Consequences

Chapter 1

If any one had told me that, I Tola Segun would one day run away, I would never have believed that person. But the fact is, I am running away, and fast. With little streaks of tears rolling down my eyes like raindrops, and a bag full of dollar bills I took from my house, I am leaving Lagos.

I don't know where I am going. The only thing I know is, I am clutching onto the steering wheel of my SUV, heading towards an unknown destination. This is a day that will last in my memory forever.  It will remain indelible for as long as I live.

A crime has been committed and because of that, I am leaving Lagos. I want to get out as fast as I possibly can. And I am  driving  at an incredible speed, moving far away from the area where the crime occurred.  Soon the Police will be called onto the scene, and they will be asking questions. And they'll want to know where I was when it all happened. They'll want to know if I was in any way involved. And above all, they'll want to know what I don't know, and can't tell them.

This is because something happened in that house I share with my husband. Something terrible happened to take away the life of my husband, and I have no idea what it is. But as tears roll down my eyes, I am believing everything that happened, to be just a dream.  

But reality tells a different story. My husband Ola, is dead and gone. 

I am alone now, and I have to fight for survival. And the only way to do that is to go elsewhere-somewhere far. Perhaps in a neighboring country. I know the Police or whoever gunned down my husband, may come after me. And when they do, they won't spare me. Whoever did this to me, took away the best part of my world.

I still have a life. But without Ola it is incomplete. And moreover, my life is at risk. And so I am getting out of Lagos, as fast as I can.  Lagos to me stinks like hell now. The place I was born and grew up is no longer safe for me anymore. In fact, just staying one minute longer could put my life at risk. I can't go back to my house now, and I know I will never see my husband again.

But just a few hours ago, I left that house, to see my best friend Kemi. This was around 4pm in the afternoon. Kemi and I had to meet because she wanted to do some shopping and had asked me to accompany her. It was a bright sunny afternoon when she called. Ola, my husband, had just returned home from work. After settling down, I told him about my meeting with her.

He had a relaxed countenance when I told him about it. It didn't occur to me like he was offended, or had the feeling I was up to something. He only looked at me from where he was sitting with strange curiosity. I stood waiting to hear what he had to say.

He knew Kemi quite well and always frowned upon our friendship. To him, Kemi was unreliable as a friend. He feared she would break up our marriage one day by introducing me to one of her rich Alhaji friends.

Each time he said that, I would laugh. I would laugh so much that he would get angry.

"So you think this is funny, abi?" He would say
"Ola, since when do I go around with Alhajis? Even before we got married I never had one. And now that I am Mrs. Tola Segun, fully married, do I need one?."

"Tola, Tola, Tola?" I looked into his eyes and the only thing I saw in them was jealousy.
"Yes my dear?" I replied sitting down next to him.
"How many times did I call you?"
"Ah ah, say what you want to say, now."
"Concerning your friend, when I talk it's like I'm talking out of context. My words do not make sense to you, do they?"

"Ola she is my best friend right from when we were in secondary school. If she wanted to corrupt me, she would have done that a long time ago."

"Okay, if that's the way you put it, then I won't say anything." He frowned while he said that. I knew he didn't see my friendship with Kemi as being beneficial to me. But I had gone too far in my friendship with her and refused to listen to anyone who wanted me to end the friendship between us..

She was the best friend I ever had. In fact to  me, she was just like the sister I never had. She was always helpful to me when I had problems, and always stood by my side when times were rough. So I didn't see anything wrong with her, apart from the fact that she refused to settle down with a stable man.

Well, she had her rich Alhaji friends, and they were taking good care of her. So her not sticking to one man didn't bother me too much. What mattered to me most was the time we spent together shopping. I knew definitely I wouldn't come home empty-handed.

Kemi was that generous each time I accompanied her. And by the time I came back home, I would be holding in my hands  a pair of designer shoes or wrapper.

And so it was that after telling my husband goodbye, I went to meet Kemi. When  I got to her house she was not there. I kept banging the gate but no one opened. Then finally, the gateman came out to meet me.

"Ah madame, na you?" He appeared as if he had just woken up from a disturbing sleep.
"Where is my friend?"
"Madame no tell me where she dey go. She only tell me say if anybody come ask of am, make I tell dat person say she no dey."

"Ah okay and did she tell you when she will be back?" I peered straight into his eye and a sudden feeling that something was wrong struck me.

"She no tell me any tin. She only talk say she dey commot." As I looked at him, he looked back at me. 
"Shebi everything dey fine?" I asked, still grappling with the feeling that something was wrong.
"We dey fine o, madame. Na God we dey pray everyday make he do him miracle." I dipped a hand into my purse and handed him some Naira notes.

"Put dis one for pocket and tell your madame say I come." He reached out with both hands and collecting the money from me, bowed his head down and thanked me.

"Tank you madame, if your friend come I go tell am say you come find am." I smiled at him and got back into my car and drove off. Heading home, I still had the image of the gateman's troubled looks. It was as if he, or something inside him, was communicating with me and trying to tell me something.

Something had to be wrong. The more I thought of it the more I became uneasy. I was convinced there was something going on that was about to reveal itself soon.

Whatever it was and why now is what I couldn't tell. If Kemi was in some kind of trouble, maybe she had told the gateman not to tell anyone, especially me. But why?

As I drove back home still thinking of the worried look, I decided to call her. I was approaching a supermarket along the road and decided to stop there. I entered the  parking lot, stopped my car and dialled her number. Her phone was off. I kept trying and trying but only got the same response.

Frustrated at not being able to get her on the phone, I decided to call my husband. I wanted to tell him that I didn't see my friend and so I was coming home. On dialing his number he picked it up and didn't  allow me to talk or say anything. He had a disturbing voice as if he was being threatened.

"Ola? Ola?" I shouted. He seemed not to have heard me.

"Tola? Tola? Listen this is very important. When you get home there's a bag, take it and go to our usual place and wait for me..." Before I had the chance to say anything he had cut the call. I quickly dialed his number again but it was off.

I was agitated and quickly started my car. Something it seemed was really wrong and I was about to witness it. I drove as fast as I could to the house and horned for the gateman to open the gate but to my surprise , the gate was already open. 

Terrified, I drove my car through the open gate and hurriedly came down and dashed into the house. There on the floor of the parlor, was my husband in a pool of blood. My one thought when I saw him was to call the Police. Then I reasoned that if they came and found me in the house, they would arrest me and put me behind bars and accuse me of killing my husband.

I had to act fast. With tears streaking down my eyes, I took the bag and got into my car and left the house as fast as I could. I left and did not look back. And now, while driving to God knows where, I am still wondering what could have happened in that house. Ola had told me to go to the usual place, I won't got there now.

I must change my direction and go somewhere else. But where? I have been driving for almost two hour now and I'm  getting tired. I need some rest; I have to rest before I move on.