For two weeks, nothing happened. Tobi and Amaka tried their best to tolerate Anita. Anita seemed to have adapted very well in her new home. The children didn’t mind to have their new ‘Auntie’ living with them. No one talked to her. No one disturbed her. She was like a sacred cow in an Indian community.
Then one evening, Amaka was heading towards the parking lot after the day’s work. As soon she reached her car, three hefty men surrounded her from nowhere. She tried to raise and one of them jammed a gun on her back.
“Scream and you’re dead.” He whispered harshly in her ear. Her eyes widened in panic but she didn’t scream.
“Get in the car.” The man ordered.
She obeyed and they joined her inside the car. The guy sitting directly behind her placed a drug laced handkerchief over her nose and she passed out.
When she woke up, she was in a dark room, tied to a chair with a thick rope and the men were staring at her. They had guns.
The guy who spoke to her earlier, whom she now assumed was their leader, gave her a sinister smile as he approached. “Hello, welcome back.”
She struggled against the ropes in rising panic. “Who are you? Where am I? What do you want from me?”
“Shh… take it easy, madam. Nawa o, you ask too much questions. We no dey write jamb na.”
But all that fell on deaf ears as she was going through a severe panic attack. She screamed. “Help! Somebody help me!”
The man pointed his gun at her. He wasn’t smiling. “Stop it. You wan die? Calm down joor.”
She stopped screaming but continued to shake uncontrollably. “Who are you people? What do you want?”
The man smiled again. “Someone sent us to get rid of you.”
She stared at them, shocked. “Who? Why?”
“You expect us to answer you?”
“It’s Anita, isn’t it? She’s the only one I know who will do this.” She concluded.
The man shrugged in denial. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Our orders are to get rid of you. But for some reason, our client doesn’t want you dead. Yet.”
“What does your client want?”
“Here’s the deal. Once we release you, you will go home, pack your things and leave your husband and children.”
For a second, Amaka stared at him like she didn’t understand. Then a hysterically laughter rang out. The men stared at her like she was losing a few screws in her head which made her realize that the laughter was coming out from her own mouth.
“I knew it. I knew it was Anita. Well, you can tell that bitch I’m not leaving my family. She has to kill me first.”
The man stared at her for a chilling moment. He rose and took a tab from one of his men. He scrolled through it and showed her the screen. Amaka gasped.
It was a live video recording of her children playing happily with other kids on their school’s playground. Someone was watching and recording them.
The man smiled in satisfaction at her shocked expression. “You see, we don’t have to kill you. We’ll just kill your children.”
“Don’t you dare!”
It was his turn to laugh. His men joined him. “Madam, na me you dey form ninja for?”
“They’re children!”
“So? Wetin consign us?”
“Please don’t touch my kids. I’ll do anything.” She pleaded.
“Ehen, now you’re talking. All you have to do is jejely pack your things and walk away. Simple.”
“I can’t do that. I can’t leave my husband and kids. It’s not right.”
“We give you forty-eight hours to get out of that house. Stay far away from your family. Divorce your husband. Think about it. What does it profit you to gain a husband and lose your children?”
Amaka didn’t reply. She was crying.
The man continued. “Oh, one more thing. Don’t bother involving the police. Remember we’re watching you. They might arrest us but your children will definitely be dead. Be warned.”
Later, they dropped her in front of her gate and drove off.
For two days, Amaka couldn’t eat or sleep. She withdrew into her shell. Tobi tried to know what was wrong but she withdrew even more. She wouldn’t let him touch her. All she did was hold her children and cry and cry.
At the end of the second day, she announced she was tired of the marriage and began to pack her belongings into her car. Tobi couldn’t believe it. He tried to stop her but she was adamant.
“You’re leaving?” He asked, desperate. “What about me? What about the kids?”
“They’ll be fine.” She replied coldly.
“Is it because of Anita? I thought we agreed we’ll sort her out later?”
“You and who?” She asked in an anger she did not feel. “I didn’t agree to anything. You made that decision yourself. I’m tired of all this nonsense. I’m leaving. Don’t bother calling me. You’ll hear from my lawyer. Goodbye, Tobi.”
She tried to enter her car, Tobi knelt before her and held her, pleading desperately. “Please don’t leave. What am I going to do without you? I love you. I love you.”
“Mummy, please don’t go.” The children cried.
Seeing their desperate plea softened her resolve. She began to cry too. She so desperately wanted to tell Tobi that she didn’t want to leave. That she was being forced against her will. Then she made the mistake of looking at Anita, who stood in one corner watching them.
She sniffed back her tears and held the children. “No, I have to go. Don’t worry. I will call you as soon as I settle down. Take care of yourselves, okay? I love you.”
She kissed them and turned to her car, ignoring Tobi’s plea. Then she turned back and walked up to Anita. They stared each other down.
She said very softly and coldly. “So you think you’ve won, right? Enjoy it while it lasts. Let me warn you, if anything happens to my husband and my kids, I don’t care where you will be hiding. Even if it’s in hell. I will hunt you down and kill you.”
She went back to her car. And despite Tobi’s desperate plea, she entered inside and drove off while he watched with a broken heart.
Anita went back into the house and sprawled majestically on the long couch in the living room, smiling in satisfaction. She, Anita, was the boss. This was her home. She was here to stay and not even Tobi could do anything about it.
She laughed. Now that the bitch was out, she could finally put her plans into action. Getting Amaka out wasn’t the end game. It was just the beginning.
Episode 5 will be out on Monday. Don’t forget to drop your comments and share.