Biola Kila (Episode 42): Kenneth Is No Random Guy
Efe sat in the corridor close to her father’s hospital room; she sat there scrolling through her phone resisting the urge to call Biola; because of her father’s health she hadn’t any chance to talk to him about what he did to Biola. She was glad that he was fine although the doctors wanted to observe him for a few more days.
Her mind drifted to the time she screamed for her father in the car just to be brought to him in the hospital by the evil men she thought were kidnapping her. It was then she realized that Biola was saving her from the house; Chief and his wife kept asking who brought him to the hospital, no one knew but Efe was very sure that it was Biola’s men.
She smiled remembering Biola’s promise to never hurt her no matter what “have you taken your drugs?” Joy’s voice chased Efe’s smile away, Efe didn’t respond, she didn’t know why but the presence of her parents irritated her. she was sure it was because of her father’s actions but she didn’t know why she projected it on her mother as well “honey, I have told you that you still have to take care of yourself despite your father’s health” she reached for Efe’s head but Efe dodged her hand.
Joy was sure Efe’s irritable behaviour was because of the traumatic incident she experienced with her father so she let her be. They sat quietly their glances going from passer byes to theirs phones and to patients being carried away.
“Yes she is… any problem?” “No madam… may I see your ID card” he asked Efe “I don’t have any on me right now” Efe responded “here’s mine… I am her mother” Joy gave him her driver’s license and he gave Efe a small envelope with a stapled small note after examining Joy’s card.
Efe opened the envelope, it contained a key, they looked puzzled as Efe quickly opened the note hoping for an explanation but the note only read “ALL YOUR THINGS” she put the note inside the envelope still puzzled but unconcerned
“So what’s the key for Efe?” Joy asked “I don’t know” Efe responded through her breath and stood up ready to walk away if her mother asked another question but before any of that occurred a nurse came to her rescue telling her that her father was asking for her so she went to see him.
Biola came out of her cell and the moment she saw Seyi she ran into his arms, he held her so tight her arm hurt but she didn’t care. They sat down in a small room facing each other on a small table with a guard watching their every move.
“How did you know that I was here?” Biola asked him “Mrs Adamu told me” Seyi told her how he planned to get her out with the impressive connections he had; as he went on and on about who he had called and was going to see about her case she imagined how disappointed he was going to be when he learned the truth
“Seyi!” she called bringing his speech to a halt “it is all true, everything you heard that I did is true” she whispered into his ears, her expression was unremorseful yet sombre
“I don’t understand… you were framed… weren’t you?” Seyi held her hand as if he was reminding her of a forgotten memory “no I wasn’t … I know… I know that is what Mrs Adamu told you but it’s not true” Biola continued
“So what are you saying? That you blew up 5 hotels and burned down two houses in three days?” he tried to keep his voice down but it was difficult for him, Biola was quiet.
Seyi stood up in a disconcerted manner “why Biola… why would you do that?!” he hoped desperately that Biola was playing a prank on him “do you know how many people you killed?!!” “I killed no one… I made sure of it” “and what makes you so sure?!!” Seyi was livid “because!… my men were very careful and they did as I said” Biola was now on her feet “your men?!” Seyi scoffed “you have men?!” he couldn’t believe his ears.
Biola held his hand but he pulled his hand away and left without another word; in the minute that Biola sat on the chair feeling sorry that Seyi was upset with her Umar appeared, she was surprised to see him but did not express it to him. He told her everything that was happening in the outside world and assured her that she would be out soon; he asked her if she had any special request for him but she had none.
“Thank you for coming” Biola said “anything for my girlfriend” he replied, kissed her on her lips and vanished.
Efe walked into chief’s hospital room, looking at him with gloomy eyes, he stretched his arms to hug her but she ignored him and went to a seat inches away from his bed.
“C’mon darling you can’t still be angry at me after everything we have been through… that girl could have killed us” “yes she could have but she didn’t… Daddy you raped her” “shssss” chief beckoned at her to be quiet and it made Efe more irritated.
“How would you feel if it happened to me?” “If what happened to you?” Joy interrupted their conversation, Efe and chief exchanged looks, they said nothing
“Will somebody tell me what is going on?!” Joy couldn’t contain her frustration any longer “ever since this happened, you and your father have put on an attitude … none of you will explain to tell me why your painting of a friend will burn down the house and disappear” Joy’s voice got louder by every word, she looked to Efe for an answer and as Efe attempted to talk chief stopped her with the news that Biola had been arrested and that he was doing all he could to make sure she was persecuted
“You arrested her?!!” Efe busted with fury “after everything you have done? You still arrested her? You are lucky she hasn’t told the police what you did” “what did your father do?” Joy asked “ask him… ask your so called beloved husband!!” she howled and stormed away.
