Chapter Two

She instructed Obi to lock the gate after she had left and told him not to tell anyone who by inference had to be Jude, that she had gone out. She promised to be back before 12pm even though she was not sure how long the treatment of the wound will last. He humbly obliged and rolled the gate after she drove out. She was driving to her only friend's hospital, where she worked with her husband. The duo were practically the only ones that visited and it was still strictly by invitation despite how close they seemed to have been. She rode past houses and overtook cars on her way to the hospital. The thought of Jude returning before she did crushed her. She'd be dead. She was in their hospital in no time and parked in one of the numerous lines drawn out for cars.

The Hospital had fleet of cars parked in a similar fashion with a few ambulances at the end. 'Merciful hearts' in a green neon light, was right above the building. The surrounding had a couple of cleaners in their duty wears sweeping the road and some walking up and down the short stairs at the main entrance, carrying a pail and a mopstick.  She walked into the main building and sent a familiar smile to the receptionist, who let her go in immediately knowing fully well who she was. She took to her right and climbed the stairs up until she had gotten to Tolu's office on the right. She had hurried up and forgotten to acknowledge the presence of the multitude that sought medical attention but knew there were a ton of them. She found it more appropriate and comforting to talk to her friend first before going off to her husband who apparently was her gynaecologist.

"My love!" Tolu exclaimed with an arm stretched forth to let her into an embrace. She needed that embrace. One that said 'I love you' better than any word could. Tolu was too excited to notice the sniffling Amanda was busy with. She wanted someone to talk to. "Are you crying? What's wrong?" Tolu asked. She didn't say any word as her words tried forming but were buried down as though she choked on them. She knew there was still some good in Jude and painting him black in front of her friend would further destroy the last scrap of marriage she had clunged so tightly to. "You were squeezing my hand Tolu, it hurt," she finally said. She cursed the fact that she still hid the major truth she had wanted to tell.  "Ah ah! Just touch and you are saying squeeze." Tolu said jokingly and lifted Amanda's hand as she continued, "It is not like you are a ba- oh my!" She screamed. She had just seen the deep burn on her hand and let out a loud cry. Amanda felt the event of the early morning replaying in her head. The gore... The tears... The pain that flew down her spine and how she was terribly bleeding. "What happened?" Tolu asked with deep worry written all over her face. She walked over to her seat at the end and Amanda calmly followed after sitting at the opposite.

Tolu's office was a large room with a whole lot of stickers and charts on the wall bearing detailed labelling of children's body parts, a poster about the importance of personal hygiene and how best to keep one's body healthy with a routine healthy living. On her desk was a small portrait of she and Bello which was framed with a flowery frame. There were also books and files some of which were open and the others were arranged at the side. She also did have a standing air conditioner which blew out chilled air and cooled the room. The kind that settled goosebumps on your skin and relaxed your pores as soon as you stepped out. "It was when I was about to iron Junior's cloth," she started. It was difficult for her to lie with ease and whenever she did, she stuttered. To the best of her ability, she didn't stutter when she told the story. The words flowed easily and with the way Tolu nodded, It was obvious she was buying it. "I placed the iron to straighten the cloth and it fell back on my hand."

"Of course," she replied. "Except that the burn on your hand is a second degree burn and I can see the pressure and obvious effect from the force. what is happening? Is it Jude?" She asked. "I don't know what you are talking about," Amanda replied defiantly head bent. She figured it would be better to keep her head down and avoid eye contacts with her. She had known Tolu longer than she had everyone in her present life. She was a tall determined and hardworking young lady, who seemed to have had her whole life planned out and was living her dream as a paediatrician.  "Amanda!" She called. Apparently she had been talking and Amanda wasn't paying attention. Her mind was far away. It was probably wandering about and thinking about all that Jude might do to her if he did not find her home. "I am your friend, has it been Jude? Is he responsible forthe bruises and marks?" Tolu asked.

"My husband loves me and I love him too. Why would you think he would do such to me? I told you what happened Tolu. Please dress my wound," she blurted out. Her confidence and words weren't as shaky as they had always been. Her face were firm forming aligned wrinkles and her words coherent. She however didn't fail to look at the time on her display screen at intervals. Even though Jude closed for the day by 3 o'clock, she gave her limit to be 12 to be safe and it was hitting the 10 o'clock mark already.

