THE TENANT (episode 2)

(Fugitive) 

© Ajiboye Ayobami Tomilayo  

THE TENANT episode 2

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Nike was also very beautiful, to be candid, she had the same qualities and features as Vanessa. Nike rested her head on the headrest resignedly.

Vanessa ignited the engine and looked ahead to see if the gateman was around and really the gateman, Ahmed had already opened the gate ever since he saw her depositing her luggage into the booth of the car and he stood by the gate sobbing. She looked through the rear mirror and saw the housemaid standing there weeping. She felt sorry for the two but she couldn’t stay back in this hell called a home.

She drove past him, waving as she did, ‘I will come check you guys from time to time’, she said to him wiping her face the second time.

‘Okay Auntie’, he replied with lot of emotions. With the reply, Vanessa drove past him out of the compound and swayed unto the street.

‘Where are we going?’, Nike queried.

‘Keep your cool girl’, Van replied..‘Okay o’.

Van started thinking about everything that transpired between her and her family that led to her packing her loads. She remembered how she had been coping with her father and only elder but wicked brother these past years. She remembered her mum, her only helpmate, prayer mate, partner in battle. She remembered her ever glowing face even in death she looked more beautiful like an angel, she was her carbon copy. She remembered her father’s always blazing eyes and deep voice then her brother-the wicked one, she remembered the first time he forced his masculine frame on her thin body, she remembered herself letting out a painful low scre-m-no one heard. Her mum was away at her shop and she just returned from school, she was in senior school 1` and her brother was home on holiday- he schooled then at Fire rocks University.

‘Stop! Stop! Stop!, she heard Niks shout.

‘Oh my God’, Van said pressing hærd on the break pad and the car stopped. She was already off the road and driving towards a Jeep parked by the roadside and obviously the driver of the car was not in. She was already in tears.

Nike opened the door of the car and Vanessa did the same breathing heavily as though she just escaped from a lion’s den, Nike was also tensed up.

‘You know you almost got us killed now, Niks finally said breaking the ice as people stared at them, and I asked if you could drive’, she added looking at Van.

‘She is probably going insane! Akpor’, a short and robust woman obviously from the Igbo tribe spat out irritably and the two other people sitting with her agreed.

To be continued… 

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