She rushed out of the hospital without a place to go and the hotel was not a good option for her so she sat on the pavement in the parking lot; as she sat down trying to decompress herself from fury she looked at the envelope and its content again without her mother’s hounding gaze.
She looked at the key, read the note again then noticed another note with an address. She contemplated leaving the hospital to a place not approved of her parents and without a guard “what the hell” she murmured, then secretly hailed a cab and left.
The car stopped in front of a ware house “are you sure this is the place?” she was a little bit scared since the place was quiet and empty of souls, she wished the driver got it wrong but he didn’t “okay, wait for me… I won’t be long” it was a technic to keep him there in case something went wrong.
Efe came out of the car, straightened her dress and walked cautiously to the gate. A slight push opened the gate and she proceeded to the entrance while scanning her environment with the corner of her eyes for any other soul present. As she put the key in the lock, the door opened in her first try; she could hear her heart in her chest and her sweaty palm was afraid to touch the door knob but it did anyway.
When she entered all she saw were moving boxes stacked on each other in a very organized manner, she quickly turned to leave but out of curiosity she opened some boxes and what she saw blew her mind. The boxes all contained her things; all her things were rescued from the burning mansion. She lost nothing in the fire, not even the teddy bear she left lying on the ground in her bedroom.
She began to cry tears of appreciation and emotional exhaustion. She was exhausted because she was torn between supporting her friend through a difficult time in her life and supporting her family, the family that hurt her in the first place.
Biola sat in her dark cell, her head on her arms: she plotted her next step which was to bulldoze the two newly built hotels chief owned in Enugu. A normal person would call off the plan but not Biola; Biola was far from normal instead she thought about a way to propel the plan and make it happen earlier than planned.
When she was arrested she knew that chief had used his power and connections in the force to get her jailed, she was first put in a cell with two other women but later that same day she was moved to her current cell; then she knew that she might not make it out alive because now that she was in another cell all by herself she could easily be poison, of course she was arrested with no legal proof which meant that she awaited no trial.
Biola had been there for three days and she made sure that she ate nothing, it was tough staying hungry for that long but she wanted to accomplish her next plan before giving chief the pleasure of her death. The sound of the ward gate came to her notice.
“Hey you!” the female prison warden called out to Biola “you have a visitor” Biola was already standing before she opened the door, she stretched her wrists towards the woman but she shook her head letting her out without handcuffs. Biola smiled at her in appreciation but it was not reciprocated; as there walked towards the visitors’ room she wondered who came to see her on a no visiting day, they entered the room and it was Umar.
“Hey, my love” he hugged her lifting her off the ground, it was puzzling to her why he was that excited to see her but she went with the flow
“What are you doing here?” she asked him her tone very indifferent “I came to see you… and I have good news for you” Umar smiled sheepishly “by this time tomorrow you will be out of this place” he announced and the news couldn’t have come at a better time, she hugged him this time with genuine happiness and thanked him “anything for my beautiful girlfriend”.
Biola immediately retreated from his embrace searching his face for a sign that he was joking but he wasn’t. “Look Umar I know I agreed to go on a date with you when everything blows over but that doesn’t mean that we are officially dating… I am not your girlfriend” she explained out of the tiredness of being called his girlfriend.
Umar chuckled and bit the corner of his lips “please excuse us” he said to the guard in the room and she left without hesitation. He took off his glasses “now! Repeat yourself” he commanded
“I am not your girl…” his slap launched Biola to the other side of the room, she was on the floor unaware of her teary eyes and running nose; she struggled to get up but her body did not co-operate as its vengeance for being starved for days.
Umar walked slowly to her and lifted her up, the deadly smile on his face made him unrecognizable “repeat yourself!” he commanded with a whisper, Biola was determined to repeat herself but the corner of her lips twitched so much she couldn’t speak.
“After everything I have done for you, helping you with your deadly plans … Providing all the resources you needed and risking my freedom and life for you, you dare say that? Did you notice how the guard left at my command? If you think that chief of yours has power, think of how much power the Chief of Army staff has”.
Umar finally had Biola where he wanted her, in a relationship with him. “Who is your boyfriend?” he asked her “you” she forced the word out of her mouth convinced that another slap would kill her. A human smile soon appeared on his face as he held her in his arms promising her that nothing was going to happen to her as long as they were together.