๐ฌ๐ธ ๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ฃ โ ๐ฌ๐ธ ๐ง๐ด๐ฒ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐ฃโ๐ฒ ๐ค๐ท-
๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฏ๐ณ๐ค๐ฑ 21
โI said stop there! Little girl!โ. The masculine voiced echoed again. Little Prisca stumbled on a stone. Her left leg whacked against it badly. She bled. The two armed guys chasing her grabbed her and carried her back to the building.
Little Prisca wept sore.
โIf you ever try to run away again, you will rest in peace!โ. The tallest guy amongst them warned. Her eyes flaming on Little Prisca. She trembled. Five other people entered. The leader was a tall dark beautiful lady โ Zenab!
โYo-u!โ. Little Prisca aired bewilderedly. Her eyes uncluttered.
โAre you surprised, little Prisca?โ. Zenab laughed. Everyone positioned.
โI know youโre a sinner, but I never knew you are this wicked!โ. Little Prisca voiced fearlessly. Zenab laughed heartlessly.
โIt is your sister, Abigail, whoโs wicked. She took what belongs to me and when Iโm making efforts to get it back, you came from nowhere and spoilt it. Do you what your stupid interference caused that day? I knew if Kayson had had me, I would be pregnant! But you destroyed it! I will make sure you donโt reincarnate after you leave this sphere!โ. Zenab assured determinedly. Her eyes filled with fury. Little Prisca gently bent her head and her tears flowed.
โYou want to take the life you didnโt giveโ. Prisca cried heartbreakingly.
โOh! Just like I took Abigailโs. I will make sure your grandmother and Mrs Ijeoma face the same fate! Nobody stands on my way and donโt get crushed!โ. Zenab howled bitterly.
โOnce itโs 10pm, bury her alive. The pit is setโ. Zenab informed the guys and turned away.
โItโs also time to bury that one also. By nightfall, I donโt want excuses anymore. Cover the pitsโ.
She instructed and walked out of the room with five guys leaving three armed men behind to watch over Little Prisca.
Little Prisca got devastated. She hasnโt eaten since she was brought in. She has counted the days she spent โ three days gone!
Little Prisca who had had little or no water not food tried to gather up strength to pray, but she couldnโt. Her leg was still bleeding and largely swollen. Her body was weary and her voice fainted. She couldnโt take a nap in the uncomfortable arena. Her head was light and broken veins. She was sick and gradually passing out.
โPle-ase, I ne-ed wat-erโ. Little Prisca finally spoke like in a whisper. She coughed tiredly.
The time was 7pm.
โDo dying persons ask for water? You will soon be laid to rest by 10pm, so make the job easy for us by dying fastโ. One of the men shouted at her. Little Prisca shivered. She looked round gently. The three guys well armed, standing agilely. She closed her eyes and sobbed.
Her mind hovered. She recollected Mamaโs favourite verse in the Bible.
โ๐๐จ๐๐ก๐ข๐จ 91:14-16 ๐๐๐ฝ๐๐
๐๐ค๐ ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐จ, โ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐จ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐ก๐ค๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐ฟ. ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ข๐, ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข; ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐ง๐ค๐ช๐๐ก๐, ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข. ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ง๐๐จ๐๐ช๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข. ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ง๐๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ก๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐; ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐จ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข.โ Little Prisca recited the verse repeatedly. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She still remembered how to read that portion of the Bible. She continued. Tears accompanied as they rolled down her cheeks.
โLovely Jesus, remember your word. I need the manifestation now. Save me!โ. Little Prisca prayed and bawled on. The three guys looked strangely at her. The g-uns were showering goosebumps all over her. She comported herself.
โPlease, give me waterโ. She pleaded.
โWill you shut up! Didnโt you hear what I said earlier? Make our job easier!โ. The guy thundered unfriendly.
โImagine Iโm your kid sister. Would you do this?โ. Little Prisca talked slowly and softly. She suddenly got emotional.
โ Imagine you returned from work one day and discovered your kid sister is missing and going through this right now. How would you feel if youโre allowed one minute to see her?โ. She continued tearfully.
โMy grandma has lost my mother some years ago. She is just left with Aunty Abigail and I as her only consolation. I know Aunty Funmi is dead. Grandma is just left with me. Imagine if sheโs your motherโ. Little Prisca cried.
โShe will die if she loses meโ. She bawled sadly. Her voice hallowing.
โShhhhhhhhhhhhhh ship up! Thatโs an order!โ. Another guy stormed on her. He held her by the throat and almost strangled her.
โDonโt preach to me! My mother was kidna!ppe!d Four years ago and kil!!led even after we gave them ransom! My kid sister was kil!le!d by a hit-and-run vehicle. We cried day and night, they didnโt wake up! I lost all my bloo!d. Donโt preach to me!โ. He howled bitterly with vengeance flaming in his voice.
โStop that, Jerome!โ. The tallest amongst them scolded him and pulled him away from little Prisca who started coughing out blo!od.
โThatโs a small girl! You donโt have to do that!โ. He reprimanded him. Jerome took a deep breath. He was bitter and aggrieved.
