Ese kept looking at her husband for explanation of what was going on but he was reluctant to talk. She couldn’t endure the suspense any more so she had to ask.

“Why did you bring us to the house instead of taking us to the hospital? What are this people doing here?”

“Please calm down. Have your seat so that I can explain everything to you?” Her husband told her.

“What do you mean by I should sit. Take me to go and see my brother,” Ese shouted.

Itohan was shaking involuntarily. She kept looking at people’s faces in order to get a clue of what was going on.

One of Ese’s paternal uncle begged Ese and Itohan to sit down. Afterwards, Ese’s husband started narrating what happened.

“When we left to search for Eric, we have no specific place in mind. I just wanted to leave where you were so that you would be relaxed and think that I was doing something about the situation. I kept dialling his phone but he was not taking the call. Later I and Osaro decided to come home and check. We thought he might have taken alcohol and slept off. When we arrived, the gate was not locked. On getting inside, we saw him in his pool of blood. We quickly rushed him to the hospital.

“Please, take me to the hospital. I
want to see my husband,” Itohan cried out suddenly.

“Since he is in the hospital, what are we doing here. Please, take us to the hospital” Ese shouted too.

“He was declared dead on arrival,” Ese’s husband told them.

On hearing the news, Itohan shouted and blanked out. She later lost the baby. Loosing the baby was a double loss for Ese and she wept uncontrollably. In the midst of her mourning, she tried her best to comfort Itohan but she refused to be comforted.She kept shouting, ” Go and tell Uloma that I am paying for my sins. Tell her to come and see how I’m paying for my sins. Tell Zina too to come and harvest the fruit of her labour on me.”

Ese had to make arrangement to bring Uloma to come and see her.

When Uloma entered, Itohan looked at her and laughed bitterly. Uloma was confused because she didn’t understand the meaning of the laughter.

“How are you?” Uloma reached out to her.

“Very well. I have been positioned to eat the fruit of my evil works. Yes, I am reaping the fruit of disappointing God. The fruit of my disobedience is ripe. I am reaping it,” she kept saying in tears.

“Please don’t talk like that. The Bible said that if we confess our sins and forsake them, the Lord will have mercy on us,” Uloma told her.

“Really? But I confessed. I told the Lord that I am sorry. I deeply regretted my action. It is true that God spoke to me and I ignored him ; but I said that I am sorry,” she broke down in tears.

” He heard you and he has forgiven you, ” Uloma tried to assure her.

“If truely he has forgiven me, where is Eric? Where is my baby? Some body should help and ask Eric what I did to him? He promised me heaven on earth. But all I experienced was excruciating pain. From the time I stepped my foot to his house till now, all I felt was pain and regret. I was praying that God should change him. I was hoping that things will get better.”

“It’s okay please. Stop talking,” Uloma pleaded.

“It is not okay . I must say everything on my mind. My unborn child, what did I do to you ? Why would you leave me after all the disgrace you caused me. My consolation was that one day, you will make me proud. Why did you treat me this way.Ha! Why would I be abandoned in this manner?” She kept crying.

“I.T it’s okay,”Uloma pleaded.

“You are saying it’s okay because you are not the one that was disgraced. Ha! I was laughed at. I was called names. They called me a hypocrite…”

“The Lord will give you a new name.”Uloma assured her.

“Will the new name make people to forget that I was impregnated outside wedlock?”

“You are not the first, and may not be last.Please, pull yourself together,” Uloma kept pleading.

“Ha! the mockers will increase now. Where will I turn myself to?”

“He that is without sin should cast the first stone.” Uloma told her.

“Ha! Eric shouldn’t have left me. Uloma, is it fair. Is he supposed to leave me?”

“Be comforted. God understands,” Uloma assured her.

“I wish that God truely understands that I am in pain. If that is the case, let him bring back Eric and my baby,” Itohan stuttered on tears.

As Itohan continues to talk and cry non stop, Ese had to give her a sleeping pill so that she could have some rest.

********
It was a trying time for Ese. Though she was mourning, she vowed to fish out the killers of her brother. One of the first person’s that came to her mind was Ada. She remembered that her mother told her of Ada’s threat to Eric’s life. The only challenge she has was how to get Ada. She decided to invite Osadolor.

Immediately Ese sighted Osadolor coming, she started crying,”Osadolor,where is your friend? You have never come here alone. You are always with your friend. Why did you leave him and come,” She cried bitterly.

Itohan was laying down on the chair and humming a song. She seemed oblivious of what was happening around her.

“Itohan how are you?” Osadolor reached out to her. Itohan looked at him and looked away.

“Aunty please stop crying. Do you want me to go?” Osadolor pleaded with Ese.

“I don’t want you to go. All I want is that my only brother should come back to me,”Ese told him.

“It’s okay ma please stop crying,” Osadolor kept pleading until Ese finally became calm. Then, she started telling him what he invited him.

“Osadolor, I am in pain because I lost my brother. But the worst part of it is that he died a painful death. I must find the killers of my brother. Please I need your help to unravel this mystery. ”

“I am ready to do whatever it takes to bring them to book. You can count on me,” Osadolor promised.

“If you find out whatever you want find out, will it being Eric back to life?” Itohan said absent mindedly”

Osadolor wanted to answer her but Ese signalled him to ignore her.

“I need information on how to get Ada; Eric’s former lover. Please, help me,”Ese begged.

Watch out for the next episode!