These days Brian had formed the habit of being lulled to sleep on my shoulders, usually after dinner. His typical shouting had reduced which informed me that, of a truth, he wasn’t healthy. The healthy Brian whom I knew so well was supposed to be ravaging the entire villa with his shrill voice and ranting, not forgetting his usual stamping of feet on the door. He was indeed sickIt was evident in his fallen, sluggish eyes, cold feeble palms and skinny neck which gave him the looks of one suffering from malnutrition. Whenever I gazed upon him, I had this burning desire that he was acutely sick and needed urgent medical attention; I looked forward to his usual yell which I was missing so much now. Some days ago he had only shouted once and the other night he never shouted at all, rather he channeled his energy to blushing and tittering within himself.When I wanted to bask in the euphoria of this new development, I was stunned when it dawned on me it was only a signal of ill health. Wh
Ever since I became Brian’s contracted wife, I hadn’t seen him chant and pummel against the walls and door in such manner. I was yet to believe he was the same person that was sick the other day. Had it been I gave him the green tea the other night I would have accused Salsa of drugging the tea. But it was far from it; my husband’s ranting had doubled and although I was excited that it was evidence of quick recovery yet I couldn’t stand the mind-seizing rant that sounded from him.At dawn, Brian woke up with a strange kind of violence that stirred everyone to panic and peep from their chambers; wondering if it was another Brian or the one that was sick.I was yet in my state of confusion when I got a call from Fanny asking me what was happening. Fanny feared that Brian was out to either pull down the entire mansion or to cause havoc because the vibration if the walls and the door whenever he pummeled on them. I was only peeping from my chamber and strategizing effectively.I told Fann
“It gets me batty to wonder how Brian got hold of cleaver knife. I perceive you don’t know what cleaver knife is. That piece is a damn weapon; I mean one of the most dangerous tools for butchers. Who gave that shit to him? How did he get hold of such devilish weapon?” Doctor Emma queried, stared at the both of us and narrowed his gaze in an inspective manner.Fanny gave a questionable stare at me, expecting some satisfactory, implicating reply that would put an end to everything or open a new page of war.I lowered my gaze, fondled with my fingers, processing within me; all that Salsa told me about Kate and Frank being the people sneaking weapons into our chamber. I was yet to verify her assertion and although I had lost trust in Salsa yet I found unverified truth in what she revealed; I wish I had evidence. I wish I could call names with evidence. The Fanny’s were powerful people I wouldn’t want to toil with at the moment.“What do you have to say Melissa?” Fanny’s husky voice came a
The entire Fanny’s gathered at the dining when I peeped out through the window. All the while I had been in my chamber, wailing silently as I beheld the large frame picture of Brian. Upon gazing on that picture I began to relive moments with him; his shrill shouting; his unrest and constant violence on the his life and those around; his countless escape to the street; and finally the striking moment he stood at the summit of a mountain, stared down from it and about to fall over.I shook my head, “Why kidney failure now. How did it happen?” I queried within myself and returned my gaze on the picture, wondering what could have led to it; since they had been sneaking weapons into his chambers, they could have as well poison his kidney. My thought was just running and daring to proffer solution to my ailing husband.When I came out and wanted to take a seat Opula barked at me.“No!” she shot her dark, gloomy eyes at me I flinched and questioned her with my stares, I wanted to speak but
“Medical diagnosis according to the medical ethics had always been a thing of privacy and whenever organ donation was to be considered the parties involved are handled privately and not to be bought over with money or by pleading traceable to emotional blackmail,” that was the voice of Doctor Emma which ended up installing fear in me than I had thought about.Just then I lowered my gaze to stare at the sizeable picture of Brian which had been in my hold from the moment I stepped into the limo to drive down to the hospital. Gently I sniffed at good memories and it was as though I had lost him; as though I was just seeing the last of him. at such thought my heart had skipped and I began to administer life into him. And Firmly I rebuked thought of losing Brian; such thought had panged at me more often these days.Doctor Emma went on to tell us although we were family and wanted the wellbeing of Brian, any donor found eligible would only agree to donate his or her kidney based on willful
I had been skeptical since I got to the hospital. All I wanted was Brian returning to the villa to continue his madness; I abandoned myself to thinking about his flaws and how important even his shouting and violence were to me now. My mother had been a victim of kidney failure and I won’t forget how I often battled with thoughts of losing her in those stormy moments.When Opula, Kate and their husbands came out of the doctor’s office, looking blank and drawn, I thought they weren’t eligible to donate him a kidney. Nevertheless, on the contrary, I could say it to their faces that they were eligible but denied Brian their kidney.“Please let me be eligible,” I mumbled within myself.This was my duty; it was part of the contract marriage agreement; to always be helpful to him in health and in sickness except death.But right now with the way my heart skipped for him, I could give up my breath for him to live.“Hmmm!” Doctor Emma hummed once he glanced through the kidney diagnosis paper