"OK if you say so," Tolu replied. She stood from her seat and walked gracefully and steadily despite the stilettoes she had on. She bent over beside a slightly open cabinet and drew out a mini sized first aid box similar to the one Amanda had at home. She figured she had to get one for herself when the beatings persisted.  Tolu then opened the green box, and dabbed a ball of cotton wool into a bottle of methylated spirit and squeezed its juices on the sore wound. It burnt and hurt deeply, but Amanda had gotten used to pain already to feel any worse. She discarded the used up ball into a dustbin and brought out another ball to use. She dipped it into a bottle of the purple gentian violet and dabbed the wound skillfully.  Despite being a medical doctor and the apparent stress that came with it, Tolu still gave enough time into looking good and feeling good. She was slender and dark skinned, her skin shown so bright, you'd be scared it lit up the dark. Her makeup wasn't faint and hadn't worn off and her nails were fixed. No wonder she struggled with the plaster and even asked Amanda for help in opening it up.  Amanda remembered how classier she used to be and how everything had faded after she got married to Jude.

She remembered how they had even met for the first time. She had gone to a restaurant with Tolu during one of their final year days and he had approached the both of them with his friend Bello who apparently was the guy Tolu had told her epistles about. It was a smooth run and his charms and kind gestures got her.  Within a year, Tolu got married to Bello and it got her rushing the slow pace she had with Jude that had her landing into a dug pit. It intensified when she got pregnant almost immediately after her wedding for Junior and even worsened up until that moment. At first she excused it all as stress and so much demands on his part, but she kept making excuses hoping it would be better. It never has been.

"There you go, I'm done." She stared at her palm and the covering Tolu had placed on it. She was grateful and made an attempt of bringing out money from her purse, but Tolu refuted insisting she be more careful instead. "Would you like to check your baby? You know, to be sure it is in a good shape?"  Amanda thought about the idea. That would keep her for close to another hour and it wasn't time for her routine checkup which was the only time she freely left the house. If she had gone for it, Jude would find out since he and Bello were quite close. What excuse would she make up the next time when she would actually have an appointment. She kindly turned the idea down and raced for home. 

She reached the front gate and blared her horn for Okon to open the gate up and was a little pissed when he took longer than usual to do so. When he finally opened it up, she asked why and he informed her that Jude needed him for a little task inside. Then her heart sank...  "J.. Jude? As in my husband Jude?" She had asked and drove in to certify if he was really in and he was indeed because she saw his black lexus jeep which was at the front of the house. Why was he home so early? She thought to herself. She slowly drove into the garage and refused to leave the car. She figured she would be better off in there than inside the house. She signalled for Okon to come up to where she was and he did speedily. "Okon you said my husband is inside?"

"Maram I don tell you before say Oga dey inside." His stale Akwa-ibom accent could never be unnoticed.

"Will you keep quiet! If I ask you a question even if it is a million times you answer me or do you want to lose your job?" She threatened.

"Maram I dey beg. I no mean am that way," he said and got on his knees pleadingly. Apparently he loved his job or would I say he loved his pay.

"Abeg it is OK. Have you eaten?" She asked concerned. 

"Maram true to God I never chop since morning o. My only saving grace na one bread I buy from them Musa shop. Hunger still dey inside ma!" He replied taking off his cap and flapping his shirt for emphasis. She took out her purse and gave him a five thousand naira note to restock so that she could prepare lunch before Junior got back from school. She finally got out of the car and took a step at a time wishing the ground could open so that she could fall into it. She slowly opened the front door and there he was, sitting like a hungry lion waiting to devour its prey.

"You went out," he started with that cold stern voice she had grown accustomed to. She trembled coupled with the fact that she hadn't had anything to eat that morning too. She felt weak with her frail bones and the load of the pregnancy drew her down.

"To the hospital. I went to the hospital," she said.

"Is it Friday yet?" He asked flexing his fingers and she said nothing. "Are you deaf? Is it Friday yet?" He bellowed.

