STIGMA

CHAPTER 56

Monday 2:30 pm

"You can continue dear", the I.P.O told Raliat, seeing that the presence of the D.P.O, Sam, Uche, and Bode had distracted her.

Her eyes were filled with pain and fear.

Raliat puffed out air and took her eyes off the D.P.O. Then she continued, "I left home on Sunday evening after dad informed me of his intentions to employ Ayoade in his company. I was supposed to leave for school on Monday morning but because I couldn't wait to tell him the good news, I went back to school that evening", she looked up at the I.P.O and he smiled, encouraging her to go on.

"I got to school late due to traffic and then I saw the calls I missed from Ayoade. I then decided to go straight to his room when I heard a shout. It was Bimpe's voice. They were arguing and I knew what the shout that followed the argument signified. Fear gripped me and I stood rooted to the same spot for almost 20 minutes. Then I began to hear moans and that jerked me back to life. I felt hurt and I began to cry bitterly. I tried to get a grip of myself but the pain wouldn't let me as I kept weeping for several minutes before I heard Ayoade's scream."

"The scream caused a piercing in my heart and I knew instantly that something was wrong. I tried to barge in on them but the door was locked from inside. I tried looking for the small phone I seized from my brother that evening to call anyone that can help because my own phone was off. Ayoade screamed again and I fumbled with what I was searching for because my mind was not at rest. I brought the phone out of my bag and was looking for a number to call when I heard her footstep towards the door. I took to my heels and the phone fell from my hand."

"That means your luggage was outside and not inside?" The I.P.O questioned.

"I left it outside the door." She replied.

"So you heard Bimpe's voice before Ayoade's?"

"Yes."

"What then do you think happened between them?"

"They were having sex", she blurted out, after a moment of hesitation. The D.P.O stared at Bode who was with an expressionless face.

"You mean Bimpe is Ayoade's sex mate?" The I.P.O asked.

Yes", she sobbed. "I got to know about it and that led to the rush to get married. I wanted us to get married so he could stop having sex with his sister."

"What reason can you give us to show that you aren't the one who killed him? Maybe you were very hurt like you earlier said and you went to stab him for cheating on you."

"What! I can't possibly do that. Besides the door was locked so I was unable to enter. Ayoade didn't cheat on me. I know about everything and I know how hard it is for him to refrain from doing what he is already addicted to. I was just hurt that it happened again after he promised not to engage in it again." She explained.

"Was it a rape?"

"I don't really know but from what he told me when it first started, they were both taking pleasure in it, ignoring the fact that it was wrong but after Bimpe got pregnant, the reality dawned on her but Ayoade was already addicted to her."

"Ok. What else do you know about Bimpe and Ayoade?"

"When they were still in Abeokuta, Bimpe barged into Ayoade's room when he was watching porn and that was how it started. She conceived for him three times and aborted the pregnancy those three times."

"She applied to A.B.U, Zaria so she could be far away from Ayoade but then, Ayoade was sent by his parent to come and check on her welfare and the escapades continued, against Bimpe's wish. He was already addicted to her, not until I came into the picture."