The deed episode 17 – 18

THE DEED……

EPISODE 17

“Mami, what I had feared the most has come upon me.”

“Says who? Not while I am still alive.”

“How did they find us? How did they know about Remi? Ah mami I am scared!”

“My daughter, they need Remi that is why they are here. I have given them a condition that might be difficult for them to meet. You will go back with Remi so they will no longer have access. They will be back soon with a court order; I don’t want Remi to be here when it happens.”

“Will Remi understand? Will he agree to leave with you? You know how stubborn he can be.”

“He will agree to go back or take him on a trip to another country first before you go back. Just leave with him. We have to stop him from communicating with the girl. He might give her information.”

“He needs to know everything Labake. He needs to be informed about everything.”

“Ah mami. I told him his father was dead, how do I shape my mouth to tell him I was lying?”

“By telling me the truth Mum. That’s all I want. I am ready to listen to you.”

“Oluwaremilekun, my son with a beautiful soul, I need to tell you the story of my life,” Labake said to her son while tears dropped down her face. Remi had never seen his mother in this state of despair. He was worried.

“Come my darling” his grandmother urged him “Come and sit between us. We need to tell you everything and whatever we tell you is the truth.”

Remi obeyed his grandmother and joined them on the sofa. He could see his mother was still extremely uncomfortable but there was nothing he could do. She held his hands and shared the story of his conception, his near foetal death, their escape with him in the womb abroad and why they kept him a secret for so long. Remi couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The story sounded so unreal. He was convinced seeing his mother shed tears as she shared the story. Her mother concurred. “How can a man do this to a woman?” No wonder his mother and grandmother had always taught him how to treat a woman. Didn’t his father have a mother to teach him too?

So, he was a product of rape. He couldn’t believe it. His father still tried to kill him so he could be in good tides with his in-laws. He wanted to meet him. He had some many questions for him. He needed the answers.

His grandmother finally spoke, “Remi, you need to leave Nigeria immediately. They need you for their selfish plans now. Please son, go back with your mother till further notice.” He looked at grandmother surprised. Why would he want to run away? No, he will stay back and protect his mother and grandmother.

“No grandmother. I will stay and fight. Why should I run away? I want to meet the man that fathered me; I have some questions to ask.”

“My child, it is not that simple. You don’t know these people. They are dangerous people and are willing to do anything to have their way. It was because of the negative premonitions I was having that I travelled. It has been averted but we still have to be very careful.”

“I am not leaving grandmother. I must see my father before I leave. I don’t believe in that crap. Please understand.”

“Let us talk about that later. Another important thing my son; you have to stop talking to that girl.”

“Why? Mum what does grandmother mean?”

“She was used to get your location. She will also be used to destroy you if you allow it. Cut off all ties with her. She is an enemy. When this is over, I will deal with her.” His grandmother answered him.

He was shocked. She was also used against him. His father must be the devil’s advocate. “What of her mother? Her mother came to the house was that also a lie?” he asked.

“Yes, they are a fraud. They were paid to get close to you and gather enough information they would use. When I insisted that they come very early this morning, your father’s family came instead. That should tell you everything you need to know.”

“This is serious. All this to locate me? If he didn’t want me then, why does he want me now?”

“For their selfish reasons. I think you should stay away. No need to see your father. He is evil. Go with your mother.”

“I want to think about it” he walked away from them very confused. Why was all this happening to him?

“Labake, I travelled. I went to Ori oke to pray. There is a very powerful man of God who lives there. He sees my daughter. All he has said have come to past. I went and did my prayers before seeing him. He told me that there is something wrong with Dayo which his family won’t disclose to us. The solution is for his son to do some rites for him. His family would do anything for him to be well because he is now a moneybag but they do not care about Remi. That rite may take Remi’s life.”

“What exactly is wrong with Dayo?”

“He is being punished for his sins. He has crossed someone he is not supposed to cross. If we are not careful, they can exchange Remi’s life for Dayo’s. He cannot be left alone with them. All this gragra he is doing has to be curbed or things will spoil beyond repair. Talk to your son.”

“Mami, I was thinking, why didn’t Dayo come with them? The condition you gave them is perfect. They should come with him for his son to meet him. Once Remi meets him once, he will be willing to follow me back. Every child wants to meet the man that birthed him. He has been longing to see his father. If we just whisk him away, he will never forgive us. In short, he will not go back with me. We both know that.”

“What you are saying makes sense. Tell him his father has to come here to see him. He can’t go out anymore. He can’t see that useless girl. He can’t communicate with anyone on phone. And once he sees him, he must leave. I know they want to plan something demonic against him but it won’t work. I have arranged for escorts to follow you about. Don’t talk to them. If they want to see you, let them come to the house and see me. I am not afraid of them. They can only see Remi when Dayo is with them. Trust me, my child.”