Never in my life had I contemplated to go under the knife, even when my mother had similar kidney failure, we were lucky to get a free kidney donor, yet regardless I was so eager to donate a kidney to my mother the same I felt for Brian now. I could feel a ravaging obsession growing in me; it was more than I thought; perhaps I was being more cautious than obsessed.To an extent I had seen fate playing and dominating this marriage. Why hadn’t I seen him all this while? Why did I see him on my way to Ohio? Why did I yell at the train operator to grant me exit when he wouldn’t; even after they warned me the mountain was the natural dwelling for deadly beasts and I could be lynched. I was yet to understand the mystery behind those decision and action I took.“Doctor, I hope my husband is much okay now,” I said from my hospital bed, under the drip bag, watching as the other bag with blood let some infusion in my veins. I had a grin face because the incision they made across my belly still
Among all the faces that gathered in the dining room for dinner, it was only Fanny’s chiseled face that has the best noticeable shades of excitement.Earlier at the hospital I overheard Salsa giving out orders to the maids and chef over the phone and reminding them of the delicacy to prepare for the warm welcome back dinner.And afterward she had whispered to me, “It is going to be the best and the warmest welcome back dinner for the both of you.”Brain was back from the hospital and it was Fanny’s ritual to have dinner with his son after so long a time. Especially now he survived a kidney disease.Salsa served the best of intercontinental dishes from her magical fingers.Everyone was well seated except the annoying duo Opula and Kate, who had vowed not to share the table with my husband after Opula’s incident.As everyone ate and chatted happily, I struggled to feed Brian who was busy playing with the food, pouring the stew on his head and spitting into his dish of cereal. I could s
All eyes fell on me once I cheered up and sniffed heavily. Already the police men had entered the hospital and advanced towards us with an investigative countenance and scowled faces which struck us with silence and suspicion.“Why is police in my hospital?” doctor bill queried anxiously and settled his suspicious gaze on me, “I can’t recall inviting the police to my hospital. Who could have invited the police?”There was a hush of silence when the police detective surged closer and queried everyone with his scarcely familiar look which had so much gloom.“Good evening, doctor,” the detective greeted warmly and shot his dark eyes at us, “We got an urgent phone call from this hospital. The voice couldn’t speak out but we traced the phone call to this hospital. The police detective said to Doctor Bill with so much expectation for an explanation, “Perhaps you may know who did.”“I did, detective,” my voice sounded with an iota of confidence and conviction, “I made the phone call to you b
Doctor Bill had stormed the Emergency unit and ordered mom and I to vacate the unit immediately. A handful of nurses paced up and down under the command of the doctor who was still battling to restore my husband who had been jerking under the oxygen machine.Outside the emergency unit, I wasn’t in my best of mood. My heart thudded with danger and I had no doubt something was wrong with Brian. The color had drained from my face and I wasn’t thinking about the baby in my womb than my husband.Mom rolled her eyes at me and about to step away when Doctor Bill stepped out with a fallen countenance ; I swallowed hard when I saw those red eyes of his and dark face ; he seemed as one that escaped hell.Mom had paused to know what news doctor had to share with me. I knew her wish for Brian was death and nothing would gladden her heart than to hear news about Brian’s demise.Upon setting my anxious eyes on the doctor, I melted as wax and could barely open my mouth to question the doctor, who w
The doctor spoke so loudly, obviously making a noise to attract attention and Opula gestured at him to bring down the tone of his voice.“You know someone could be listening to us,” Opula whispered, “Please, take things calmly. You must not make a noise about it. But I have told you the forty percent is not going to be possible. Why would you demand I pay you forty percent of a contract you know nothing about…”Doctor Bernard burst into a mocking laughter and grinned afterward, “Oh do you think I know nothing about it? Is that what you think? I am going to tell you what I know about it. The Bensons want Melissa as an arranged wife but your greed wouldn’t rest, you forced yourself on your ex-boyfriend, Rod thinking he will get you pregnant but unfortunately this pregnancy belongs to Ken,”Kate was still eavesdropping at the door at the time, Doctor Bernard made that statement. And she gagged her mouth in shock ; she couldn’t believe Opula had been lying about her pregnancy all this wh
