September 3rd. David Hills, Aja, Lagos.
Chichi had just rounded off her prayers. She lay on the bed ‘single’, but not alone. She felt God’s presence all over her, just when she needed it. She wondered where Joseph would be now. Joseph said he would be in London for about three more weeks, could she wait? She smiled. She had to wait. Chichi was about to go to bed, when the words flashed in her mind:
Be careful for nothing
She was still trying to comprehend this, when her phone rang. She grudgingly received the call. It was Bisola. Ever since her wedding anniversary, she had decided to stay away from Bisola for a while. She had stopped receiving her calls.
“Hello, Lady B.” Chichi casually said, but what she heard in reply shocked her. In a trembling voice, Bisola replied;
“…Hello.”
Chichi sat up in alert. The noise of rain splattering on the hard ground was heard, despite the windows were locked. It was a very dark night. Chichi pursed her lips; she tried to herself calm down.
Chichi, everything is alright; maybe Bisola had a night mare or something-
The next ‘one’ she heard, sent shivers down her spine.
“Hello! Hello! Chichi I’m in trouble.”
“What is the problem?’’ Chichi asked calmly. The confusion was already telling on her, as she tousled her hair. ‘‘…What’s the problem? Bisola?”There was no response. All she could hear was a thumping noise that was hard to comprehend. It sounded as if someone was kicking something- or SOMEONE?
“Bisola? Bisola!” The line went dead. Chichi knelt to pray. When the phone rang again, she answered. Now Bisola was crying,
“Chichi it is Fred, Fred is acting strange! No! No!”
Chichi sighed. “Who’s Fred?’’
“Fred he’s my new- I stay with him.’’ She heard a louder noise.
“Bisola, are you with me?”
“He came back from- I don’t know where - he’s been acting strange’
‘‘Calm down, are you safe?’’
Bisola’s sobbing grew intense.
“No-o-o-o I’m not safe. He’s been destroying things-he’s with a pistol,” Chichi heard a man’s gruff voice in the background.
“Chichi, he’s-I still love you, I might not make it, but I love you.’’ The line went dead. Chichi shouted, but the extreme thunder made her scream sound like a whisper. The rain sounded more intense. The sound of the howling breeze was audible now. Chichi dialled Joseph’s number. That was what she could think of at that moment. Joseph’s phone rang and he didn’t answer his call- she could understand, it was 12:07 am. He should be praying and his phone would be out of his reach. She held her head.
“O God, help Bisola.”
The phone rang. She rushed to pick it up. It was Joseph.
“Hello sweetie.”
“Hello dear,’’ He started calmly, “...what’s the problem?”
It was obvious, she was sounding tensed.
“It’s Bisola she’s-she just called me….’’ She couldn’t find the right words.
“Bisola is in trouble right? I sensed something in the spirit. She’s with a man right? Can you hear me Chichi?’’
“Yes”
“Mmh. Tell her it would be okay and call the police afterwards. You’ve the DPO’s number -I saved his number on your phone. Call him and introduce yourself as Joseph Adam’s wife. He’s my good friend. It would be alright, mmh? I’ll call you in an hour’s time to check on you. Love you”
Chichi became calm. Then she started a prayer and the small, still voice
told her gently,
Call the DPO, like your husband said. Do not go there.
Her phone rang, it was Bisola.
“Hello... Chichi,” she sounded worse. “I won’t make it. I’m bleeding, blood is everywhere, Chichi, and I can’t-”
“Calm down, I’II call the police.”
“No, it would make matters worse…I don’t want Fred to go to jail-I love him ….he would go to jail for attempted murder.’’
“What do I do?”
“Please… come over …aaah!” She heard a louder sound.
“I’II-I’II call-I’II call the police.’’
“No! Chichi come over. If Fred’s jailed, I’II kill myself- come over I don’t know what’s wrong with him, I might be dead before the police comes.’’
Chichi was hearing a conversation now between Bisola and the man, now:
“D**n you! Why are making that D**n call-f**k give me that phone.’’
“No. Please stop. Fred, please I love you. Don’t do-’’
“GIVE me the D**N PHONE!”
“No-o-o-o –o”
The line went dead after a loud sound, it was obvious- he had smashed the phone.
Chichi was very uncomfortable. Then she heard the same voice tell her gently;
Call the police, Chichi, call the police. Call the police.
A louder voice that sounded like her, interrupted:
“Look, that guy would kill Bisola and it would be a pity that you could do something to save your friend and you didn’t. Go and save her, go and save her or it might be too late.”
Chichi was confused. She held her phone in her hands, “Should I call the DPO?” She was about dialling the DPO’s number, when she heard Bisola’s shout in her head
“No-o-o-o!”
Chichi sighed. ‘‘I’ve to go, I’ve to go and rescue her.’’ She put on a dress and grabbed her car keys. She didn’t know what she was doing, but it seemed right. She stuffed her purse with her phone, face towel and some money, and then she ran down the stairs. Her saloon car soon drove past the gate into the expressway; she just hoped it would end well.
