Last week on the Chronicles of Isioma:
He angrily went into the compound slapped Ahmadu
and asked him why he would allow me escape,
Ahmadu who
was scared, said he didn’t know how I did it “me I no
know o, I know even know say madam dey inside
house, no be me do am o” he said fearfully.
Kingsley, who is now boiling in anger, went into his
car brought out a gun and shot him. He died on the
spot’.
READ PREVIOUS EPISODES ON PAGE 1, 4 & 6
EPISODE 4:
After I escaped from the house that day, I was so
weak to even put my legs firmly to the ground. I
felt pity for Ahamdu, who Kingsley had shot dead.
He sacrificed his life just for my freedom and I will
forever be grateful to him, I heard the gunshot
from afar, my heart leaped, I was so scared that
he might just be behind me. I hurried the bike man
to speed on and went straight to the hospital.
The doctor was not on sit, Nigerian doctors and
their wahala, they enjoy keeping people waiting. I
was already feeling sick and had severe
headache, I sat on the couch and waited for the
doctor, thirty minutes later, it was my turn to see
the doctor. I went into the office, the smell from
the hospital made me even more sick and I was
praying the doctor should just hurry.
The way the doctor was staring at me, I was even
more scared. She asked me to lay on the bed and
she pressed my side, she asked me to go to the
lab downstairs and have a pregnancy test, HIV
test and a Malaria and Typhoid test done.
Hmmm… I know you are thinking what am
thinking, yes oh… about 2 hours after they
conducted the test, the doctor called me into her
office. I knew it was Malaria with the headache
that has been torturing me, I knew I might even be
admitted into the hospital for intensive treatment,
but let me hear from the expert first. “Miss
Isioma, how old are you?” she asked. ‘I am
22years old’
“Miss Isioma, tell me a little about yourself” she
asked again. At this point, I was starting to
wonder, if it was an interview I came for or
treatment for my ailment. “I am an orphan, I have
a brother and a sister, I am the last child of my
late parents, I am in the University of Lagos, I go
to school from home since we are close to the
school area, that’s all you need to know ma”. If
only this doctor knew how I hated this moment,
she would go straight to the point.
“Isioma, you are a bright girl and a beautiful one
at that, no matter what happens, don’t hate
yourself, be strong, you have many dreams to
achieve” the doctor said looking at me as if she
was mourning someone. “can you go straight to
the point ma”. “You are a week pregnant and HIV
positive”.
***Did you see that, I am what? Pregnant, HIV
positive? Jesus Christ, now I know you are not my
God, just when I thought you would teach me how to
get away from all my troubles, you are bringing on
continuous doom to my life, what is all this, how do I
continue living with this kind of shame, someone
should please tell me I am dreaming***
I left the hospital that day with more hate for my
brother, God will punish him wherever he is, he
will never experience peace in his life, and he has
just rendered me useless. I wondered how I will
go to Kelvin’s house now, without him suspecting
what was wrong with me. I left the hospital for
Kelvin’s house that day, he was home already, he
was surprised to see how horrible I looked, I was
looking so pale, he asked what was wrong, and I
told him that I was having Malaria.
***Chai, how will I tell him that I am HIV positive na,
if na you, you go talk? But I talked to my book
where
I write everything, at least that’s the only best
friend I
have***
I sat down to a little meal, I wasn’t hungry but to
avoid more questioning, I had to force myself to
eat. We went to bed after I took some drugs. I
couldn’t sleep, I only slept when it was almost
daybreak, I was thinking and thinking all through
while I was awake. The next day after Kelvin left
for work, I received a phone call from my elder
sister; she called to tell me she was back in
Nigeria. Hmmm…I thought she just called to
inform me, but there was more, she started
yelling that I left the house without telling anyone
where I was going to. The worse was when she
said Kingsley had caught me with a man inside
my room and he scolded and beat me, making her
think that was why I angrily left the house. Can
you imagine that? That monster still has the guts
to tell lies against me, isn’t the torture enough?
