Sister Deborah episode 24 – 25

SISTER DEBORAH 💝💖

Episode 24

Ceaseless beads of tears cascaded freely from my face as I screamed out Deborah’s name out of shock. Frightened, the two nurses wheeling away the lifeless body of the unknown figure, turned backwards to face me, both annoyed. The nurses ignored me and faced frontwards as they continued wheeling away the lifeless body on the stretcher.

“Who was that?” I asked, facing Timi, with a literally protruding heart-beat.

“Bro, calm down. Itʼs someone else.”
“Who?” I countered impatiently.
“A man who shared the same ward with Deborah.” Timi explained. “He kicked the bucket some few minutes ago. Chill, bro, sheʼs alive.”

“Thank God.” I heaved a sigh and raised my hands up high for emphasis. All the while, Deborahʼs fatherʼs eyes had been on me with an angry look, still frowning. I turned to face him and went on my knees, interlocking my hands together with a cloud of pity roaming around me.

“Sir, I am sorry sir.” I pleaded with the elderly man wholeheartedly. “You were like a father to me but I wronged you, sir. I wronged your daughter, Deborah, even more. I neglected her in her time of need and difficulty when she needed me most. I abandoned her in her trying times. I was overwhelmed with hatred and blinded by bitterness. I now realize my stupidity and I regret my mistakes, sir. Please find a place in your heart to forgive me, sir.”

Read – The Dreaded Thirty episode 1

I was bitter with evident regret at that very moment. I gazed at the elderly man’s face, eagerly hoping and awaiting for his response. Alas, with tears saturating his eyes, Deborah’s father spoke softly.

“You are forgiven, son.” He patted my shoulder gently with a reassuring smile. “Get up on your feet, my son.”
I adhered. The elderly man shook my hands to signify and emphasize his genuine forgiveness for me. Afterwards, Divine, Deborahʼs friend pulled me into a hug as well to show the sincerity of her forgiveness, too.
Emotions upon emotions saturated the air at that moment. I felt at ease, having been forgiven by the people that mattered most in my life. As soon as Divine pulled out of the hug, coincidentally, something fell out from my pockets and dropped on the ground — it was the SIM card pack which I had retrieved from Annabelʼs diary earlier.

With a smile on my face, I bent low, picked it up and raised it up high, facing the elderly man. “Sir, I have a confession to make.”

The elderly man looked somewhat confused. “A confession? What could that be, son?”

Without delay, I cleared my throat, composed myself and revealed the shocker to them. I narrated the whole ordeal to them about how Annabel had been the one behind Deborahʼs rape the whole time. I explained how I got to find out, leaving no detail excluded. At the end of my narration, starting from Deborahʼs father down to Mr. Fabian, were all left in the blue, completely awe-struck.

“Who is this Annabel in particular?” Deborah’s father demanded, pulling out his phone from his pocket. “Do you know where she lives? I need every single detail about her.”

“I do, sir.” I affirmed.
“Ok.” The elderly man answered as he dialled a certain number on his phone.
“Hello.” He spoke hastily the moment the receiver at the other end picked the call.
“Am I speaking with the C.S.O?

Yes, sir. It’s Chief Etomi on the line, sir.
Long time, sir. I just got intel about the prime culprit concerning my daughter’s case, sir. I will appreciate it if you could send some of your men down here, sir.

Yes sir, send them to the school clinic, urgently.

Ok, sir. Thank you.”
Deborahʼs father dropped the call and faced me. “If this turns out to be true, I swear with my father’s grave, I will make sure this so-called Annabel faces the law even if it costs me my last drop of blood.”

At that very moment, the door of the ward opened from inside and a female doctor walked out, sweating profusely. She looked exhausted. Deborahʼs father, Divine and Deborahʼs step-mother all rushed towards the doctor.

“Doctor, how is my daughter?” Deborah’s step-mother inquired.
“She is fine, ma. We managed to stitch the wound on her head and stop the blood flow. She might likely experience a slight concussion when she recovers, but for now she needs as much rest as she can get, ma.”
“May we see her, doctor?”

“You may.” The doctor affirmed, walking away. Divine pushed the door open and we all trooped inside, hurriedly.

Lying on the hospital bed was a sick, pale-looking Deborah hanging in-between life and death. She was unconscious, covered with bandages on her head and her hands. I noticed her crutches placed by the bedside. She breathed slowly as a pint of medical drip connected to her body transfused slowly.

I sat beside her on the bed and touched her wrist to examine her pulse rate. She had expectedly increased temperature, too.

We were all afraid. In spite of the doctor’s words of assurance, we couldn’t help but ponder on what would become of Deborah’s fate and condition. It would have been preferably better if she only fell and hit her head, had it not been for her sudden asthma attack which led her into her present state of unconsciousness.

“I am scared.” Divine voiced out, holding back bitter tears. “Will she make it?”

“She will.” I replied, unsure of my own words. “I know she will.”

“I hope so. I honestly pray she does.” Divineʼs eyes became saturated with tears.

At that very moment, Chief Etomiʼs phone rang out loudly. He picked up the call with haste. The moment he dropped the call, he informed us that the police officers had arrived and then asked me to follow him downstairs. Timi and Mr. Fabian followed suit behind us as we exited the ward, leaving Divine and Deborah’s step-mum behind.

We met three police officers dressed casually downstairs. After a brief discussion between Deborah’s father and the officers, we all exited the hospital’s premises.
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In about thirty minutes, exactly half an hour later, we eventually arrived at the outskirts of campus where Annabel’s apartment was situated. The police officers parked their vehicle at the same spot Mr. Fabian had parked Chief Etomiʼs car. I led the way forward past the gate, into the main compound and then we scaled through the stairs.

