Child of god | book 1 ✅

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He saw it all: how she had plunged the knife into her heart and he had watched her bleed to death on his arms. At this rate, even reality was starting to turn abnormal and he was not sure he could keep up anymore. Had she done it because he did not eat much dinner or because he refused to tell her what was bothering him? Why did she do it?

Those question were left unanswered because the person who should be answering it had resolved to finding peace six feet under.

Obiora was the one who raised the alarm when she did not see him in their joint and had even gone to school to find out that he was not there. She had rushed back home to check up on him only to see him on the floor of their parlour clutching his mum’s body and staring wide open at her eyes.

“Dike!” she had shouted. He could still remember the timbre of her voice as she had rushed to pull him away from his mum, helped in seating him on their threadbare couch and rushing to go call her own mother who had come to her rescue almost immediately.

It was like another nightmare, except this time, he was not so sure he would wake up and things would become normal. This nightmare was his reality where he witnessed everything physically, where he held his mother’s body till she bled out.

For three days, Dike did not go to school. His stay with his neighbours was now a permanent decision till his father was found. Everything in his life was turning out to be a cruel joke by fate.

A search party for his father began. Dike's uncle led it to the neighbouring village while Kwento followed behind them, hiding in the shadow.

He saw what they called Dike’s father’s house, a simple two bedroom mud house. They got in and saw no one and since his father had no known relatives they could not leave the message with anyone but his neighbour, a frail woman in a T-shirt and wrapper.

“Tell the fool that his wife has killed herself and if he doesn’t come take his son, he would soon become childless!”

“Okay sirs. Goodnight!”

“Goodnight and thank you for relaying our message,” Ichie Amadi said. Ten an understanding nod was shared between them and the woman.

That night, after the elders had gone, Kwento watched them, a gang of five pulling up in the building. He waited till they got comfortable and listened to their conversations.

Five men, returning home past midnight? If this was the life Dike’s father lived then there was no doubt that Magdalene was better off without him. It was sad though, that she had committed suicide at the first sight of a challenge.

“Common man!” the narrow eyed man among them said. “Heracles needs to give us a goodbye package before his début tomorrow. “

“I’m not giving you thieves any shit.”

“It’s your loss bro,” another said. He had on a beanie.

“That reminds me, when are you leaving man?” Matt said. He’s the most silent of the five and is  actually the one who consumes the most weed.

“The day after tomorrow.”

“You’ll raid with us one last time right?”

“we go miss you sha!” Matt said in pidgin and they continued smoking in peace. Kwento let them be because he had a better plan. So he went to Anwulika's house and knocked for her to let him in.

“Anything new?” he had asked when fully in. “Not really. Just the fact that a child in my class hasn’t showed up for days and I’m actually worried.”