My sister asked me to come back home, I didn’t
answer her, I just dropped the call. I rather
commit suicide than live with an abomination
child and HIV.
Some hours later, I got the shock of my life. But
the truth be told, I was impregnated by my own
blood brother, raped, dehumanized, tortured and
still on it, HIV positive just in one ordeal of my life,
no, no, no, I can’t stand it, sooner or later, Kelvin
would find out. Kelvin came back home that day,
looking very happy, got me flowers, presents, I
almost thought he had won another contract until
I saw him go down on his knees and there he was
proposing to me to marry him. I couldn’t believe
my eyes, my ears; in fact I was the most
confused woman on planet earth.
***Won’t I be a wicked person to accept such a
proposal when I am pregnant and HIV positive,
which man will want to marry a girl like that, me and
Kelvin have come a long way to just make it end like
this, I am confused, really confused***
Kelvin still kneeling down smiling and expecting a
yes was shocked when he heard me say, “I am
HIV positive and Pregnant”
Stay in touch for next episode of Chronicles of
Isioma.
Previously on the Chronicles of Isioma:
Kelvin came back home that day, looking very happy,
got me flowers, presents, I almost thought he had
won another contract until I saw him go down on his
knees and there he was proposing to me to marry
him. I couldn’t believe my eyes, my ears; in fact I
was the most confused woman on planet earth. Kelvin
still kneeling down smiling and expecting a yes was
shocked when he heard me say, “I am HIV positive
and Pregnant”
Missed Episode 1-4? READ IT.
Episode 5
{ My Tears, His joy }
Kelvin who was still on his kneels when I said that was
smiling, he
thought I was joking. ‘I know you are joking right?’
he said. ‘I am
dead serious Kelvin (wearing a straight face but a
little scared in
her tone), I just found out today’ I said to him while
handing the
test papers to him. He looked at it and saw it was
true, he didn’t
even wait for any explanation, he slapped me and
called me a
b---h. ‘Cheap slot, I never knew you were like this,
I thought you
were different, I thought you were the good girl
you pretend to be,
now I know better, Oh my God, how did I even meet
you” he
continued, pouring out more words that hurt me so
much. I was
finding a way to explain but he wasn’t ready to pay
attention to
whatever I had to say, he said there was no
explanation for a girl
who is HIV positive and pregnant at the same time.
He was so angry that he pushed me to the ground
and left the
house immediately, I didn’t want to run after him
because I didn’t
want people to know what was happening. I rolled on
the floor in
the compound and was crying, his house help was the
one
consoling me all the while. My sister came into
Kelvin’s compound
and heard me crying, she came into the sitting room
and rushed to
hold me, she kept asking what the matter was, I
couldn’t speak to
her. “why did you leave home to come here, why are
you doing
this to yourself, Kingsley told me that you must be
here, so I came
here, what happened to you”. I just stared at her
while she was
saying all manner of things . When I didn’t give her
an answer , she
asked the house help and he told her that Kingsley
slapped me
after I told him I was pregnant.
My sister was shocked, ‘Pregnant? Isi, you are
what? How come,
why were you so dumb?” I didn’t expect anything
less from her
than the usual ranting. She left the house angrily, I
didn’t know
why. I sat on the floor there till it was the next day,
Kelvin didn’t
return as I expected. I was frustrated. Why is my
life a mess, why
have God decided to punish me so dearly for my
sins, I wrote in my
book and decided to do the worse.
***Who ever tells you that life is a bed of roses, Is a
liar, and
whoever tells you that life is a bed of thorns is a
devil, take that
from me today***
The house help was out, I was alone and I decided to
take the law
into my hands, there was no need to report to the
police, because
there was no evidence, I just wished god created
something like a
meter or something that would make you know the
difference
between rape and love making after it happens.