We got to the fourth floor and I met the shock of my life there — Annabelʼs door — bolted shut and fastened with two huge padlocks, coupled with chains and an extra padlock on the outside gate…..

SISTER DEBORAH 💝💖

Episode 25

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Astonishment and bewilderment are the proper words to express the extent to how shocked I was at that moment. I was bolted to the blue.

“Isn’t she in?” One of the police officers asked after noticing the padlocked door. I shook my head in response, still baffled, and confused.

“Whoever this lady is must be smart indeed. She undoubtedly figured out that she would be arrested and then she sought for an escape on time. Smart move indeed.” Another officer stated sarcastically.

“Officers, what do we do now?” Chief Etomi asked, concerned and worried.

“Investigations, sir.” The officer replied, averting his gaze to me. “Call her number now, and make sure it’s on loud speaker.”
I adhered without delay. With haste, I dialled Annabelʼs number and clicked on the loud speaker icon. While waiting expectantly as Annabelʼs number dialled, a feminine customer agentʼs voice resonated instead reporting the number switched off.

“This lady is smart.” The police officer spoke and heaved an exasperated sigh.

“Plan B comes in here.” Another officer added, taking out his walkie-talkie device strapped in his vest. He powered it on and averted his intent focus on me.

“How does this lady look like? Can you describe her appearance?”

“Sure, officer.” I responded. I described every detail concerning Annabelʼs appearance to the officers, excluding no single detail. “She also has a car, officer. A small Honda, dark blue in color.”

Read – End of the road episode 1

“Do you know the plate number?”
“Unfortunately I don’t, sir.”
The officer shook his head pitifully, nodded at me with an understanding gesture, and then he placed the walkie-talkie device to his ear.
“Unit seven, Sergeant Bernard, over!”

Another voice responded from the receiverʼs end. Afterwards, the officer continued speaking.

“Unit seven, inform all units in range to stand guard in position and conduct a road search. A lady named Annabel Wilfred suspected of a crime is on the loose. Slightly dark skinned, braided hair, slim and considerably tall in height. She might most likely be in a vehicle — a dark blue Honda car — so keep serious watch. Over and out.”

“Roger, sir!”

I was undoubtedly impressed by how efficient and how well coordinated the police officers’ strategy and tactics was. In spite of that, a certain unknowing feeling of fear still lingered inside me, making me afraid for the worst. Annabel was with no doubt naturally cunning and smart. The fear of Annabel escaping after all the atrocities and crime she committed was a huge possibility I was scared to come to terms with. She had the tendency to do and undo. I wanted her to face the law squarely for her atrocities.

“Young man, is there anywhere else you think we can check that this lady might likely be?” An officer asked, interrupting my thoughts.

“Yes, sir.” I replied the officer. “Our faculty, perhaps. It’s worth a try.”

“Where else do you have in mind?”
“None that I can think of aside our department, sir.” I responded.

“Alright then. Let’s hurry up to your faculty if that’s the case.” The officer stated. “Lead the way.”

Deborahʼs father, Mr. Fabian and I all chartered his own vehicle while the police officers followed closely behind us in their official police van with itʼs sirens blaring loudly. I described and gave directions to Fabian concerning my department’s location while Chief Etomi sat behind, silent and worried.

In due time we arrived back to the campus and we had managed to cover almost half of the distance when we happened to get hooked with traffic. It was an intense traffic that caused delay. Hawkers and traders utilized the advantage to sell their goods to passengers on the road.

Read – Road to abuja episode 1

Mr. Fabian called a hawker selling soft drinks and snacks by a small shade, and she wasted no time to adhere. She hastened towards us with her goods and stood next to the vehicle, panting heavily.

“Do you have cold bottled water?”

“E dey, oga.”
“Bring three madam.” Fabian said, stretching some notes to her.

Along the line, I viewed the scenery of the road through the mirror, observing passers-by and the traffic. I averted my focus to a wide garage where various buses and taxi’s were situated. I noticed a conductor and a passenger seriously quarreling. I noticed a young teenage boy hawking fruits. And then like a reflex action, I noticed someone, a lady wearing a dark jacket with a hood over her head, a blue face-cap and black shades partially veiling her features. She stood close to a taxi, holding two travelling bags. Annabelʼs hair was braided but I couldn’t tell if this lady’s hair was braided, due to the hood and the face-cap over her head.

I quickly tapped Mr. Fabian. “Sir, take a look at that lady there.” I pointed at the lady’s direction. Mr. Fabian followed my gesture and then faced me again.

“Do you think she is the one?”
“Iʼm not sure sir, but I think she is Annabel.”

“Are you sure? You have to be certain. Don’t jump into conclusions yet.”
“Sir, I have a strong feeling about this lady.” I said and opened the door without hesitating, came down from the car and started heading towards the garage. Deborahʼs father and Fabian called me back but I paid deaf ears to them, advancing closer to the lady.

Coincidentally, some few steps further, the lady averted her gaze towards my direction and she flinched the moment she saw me heading closer to her. She dropped her travelling bags and like a wave of electric current, she took to her heels immediately. I ran after her, too, hastening my pace. I had almost caught up with her when a motorcyclist came from nowhere and halted before the lady. She climbed on it with haste, took one last look behind precisely at me and then raised her middle finger to me as the motorcyclist sped off…………

Episode 26 is coming soon