3RD OCTOBER 1997
EP one
The darkness of the night was at its peak, it was few minutes past 1:00am. The sky was dark, the stars were absent from the sky as heavy rain poured down from the heavens unreservedly. The sudden and interrupting thunderstorms rumbled across the earth and the whole city stood still in quivers of the terrifying thunderstorms and rain storms. Such a rain was first of its kind in the entire year.
The rain was heavy, the lightening was fast and brightest, its splitting flashing lights could be seen through the tiny hole in the windows. Mothers tucked their children in their warm embrace, those without mother’s covered themselves with their bedsheet and folded themselves like a ball of balloon. Some of us who grew up without experiencing the warmth of sleeping besides our mothers warm body knows how terrific a raining night could be.
Just like every family, the Idoko’s family was under the siege of the night rainfall. Mr Idoko, a tall fair man with a remarkable tribal marks on both of his cheeks was a senior executive engineering director with the popular BEICO CONSTRUCTION LIMITED. They were many ways and features to described Mr Idoko but one of the most used one was his unconcealed tribal marks. Once you mentioned that you’re looking for the yellow man with two straight tribal marks, people will directly referred you to him. He was a man of few words, his words per day were countable and as long as it wasn’t very important, you won’t hear him say more than greetings. For as long as the common people are concerned, Mr Idoko was like a still water flowing gently through forests watering all the dying roots without bringing down any tree’s but then, even in one’s sleep, enemies can be made.
Since Samuel, Idoko’s only child turned six, he had started sleeping on his own bed in his room which was just few steps away from his parents. Samuel was like a golden child brought down from heaven unto the lap of his parents. They valued a strand of his hairs than anything on earth including their lives. You can’t blamed them for the sentiment they had towards their child if you knew the struggles, the hills and valleys they went through to have Samuel. A child that finally came after fifteen good years of marriage?, oh you won’t understand how happy they felt when he was delivered.
That night six years ago that was July 15th 1991. It was exactly five minutes past nine o’clock in the night when Sarah, Idoko’s wife went into a painful labour,. Her stomach hurt beyond comprehension, her body was burning like it was set on fire, a forty two years old woman birthing her first child. Her husband’s heart was panting like a cow mooing towards destruction, hearing his wife’s painful screaming in the labor room through the window made him breaks in pieces. Though he dearly wanted a child but if the arrival of a child would mean the exit of his wife, he d’ rather prefer his wife’s life than the unknown child’s. He was in the midst of his traumatic thoughts when he heard the tiny little cries of a child. Samuel’s arrival brought them so much happiness and they pampered him to the last straw of love.
But, six years after Samuel was born, six years of receiving indescribable parental love and protection. Something happened, something that would forever be a stone in Samuel’s life. A tragedy he might never be able to escaped from its trauma. That night when it was raining cats and dogs, lightenings and thunderstorms were blazing through the darkened night. Terrified, scared and lonely, Samuel cried out loudly and his mother rushed to him immediately. “Honey, let me sleep with him until morning” she took permission from her husband and rushed to Samuel. She wrapped him under her wrapper and Samuel felt the reassuring feelings of his mother’s protections, he feared nothing, not even the roaring thunderstorms anymore. Few minutes after Sarah left to Samuel’s room, something happened, they was a forceful crash through the door and two shots were fired at the bolt of the door which broke it into pieces. Sarah and her son trembled fearfully under the cold night upon hearing the gunshotss.
Mr Idoko was suddenly awakened by the sound of the two shots, he rushed down from the bed with palpitating heart and examined carefully by peeping through his door’s eyehole but before he could settled his thoughts which was almost disappearing through his skin as fear seeped through his entire body systems. “Wh—-who are you people and what do you want from me!” Mr Idoko asked mustering all the courage in the world but before he could complete his words, he was pushed down backwards forcefully and he almost slammed his head on the wooden part of the bed. “please take the money and spare my life” he pleaded as he trembled with trepidation but the three mask men didn’t visit for money alone. They had a defined mission and that was to wipe away the Idoko’s. From Samuel’s room, they could hear the ongoing conversation with the criminals. “Mumm—“. “Shhhhhh!!” His mother shut him up immediately he tried to say something. She covered his mouth with his palm signalling him to keep absolute quiet. “Mr man, it is unfortunate we’re not here for money alone but your life and your family’s life too” the man who seems to be the leader of the group said coldly. His words were like a sharp knifer, it cut right through Mr Idoko’s heart. He began to sweat profusely and stammering as he begged for their mercy but they were deaf to his pleas. “Search the other room and bring everyone here!” The leader ordered and the two men began searching.
“I’m the only one at home, my family traveled, please killl me and let this go” Mr Idoko pleaded but nobody hears him. His wife and son were shaking and sweating in the next room. She knew that in few minutes they will be found out since they was no way to escaped without passing through the men. She held her son tightly and all fears disappeared from her body, all that was left was how to save her son before those heartless men found them out. The rain wasn’t subsiding either, the thunderstorms too was booming like the world was ending. She took Samuel to the window but when she looked down from there, her heart quivered at the height, a six years old wouldn’t likely survive a throw from there. She erratically left the window side but she could already hear the voices of the two men coming towards them. “Tell me where they’re if not i will killl you now!” The threatening voice of the frustrated criminnal rang out. “Leave my family out of this please” Mr Idoko begged but his words could only came out halfway. Through the small holes besides the door, Samuel and his mother watched as their father and husband crumbled to the ground deadd as the bullett pierced through his chest. Sarah, terrified, utterly scared, covered Samuel’s face but it was too late already, he saw it clearly. He saw that men pointing the gunn at his father and shooting him deadd.
Sarah was lost of any feasible solution, the footsteps of the two men were already just a step away. If she could find no solution, she and their only child will soon be deadf and gone in that darkened raining night. Sarah gritted her teeth, with tears streaming down her eyes, she held her son by his two hands. She stretched him down through the window, her heart quickened like it would break in two but she had no options left. “Mummy, don’t throw me down” Samuel cried in his little tiny voice filled with fears. “I pray you survives” she said as she closed her eyes and as the two men smashed down the door. She held her heartbeats for a moment and forced herself to let go of her lovely child. “What have you done madam?” One of the gang asked as he failed to stopped her from letting go of the child. Sarah said nothing as she was been dragged to the boss.
“Rush down immediately, make sure he’s deadd if he’s lucky enough to survive the fall!” The boss ordered and they rushed down immediately to confirmed Samuel’s state of life.
TBC
I’m Victor Your Local Writer
