Consequences

Chapter 34

The words of Chuks, the hotel manager, telling me to save my life, kept ringing bells in my head. I kept asking myself why he was telling me that. As I sat down with him, I realized it wasn't going to be an easy feat trying to find out the truth.

I was determined to find out what really happened. But I needed to start somewhere and I had no idea where to start. While we sat down, he switched on the television. The daily news was on. As we sat and watched, mention was made of a woman who had been kidnapped in a hotel room.

The woman according to the news was released by the gunmen that held her. It went on to say that the gunmen had been arrested. Asked who had hired them, they refused to mention names. A journalist was interviewing the Police Chief who was head of the operation that had arrested the gunmen.

I looked carefully and recognized the face. It was that of my friend Nancy. I smiled as I knew where to start from. I quickly got up and told the hotel manager that I was going up to my room.

"Sunshine make sure you get some rest, okay?"
"It's exactly what I'm going to do." I said. He got up and followed me to the door.
"Don't worry, everything will be alright." He reassured me.
"Do you think so?" He nodded.
He took both my hands and held them. Holding my hands could only mean he was giving me his word that things would be alright.
"Sunshine? That sun will shine again." He nodded, " it will." I rolled my eyes while I laughed.
"You want to make it shine for me, don't you? You want to replace Ola in my life don't you?" He sighed as he closed his eyes.
"It's the second time you are asking me this, Sunshine. So what if I wanted that? Would it be wrong?" I shook my head in response. " I mean, don't I deserve something good for once in my life?"

"You do. But I'm terribly messed up right now, to even think of hooking up with any other guy who is not Ola. You included." I left him and went out leaving him watching me as I walked away.

When I got to my room and locked the door, I sat down on the bed and thought about Nancy. Since she traveled to the UK, we had not been in contact. This surprised me because she had assured me we would stay in touch with each other.

Seeing her in the news meant she had come back and resumed her job with the Police force. Why didn't she contact me when she came back? I got my phone out from my bag and switched it on. Since I arrived at the hotel it was off.

When it came on, I started seeing missed calls and messages on the display. I scrolled through the messages to see if any came from Nancy, but I found none. This surprised me so much I put the phone down.

What was going on and why did Nancy decide to keep away from me. Seeing she was friends to Ola, if she had come back, she must have got in contact with him. Why didn't he tell me?

I took the phone again and looked at the missed phone calls. They were all from my parents. I guess they were worried about me and decided to call. I was still angry with them at having given me away too quickly in marriage to Ola. But right now I needed answers.

And so I decided to call them. I dialed my mother's number as I knew my dad was at work. When the phone rang she picked it up.

"Hello, Tola? Tola?" I was silent. I didn't want to answer as I had this strange feeling the Police could be around.
"Tola, its your mother speaking. Are you alright?" She asked.
"Mum? I am not alright and I won't be alright anymore."
"Don't worry, very soon you'll start smiling again."
"And what else can make me smile?" I asked her, as tears rolled down my eyes.
"Listen we met with Ola's family?"
"Ola's family?"
"Yes, and they want to know where you are."
"I'll be fine, mum..."
"Look everything has been taken care of, so wherever you are come back home." I cut the call unable to believe what my mother was telling me. Everything seemed never to have happened.

My mother was looking quite happy for someone whose only daughter had suffered a loss. I tried to think of the possible reasons why she would be so happy as to neglect me. I called my father hoping to understand something. When he answered the call he was also happy and content.

"My big girl how are you?" He asked.
"You know I can't be fine. But I guess you and mummy are quite happy." He laughed
"Ah my daughter for every sad news, there's also good news."
"And what, if I may ask, is the good news?" There was silence between us, and I had a feeling that silence meant, he was going to tell me the exact same thing my mother had told me.

"We have to meet with Ola's parents. You should be there."
"What?!" I screamed so suddenly.
"We have to finalize a few thing and then you can live a worry-free life." I was worried that in spite of my dilemma, my parents were trying to offer me a life free of worries. What was going on? And why was everyone happy?

I grabbed my handbag and took the bag with the money in it, from underneath the bed. I was leaving the hotel. I had to leave very quickly. Everything about Ola's death seemed like a movie with a happy ending, but had started on a sad note.

I went down to reception and dropped the key after making sure I didn't leave anything behind. The receptionist saw me and looked surprised.

"Ah madam are you leaving us?" She asked, as I dropped the key. I was about to leave but shook my head in response to her question. I didn't want to give the impression I was finally leaving the hotel. She could alert Chuks the manager and I didn't want that.

"I'll be back by evening so keep the room for me please." She smiled and said she would keep the room in order before I came back. I left the hotel and got into my car and drove out of the gate unsure where I was going.

Once on the road, and after driving for a few kilometers, the thought of going to the apartment in the estate complex, crossed my mind. I turned my car onto the road that led towards that direction. I was going to the small apartment me and Ola used for our weekends.

On getting there, I kept wondering how I would be looked at by the neighbors. As I drove into the estate, I noticed the silence that had engulfed the estate.

It looked like a deserted place. But I knew that everyone could perhaps be in their respective houses or at work. After all, it was still early in the day. I parked my car in the parking lot next to the apartment and came down carrying my bags with me.

I knew Ola had told me to take the bag and go to the usual place. This apartment was the usual place. I had decided not to go there on the day I found him dead. Now, I was there and I didn't know what to expect. I approached the door of the apartment and opened it.

I went in and turned on the lights. It looked inhabited, liked someone was staying in it regularly. Could it be that Ola came here most of the time without me knowing? I closed the door and locked it and slowly walked into the parlor area. On the small table at the center of the parlor was an envelope. I kept my bag down and took it.

I opened it and saw some photos of kemi and Ola. I looked at them until, I saw a photo they had taken together with Nancy. I suddenly dropped the photos and slumped onto the long chair in the sitting room, my head looking towards the ceiling. No, this can't be. It can't be true. So Nancy knew about them? I thought I knew her so well. But I was wrong.

I was bitter and angry that the woman I considered my best friend, who helped me in my relationship with Ola, couldn't tell me what was going on between Kemi and Ola. I sat down and closed my eyes and asked myself one question: who did I really know? My friends Nancy and kemi, or my husband, Ola? I realized I didn't know any of them at all.

I realized I had been a fool all this while. That they had used me perhaps, because I was sincere in my way of doing things. I sat down thinking of what to do next. I couldn't carry the money with me all the time. And so I looked for a place to hide it. We had a small canteen just underneath the staircase leading upstairs. I took the bag and opened the canteen. I then brought out some of the items we were not using any more, and hid the bag.

I then put back the items making sure to cover the bag. I closed the canteen door and looked around the parlor area again. I then went into the kitchen and saw that there were unwashed plates in the sink. Who could be using this house and why? I asked, when I saw the mess. I left the kitchen and went upstairs to the bedroom.

It was a mess. The bed was untidy and there were clothes all over it. I looked around and nodded my head. I was convinced someone was living here. Someone had made this place their own. Someone I didn't know about, but I would soon come to discover.