At the time ambulance came to pick up Opula who was still coughing out blood, Salsa was peeping from the kitchen where she prepared lunch. She smiled evilly and gritted her teeth as she shook her head in vengeance. She hoped the abortion would happen this time around; she couldn’t wait to hear news of Opula losing the pregnancy; only then would her joy be full.From the kitchen, she peeped out to the ambulance personnel attending to Opula, and she could recall how she did it;Opula had requested for a fresh orange juice a while ago and Salsa prepared it for her with mixture of her poisonous herbs that would abort the pregnancy. Salsa was responsible for the bloody cough Opula was experiencing and if Opula should cough out blood for a longer time she could lose the pregnancy.“Until the teeth of my vengeance bite you, I shall know no rest. Opula, you are going to suffer in my hands until you lose that pregnancy. I will not remain alive and watch you get pregnant for a man I love so muc
When Kate barged in on Opula, she met her sobbing and weeping in her palms. She was red on the face and the color drained from her face; it was obvious Opula had been weeping all night.“Oh my goose!” Kate exclaimed and paced to the side of Opula and clutched her teary chin, “What happened to you again? Why are you all tears? The day is too early for this, Opula,” Kate petted her and caught sight of the picture on the bed and when she picked it up, it was rod’s picture, “Is it because of Rod Benson? What did he say to you again?”Opula swallowed hard, sobbed even greatly and managed to say, “He has refused to pick my phone calls ever since he rejected the pregnancy. The most annoying thing is that Rod wants me to abort the pregnancy. Can you imagine? Does he hate you that much?”“What!” Kate snapped and snorted, “Is he sick in the brain? How could he suggest such a thing? Oh my God!” Kate raised her gaze in frustration and asked yet further, “Did you show him the paternity test result
“MELISSA!” she called, her body shivering, the fierceness of her face threatening as she molded her fist, “What are you doing here? Are you supposed to be here at this time?” she asked, her hands trembling.I hummed and quoted, “Because the bird has learnt to fly without perching, the hunters have learnt to shoot without missing. I knew you were up to ruin. A leopard cannot lose its spot. So this is it mom. You demanded to know the ON and OFF knob so that you could sneak in and turn off the oxygen machine and suffocate Brian? Your evil has caught up with you.”Mom’s jaw sagged as she fumed, “You rotten maggot. I am only doing you a favor. I really want to have you back as my daughter but you must be set free from this evil marriage. He has to die.”I advanced forward and replied her, “You got to be bluffing, huh. My husband? Are you okay, mom? Are you saying it to my face that you want to kill Brian? This is unimaginable, mom!”“Listen up, Melissa. I have so much money now. I may not
Promptly I flinched from sleep; it was a dream.“Oh my God,” I whispered and wiped my face of the nervous sweat that trickled down. “Brian cannot die. What sort of dream is this? Something must be happening to my husband,” I said to myself, gasped, stroked my hair confusedly and picked up my phone to call the doctor…***Seated in front of the police detective were Fanny, Opula and Kate. While they spoke, the police scribbled down vital information on a paper, with keenness in his eyes.“The total sum of money is one million dollars,” Fanny said in a baritone voice, “I believe the money is somewhere in my villa, obviously in one or two chambers. I really want you and your boys to fish out and punish anyone found guilty of stealing the money.”The police detective winked after scribbling down some more information from Fanny, “Um, Mr. Fanny, this one million dollars in question was it stolen from your company, the Fanny Group or from the villa? Because you made mention of the money was
Feeling enthusiastic and not knowing what mom was up to, the doctor pointed at a knob, “Yes, this is the knob that controls the machine. It has an ON and OFF but it is always turned ON. Once it is turned OFF for more than thirty minutes, the patient will finally die. It is very dangerous to turn it off. And what would even make anyone to turn it off anyways?” the doctor asked suspiciously.Mom smiled and shook her head, before turning her gaze to smile deeply at me.“Why all these questions, mom?” I asked, anxiously, with my suspicious gaze locking with hers, “Are you interested in medicine now? Is this the reason you want to see Brian? You should be talking about Brian and not the machine.”Mom burst into a choking laughter, “My daughter never mind. You see, I was arguing with a staff of mine the other day that an oxygen machine has an ON and OFF knob and she kept arguing with me .” she brought out her phone and took photos of the machine, “Right now I have the picture of the machine
That was strange of mom. I couldn’t stop gaping at her, wondering why she wanted to see a man she hated so much. Mom had never desired to see Brian when he was insane. Mere thought of Brian irritated her like plaque. I could recall several times she yelled at me when I mentioned Brian in our discussion.“So why is she demanding to see him now?” I asked in my mind, “What is she up to? Is mom for real? Could this be a dream? This is strange. What is mom up to?” I asked yet further while I gaped at mom.“Why do you want to see my husband?” I asked softly and narrowed my suspicious eyes on her, wondering why she was chuckling now, as though I was funny.I could see the nurse who was in charge of riding her, develop interest in our discussion; perhaps it had come to the part she was needed. The nurse shot a brief smile at me before settling anxious gaze on mom who was nervously waiting for a prompt reply.“Um, ma’am if you want to see any patient at the emergency unit, you must seek the p