"Jude you burnt my skin. I needed to seal it up," she said showing him the plaster and neatly dressed wound.

"So you went to Bello's hospital to parade me as a wicked husband? To tell the whole world I burnt your hand? Eh?" He slapped her and her ears felt numb suddenly. She didn't fall surprisingly, but did when he slapped her again. Luckily the couch was there as a support. Her face felt hot and red with her eyes bulging out and she used her hair to shield her face from whatever was coming in next. He kicked her feet and drew out his belt. He kept talking however as he did, "so you went ahead to tell Tolu I did this to you? eh?" He asked and the leather belt landed on her back and sides and subsequently her belly which she had tried shielding. She was too weak to resist... Too weak to call for help. There wasn't any forthcoming either ways, as she had sent Okon out and her little saviour was still at school. "You told Bello I did this to you? What happened to the first aid kit we have here?" He flogged her still.  Her skin grew sore and she accepted her fate. That was where it would all end. This was where and how she would die. She thought about her son and what would become of him if she died. He would be left at the mercy of that monster and that, she didn't want. A knock on the door came through and Jude paused for a moment from the beating. He held the belt's end and waited hoping the person behind the door will go away, but the knock didn't stop. An already pissed off Jude asked who it was. It was Okon.

"Maram... I don almost reach market when I see say you no give me list." There it was... She was glad he came over. Okon knew the usual stuffs that was needed around and she was sure he was probably still at the gate when he heard the screams and jumped in to save her in his own weird way. She was still glad nonetheless. Jude dropped the belt on the floor after flapping it in the air and dragged his saggy jeans up the stairs with him. She heard the door close shut and noticed Okon stare up at the stairs to be sure he was really in his room. Her body felt sore and she had remained in that particular folded position for a long time. She kept sobbing and kicking her feet against the other, when Okon offered to get her a glass of water. She got up and gulped down the liquid as if she dragged it with someone. "Maram, wetin Oga dey do you e no good. See your fine body line line don full am." She listened with apt curiosity. She dropped the glass cup on a side table and reclined on the couch with her arms above her head. He lowered his voice and added, "I get something you fit put for im food; correct jazz from Akwa-Ibom." He gave off a sinister laugh and continued. 

"You want me to poison my husband?" She asked concerned in a harsh tone.

"Maram na just jazz no be pois-"

"Out!"she ordered with her arms stretched out to the door. He left and she fell back on the couch and straightened her hair. Since she had been subjected to a harsh lifestyle, her appearance seemed not to matter anymore. Even though she didn't want the idea, a part of her craved it. She wanted her husband's love and if a small hurt was the price to pay, she was down. "Okon!" She called out again and luckily, he came back quick. "I'm sorry I over reacted. Tell me about the stuff," she said.

******

"Look I get you're being all detective and all, but I barely knew Jude to start with. Yes his wife was my best friend and he was my husband's best friend but that's where it all ended. I never really did fancy him. I always felt there was something not right about him but I respected the fact Amanda loved him so much enough to marry him so I never asked questions that was until the beatings of course," Tolu said.

"Which you've described to the best of your ability I presume?" Detective Uju asked narrowing her brows and having Tolu nod in affirmation. "Do you think Amanda killed him?"

"What? No! Amanda was practically a saint. She would never do that." Uju nodded and brought a tray holding certain items including a wrapped piece of paper. She singled out the paper on the table and continued, "I learned Bello passed on." 

"Yes.. He died of a heart attack. What's that?" Tolu asked motioning to the paper. "Amanda did mention the fact your husband tried to take advantage of her to you. That same week, Bello dies of a heart attack? We suspect that she has a hand in Bello's death and Jude's too. You're a doctor, run some tests on that," said Uju as she sat back with her arms folded. Tolu remembered the folded paper very much she tightened her fist when she saw it again.

"Fine I will, but it's only to prove to you that Amanda wouldn't do a thing like that. How does this have anything to do with me being charged with Jude's murder?" Tolu asked.

"Well you tell me. I believe you were closer to Jude than you just described."

"What do you mean?" Tolu pressed.

"That you are carrying his baby."