The noise from the inner room was intense. Chichi had parked her car outside in fear .She felt that the strange man would hear the sound of the wheels. Surprisingly, the gate of the three-bedroom flat was flung open. She walked in, breathing heavily. She was hearing a shout from what ‘appeared’ to be the living room. Bisola was screaming in pain. Chichi clutched her purse. She knew she couldn’t walk into the sitting room without causing trouble for herself, she wasn’t even armed and she couldn’t continue to imagine Bisola writhe in pain. She had to do something. This was the worst time to think, she wondered why she didn’t have a plan back at David Hills. Maybe she was too tensed to think. Then she heard the man now distinctly say;
“D**n you B***ch! I need to rest my head.”
What she heard next was a deafening gunshot and the sound of his footsteps-he was probably moving towards his room. The sound of a click, made Chichi know that he had locked himself inside now and was probably sleeping. Chichi fell. All she heard in the sitting room was total silence. A pang of guilt struck her.
You let Bisola Die and you could do nothing.
Chichi felt tears trickle down her face. She stood up still crying, to SEE Bisola’s dead body. The door was unlocked; she walked into the sitting room. Well, she was fortunate that GOD had mercy.
There Bisola was lying helplessly, but she was not dead. He had probably shot in the air, but she was bleeding.
“Are you okay?”
Bisola was crying bitterly, but silently. Chichi held her up and cried with her. She wiped her tears with her face towel.
“I’m so sorry. I couldn’t make it earlier”
Thirty minutes later, Chichi and her friend were seated on the sofa. Bisola sighed,
“...That’s what happened. I just don’t understand what is wrong with Fred.”
‘‘Are you saying you guys had no previous quarrel? He just came back from work, and started behaving strange?”
“He kept on accusing me, insinuating I was dating Jake weaver, but I told him the truth- Jake Weaver is my cousin. Then he started punching me.’’ Chichi shook her head.
“T
his is bad-but why should he insinuate a thing like that?’’
“When Jake weaver arrived from the United Kingdom on the 30th of August, he decided to treat me special. So he took me to the beach and we just snapped normal pictures. Fine, I was in my bikini and I was all over him, but he’s my cousin!” Bisola dropped her hands on her lap in confusion. Chichi grimaced,
“I warned you Bisola. Stop dating boyfriends and get a serious fiancé. Boyfriends are boys, they are not men. Just take a look at yourself, are you happy now? Also,’’ Chichi shrugged. ‘‘…Stop playing around at the slightest opportunity. Bisola sincerely, you are in your late twenties, approaching thirty and you still act like an unwise toddler. You’re always at every hen’s night, and all the night clubs you can find. You go to the beach at every slightest push in that odd bikini of yours. You don’t even go to church, except on Sundays and what kinds of churches do you attend? Is it a bible believing gathering? No it’s all about a fancy preacher entertaining his audience with captivating, watered down messages. Do they preach true salvation? Do they really preach holiness? It’s a fashion show honestly, where you see all sort of heavily made- up women in colourful dresses and posh men in designer suits! Bisola you need God, mmh?”
Bisola started crying. Chichi spoke calmly now,
“I love you, but I have to let you know the truth. You don’t even study the word of God, every second you are listening to desperate, Manipulative singers Jezy peters, who hate God with ‘passion’. You spend your valuable time watching secular but morally dead movies, your friends call normal. You live a junk life, feed yourself with ‘junk’ entertainment and it’s no surprise you’re getting a ‘junk’ beating from a ‘junk’ man with a ‘junk’ mentality. Stop this now”
Bisola cried out,
“Help me!”
Chichi looked into her eyes. “I can’t, only God can.”
Bisola shook her head. ‘‘I’II do this later. I know I am not truly born again. I don’t have a concrete relationship with God, but I can’t just can’t do it now, give me time.’’ Bisola wept harder.
“It’s up to you, I’ve said the truth.”
Bisola moved close to her and knelt before her.
“Chichi, please Fred can kill me; I need somewhere to stay for a while, while I sort things out. Help your friend out, please.’’ Chichi sighed.
‘‘Joseph-’’
“Please help me. I’m your friend remember. I will spend just a week or two.’’ Chichi was confused. She didn’t know what to do. She should have obeyed the Holy Spirit and not come here in the first place, now she was in a mess. She heard a gentle voice and the one she recognised.
No Chichi, go home.
Then another voice spoke,
Take her along, or things would go crazy!
Bisola took the pistol on the tiled floor and put it close to her head, her thumb pressing the trigger lightly.
“I’ll kill myself if you don’t take me in. I’II rather die, than stay in this house with Fred.’’ Bisola said in tears.
Chichi panicked. She had to make a choice. The two voices in her head made her perplexed. Bisola’s behaviour was daunting. She just had to make a choice right now. She fell for her instinct. Now breathing heavily and in tears, she said.
“Bisola let’s go home.”
Some seconds after, Chichi silenced Joseph’s incoming call.