After leaving her daughter’s house, Eric’s mother went to meet the only surviving brother of her husband to discuss Itohan’s matter.

“My husband, I came because of the evil that befalled us. I know how much you care for Eric. You have been there for us since the death of my husband. It’s unfortunate that he couldn’t live to take care of…….” Tears didn’t allow her to complete the sentence.

“Philo, It’s okay please stop crying. This is hard to endure but God will help us,” Mr. Irabor pleaded with her.

“I wish that it is easy to stop crying. The day that Eric left this world is the day I left too. What is moving around is my shadow. It would have been better that I am the one that left this world. They took the person that is supposed to mourn me. Ha!” She continued crying.

“It’s okay. Please try to endure.”

Eric’s mum was quiet for a while. Later, she was able to say why she visited.

“My husband, I am here so that you can help me. I am suspecting someone concerning the death of Eric.”

“Really? Who could that be?”Mr. Irabor asked.

“Itohan; Eric’s wife,” she answered.

“No! I don’t think so. That lady cannot do such. Why do you suspect that she has a hand in Eric’s death?” Mr. Irabor asked.

“Thank you for that question. Before she married Eric, she thought that Eric was rich. She didn’t know that the money that Eric was squandering belong to her sister. When she finally found out, she was very angry. Another was that I brought a girl who claimed that she was pregnant for Eric, though we later realised that it was a lie. On that day, Itohan said that she would not have anything to do with Eric again. Ese begged her, but she refused. Ese, later begged her to live in her house. She was still in Ese’s house till the death of Eric. The worst is that after the death of Eric, she lost the pregnancy too. I feel that she just wanted to delete everything concerning Eric from her life so that she can be free. Maybe she has even gotten another man.”

“You are right,” Mr Irabor corroborated.

“Thank you my husband. You are the only one that understands me . I was trying to make Ese understand but she was talking rubbish. Itohan must swear for me. She must swear.”

“I agree with you, she has to swear. But we will use wisdom. If we tell her that she is coming to swear, she will not agree to come with us,” Mr Irabor told her.

“I have already told her. I went there to make trouble with her.”

“Don’t worry, I handle it,” Mr. Irabor promised.

Eric’s mum and Mr. Irabor went to Ese’s house. When they came in, Ese knew that there was trouble but she decided to watch as the drama unfolds.

“Our wife, I am here to see how you are doing and to commiserate with you, on the death of your husband who is my son,” Mr Irabor told Itohan.

“Thank you daddy,” Itohan responded.

“Another thing is that I want to plead with you to forgive your mother in law. She told me that she accused you of killing your husband. I was so angry with her. She doesn’t hate you. It was the pain of losing her son that frustrated her. She was just venting the frustration on every one she came across. You are not the only one she accused, she accused me too. But I knew that she didn’t know what she was doing . That was why I forgave her.”

“Daddy, are you saying that she accused you of having a hand in Eric’s death,” Itohan asked in wonder.

“It’s not only me o. She accused many other people. She didn’t know what she was doing,” Mr Irabor explained.

“Daddy, how can I kill my husband. The father of my unborn baby?” Itohan said in tears.

“I know you very well . You cannot do such thing. Even your mother in law know. Let me tell you some things that you don’t know. Your mother in law loves you so much. She had been saying good things about you. It was because of the way she was praising you that made me to like you. I want you to forgive her . That is why we are here.”

“My daughter, please forgive me”Eric’s mum pleaded.

“Have you seen it . Get up go and hug your mother in law,’ Mr. Irabor told Itohan.

She quickly obeyed.

“Another thing is that we need to travel to the village. Our son is gone. There is nothing we can do about it. But we have to give him the last respect by going to the village to start preparing for his burial. You and your mother in law will go first because people really want to see you and commiserate with you. I, Ese and other relatives will come later.”

Itohan started crying again and they tried to console her.

“Uncle have you said everything you have to say?” Ese asked.

“Yes my daughter,”he responded.

“I heard when you said that people will want to see Itohan to commiserate with her. Why would they be doing that? Did Eric pay Itohan’s bride price? Are they married?” Ese asked

” They were living together, so she have to pay him the last respect,” his uncle said firmly.

Ese laughed loudly,” You think that I don’t know your plan. You want to take Itohan to to the shrine. It will not work.”

Itohan shook involuntarily when she heard that.

“Ese you are a bastard,” her uncle cursed.

“Uncle I don’t care. All I know is that Itohan is not going with you to anywhere,” Ese insisted.

“Are you sure that it is my brother that gave birth to this girl,” Mr . Irabor asked in anger.

“Itohan is evil. She has bewitched my daughter,” Eric’s mum said in tears.

“Uncle, do you really want to take me to the shrine,” Itohan asked in tears.

“Shut up your mouth. Who is your uncle? By the time I’m through with you, no one will tell you to confess what you did to my son,” Mr Irabor threatened.

Itohan stood and was shaking .

Ese’s husband came in as the discussion was going on. He had to listen for a while in order to understand what they were saying. As the tempo was getting high, he tried to calm everyone before addressing them.

“Uncle please, let’s take things easy. Every one is pained because of what happened. But let’s not scatter things because of it. I don’t think that Itohan can harm Eric. I remember that She was not even in this house the day this havoc was committed. She accompanied, I and my wife to a wedding ceremony.”

“We know that she was not around but she could also pay people to do it. All the same, we are not saying that she is guilty. Let her just follow us to the shrine to prove her innocence,” Mr Irabor told him.

“Uncle I don’t support going to the shrine. Let’s allow the police to do the investigation. Someone has already been arrested” Ese’s husband told him.

Let police do their own, while we do our own. Let Itohan dress up so that we can go,” Mr. Irabor insisted.

“Uncle, I have already told you that Itohan is not following you to anywhere. Please don’t make me angry,” Ese flared up.

“Ese, if I make you angry what will you do? Will you beat me? Why I’m I even wasting my time arguing with a small girl. By the time I am through with Itohan, she will come to the shrine by herself. My wife, let’s go.”

*********

Since the death of Eric, Itohan had not touched Eric’s phone. Whenever he saw anything that belongs to him, it made her to cry.

As she was sitting and thinking about her life, she decided to take Eric’s phone and scroll through. Then she came across a WhatsApp message that was sent on the day that Eric died.

The message read:
“Do you think that you can play with me and go scot free. Since you don’t want pay my my money, you will pay with your life.”

Itohan was shocked