8: 00 am
Tony and Mr. Henry were in the back seat of the car; Tony hated sitting close to that man but every time he attempted to go to the front seat “What are you doing?” Mr. Henry would ask and Tony would enter the back seat “you should be lucky I want you to sit close to me. You should be the one driving me” Mr. Henry added this time looking at Tony as if he was going to spit on him. If he spat on Tony at that moment, he wouldn’t have cared because all he could think about was getting the document without seeing Janet.
The ride was torturous because all Tony could think about was his sister’s body lying in his living room; he didn’t think he could see her in that state and be able to go for his presentation in a good state of mind. If only there was a way for him to get the document without going into that house. “Maybe I can recreate the document” he thought.
He went through his emails and saw that he had all the information to recreate the document in his phone. “Be fast, I don’t have time to waste” Mr. Henry warned, Tony nodded and was out of the car as fast as he could.
He went around his house to the back and sat on the pavement close to his kitchen door; it was going to be a very rushed work but he didn’t give a fuck. As long as he didn’t have to go inside to look at Janet’s dead body again, it was fine by him.
“Oga Tony, you no go work today?” it was his neighbour’s voice. Tony was startled but it wasn’t obvious “I dey go work, I just wan finish wan thing like that” Tony replied without taking his eyes off his phone. “Why you no dey do am for inside house?” Olinlin was unusually nosy this time.
Tony took his eyes off his phone this time to reply, he told him that he needed to concentrate on what he was doing and had no time to chit chat “abeg no vex” Olinlin said as he walked away. Olinlin lived in the room beside his apartment and mowed the lawn for most people in the neighbourhood so it was okay to say; he knew almost everything that was going on with most people living in that area.
“I don clear the grass for front, na the back I come clear” he startled Tony again “Jesus Christ! Which kind wahala be this? You no see say I dey do something? When I commot then you can come and do it” Tony snapped and this time Olinlin left without a word.
Fifteen minutes had elapsed and Tony was about to rejoice because he was a minute away from finishing the document on his phone but Mr. Henry’s call interrupted him. “Hello” “How many hours will it take for you to retrieve a document and where are you? I have been knocking on your door since and you are not here to open the door” Mr. Henry sounded upset.
“Oh sorry, I am in the toilet. I’ll be right out” and the call ended. “Shit. Shit. Shit” Tony muttered. He thought about going back the way he came but he had a feeling that Mr. Henry really wanted to enter his house; so he entered the house and moved Janet’s body to his bedroom.
Janet was a slim girl but her body was heavy and he suffered moving that body; he suffered physically and emotionally. Physically, because he had to drop her a couple of times to catch his breath and emotionally, because she looked like she was sleeping and once he reminded himself that she was not sleeping; he began to cry.
The knock on the door made him clean his tears very fast, put on his shirt and run to the door to open it. “The meeting has been postponed to 10 O’clock” Mr. Henry announced as he entered, he looked around and asked for the toilet; Tony pointed at the guest toilet and he entered and within a few seconds he was out, meeting Tony still in the same spot he left him a few seconds ago.
“Is the document ready?” “yes sir” “then what are you waiting for? Let’s go” Mr. Henry commanded as his phone rang “hello” he answered his phone but he couldn’t hear the person on the other side clearly “Which part of your house has the best network reception?” “My room” the words came out before he realized what he had done and before he could stop Mr. Henry from going into his room; it was too late. The door was open and Henry was staring at the dead body on the ground.
