Dawn 8

After mulling over the issue, he decided he had no choice. What must be done, must be done. He couldn’t go back now. It was too late. But, he made up his mind to see his sister, one last time. In his way, bid her goodbye.

She had told him she was in the middle of her exams and since she couldn’t come, he set out to see her. He travelled by air and then took a cab to her apartment, not far from the university. He remembered sending money to get the apartment and furnish it to her taste. He had also gotten her a car. All the things a good elder brother does, he thought, at least he had been good to her.

She was home reading and welcomed him with all the exuberance younger sisters reserve for their elder brothers who had been good to them.

She wanted to prepare a meal for him but he insisted on eating out, his treat. Very soon, they were at a goodly restaurant. She had always had a sweet tooth and so she went for ice cream and cupcakes while he had yam pottage. She spoke of her plans after graduation, her intention to open a clinic in their town, to be funded by NGOs she was already in talks with, offering free medical treatment. 

‘Brother, you’re not saying anything?’she suddenly enquired, looking at him worriedly. Emenike had been stewing in grief, he knew there was no way this dream of hers would come to pass. He smiled at her wanly

‘Are you stressed?’ she continued

‘No, omalicha. Just a bit tired. Work issues' he managed to reply, almost choking on a sob. Eventually, the floodgates opened, her solicitousness did it. He cried like a baby. Chioma was alarmed. She kept asking ‘ogini?’ but he was able to regain composure soon enough and they left.

All through the drive back home, she kept stealing glances at him. She enquired repeatedly as to the cause of the outburst but he said he was feeling under pressure. Pressure to do what? He declined to answer, only a mind reader could have read his intent.

While she slept, he looked at her just across him in the other bed. He remembered their childhood years, how attached she was to him as a child. Their petty quarrels and her joy for him when things started looking up for him. He remembered her giving him her first salary as a secondary school leaver teaching then in a primary school, her vacation job when he was still in that one room apartment with Nash. How well he remembered the way she shyly put the money in his hands

‘Brother, I know how hard things are with you and your wife. Please take this money, you can use it to buy food in the house'

Emenike groaned aloud. How could he kill his sister, his beloved only sister?

He slept not a wink all through the night. After bidding her goodbye, and wishing her all the best in her exams, for she had a paper in the morning, he took a cab to the airport, only to discover his flight had been cancelled on account of poor weather conditions. He was determined to travel same day and so he found himself going for a comfortable luxurious bus. He tried to stay awake but since he hadn’t slept a wink over the night, he didn’t know when he fell deeply asleep. All he could recount afterwards was waking up to sharp pains in his back, lying on the road side, and seeing the bus burst out in flames, he fell unconscious.

He came around slowly, and struggled to focus, he saw Nash praying with the rosary beside his bed, she looked like she had aged ten years. He saw Chuks too leaning against the window. He cleared his throat and Nash looking up started praising God, planting kisses on his face. Chuks moved closer to him, an unreadable expression on his face.

‘So, he lives! You’re a strong man Emenike' Chuks said

‘It’s God oooo' crooned Nash who started dancing. 

Chuks smiled mirthlessly as the noise brought the nurse in who hurriedly went to call the doctor. As soon as the doctor arrived, he dismissed both Nash and Chuks.

A few hours later, the doctor sent for Nash. Nash entered his office with a smile on her face but as she looked across the table at him, her smile withered and her heart started beating heavily  against her breasts.

To be continued…