THE K1LLER'S KNIFE
The K1ller's Knife - Episode 14
" So you've been st£aling my money Jacob...is this what your mother has been teaching you now...? Answer me!" Father thundered looking fiercely at me
"...You are ignoring me. We've now become mates right...? Jacob!!!!" Father shouted my name with a loud shrill
I did not even know what to say. I was short of explanations so I still kept shut
"...how dare you steal from me...are you out of your mind!" Father continued shouting and his voice was echoing in the whole church.
Angie had slept off during the service and mother had to lay her on a mat at the far end of the church. I pray these shouts do not wake her up from slumber
Father was trying to hold me amidst the mother's many attempts to calm him down
I was already shedding tears as mother was standing in-between father and I, this was all in an attempt to protect me
I knew this was Flora's plan all along when she kept talking about what I did without caring if father was close by
If mother knew she was exposing me to further danger, I'm sure she would have kept quiet.
I guess she wanted to be so right, sinless before God but not with somebody like Flora who only wish her wørst in life
It bursted when father heard her last sentence and was asking her what she meant and whom she was referring to.
Mother gave her the side eye signal not to talk but Flora pretended like she didn't see it and faced father squarely
She had let the cats out of the bag and told father all that mother told her about me st£aling his money
Father exploded in anger almost immediately. His reaction got the attention of the pastor and his ministers who stood few distance away from us
Already the church was empty as everyone had gone to their individual destinations.
We would have been on our way by now if not for this current drama.
So now it was remaining us, the pastor, and six ministers of God who upon seeing what was happening, abandoned all that they did and ran to the scene
" I'm sending you to school and instead of you to be thankful...you are st£aling my money. I already told Felicia that you are a blockhead but she thought I was lying...now she's seeing things for herself! You all are a bunch of ingrates!"
" Jamie please watch your language and calm down too. You should not forget that this is a church and this behavior of yours isn't appropriate at all" The pastor said trying to pacify father
" Jamie please calm down. I know that what our son Jacob did was wrong but he apologized and even returned your money to you... so please let him go this once...he'll not do it again" mother tried to plead on my behalf which angered father so much that he slâpped her
" This is all your fault woman! You are the one who spoilt this children. Imagine this! Jacob is learning how to steal at his young age...and your savior daughter is still battling her life in the hospital because you can't keep quiet when I'm trying to discipline you" Father blurted out now grasping mother's neck and trying to choke her.
He is completely forgetting that we were in the presence of third parties inside the church who held him in high esteem
The pastor and ministers were shocked upon seeing this side of father. Nobody thought he could be this cruel to this family especially to his own wife.
Flora was just smiling wickedly. It got me wondering if this is the kind of man she would comfortably marry.
What's giving her this confidence that father would treat her any better from how he treats mother and us...?
Mother was breathing very hard and gasping for breath but father was still pressing her neck.
The pastor and ministers jointly tried to get father away from mother and the succeeded after two attempts.
They pulled him away from mother and took him to a corner of the church still trying to get him to calm down
mother had slumped to the floor and was crying seriously
On the other hand, I was shaking all over with tears in my eyes as the thoughts of what will become of me flooded my mind
To say I was scared was an understatement. I was terrified of what father was going to do to me by the time we get back home
At this point I won't even mind sleeping in the church to avoid father's wrath. I was that scared for myself and body
It's now quite obvious that mother will not be able or be strong enough to protect me as she needed protection herself
What's going to be my fate and who was going to save me right now...? I thought still crying and wishing things were different for us
I need a guardian angel but that seems farfetched. I'm emotionally tired!
I felt tiny hands wrapped round me and turning around I saw it was Claire. She looked at me pitifully and patted my back soothingly
Her pat gave me some sort of comfort amidst my tears. And to imagine that she's the same person I had nursed in my mind to hurt some minutes ago
Everyone of us stood rooted to where we were standing, except for mother who was still sitting on the floor crying
The silence continued until when the pastor came back to meet us
" Pull yourself together Felicia... thankfully Jamie is calm now. So I think you all should go home and then come back tomorrow. I'll love to speak to you and your husband and especially to you Jacob..so make sure you come along"
I scoffed as the pastor said this. I thought within me that it is only if I'll survive the night to be able to meet him tomorrow
Mother was the one who spoke up and I'm glad that even in the midst of the chaos, she loves and cares about me
" Please pastor I want to make a humble request... it's actually a favor. Please let my son Jacob stay with you for the night...we can come see you tomorrow and then he can come home with us from there. But for tonight please I'm begging you to take him home with you" mother said clasping her hands together to plead and the pastor heaved before he nodded in the affirmative
" It's alright Felicia..I will take Jacob home with me tonight. I'll even advise that you come along as well. Because with what I've seen here tonight...I'm not sure I can entrust your safety into the hands of Jamie even though he's your husband" the pastor offered calmly and mother shook her head indicating a No. I wasn't surprised at her response.
The pastor is right but mother is trying to prove stubborn. She just seems to love and trust father so much.
" Mother the pastor is right. You know how father can be when he is very angry. I will not want him to hμrt you or Angie because of what I did wrong" I said trying my best to convince mother but she still stood her ground
" I'll be fine Jacob. Your father is not so bad so don't worry about me"
I wasn't happy with her response because my mind will not be settled if she goes home with father.
I want to be sure that her and Angie will be free from father's wrath which at the moment is still very hot and vengeful
" ...think of Angie mother. Do you remember what happened to Erica...? What if the same thing happens to her if you go home with father tonight...? Please come with me to the pastor's house then tomorrow we can sort everything out. At least by then father must have calmed dow.." my words was cut short by father's sharp response.
He spoke authoritatively and loudly from where he stood with the ministers
" You all are coming back home with me tonight! Any of you that chooses to defy me and stay with the pastor should forget that you have a family and stay there permanently with him..I mean it!"
The pastor and ministers were surprised at father's outburst. I suppose they just couldn't believe this side of father
Going home with father was not a good option at all as I know how Father's wrath is. I'm still a young boy and I will not want to d¡e young or get ma¡med.
Mother was helpless on how to save me from what's likely to come this night
Flora was quiet and her restlessness shows that she was kind of regretting her actions of awakening father's fury
Angie was still asleep on the mat she was laying without knowing what's up
Claire was tongue-tied with her hands still wrapped around me for comfort
I on the other hand was caught in between choosing to stick with going to stay at the pastor's house for tonight
Or doing what father has authorized so as not to lose my home and family.
(Do not take credit or Plagiarize AMAH'S HEART stories)
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