DESPERATE FOR LOVE
CHAPTER 8
I slumped to the floor. Nooo!!! Not Florence. What could have happened. Luckily, my wife was not at home so, I got into the car and drove like a mad man to the hospital. I got there just in time to see her body being conveyed to the morgue. I ran towards the gurney and halted it. I removed the white sheet covering her just to make sure it was really her. Truly, it was really her. There she laid, serene and beautiful even in death. Why did you do this? I thought in my mind.
I was sad all day at home. My wife could not understand why. She thought it was because of her, and tried as much as possible to appease me. However, nothing would give me joy. I was sad and guilty. I had just killed a woman who loved me with everything she had. I had been told by the doctor that she died of a broken heart. She kept calling my name all through her last hours on earth. Solange told me that she had been hoping and praying that I might come to see her or even call her. I didn’t do any of those. She died a sad woman.
One afternoon, Solange called me.
“Hi John”
“Solange”
“Now that Florence is dead, what do you think about me? Maybe we should carry on from where we ended.”
“Solange, I don’t blame you. It’s thunder that I blame. If it had fired you long ago, you wouldn’t be saying what you are saying now. I now understand how that psychiatric hospital beside the road gets its patients. It’s people like you who keep them in business. Foolish girl.”
She burst out laughing.
“You take things too seriously. I was only joking. I just called to tell you that Florence’s funeral program has been arranged. She will be taken to the village for burial. Will you be coming?”
“Of course, I will. Thank you for the information.” I said and dropped the call.
The next day, I lied to my wife that I would be going out of town for a week. I told her that it was work related. To my surprise, it didn’t bother her. She told me she was okay with it, and I should be safe. The next day, I called Solange, and she gave me the directions to Florence’s village. I went to the closest town to the village, booked a hotel and waited for the day her corpse would be brought home.
I don’t need to bother you with the details of the funeral because it would only break your heart the more. However, everything went well, and she was finally laid to rest.
It had been one week now since I left my home to the village. On the day of my return, I was surprised to find my house looking like no one had been living there. I looked for my wife everywhere, but I didn’t see her. I could not understand what was happening. When I went to the bedroom, lying on the center of the bed, was a single piece of paper. I picked it up and it read:
‘Husband, I have gone to Canada. You lied to me that you were going out of town for work. However, I already knew you were going to Florence’s funeral. However, it didn’t border me because I already had my plans. My visa was ready, and all arrangements had been made. Don’t bother contacting me because you won’t be able to reach me. I have changed my number and also deactivated all my social media accounts. Go meet your dead wife, Florence. Bye.
NB: Thank you for the flight money and the money for my upkeep too.”
I dropped the paper and slumped on the floor. I wept like a child. My whole life had come to an end. I had lost Florence, the only woman who had ever truly loved me. Now, I have lost my wife too, just a few months after our wedding. What was really happening to me? If she was going to abandon me so soon, then why did she accept to marry me? Why didn’t she just go to Canada? I might have ended up marrying Florence, and she would have been alive now and happy. I wept bitterly. I picked the paper and read it all over again, and that was when the last line struck me. What did she mean by ‘Thank you for the flight money…”? I ran to my filing cabinet to see if the company’s money that I kept there was still there. I opened it with fear and the money was gone.
I almost died. Glory, my wife had killed me. What was happening to me? I had lost Florence, lost Glory, and now the company money was gone. Ten million gone like that without a trace. What was I going to do. My savings were just two million. My car cost about four million. Even if I sold my car and added it to my savings, I would still be left with four million to add. I could never sell my house. That was my most important investment. I was frustrated.
That was money I was supposed to deposit at the bank. I had closed late, and by the time I got to the bank, it had closed. That was why I had brought it home. I was hoping that first thing when I got back from Florence’s funeral, I would go to the bank and deposit it. What was I going to do now? I would definitely lose my job because of that money, and probably go to jail too. Glory had killed me. Or was it karma? Was it because of what I did to Florence? The whole of that night, I couldn’t sleep. I felt lonely and frustrated and angry and sad. I was trying to device a means to raise that money before my company found out. I thought of my friends, but decided it would be a waste of time. None of them would help. They had always considered me richer than them. They always complained of being broke.
The next day, I drove to Glory’s father’s house and told them everything. They said they were aware that Glory was going to leave the country. However, they thought I was aware of it. They felt disappointed that their daughter had behaved like that. They apologized on her behalf, but that’s all they could do. I left the house angry and in a very bad temper. On my way home, I decided to see my friend, Eric. After I had explained everything to him, he told me that he wasn’t going to be able to help. However, he would take me somewhere I would be able to raise the money. I was afraid it involved money rituals. I didn’t want to kill anybody for money. He assured me that I wouldn’t be killing anyone, but it had to do with something fetish. I decided that I would give it a try. The next day, he took me to see a ritualist and explained everything to him.
“Young man.” The ritualist began. “I know your fears, you won’t be killing anyone. You have to do it yourself. There is no blood involved.”
“What do you mean, Sir?” I asked.
“You would have to undertake a journey. During this journey, you will work your money yourself. What you earn is yours to keep.” He spoke.
I turned and looked at Eric, because I didn’t understand what he was talking about.
“What’s going on here, Eric? You brought me here to meet a clown?” I said in full hearing of the ritualist.
“Young man, watch what you say.” The ritualist warned.
“Don’t tell me that, I am a very busy man, and I have taken out time out of my busy schedule to come here and you are telling me nonsense.” I was very angry.
“Hahahahahaha!!” The ritualist laughed. “Don’t be too quick to condemn. I can see you have a fiery temper. Hold on to it. Hold on to that temper, it will serve you well in the coming days.”
“What are you talking about?” I was frustrated with him.
“Young man, no matter how long you live on this earth, you would be dead for much longer. That should tell you how many people have died since this world was created. The world of the dead is far more populated than the world of the living. Most of the dead, died as extremely rich men. Most had investments they didn’t enjoy and, most had dreams they didn’t fulfill.” He narrated.
“Thanks for the lecture but, what has that got to do with me making money?”
“You will have to make a journey to the underworld to mine your money. Have you heard of bitcoin before, and the mining of crypto currency?” He asked.
“Yes, Sir”
“That’s what you have to do. You will be going to the underworld to mine your own money. You are not the only one. There are already three people who have been here for the same purpose. You all will die temporarily, and your spirits will go to the underworld to make money from the riches of the dead. After three days, you will come back to life, and you will be rich for eternity.” He explained.
“So, you mean I am going to die?” I asked in disbelief.
“Only temporarily. I will put you guys in coffins and your spirits will go to the world of the dead. Your bodies will stay here and, three days later, you will return.”
“Are you mad? What if I don’t return? Eric, let’s get out of here.” I spoke, angrily and went out of the place.
Eric followed me and we had a very lengthy conversation outside. I would rather call it an argument. At long last, Eric succeeded to convince me that the process was safe, and I shouldn’t be worried. We got back into the temple and told the ritualist I had accepted to do it.
“Alright, young man. Tomorrow, the other boys will be here, and we will carry out the process. But there is one more thing. Going to the world of the dead is not an easy thing. It’s not a walk in the park. You must be warned, if you had caused the death of any person, you might not be able to come back. The person might kill you. Now, young man, have you caused the death of anyone before?” The ritualist asked.
I immediately thought of Florence, but I said no.
“We see tomorrow then, good luck to you.” The ritualist spoke, and Eric and I walked out of the place.
TO BE CONTINUED…
