Waiting for a new dawn #ProjectNigeria

Chapter 26

"Ire! Ire! Stop, please don't kill him," Barbara screamed as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Why does it have to be you," Ire said to the young man on the floor.

Suddenly, the man used a knife to stab Ire in the chest.

"Ire!" Barbara screamed as she ran up to him.

"Please, hold on," Barbara said amidst sobs. "I never knew he was the one, I'm so sorry."

Holding her hands affectionately, Ire looked up to see Barbara sobbing. "Take care of my mother, she's the only one I've left."

With a gasp, Ire woke up from his sleep as he looked at his chest, only to realise it was only just a dream. He looked outside to see that it was still very dark. Lazily, he went into the kitchen to take a cup of water. Hungrily, he gulped the content as he belched loudly.

"Are you hungry?" Abike asked with a smile as she entered the small kitchen.

"I am but you don't need to cook, it's too late for you to start cooking," Ire said tiredly as he smiled at his mother.

"At times, I used to be afraid for you because I think you won't like anyone because of me," Abike said with a light chuckle.

"I won't regret that," Ire said truthfully.

"No. I want to have grandchildren. I know you like that white girl but I can't support that," Abike said with a frown. "You can call me selfish, but I know what's best for you."

"I know that and that's why I'm trying my best not to think of her," Ire said as he rubbed his face.

"Baba Shomolu was murdered yesterday, I heard that there was no sign of blood or injury on his body," Abike said sadly.

"What! How did it happen?" Ire said in shock.

"Nobody knows, I heard that white girl was the first to see his dead body."

"Barbara-"

"What did you say her name is? Folakemi told me about her some months ago, but I wasn't really paying attention."

"Yes. They were very close friends."

Looking at her son with a frown, Abike said something under her breath that Ire couldn't hear.

***

"Barbara felt so sick, she would wake up with headache in the morning and it was seriously frustrating and tiring. At times, she wished she never knew Folakemi or she never came to Nigeria. It was saddening that her father was right. She missed her mother, if her mother was alive, none of this would have happened.

These days, Barbara didn't see the need to stay indoors, nobody was around to keep her company. She decided to go to the car park, maybe Ire's friends would have some information about Folakemi, she still had nightmares and they got worse day by day. Wearing her sandals, Barbara locked the house and headed for the car park.

***

"Our oyinbo! How are you doing?" Chinedu asked with a smile.

"I'm okay, it's not been the same since Folakemi passed away." Barbara said sadly as she sat on a bench.

"Ogogoro," Chinedu said as he offered a bottle of alcohol to her.

"No, I don't drink," Barbara said as she shook her head.

With a dry laugh, Chinedu took a gulp of the alcohol and belched. "All you white people, you'll be doing asif you're holiest at thou."

"What do you mean by that?"