Itohan did not really know what to tell Ese. She did want her to know what she was talking about. So she was just looking at her without uttering any word.

“What were you talking about?” Ese pressed on.

Itohan had to think fast to come up with the right answer to give.

“Is it really true that I will not see Eric again?” She asked in an emotion ladened voice. Tears were flowing from her eyes as she spoke.

Ese held her and both of them were crying. After a while, Ese stopped crying and started comforting Itohan.

“My dear it’s okay. We need to be strong in order to find Eric’s murderer. Please go and dress up so that I can take you out.”

“Aunty please I am not the mood to go out,” Itohan told Ese.

“What of going to your friends house? I suggest you go and meet them. It will help in lifting your burden,” Ese suggested.

That sounds as a nice idea to Itohan so she agreed to go. Ese searched for Uloma’s phone number in Itohan’s phone and dialed it. She begged Uloma to come and carry Itohan to her house. Uloma obliged her and drove straight to Ese’s house to pick Itohan.

On their way coming from Ese’s house,Uloma suggested that they should visit Stanford but Itohan was not comfortable with the suggestion.

“Please, let’s just go straight to your house. I don’t want to go to another place,” Uloma begged.

“Why don’t you want to go to Stanford’s house?”

“Ulo, let’s not pretend that we don’t know what happened in the past. I always feel guilty whenever I see Stanford. It makes me feel that I and Eric are recieving punishment for how we humiliated him. ”

“But you cannot continue to run from him. Every encounter you have with him is a healing process for you. Please try and forget about the past,”Uloma advised.

“It’s okay, I will try. But there is something I really wished to ask?”

“It’s okay, go ahead”

“Are you in a relationship with Stanford?”

“No! Why did think that we are in a relationship ”

“Nothing, I just wanted to know if he is in a relationship.”

“I don’t really know much about Stanford so I don’t know if he is in a relationship,” Uloma told her.

Uloma took a turn into the estate that Stanford was living. Itohan had no choice than to commend Uloma’s driving skill,”

“Babe, you have become an expert driver in just few months. The transformation in you is magical. I can’t believe that this the Uloma that I was living with.”

“My dear, it’s just the mercy of God,” Uloma replied even as she was bringing the car to a halt in Stanford’s residence.

Immediately they stepped out of the car, they met Stanford staring at them.

“Wow! Hello ladies. Nice to have you here.” Stanford said with a broad smile.

“Hello,” they chorused with smiles.

“You came at the right time I’m actually going to Osas flat. Please let’s go together.”

When they arrived at Osas flat they met him sitting quietly on a chair. It was unlike him. For Osas to see them and not make noise, means that something was wrong with him. That was Uloma’s thought and she decided to verbalize it.

“Osas what’s up? Why are you so calm?”

“They have served your husband breakfast,” Stanford announced.

“What! Are you serious about this?” Uloma exclaimed in shock.

“Yeah!” Stanford confirmed.

“But Osas always says that it is only a fool that falls in love. How can they possibly serve him breakfast?” Uloma asked.

“Are you minding him? It has reached his turn, he is now behaving like a chicken that falled inside water,” Stanford joked.

” If you guys know that you are not here to comfort me, just take your leave now. Itohan can stay,” Osas told them.

” What should Itohan stay while we are going?” Uloma asked.

“Itohan will stay to comfort him since her name has turned to comfort,” Stanford responded and they started laughing.

“People pray to have good friends that will be with them in critical periods of their life to comfort them. See what I’ve got. The ones that come to mock me,” Osas joked.

“Frankly speaking, Osas is not behaving like someone that they served fresh breakfast. He is talking too much,” Uloma noted.

“You are right. It happened last month. It’s just that the girl did another thing that brought back the pain.”

“Osas dear, it is well! Stop communicating with her. It will help you to heal. On that note. I am inviting you to our house tomorrow for a dinner,” Uloma told him.

Stanford started hailing Uloma but was caught short by Osas statement, “I hope that your father is not around.”

“Even if he is around, does it matter? You are my guest,” Uloma said amidst laughter.

“I am asking because I don’t want to end this present pain with another pain.” Osas joked

“Wait! Osas so you are contemplating on going to Uloma’s house to go and eat food,” Stanford said as they were all laughing.

“Why won’t I go. Afterall her father only said that she should not have serious relationship with me. He did not say that she should not give me food.”

“If that is the case, why where you asking if he is around?” Stanford responded.

” Stanford please leave Osas alone. He is going through a lot now,” Uloma said in a mockery tone.

