Kate saw Nnenna trying to sneak to the back side of the building. She knew Nnenna was trying to go to Don’ s room because of Joyce. She tiptoed and followed her.

Everywhere was dark so it was not easy for Nnenna to know that she was being followed. At the point that Kate became sure that Nnenna was trying to go and rescue Joyce, she hastened her step a bit and grabbed one of her hand. Nnenna shook with fear. She was somehow relieved when she discovered that it was Kate.

“Ah! Aunty Kate, you scared me,” Nnenna whispered in fear.

“Where are you going to?” Kate asked in a stern voice.

“I want to go and clean Bob’s wound,” Nnenna lied.

“But you cleaned the wound in the morning.”

“Yes. But I have to check on him again. That is what I am employed for.”

“Thank you for reminding me that you were employed to baby-sit a man that is older than you. It is your business; I am not interfering with it. But this night, you will not go there,” Kate said firmly,

“Aunty Kate, please allow me to go and do my work,” Nnenna pleaded.

“I said that you are not doing that work this night. Go and report me to your oga and madam,” Kate dared her.

“Aunty Kate why are you doing this?” Nnenna asked in tears.

“I am doing it for your safety. You want to put yourself in trouble in this house, but I will not allow you. You have been in this house, suffering for 3 years. Now that your deliverance is at hand, you want to scatter it. I will not allow you to ruin your life. That was exactly what put Bob in the condition he is suffering now. Is it not because of Kate that you want to enter there?”

Nnenna gently nodded her head in affirmative.

” What do you think will be your fate if oga finds out.”

“He will not find out. Please let me go.”

The chilling voice sounded again. It was followed with groaning that it made Kate to develop goose bumps.

“Nnenna please help me. I am dying,” Joyce cried.
Her voice was becoming faint as if she was going to give up at any moment.

“I have to go now. If I perish, I perish, ” Nnenna told Kate.

She snatched her hand out of Kate’s grip and ran towards the door. When she opened the door, she found Joyce, lying down helplessly on the ground on top of her vomit.

“Bob, I will be back to clean up the mess,” Nnenna promised.

She quickly carried Joyce and ran out of Bob’s room. When she got the main building, she took her to the bathroom and quickly gave her a hot bath. Kate wanted to help out but Nnenna did not allow her.

“Aunty Kate please go back to your room. Don’t get involved in this.”

” But I can’t leave you alone in this.”

“Aunty Kate please leave. Let me handle this alone. Just pray for me.”

Immediately Kate left, Nnenna prepared a hot coffee for Joyce to take. She was too weak to eat, so Nnenna had to feed her. She waited and ensured that Joyce had slept off before going to clean the vomit in Bob’s room.

“Why did you do that?” Bob asked immediately she entered the room.

“She needed help and I had to help out,” Nnenna answered.

“Do you know the consequence of what you have done? Do you really know?” Bob asked, feeling so concerned. Nnenna has been the only friend and sister that Bob had for the last 3 years. He couldn’t imagine any evil befalling her.

“Yes, I know. Your father may kill me if he finds out. I just pray that he doesn’t find out.”

At that point Nnenna could no longer control her emotions and she started weeping. After weeping for a while , she wiped her tears and informed Bob.

“I planned to bring her back early in the morning before your dad wakes up.”

“Even if you bring her back now, my father will know what happened.”

“Are you sure?” Nnenna asked in a shaky voice even as sudden fear gripped her.

“There is something my father planned to achieve with bringing that lady inside here. You have already spoilt it.”

“Ah! What I’m I going to do?” Nnenna lamented.

“You have to calm down. That truth is that you are already in trouble but God can still save you. This kind of thing that you did was what put me in this condition. But even in this condition, I have not given up. I’m hoping for the best. If not, I would have killed myself.”

“No, you can’t do that. Something positive can still happen,” Nnenna assured him.

“Yes I believe so. Why didn’t you cover your nose? You know that it is dangerous to be inhaling the odour from this wound,” Bob asked with deep concern.

Bob don’t bother about me. I’m fine. I want to hear your story. What exactly happened to you?”

“Actually, living in this home since my childhood have not been easy. Even as a child, I knew that my father was a wicked man. I never liked him because of the way he maltreated my mum. Though my case was different, he treats me well. I had called him on several occasions and begged him to stop maltreating his wife but he wouldn’t bulge.”

“You mean the way he treats your mom now was the way he does even when you were younger ?”

“It was even worse then. He beats her at any slightest mistake and call her all sorts of names. When I was 18, something happened and he wanted to beat my mum. I gave him a strict warning. Since that day, he stopped beating her. I don’t know if he has started beating her now that I am in this condition.”

“But why can’t your mum speak out? Why is she dying in silence?”

“It is the same thing that is making you to do this job against your wish. I think he forced my mum to take an oath. I once told my mum to leave the house. She told me that if she leaves, she would die. My mum’s experience has taught me that marriage is not something to toy with.

You don’t just get married to anyone, especially because of money. My mum married him because of money. Now, she can’t even enjoy the money. Let me tell you how I found myself in this condition. I came back from my youth service and there was no one at home. I decide to come to the back of the house to swim. Then, I saw this small house.

“Which small house are you talking about?” Nnenna asked.

“This very house that we are inside. I wondered how the house appeared here within a year of my absence. The swimming pool has disappeared. There was no sign that human beings come to the place. As I tried to get closer I heard a voice.

“Somebody help me!”

I developed goose bumps all over my body. Sudden fear crept in. So, I quickly went to the front of the main building to meet the security personnel and inquire about the person crying here. They were not willing to talk to me.”

“Who is the person crying at the back of the house?” I asked them again.

“Your daddy,” one of the security personnel answered and kept quiet again.

“What do you mean by my daddy?” I asked in anger. I was becoming impatient.

“Your daddy brought the woman. She is always crying day and night,” he informed me.

“I quickly left them and start coming to the back of the house. One of the security personnel ran after me.”

“Uncle Bob, please don’t go there. Your daddy will be angry,” he pleaded.

“Get out from here,” I shouted in anger.

“I ran to the door and attempted to open it. That was when I discovered that it was locked. It’s not as if that is strange to me. My dad had a room that I and my mum never entered. We don’t know what he does there. Normally, I mind my business. But I couldn’t endure the cry of the woman inside the room so I had to forcefully open the door. Guess who I saw there?”