There was no
evidence to show that I was raped or even touched.
I went outside the house to a nearby bush and
buried my book of
secrets so no one can see it. I don’t want anyone to
get hurt on
seeing my secrets. I buried the book and went back
into the house,
took a cup, poured an amount of sniper into it,
mixed it with water
and then drank immediately; I quickly rinsed the cup
and went back
to the sitting room where I will just die slowly,
because I am tired.
There is no point of my existence again. Everyone
can go to hell.
I rolled on the ground, struggled and struggled with
life until I gave
up the ghost. Few hours later, Kelvin came back
home and met me
on the ground stone dead. He shook my body but to
no avail, he
raised me up and was about rushing me to the
hospital when my
sister and two police men came in to arrest Kelvin
for beating me
and impregnating me, but she was shocked on seeing
Kelvin
carrying my body. ‘What have you done to her?’ she
rushed at him
shouting, she cried and fell on the floor and started
raining curses
on Kelvin. “You devil, you have killed her, what did
she do to you
that made you kill her, how dare you, Police men
arrest this man,
he is a murderer” she said weeping.
Kelvin tried to explain and said he also met me on
the ground lying
lifeless; she called him a liar and told the police that
she was here
earlier and I was bitter because I was pregnant for
him and
guessed that is why he took my life. Kelvin was
handcuffed and
taken to the police station for murder. After many
months of
investigation, he was found guilty of the crime and
was sentenced
to life in prison with hard labor.
Guess that my monster of a brother is happy; he is
drinking and
celebrating my passing away with his friends. God
will visit him
and I must avenge, he must be locked in prison and
my Kelvin
must be released. That’s how I committed suicide
and Kelvin is
suffering for my brother’s sins, I can’t rest in
peace and watch that
happen.
**********************************************************************************
David who has been listening to the story carefully
made a big sigh
when she finished. “I don’t even know what to say
again, I am
speechless, so you mean you went through all these
without
informing anyone, then you must be very secretive”
David said.
“Don’t insult me please, I was only doing what I
thought was right,
even if I had told someone, no one would have
believed me” Isioma
replied. David stared at her closely; he couldn’t still
believe he was
talking to a spirit. Isioma asked him to help her by
narrating all she
said to the police, so the police can release Kelvin. “I
hope you are
okay? How can I go to the police and tell them that
I have been
talking to a dead girl who says the guy in prison is
not the real
culprit. Where will I get the evidence from?” David
answered.
‘I buried the book I wrote everything somewhere in
the bush close
to Kelvin’s house. All I need you to do is to find that
book and hand
it over to the police. I beg you, you are my only
hope right now,
please help me’ she pleaded with David. David looks
down in
disapproval. ‘This is insane, how can you tell me to
go for Ultimate
search because of what I know nothing about, na wa
ooo… you
have to look for someone else” David said, walking
round the
garden. Isioma pleaded and pleaded until he finally
answered.
“Where do we start from? Where exactly did you
bury it?
Previously on the Chronicles of Isioma:
I beg you, you are my only hope right now, please
help me’ she
pleaded with David. David looks down in disapproval.
‘This is insane, how can you tell me to go for
Ultimate search because of what I know nothing
about, na wa ooo… you have to look for
someone else” David said, walking round the garden.
Isioma pleaded and pleaded until he finally answered.
“Where do we start from? Where exactly did you
bury it?
Missed Episode 1-5? GO TO PAGE 1 & GET ALL THE
EPISODES
Episode 6
Isioma left David after she told her story, David
couldn’t still figure out how he was going to start
looking for the Chronicles. He laid in his room,
thinking of what he could do to help her, he was
down for days, Isioma came to check from time
to time on whether he was ready to go in search
of the book.
