ISADORA
The Homeless Girl
Isadora-Episode 29
2 days later,
Location : Nsukka village,
(It’s almost 4am and Isadora is seen lying beside her teenage siblings who were all fast asleep. Minutes later, the youngest got up and headed out of the room to pee.)
Isadora’s side of the story continues
I still found it very hard to sleep no matter how hard I tried. I had a lot to think. I had a lot to figure out. I had a lot of burden on my young shoulders. Yes I had to arrange the quick burial of my adoptive parents with the support of relatives, friends and well wishers because we all believed it was the best thing to do instead of keeping them in the mortuary and accumulating more expenses. The burial ceremony however turned out much more than I expected. I was given the support I needed and for the first time felt loved by all but after the ceremony I saw myself all alone with three younger siblings who needed food, shelter and education. I was torn between staying back to be with them or continuing with my quest to get back my last name and inheritance.
Sleeping then became a hard thing for me because I spent every single minute of rest thinking about my future. I was unemployed. I had no education, I learnt no skills. In fact I was virtually useless without my inheritance and there wasn’t any way I could care for my siblings without getting the money. However I was somehow lucky that my lawyer survived the car crash but we were yet to discuss my issue and I couldn’t tell if he would be willing to continue the case for me or not.
I was very much engrossed with my thoughts when the sharp scream from my younger brother who went out to pee shook me from my thoughts. His cry was so sharp and brief that I needed no telling that he was in danger. Luckily there was power supply and so I easily made my way out of the room and towards the front door which was wide open, (probably left like that by him as he went out to pee). But before I could get to the door, a huge guy instantly showed up, blocking the entrance and shocking me with his presence. I believe he equally wasn’t expecting to run into me so soon because he briefly froze just like I did as our eyes met.
I instantly recognized him as the guy who kidnapped and tried to kill me sometime back. And without a second thought I ran back to my room and locked the door while my two other siblings who were sleeping instantly jumped up with fear. Perhaps it was the noise that woke them.
‘’someone is outside. We have to hurry and get out through the other door’’ I nervously informed them while they screamed with fear.
‘’shut up, let’s get out quick. Stop shouting’’ I begged with great fear as a loud thud landed on the door at the same time as the intruder probably kicked on it to break in.
Without hesitation we opened the connecting door that connected our room with my late parent’s and from there headed towards the uncompleted kitchen room.
‘’now you guys will have to jump through this window and head towards your uncle’s house to get help. Be fast’’ I ordered as I helped the first one climb over the window. And as I helped my other sibling after the first one made it through. I felt a sharp piercing pain on my back and at the same time a strong pull on my hair.
‘’Chinyere run’’ I managed to breathe as I pushed over my second sibling who was already halfway out of the window. Then with one swift super energy, I turned and lashed out with both hands on my attacker who took two steps backwards, surprised with my strength and move.
I wasn’t a very strong girl but I was fighting for my life. Fighting a guy who was very much bigger and stronger that I.
‘’you witch you are not escaping me today. I wanted to make this quiet but you are leaving me with no choice’’ he breathed, opened the small bag he had slung across his neck, threw in a blood stained knife he was holding and pulled out a small gun. Slowly the pain I felt earlier at my back returned and I realized I was stabbed.
‘’you are finally dying my lady’’ he smiled, pulled the safety and aimed but luckily for me two men from the village vigilante showed up behind him at that exact moment with their double barrel guns aimed at his head. I instantly heaved a sigh of relief.
‘’OGA drop your gun or we will waste you now’’ one of them barked, surprising my attacker who instantly froze.
It was possible they heard my sibling’s cry when he left the house to pee and followed the open doors to the kitchen or perhaps they followed my attacker without his knowledge. Yes Just like most villages in Nigeria the vigilante group made up of selected youths from the community guard the village day and night, keeping it safe.
‘’thank you Ebuka, thank you Chidi’’ I thanked the two guys nervously while my attacker who realizing that he was surrounded and outnumbered had no choice than to drop his gun. I had this urge to grab him by the neck and question him, to know his sponsor but I just had no strength. I was equally fast losing blood and I knew It was just a matter of minutes before I collapsed. I also knew by morning that It could be too late to question him because he would be facing the jungle justice which was death by fire and it really wasn’t what I needed. I needed to know who sent him.
I collapsed.
To be continued
