Young & pregnant

Lost but found

The regular visits by the police helped Susan's mother to start believing in seeing her daughter again. She had grown weak and feeble, crying for days and had refused to eat anything. "How can I". She says to sympathizers making frantic efforts to kindle some level of faith in her. The small room could barely contain the deluge of neighbours trooping in with a bid to provide succor to a sorrowful heart.  "My daughter is missing and you people want me to eat, I can't". She says with a tearful eye and wailing tone.
The nicely dressed police detectives on their routine visit could barely find a space to sit. They opted to stand. "well madam we need some information that could assist in our investigations". They said sharply. Susan's mother clamped down with a sigh. She was at the verge of a fresh outburst. "what do you people want that I have not provided for you". She said frostily.
"Calm down madam". They plead. "We are just trying to make sense out of the stories we have heard".
Susan's mother is a bit calm by their gentleness. "what do you want to know?". She asks.
"well'. the detectives looked at each other. "we have left this piece of the puzzle out. We would like to know what you know about Mr. Femi who we discovered to be Mr. Femi Akin". Susan's mother looked at the faces around in shock. Obviously she didn't know his other names and more disturbing is the fact that she didn't have any information about him.
Femi Akin, popularly called F.K by his friends, had become a friend of the family just as fast, even when they did not really know who he was or what he does. "Who cares". Susan's mother was quick to point out haven found hope again in Femi. They were past the Uyi saga even though Susan had developed a baby bump. She started seeing her dream coming to light with Femi by her side. She was confident in her pregnancy with a husband figure by her to cater for the baby when it is born. They went to the club together and hanged out more often. Susan's mother nicknamed him "my In-law" for his show of love and care for the family. They now ate three square meals and Susan's siblings were well catered for. Susan's university hopes had suddenly become a possibility haven enrolled for JAMB. This is it for her although her mother had raised concerns of his line of work, Susan quickly shoved it, the only thing that mattered was he loved her in her condition. Life was good and Femi was a saviour and she would not let any form of suspicion take her joy from her.
Femi had a habit of keeping late nights and he had initiated Susan into it dropping her off at home not earlier than 9.00pm. Her mother had given up complaining handicapped by his exuberant gestures. Her closet had the latest clothing materials with shoes and bags to go with it and her concerns had died too. She suddenly developed the fear that Femi could have been a ritualist. Small wonder he is that rich. All she prayed for now was to see her daughter again in one piece.
Susan was shy of her baby bump but Femi had no shame in displaying his future wife to the public.  Spending ample hours in malls and restaurants, Susan got weary of the attention she got. "She must be his daughter". She heard whispers from people around her comparing the disparity in their ages. She started to get a bit more conscious.
Susan was small stature but enchanting. She had quickly transcended from a shabby looking fellow to a beautiful young lady  looking at her from a distance with lovely curves accentuated in her nicely fitted clothing she had become used to courtesy of Femi. Her baby bump made her even more attractive, how well she looked pregnant. Femi refused to bulge and continued with his business. The only thing that mattered was Susan. It was 8.00 pm on the clock and Susan pinched Femi as they sat together in a chinese restaurant at the center of town. "We have to go, its late". Susan whispers in a shaky voice. Femi takes a glance at his watch and grumbles in reluctance. He asks her to stay a little while and then takes her home.
Susan would normally enjoy the ride in Femi's car with a nice stereo and cozy air condition but she somehow felt very concerned this particular night. Femi observes her repeatedly. She refuses to say anything. She looks very uneasy with a sudden desire to get home as fast as possible. It was very unlike Susan and Femi was concerned for her.
Susan's house was an hour drive from town, located in the outskirts of the city. They were barely ten minutes on the road, a car double crosses them in full force and four hostile males jumps off the black SUV and drags them out of the car into their theirs. They later found themselves in an old ware house surrounded by dangerous looking fellows puffing out smokes from their cigarettes into the air. The whole place was stench of dump and seemed to be an abandoned location.
Femi bled profusely from their inhumane torture with his eyes swollen. He could hardly talk, coughing out blood with swollen chins and bleeding mouth. His shirt was covered in blood, tied in a chair, Femi kept a fight for Susan who remained dumbfounded as to what was going on. She could barely see and only heard the hard punches that fell on Femi. Femi made sure they did not touch Susan and instead took the beating for her. The hall was fairly illuminated with small a halogen lamp hanging loosely on the old rugged ceiling up above.
It was three days already and there was no end in sight to their misery. Susan cried, hoped and prayed that it was all a dream. She hoped she would wake up beside her siblings to discover she had been in a terrible dream all the while. The more she hoped, the deeper reality bites her. She wanted to be with her family again, play with her siblings and see her mother again. This was far from the life she was promised. Three days in a such a terrible place was far from her dreams, hopes or aspiration. The bitter taste of her present had quickly expunged the memory of a short lived sweetness. The juice may have been extracted and now all there is could just be the waste.
In the early hours of the day, just as the sun rays shimmers through the cracked portions of the old structure, a strange figure appears before them dressed in a white loosed gown. Susan tied to a chair opens her eyes slowly to the sight of the strange woman standing in front of them. She seemed to be alone with no other person around in the hall. She had a long braid to the back of her waist. Her complexion was quite fair. "JESUS". Susan screams as she sees her alerting Femi who could barely raise his head. Femi is suddenly afraid in recognition of the strange woman. His pupils dilates in stupefaction as he struggles within himself trying to cut loose and make for an escape.