“Can’t we relocate out of here? Go somewhere else?”

“Didn’t they find you? They will find you again. If I am not there; they will manipulate you and get him. They have gone diabolic. Stay here; Remi must be with me. They can’t succeed if he is.”

“Iya Dayo what was that? Why did you do that? Why did you attack the woman that we desperately need her help? Kilo n se e?”

“I was just angry. See how she was looking at us in shock. She was lying to us that she doesn’t have a son. I would have dealt with her if not that her mother came in. What is giving that one confidence?”

“I would have dealt with her if not that her mother came in” can you hear yourself? Can you hear yourself? This is a woman your son raped and got pregnant. This same woman refused to abort the child that is going to be Dayo’s survivor even when Dayo arranged for her kidnap and murder. She hid the information from us to save her child. We need her help now. Why did you fight her?”

“Do you think she will give up that child easily? She won’t. I wanted to bamboozle her and grab the boy out of there before her mother came back. That woman is a witch I swear. I became weak when she entered the room. I need to see baba. There must be something we could use to neutralize her powers. The woman is too strong.”

“You want her to sit back and you will attack her only daughter and her grandchild? Would you have sat back and let it happen? Let us empathise with them and then appeal to them for the boy to help us. Let them name their price.”

“Do they look like they need money? I remember I came with Dayo to that house years back although it has changed. We came there to see her father. It is possible the man died and she took over the place. They look comfortable so might not need money. It is only poor people that will be swayed with money. We need to use agidi and baba’s potency to achieve this.”

“I think you are putting too much hope on this baba. Yes, we found the child but the child is also our grandchild. Have we asked the effect it will have on our grandson? Do we save a life to destroy another?”

“I don’t care. I want my child back. We should be focused here. Dayo needs to come back to us. Do you want to live out the rest of your life in penury?”

“Do you remember all the atrocities and abominations he committed to get the wealth you are craving? All the lives he destroyed? Let me tell you the truth, in as much as Dayo is my son and I love him as a father, he is paying the price of his evil deeds.”

“What? What did you say? You are an ungrateful man. After all Dayo did for you? Ah, human beings are wicked. Stop this car let me find my way. I don’t want to be anywhere near you. You that Dayo did so much for, you are siding with a child you don’t know against him.”

“You are twisting my words. We should also consider the boy……”

“I said park let me get down. Wicked ungrateful man. Let Dayo recover I will tell him how you were plotting against him. This car, whose is it? Who bought it for you? You will soon start starving now you are siding with the enemy.”

Dayo’s father had had enough of her talk. He stopped the car for her to come down and she did. He left her and drove off. Iya Dayo was upset. She was just doing shakara but he left her alone on the road. She did think about it well; he was the one to come down as the car was bought by Dayo. She waited patiently but couldn’t find a cab. She had to mount a motorcycle to get to the taxi park.

Dayo’s father got home. He was still furious from their conversation. He could remember how many times he tried to caution Dayo about his behaviour but his mother would always come to his defence especially since he got money. Agreed, he was not a saint. He had a good share of the ladies during his hay days but he never disrespected Mama Dayo and whenever she caught him, he cut ties with the lady immediately just to respect her. Dayo must have taken after him in terms of womanizing but his evil tendencies were not from him. How could she have known that her son kidnapped and tried to kill a woman who was pregnant for him and she kept quiet and supported the boy by telling him not to confess? This was because she didn’t want the relationsh¡p with his in-laws to be strained. It is what she stands to gain that she is only interested in. She doesn’t care about who gets hurt along the line.

 

THE DEED…..

EPISODE 18

He drove in and saw Fila in the compound. They exchanged greetings and went in,side.

“I came to find out how far? I was not allowed to see Dayo in the hospital. He was tied down according to them.”

“We had to keep him there.”

“This was what I suggested from the onset. How far with the remedy?”

“We have found his son. Your mother-in-law harassed them that they did not allow see the child.”

“Why is mama Dayo like this now? She should have remained calm and begged them instead.”

“Well, she wanted to show herself and she did and met steep competition. Labake’s mother walked in and the whole gragra ended……..”

Fila’s thoughts drifted away from the conversation. She recalled her last visit to the powerful baba. He told her to go back home; he never told her to leave. If she doesn’t go back, they will use her daughter in exchange for their son. Even if they use the son, the repercussion of what they will do will affect his generation. Therefore, it would affect her daughter. She hasn’t been able to conceive again since the birth of her child; she is all she has got. She was schooling in Canada. She called her and warned her not to interact with anyone from her father’s side. When Fila told her mother, she asked her to transfer her daughter to where they were so she could keep a watchful eye on her. She couldn’t afford to lose her only child.

