The Last Fight
Everyone in the compound gathered to find out what was causing so much ‘kata kata.’ Chima had fired two warning shorts in the air to scare The Gateman into submission, but it happened that the man refused to be scared. He was adamant and even absentminded as he stood holding his two hands on his door frames.
It was early in the morning, so no one had gone out. Chima hardly slept the previous night after seeing the video of his daughter naked in a room with The Gateman. It was truly traumatising for him as he almost ran mad.
Bekee, Ngozika and Adaugo all heard the gunshots that interrupted their early morning sleep, so they scurried out of their rooms to take a look. They saw Chima pointing a gun to The Gateman’s head. It was a moment of horror to see the man they were all sleeping with to be at the point of death in the hands of Chima.
All three ladies wondered if their dirty secrets with The Gateman had been exposed, but they dared not ask questions as someone was holding a gun and anything bad could happen to anyone at that deadly point because gun does not recognise kit or kin. It was safer to observe things first and to also plead.
But the ladies were surprised that The Gateman was not begging for his life. His face was nonchalant and even showed someone who did not care whatever happened next. He turned his face away from Chima as if to say “You are just joking, Oga.”
“You slept with my daughter and sent me the video. Have you gone completely mad? Are you insane?” Chima was shouting at the top of his husky voice and there was fire and pain mixed in his tone. But The Gateman still showed no signs of remorse and it was as if everything Chima said fell on deaf ears.
Bekee and Ngozika were shocked to hear that The Gateman had also slept with Adaugo. They felt so ashamed of themselves after realising they shared The Gateman’s bed with their step daughter. That was the truest definition of ‘akwuna akwuna’ and the clearest meaning of 'ashawo.'
Adaugo on her part wept bitterly when she heard what brought about the problem. She regretted everything, so she knelt before Chima to beg him to let The Gateman go. She wept bitterly, holding her father’s legs like a toddler but he could not be appeased as he still pointed the gun at the man’s head. Meanwhile, he released another gunshot into the air.
“Oga Chima, stop wasting the bullet. Stop this stupid gra gra and be a man for once. You have never been a man, but today be a complete man and shoot me. Stop this your childish initial gra gra.” The Gateman said and he instantly shocked Bekee, Ngozika and Adaugo with how much audacity and fearlessness he was exhibiting. You slept with a man’s daughter and then sent him the nudes, but you refused to beg or show remose even at gunpoint.
“Or is there something I don’t know? But if a bird is dancing in the road, the thing that is drumming for him is in the bush.” Bekee said to herself.
“You should be begging for your life.” The three ladies said almost at the same time. Chima released a shot, yet again into the air.
“Everyone be quiet.” Chima shouted. His voice roared like the gunshot he just released and the ladies recoiled into their shells like snails.
“Oga Chima, you cannot order me to keep quiet. It’s time for me to talk. This whole thing is ending today. The truth will come out today.” The Gateman said. Everyone noticed how Chima behaved like a toothless bulldog who could only bark but rarely bites. He wanted to act, but it was as if something was dragging him back. A man is always careful while trying to kill a fly that perched on his scrotum.
“It is time for me to open up. You can beat a child but you cannot stop him from crying” The Gateman said again as he used his left hand to push the gun away from his head. Chima did not resist as The Gateman stepped out in the open compound and sat on his brown wooden bench like a man who wants to address his household.
“This whole thing will end today. The secret of many years will come out.” Said The Gateman. He had effectively taken charge of the situation and was now in control. Though Chima still had his gun in his hand, he had been disarmed mentally by The Gateman who showed no atom of fear as he had expected.
Bekee and Ngozika became very scared when The Gateman started speaking of opening up secrets. They both cast knowing glances at each other as if to say “We are dead today.”
“I have kept this for a long time, but I will open up today since it has become as if I’m the devil in this compound.” Said The Gateman. His voice was firm and resolute like someone who has rehearsed his script very well. Chima knew where The Gateman was going, but he did not stop him from talking, so he remained calm and collected.
“Eighteen years ago, Chima hired me to get his late wife, Adanna pregnant.” The Gateman started. His voice was like bomb that just exploded and released shrapnels into Agaugo, Bekee and Ngozika’s ears.
“I’m sure you are aware that he is impotent. He did not want people to know about this so he hired me to help make babies for him. I was to be paid N5 million per child. It was his agreement with his late wife, Adanna who also knew he is impotent. Unfortunately, I was able to give Chima only one child before Adanna died.” The Gateman continued.”
Bekee and Ngozika cast knowing glances at each other. And ofcourse, Adaugo heard clearly what The Gateman said, so she already realised she had been sleeping with her own father. She ran off into her room and locked the door tightly.
“So you decided to sleep with the same daughter you gave me? You pervert!” Chima asked The Gateman, pointing the gun at him again. This time, he might shoot him because his heart was pounding faster than usual.
“Oga Chima, I slept with your daughter, sorry my daughter as revenge. To hurt you because you refused to pay me the agreed amount till date. Instead, you kept me as your gateman and refused to allow me to go for fear of your secret coming out. You ruined my life. Look at me. I’m thirty-eight with no wife, no family. You refused to pay me my N5 million. All I get is empty promises. For eighteen years!” The Gateman cried as he spoke. His tears touched Bekee and Ngozika.
“And for your information, I have also slept with Bekee and Ngozika and got them pregnant. I know you know their pregnancies are not yours. But what you don’t know is how I used touch and follow to lure them to my bed.” Said The Gateman. He started laughing in a mocking way as he looked in the direction where Bekee and Ngozika stood. They two ladies were shocked beyond words because they thought they were the ones who manipulated The Gateman, but here he was saying it is the other way round, and that he used charms on them.
Chima could not take it anymore. It was hard being ridiculed with impotence in the presence of his wives by a fellow man who is eating his wives like puf puf. He had to do something to show his wives that he is a man, so he pulled the trigger and the bullet hit The Gateman’s left leg. He groaned in pain as blood gushed like tap water.
“Let me finish before you kill me.” The Gateman said. He was not actually pleading as he was still laughing out loud. The laughter was to mock Chima, but it was mixed with pain induced by the gunshot wound.
“I’m also HIV positive. I have infected Bekee, Ngozika and Adaugo with it and I'm sure you have it now.” Said the adamant Gateman. Those were his last words as Chima pulled the trigger again and the bullet pierced his heart and he gave up the ghost.
Bekee and Ngozika saw what happened, so they ran towards the compound gate in a bid to disappear. But it became too late when Chima turned and shot them dead.
“Dead body go surplus. No ears will hear that I’m impotent. The shame is too much.” Chima said as he ran upstairs to check on Adaugo. If there was anyone he cared for, it was Adaugo. He loved her passionately and always secretly wished she was his real daughter.
When he got upstairs, her room was tightly locked, so he kicked it open with his leg.
What greeted Chima was Adaugo’s dead body. There was an empty bottle of ‘ota pia pia’ in her left hand and in the right hand, there was a suicide note.
“I’m sorry everyone. The shame was too much for me to take. I hope I will find peace with God. To my dad, Chima, I thank you for ruining my life. I regret knowing you as a father. To The Gateman, who I later realised is my real father, I thank you for making me feel loved, even if it was inappropriate for us to sleep with each other.” The note read.
Chima cried with a loud voice after reading Adaugo’s suicide note. It was as if the tears coming out from his eyes were mixed with blood. He pointed his gun on his head and shot himself. Chima’s dead body lay on that of Adaugo.
And that was how a whole family was wiped out in a day because of a man who wanted to cover up his shortcomings and have children through inappropriate means.
THE END.
No comments:
Post a Comment