โYour past is pathetic, but mine is more. My boss in the office wanted me to ki!!ll his stepbrother so he would take over the whole family properties. I refused. He sent boys to wreck my family house in the village. It was midnight. The house was set ablaze. My parents, three siblings and my wife were burnt alive. He blackmailed me and kept me on the run till now. Have you wondered why Iโm here? Itโs just to hide and survive. I was a pastorโs child, now a kill!!erโ. The guy โ Nelson, as he introduced himself said. He begged Jerome to be calmed.
Little Prisca carefully listened to their stories. She shook and shrugged. She felt pity for them.
โYour stories are hurtful, but they are not reasons justifiable enough for your current actions and choices. Our past shouldnโt define us wrongly. No amount of guilt can change the past. My grandma told me โDo not brood over your past mistakes and failures as this will only fill your mind with grief, regret and depression. Do not repeat them in the future. Not leaving the past behind is a terrible way to move forward. Look at today and tomorrow. They can be better if you donโt hold onto yesterday too tightly.โ She coughed again and spat out blo!od. She grew weaker.
โ…Happiness lies ahead, not behind. Forge forward and be happy. ยท Release the pain to feel the joy. Don’t carry the past into your present. Don’t drag old baggage into your new life.โ She took a deep breath. The guys were shocked at such coordination and intelligence of little Prisca.
โHow old are you?โ. Nelson solemnly asked.
โI am twelveโ. Little Prisca whispered.
The time clocked 9:30pm.
โItโs almost time. Letโs get readyโ. The last guy who hasnโt spoken all along, quickly reminded them.
Jerome and Nelson gently moved away from little Prisca and out of the last guyโs hearing. They talked quietly.
Little Prisca knew the time was up. She had no more strength to struggle or attempt to run. She succumbed to their will. The moment the time clocked 10pm, Little Prisca was led out.
She continued her prayers and recitation of her own favourite verses in Psalms 91:
โWhoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, โHe is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.
Surely he will save me from the fowlerโs snare and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover me with his feathers, and under his wings I will find refuge; his faithfulness will be my shield and rampart
I will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day.
Nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand may fall at my side, ten thousand at my right hand, but it will not come near me.
I will only observe with my eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
If I say, โThe Lord is my refuge,โ and I make the Most High my dwelling.
No harm will overtake me, no disaster will come near my tent.
For he will command his angels concerning me to guard me in all my ways;โ She muttered those words repeatedly in her faintly state. She leaped as they led her. Her nose dripping blo!od.
They got to the pit.
โWe canโt harm her!โ. Nelson suddenly aired authoritatively.
โWhat are you saying, Nelson? We must obey the last order!โ. Bullet thundered readjusting his gu!n.
โThis little girl has done nothing to us! I canโt harm her either!โ. Jerome supported.
โWhat we are doing here is vengeance guys! Tooth for tooth! I swore to do this after my landlord deflowered my kid sister and she died due to bleeding. He sent us packing and promised to frustrate me for life because he has money. Zenab had same fate! She was abandoned by a man who promised to marry her! We are all in for revenge and nothing should change it!โ. Gad sermonized gravely.
Little Prisca knew they were lied to by Zenab. She couldnโt talk. She was dying.
โHow are you sure Zenab told us the truth?โ. Nelson cut in like he read little Priscaโs thought.
โeven if she told us the truth, we all have a different future and choices. We are actually fighting another personโs battle not ours! We canโt change our past by revisiting the cracks and destroying the future. Letโs not allow the past poison today. All the past can do is hold us back. Youโve already been through yesterday. We have the power to leave the past behindโ. Nelson urgently said.
โI canโt believe this! You mean you actually listened to this little girl? What does she know about life?โ. Gad angered.
โLife is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Life is a beautiful journey that is meant to be embraced to the fullest every day.โ Jerome added.
โI am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I canโt change the past. I want to stop carrying it along. Itโs hurting me the moreโ. Jerome reflected on everything and wept.
โThis is the road Iโve taken. No turning backโ. Gad confessed determinedly.
โChange is painful, but nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you donโt belong. Gad, you donโt belong to the past! We donโt belong here! Kidnap!!ping and kill!!ing people as instructed! Thatโs not the life! Letโs change the mission! Letโs change the vision! The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward.โ Jerome went on and on in tears.
โNo! We must finish this job and get our money! Thatโs the vision! Thatโs the mission!โ. Gad insisted and set his gu!n. Before he could let out the bullet on Little Prisca, Jerome flung his gu!n on him. Gad twirled and fell โ his g!un on the other side. Nelson hurriedly grabbed the g!un. Jerome picked up a heavy wood and smacked him on the head. Gad groaned and became still.
โA wise man changes his mind, a fool never will.โ Nelson sighed heavily.
โCarry her. Let me check if the sister is aliveโ. Nelson whispered to Jerome. Jerome lifted little Prisca on his shoulders and they hurried out of the scene.
They headed to where Abigail was kept. Suddenly, they heard voices.