“Both of you are gossiping about me abi?” Dayo’s mother asked. Her voice startled Fila because she didn’t see her come in. She turned to Fila and asked further “What are you doing here? Did you come back to check if he is dead? To check if your evil deeds worked?”

Fila didn’t answer her neither did she care. She was not important right now. She had come back to save her only child. She ignored her and went upstairs.

“You are walking out on me? You are walking out on me? You have grown wings in this few days oh. You have the nerve to walk out on me. I will deal with you” she turned to her husband, “Iwo, you were gossiping about me with that girl. You left me on the road to rush home to gossip about me. Imagine an old man like you gossiping with ……..”

“Please shut your mouth.” Her husband snapped at her. “No one is interested in hearing your voice. You are making noise. If you are not careful, we will send you to join Dayo where he is. I am sick and tired of your nonsense.” He stood up and walked away too.

Iya Dayo stood alone in the sitting room. What was wrong? Why was everyone disrespecting her and not listening to her. She sat down and called baba. She narrated what happened at Labake’s house to him. She also told him what happened afterwards till that moment.

“Iya Dayo, you did not act well. You don’t take something from someone by force and expose the fact that you have backing. Why expose yourself like that? You were overconfident and that attitude spoilt everything. The woman’s mother is a strong woman; she is very powerful. Always have it at the back of your mind that it will be difficult to achieve anything without the boy.”

“The woman said she will only allow us see the boy if Dayo is with us. We both know that Dayo cannot go there, so what am I to do? I want to arrange for legal action to be taken against them to force them to allow us access to the child.”

“Ni suuru, be patient. I will go with you to see them tomorrow. We will go with Dayo’s wife who I will school on what to say. Ifa says we should be there by 1:00pm on the dot. I will be there by 8:00am.We will discuss further when I come. One more thing; don’t fight with Dayo’s wife. If we do not get the boy, we will use the girl.”

“Baba, you didn’t say this before oh, we would have used her from the onset.”

“Dayo will live a much longer and prosperous life if we use the boy. If we use the girl, he will live only for three years more. However, if we use you his mother, he will have the best life; he will live long, healthy and very prosperous. But there are no guarantees for you. So you see, the boy is still the best bet.”

“He is oh. Please come so we can convince them. Thank you baba. Thank you.”

Iya Dayo sat back and thought about the conversation she just had with baba. She has to let baba know not to mention her as an option oh. She tried calling him back but his line was unreachable. She will tell him when he comes in the morning. She also wondered why Fila came back. What was her plan?

Remi was devastated by everything he heard. Even the girl he believed he was in love with was out to deceive him. Why did she do that? How could she have allowed herself to be used against him?

To worsen it, his father was a disgusting man. It was better he didn’t know about him and they lived like they did before but for him to find out like this bothered him. Even though he obeyed his mother and didn’t come downstairs, he stood by the stairs and heard a bit of their conversation going on. Obviously, his mother and grandmother were telling the truth. He was curious as in why his father’s people came looking for him now. There was no one to talk to as his heartbeat, Celine, had betrayed him. She had sent messages which he refused to answer. How can you treat a woman like a queen and she ends up being trash? His cousins were right; he could have just had his way and moved on. Maybe he won’t be hurt like he is now.

Leaving the country now was possible but he still had that nudging in his heart to see his father before he leaves. He needed to know where he was from. It was fine that the man is not a good person, but he will have siblings who are. He loved to interact and this will help him feel like he belongs somewhere.

While he was thinking, another message came in. “If I offended you, please forgive me. My heart can’t take you ignoring me anymore.” He got pissed off by the message. He sent her a reply in anger “f–k you!”. She started calling him but he didn’t pick up. He had a strong conviction that very soon, his life will not remain the same.

“Auntie Funmi, I have been calling Remi since morning and sending him messages but he refused to respond. I just sent him a message now and he responded “f–k you!” He is not the kind of person that will say such. There must be something wrong. Has he found out what we did?”

“Are you still chatting with him? Our mission concerning him has been concluded. Block him on all your social media handles.”

“Auntie, you told me you needed me to help you locate the guy that is all. What could have happened that is making him sound like this?”

“Don’t be deceived; his father is my cousin. He is a chronic womanizer. The son will follow in his footsteps. Forget that he treats you like a lady; he will definitely break your heart. Block him and move on.”

“I really liked him. I felt he was genuine and he never asked me for what most guys ask for. His mother brought him up very well. I don’t think he is a womanizer. I just wanted to be sure that nothing serious happened that made him sound like this.”

“Heed my advice; block him.”