It was raining and David was in his room reading,
Isioma appeared and he became scared. “I know I
have allowed you into my life but it doesn’t give
you the audacity to come in anytime you wish,
allow me to think of myself for once” he said
feeling scared of her appearance. “why are you
harsh, how would I give you notice when am not
human, why are you being cruel to me, I have
faced a lot when I was alive, the least I want now
is more troubles and heart breaks” she said
sadly. David then apologized.
The door opened and David jumped up from his
bed, it was his mother. “David are you sick, what
is wrong with you, are you mad? I have been
observing you lately and all I hear you do is talk
to yourself, I have been standing outside your
room for some minutes, who were you talking to?
Eh Dave, who were you talking to?” she shouted
at him. David was shocked at her tone, he didn’t
know what to say, he looked around and told her
he was talking to nobody but himself. She
doubted him and concluded he needed to be
examined. She left his room to call the family
doctor.
David lamented to himself “what kind of problem
is this, why must I be the one this girl should
send, afterall we are not family neither friends,
why is what I see in the movies happening to me,
na wa ooo”.
******************Few Hours
Later***********************
After David’s mother insisted he must be
examined, the doctor said there was nothing
wrong with him that he was fine. “you see,
nothing is wrong with me, mummy abeg leave me
alone” he left the sitting room angrily. Getting to
his room, he met Isioma already seated on his
bed, he stood at the door and starred at her for a
long time. “Why are you starring at me, David?”
she asked him, “you are very beautiful” he replied.
Isioma who was surprised thanked him and said
“my beauty now is useless, so get your mind off
it, how far have you gone with your thinking, we
don’t have much time, let’s look for this book
please”. David gazed at her again, he was falling
for her already but it was useless, she was
untouchable and a spirit, so there was no need to
fall so much.
Isioma knew what was on his mind but pretended
to be naïve, she was so disappointed that David
was already lusting for her even In spirit, but there
was no point, she just needed someone to help
her get her book and hand it over to the police.
His mother walked in again, this time she was so
sure of what she saw him doing, he was talking
and making gestures to someone, but who was
the question. She quietly walked out of the room,
David was surprised that she didn’t utter a word,
he knew what his mother was capable of and he
just wanted to leave the house that minute.
“So where did you say you buried the book, I
think am ready for the search” he told Isioma who
was still in the room. Isioma was glad at the
response she heard, she wanted to hug him but
she couldn’t. she quickly gave him the address
and David set to go but he needed to go with
someone he trusted. David contacted his friend,
Dapo. Dapo after hearing everything confirmed
his friend was really sick and out of his mind. He
didn’t believe a word David said and left him.
David hasn’t even finished packing some things
for the journey when three men came into his
room and carried him. Isioma was watching and
shouting ‘where are you taking him to, bring him
back” she shouted as she ran after them. No one
could see her except David. When they got
outside the house, an ambulance was there
waiting to pick him. His mother who was with
them, ordered the men to take him to the
psychiatric hospital for treatment. He struggled
hard, but the men were stronger than him.
He is not mad, he was only helping me, please
release him, Isioma was telling David’s mother,
and unfortunately no one could see or hear her.
David kept screaming, struggling to be released
and he was finally taken away to the psychiatric
hospital.
At this point, Isioma’s hope was dashed; she
couldn’t understand where all these misfortunes
were coming from. On getting to the hospital,
David was kept amongst the mad people in a
ward in the hospital, he tried explaining that there
was nothing wrong with him but he was speaking
to a spirit friend. “That’s the more reason you are
mad” his mother said to him.
Many weeks passed and David was kept under
close observation in the hospital until they were
sure he wasn’t ill mentally and he was then
released to go home. Isioma appeared to him
again and this time he told her he can’t help her
and she should stay away. She sobbed and told
him she wasn’t going to leave. “I will only help
you on one condition” David said. Isioma
wondering what she can do to make him agree to
help her, asked what was it. “Make me able to
touch you” he said.
Stay in touch for another Episode of The Chronicles
of Isioma Coming Up on Friday.
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