“Really? Me, I am coming through a lot too,” Stanford retorted.

“I don’t blame you and Uloma, keep mocking me. It is Cynthia that caused it. But I know that this, shall pass” As he was still talking, Stanford stood to go and meet him.

“That is the spirit my man, chop knuckle,”

Uloma and Itohan smiled in admiration .

“I love your friendship,” Uloma noted.

“That was how I admired your friendship with Itohan. Stanford has really been there for me. If not for him in this critical period,it would have been so tough. He had to send someone to come and stay with with me that period. You know that he was not in the country then,” Osas narrated.

“What exactly happened , do you care to share it,” Uloma asked

“My dear, everything was going fine between me and Cynthia. We have already agreed on the time to meet her parents. In fact I have already taken her to my parents,”

“Can you imagine. So all these were happening and you did not tell me. You were just leading me on,” Uloma joked.

“Uloma mind yourself,” Osas warned.

“Don’t mind Uloma. She think that we don’t know what is going own . Please continue with your story.” Stanford said.

Osas smiled and continued with what he was saying.
“Our plan was that immediately we see her parents, we will fix the wedding date. We scheduled everything to hold in the next 6 months so that we could get a befitting accommodation. All of a sudden, Cynthia started disturbing me that her mother said that she must get married immediately. Though that was contrary to our agreement, I decided to dance to her tone because of the love I had for her. She also gave another condition that we must rent the new house as we discussed. I told her that it would not be easy for me to do all at the same time. I begged her that we should forget about getting new accommodation and concentrate on the wedding expenses but Cynthia refused. It was at that point that I decided to discuss with Stanford. He told me that Cynthia might have gotten another person that she wanted to marry but I didn’t believe him. All the same, he promised to take care of the accommodation and also furnish it. Everything in this house and the money for the rent was done by Stanford.”

“Wow! Stan my man, God bless you,” Uloma prayed.

“Back to my story, I brought Cynthia here to show her that everything was set. When she got here she was shocked. All of a sudden, she started blaming me that I have been pretending to her that I don’t have money. I was just watching her drama. She told me that she would visit the next day so that we would plan on our next step. I was so happy. Later that evening, Cynthia sent a WhatsApp message to inform me that her parents told her not to marry me. After sending the message, she blocked me . I later found out that her bride price has been paid.”

“What kind of wickedness is that,” Uloma exclaimed in shock.

“My sister, you can say that again. Just yesterday, I was here singing and making myself happy when my phone started ringing. I picked the call and it was Cynthia, she was apologizing to me, telling me that her parents forced her to marry who she doesn’t want to marry. Later she told me that she is calling because she want me to be her husband’s best man.”

“What!”

“Yes. That is what Cynthia has reduced me to. I actually died and woke up. As I was trying to survive the shock, she told me that I should also get other 10 young men for the occasion. Her fiance is coming from abroad and doesn’t have friends here. I told her that she needed to send money that I and the other young men will use to buy suit. She actually sent money for the other 10 person’s and told me to send my size because her fiance have to buy mine and his together. Immediately I got the money, I blocked her phone from reaching mine.”

“You did well” Uloma hailed her.

“I heard that she is running helter skelter, but who cares. At least I have recovered part of the money I spent on her.” Osas said firmly.

“It is well! God will give you another Cynthia,” Stanford told him.

“I wish you the same. Infact yours will be a double Cynthia” Osas retorted.

Uloma laughed very loud and hard.

All the while that they were talking, Itohan was so quiet, when her friends later noticed it, they felt guilty. They thought that the discussion they were having could be the challenge.

“I T what is the matter?” Stanford asked.

Itohan sighed and kept quiet.

“Please talk to us, do you want to go home?” Stanford pressed on .

Itohan shook his head and kept quiet still.

“Please talk to us, you are scaring us,”Stanford pleaded.

“What I want to say is too heavy for my mouth. That is the challenge. I have been praying as you advised, asking God to reveal the source of Eric’s death. He has revealed the person but fear would not allow me to say it. Nobody will believe me because I don’t have evidence,” Itohan lamented.

“Hmm! This is a good news and a scary one too. I hope you have not talked to anyone?”

“I have not talked to anyone?”

“That is a good one. I know why you are afraid. When I told you to go and pray, I did not fold my arms. I was praying and Uloma was praying too. You are not the only one that have information of who the culprit is, I and Uloma have same information. Our prayer point has already changed. Our prayer is that God should expose the person by himself. Join us in praying that prayer”.