Ifakolade looked very happy as we journeyed to the city. We took the first bus out of Igbonla. I wanted to take my jeep, but he said my Jeep could leave tracks for the police to trace the death of Larry to me… That made sense. In the public bus we took, I had people who recognized me in the bus and I tried to give my fake smile.
We got to the city by 6:30am. The plan was to stay at a motel till later that day. I went into the motel with my head covered with a scarf and I wore black shades to hide my identity…
Getting into the room, it was a torture room. The room was definitely a daily hang out for loose men and prostitutes. The room had that sexual stench even though it was clean.. Ifakolade settled in quickly on the bed, and he asked me to join him…
” You need to rest your back and your feet” Ifakolade said
He was right… My back was aching… I sat on the bed with my back against the wall. Ifakolade looked at me with eyes that were different from the ones I had been seeing… The look was soft and innocent…
” Oosamuyiwa… Pregnancy does look good on you… I wish the circumstances were right and you were my wife… I wish I was one of those guys who put on suits, You know the corporate guys… and having you as my wife… I would have been the happiest man on earth, but…. Destiny!!!… I didn’t choose my background, my background choose me…” He said as he laid on the bed turning his back to me…
“Oosamuyiwa, imagine if I am the son of a rich man, or a pastor, maybe I would have turned out like your Pastor James…. and maybe you would have found me attractive enough to be your husband… but I guess Pastor James is the winner… ” He said with a dry laughter
” Ifakolade, we shouldn’t let our backgrounds nail us to the ground”…I found myself preaching to Ifakolade… and I guess I was preaching to myself too…
” Ifakolade, you can decide to rewrite your story, because no matter where we find ourselves or even if by our making, we are where we shouldn’t be, we can decide to get out of that life, to take the right path into becoming who God Will be proud of… ” I must have spoken for 5 mins before turning to look at Ifakolade to see if he understood what I said, I was shocked to see him asleep… All my motivational words had fallen on deaf ears…
Ifakolade woke up much later to get us some food, but I wasn’t in the mood for the food. I was literally counting down the hours left till 11pm.
At exactly 10:30pm, Ifakolade told me it was time to leave, a taxi was waiting for us, as we were driving towards Larry’s house, my heart was pumping hard, I was having second thoughts, but it seem like Ifakolade was reading my mind, he laid his hand on my hand and whispered in my ear..
” If we don’t do this, we will have more evil doers on the surface of the earth… We need less of the Larrys In this world”…I nodded in agreement.
” And I meant everything I said this morning… You look beautifully pregnant and if you ever have a rethink, I can try to be like Pastor James.. ” That made me smile…
All day I had seen a different Ifakolade, soft and warm. Truly, if he had been raised differently, he might have turned out a better man…and if the circumstances were right this would have been a great opportunity to win a soul for God, but unfortunately I also needed to be saved…
” We are there” Ifakolade jolted Me back to the harsh reality of life. We were already few blocks away from Larry’s house. Then it dawned on me, I never asked Ifakolade how we were going to get into the house…
” How do we go In? I asked
” Trust me” He said simply…
We paid the taxi fare and walked towards Larry’s gate. Suddenly, Ifakolade held me by the hands and said some incantations, Something about becoming like the wind…
To my utmost surprise, Musa, Larry’s security man did not see us. Ifakolade had knocked, but as Musa opened the gate, he kept asking who was there… It seem like he didn’t see us. Ifakolade held my hand and we walked in unnoticed. Larry’s dogs started barking at us, but they couldn’t come close…
” They can see us? ” I asked him
” Yes… the animals can see us… ” Ifakolade replied
” Not just the animals, I can see you”…We heard Larry’s voice and just like in the movies, he surfaced before us….He started laughing at us…
” Really, Sis Grace…My Sister in the Lord, so you can go this diabolical… Wow… Change really is the most constant thing in the world. You never know a true Christian, until he or she is faced with serious challenges” Larry said mockingly
” I hate you”..I said meaning every word…
” But that was not what you said months back..Have you forgotten how you used to cry and you will tell me ” Larry I wish I had met you before my husband, I love you so much I can’t help myself..” He said mimicking my voice… Tears dropped from my eyes…. Larry looked at my pregnancy and said…
” I can also see my baby is growing” He moved closer to touch me…
” If you dare.. ” Ifakolade said…
” Hey, so you are the new catch, Well for your information, if it is what I came to get from her life you are also looking for, Sorry! you came too late… I have taken everything…” Larry said proudly
” I don’t need her money.. I am not a gold digger like you… So this is why you were after her, Oosamuyiwa can you hear this, he did this all for your money” Ifakolade said with Irritation in his voice..
I was speechless because Larry never took money from me… Except for his professional charges as my keyboardist…
‘” Who is talking about money…? Well, Let me hint You a bit, Sis Grace..I never had any business with you, it was my father who brought your Audio CD home 10years ago and he sat me down telling me you were a goldmine… My Father who was an herbalist was able to count your stars through your image on the Audio CD… numbering 70,000 stars…. He told me if I could only have one sexual intimacy with you, I could take those stars and use it for myself…”
What was Larry Saying? I stood transfixed to the spot…
“I was never a Keyboardist, I had to learn the keyboard for 3 years in order to get access to you… For five years, I became your keyboardist just to have that one night of Star capturing and I did… So don’t worry, in no time, I will be a household name, thanks for lending me your stars.. And I am sorry, I don’t intend returning them… ” Larry was saying so much and my small head couldn’t understand it… It felt like the ground was shaking, I staggered a little, but I felt Ifakolade’s strong hands holding me from falling.
Ifakolade was speechless as well, but out of the blues, Ifakolade brought out his gun and aimed it at Larry…. Larry laughed at him with so much mockery IN His laughter. He turned to return back to his house.
” I am in a very good mood today and besides I don’t want to kill my baby, you both should go back the same way you came.. “
Ifakolade took my very numb hand and placed it on his own, and he fired the gun at Larry….
To be continued….
©Opeyemi Akintunde
About Author
I love dis story, next pls