[STORY] HIS GIFT, YOUR LIFE (Episode 06)

Episode 06.

“How did I not see this from the very start? What blinded me and made me this stupid to believe in Joe’s lies?” Simeon asked himself as he woke up in a dark room. His hands and legs were tied behind as he sat on a chair, then he remembered his children and his wife fighting hard in the hospital.

“Will she forgive me if she hears about this? How will she take the news of her children lost in a day if she survives this?” Simeon painfully said as he cried silently. Slowly he tried untieing his hands as his heart fuelled with revenge and the door opened. Joe entered smiling at him,

“Make yourself comfortable please, don’t fight hard relax, I got a drink here for a celebration,” Joe said as Simeon struggled with the chair.

“Celebration of your death right?” Simeon asked.

“I’m afraid not, you look more like the dead person here anyway. How are you?” Joe asked.

“You should have faced me, no matter what happened in the past, you can’t release it on my children,” Simeon said and Joe smirked.

“How many times should I tell you this huh? You killed your children!” Joe shouted.

“No, you did you liar! This was what you wanted, I remember you talking about my last born. You said her eyes were too lovely and I was so lucky to have such a beautiful family, now I know you were speaking from the depth of jealousy” Simeon said and Joe smiled.

“I agree I was jealous and I was praying hard to pay you back for what you did to me and everything went well as you can see. You can’t finish school and have a family while I am here, no way na” Joe said and Simeon licked his lips.

“What exactly is your anger for I can remember we parted ways on good terms,” Simeon said and Joe shrugged his shoulders.

“Did we? I’ll remind you. When you turned your back on me in school during our Waec. You were the one practicing the malpractice, but you implicated me so you won’t get caught, did you remember I was your friend then? I got so unlucky that the Waec officials were strict and you left me on my own to suffer what you should have suffered, and everyone stood by you because you were that smart one. As if that was not enough, you came back calling me names, reminding me how foolish and dull I was that I could not dispose of the paper you threw on me before I got caught. Remember you hit my face and gave me this mark” Joe said pointing his left cheek to Simeon.

“I got this mark from you when I wanted to fight you out of frustration. You knew how my late mother suffered to get me registered, and you ruined it. I failed and was punished for what I didn’t do, I didn’t have the money again to enroll but what happened to you? You got into the university, graduated, and got married with children while I was struggling in the park night and day to make ends meet before I got linked in. Ahhhhh Simeon you suppose experience pain small if you think I forgot what happened then despite you came back begging to be friends with me, then you’re lying” Joe continued and Simeon sniffed.

“Joe I was young and foolish then, I didn’t know how to face the teachers that I was the one doing the malpractice and not you. If you wanted to pay me back you would have hit me back on my face……..” I have! I have hit you hard on your face and does it hurt? You made me lose the opportunity my poor mother was targeting if I should pass my Waec, you don’t know how I suffered after she died a year after that incident. I wouldn’t have been here paying the sacrifice to be unmarried while I watch you happy with your family, no way!” Joe shouted and Simeon nodded.

“Fine! The deed has already been done and We are in this together okay, I understand your pain and I accept my fault, I’m sorry,” Simeon said and Joe laughed out.

“Now you’re talking bro, no hard feelings after all we can enjoy the money peacefully together,” Joe said laughing.

“Can I have a drink? I’m thirsty” Simeon said.

“Oh oh not too fast bro I can’t release your hand but don’t worry I’ll give you the drink myself,” Joe said opening the bottle of alcohol he came in with and Simeon gulped down a little.

“Okay, bro?” Joe asked and Simeon nodded. Joe drew a seat close to Simeon and brought out a cigarette and a lighter keeping the bottle of jin by his side. Simeon saw that the rope was getting weak in his hands and seeing the lighter, he remembered alcohol is flammable. As Joe turned on the lighter, Simeon poured out the alcohol he reserved in his mouth on the lighter and it flamed up on Joe.

Joe jumped up screaming and Simeon let loose of the ropes on him. Joe ran to attack him but Simeon quickly took the bottle of jin breaking it on Joe’s head and he fell bleeding.

“You won’t leave here alive,” Joe said.

“I am already dead, you took my life last night but I have an unfinished business with you,” Simeon said and picked up the lighter that fell and Joe saw that he was bathed with jin. He tried screaming but Simeon quickly covered his mouth.

“Don’t scream yet, I’m not done with you” Simeon said after tying Joe’s mouth with his shirt. He raised him to the chair and tied him to it also.

“I’ll be back,” Simeon said and left leaving Joe to struggle alone in the room. He got down and carefully located the kitchen and he took a knife. Leaving the kitchen he heard someone coming and he hid, seeing that he was going to the room Joe was tied in, he quickly attacked. It was a fierce battle between the two, despite Simeon having no intention to kill him, but he had a gun and was too powerful. The guard dropped dead while Simeon staggered bleeding from the hitting he got from the guard. He thought of how he will leave there alive to see his wife in the hospital as he looked at the dead guard and smiled.

Simeon quickly took off the guard clothes and dressed like him. He had a muffler with a face cap on which was a perfect disguise for him. He hid the body in a corner and as he wanted to leave the room, he saw a wine counter and took 3 bottles of alcohol from it, and got to the room Joe was tied in.

“Hello, I saw your guard outside and asked for his clothes but I’m back,” Simeon said breathing hard and opening a bottle as Joe struggled mumbling words Simeon could not hear. After pouring out the bottles and soaking Joe with them he smiled looking at Joe,
“We’re you saying something?” Simeon asked and shifted the cloth a bit from his mouth.

“I enjoyed the screams of your family, you need to see it yourself!” Joe shouted and Simeon covered his mouth again.

“I’ll be glad to watch yours also,” Simeon said and threw the lighter on him and left the room locking it outside knowing his guards will be coming in that direction soon.

“What happened?” Two guards ran up to meet Simeon.

“I don’t know, you call the fire service while I find the key because the door is locked. And you, go find the boss” Simeon replied dispatching them while Simeon smiled at the way they’d been fooled and escaped.

He arrived at the hospital looking for his wife but saw his mother-in-law,
“Where were you? You abandoned my daughter in the hospital and ran out to where!” She shouted holding Simeon’s shirt.

“Sorry ma it’s not what you’re thinking, how is my wife please?” Simeon asked.

“Your wife? Where were you when the house was on fire?” She asked back but Simeon shook his head and got into the room she was in. His wife was still unconscious with the burns on her body and he cried holding her hand,

“I’m sorry, this is all my fault, I’m so sorry. Please stay alive, I need you alive I beg you ” he pleaded.

“What did you do to my daughter? How did they get burnt this way? a neighbor saw you left the house that night and it was not long before the fire started. What did you do and where did you go to!” His mother-in-law screamed out.

“Yes I left the house, so what did you think I did? Will I burn my children to ashes?” Simeon asked.

“Yet you ran away from the hospital. If I get to know you have a hand in what happened to my children, you’ll pay dearly for it” his mother-in-law sternly said.

“Those were my children,” Simeon said as tears streamed down his face and he quickly left the room.
To Be Continued…. . . . .