He too went to see what was happening. A man looking so haggard was eating bread.

“Make una beat am” a woman shouted “How e go just come my shop steal bread”

“Na craze person na” someone said.

The woman was visibly angry. She threw a stick at the mad man, he stood up threw the bread away and scattered all the woman displayed on the table. The bowl of beans and rice landed on the ground and the woman screamed. Efosa observed all these and he had goose bumps all over his body.

“This is my father” He said then looked around to see if anyone heard him. He withdrew from the crowd then ran all the way home.

“Mummy, I saw my father. He is mad. He is a mad man” Efosa said panting.

“I nor understand wetin you dey talk”

“I said I saw my father. He is mad. He is scattering a woman’s shop”

“Eee!” She screamed “Come take me there”

She drew her baby on her back, locked the door and boarded a bike. Itohan saw him with her eyes. By the time they reached the woman’s shop. The shop was upside down. The shop owner was crying.

Nosa was already being beaten. Even though he fought back, he was subdued.

“Abeg make una no kill am” She begged.

“Na mad man”

“I know! Na my husband. Abeg”

Itohan went to the woman whose goods were destroyed. She tried to console the woman.

“Abeg! Na my husband”

The woman jumped up and held Itohan’s clothe.

“Today, all the things wey your mad husband destroy , you go pay”

“I agree, I go pay”

The woman released Itohan’s clothes. She begged come of the boys to help carry Nosa to the house.

“Madam you go buy rope or chain”

Efosa rushed and bought chain. The boys helped her and Nosa was brought home. There was no vacant room to put him, so he was chained in the compound.

Before Iya Folake returned, Itohan had cried to stupor. She called Nosa’s parents and broke the news to them. It was a moment of sadness for them.

“Get him to a psychiatric hospital or bring him so we can take him to a traditional home” They told Itohan.

“I don hear” She sobbed.

That night was the longest night Itohan ever experienced.

“Where I wan start from?” She asked.