At the eleventh hour - S01 E03

2 years ago

At the eleventh hour - S01 E03

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 3

At the Eleventh Hour…

Mike: “Ah-ahn! Good morning, Sir” still surprised, he shakes hands with Uncle Karim

Uncle Karim: “Good morning Mike. I’m sure you are wondering why I am at your house at this hour”. He looks at his wrist watch. “Well, it is not too early neither is it too late”, looks back at Mike.”It is just some minutes past six”. He extends his left wrist so Mike can see the time. “Don’t worry, I am not here because of work” he smiles.

Mike: “Yes, yes I see sir,” With his hands behind his back, he nervously looks at the injury on Uncle Karim’s hand instead of the wrist watch,“Please come in, sir,” Mike doesn’t move away from the door, he doesn’t expect Uncle Karim to come in, but he asks anyway.

Uncle Karim: “Sure. May I?”

Mike: “Of course, Sir?”. He reluctantly opens the door for Uncle Karim to go in.

Uncle Karim: “Nice place…how much do you rent houses here?”

Mike: “Thank you. Sir, it depends on what you want. For the three bedroom….”

Uncle Karim cuts in,

Uncle Karim: “… Never mind… Errm, can I have your Jumper Cables? My car won’t start, I’m on my way to the gym. A good samaritan has offered to help but we got no Jumper cable.”

Mike:” Jumper Cables?” he asks Uncle Karim as he curses him on his mind. So this stupid man came all the way here for ordinary jumper Cables? He thinks to himself. At first, he thinks of lying to Uncle Karim that he doesn’t have so he can go at once, then another thought crosses his mind; he will give him the Jumper Cables so he can move his car from the front of his house. He mistakenly lets his thoughts out

Mike: “YEESS!!!” He gets himself back, quickly adjusts, “I mean, yes Sir”. He gets agitated. “I have two, I’ll give you one. You can keep it.”

Uncle Karim: “Oh thanks. I could return it when I’m done”

Mike: “Ahhh! Sir, just keep it. It’s my pleasure”

Uncle Karim: “Ok then, thanks once again”

Mike hurriedly goes to the front door, confused, turns around and jogs to the bedroom, makes sure the door is properly closed then takes the kitchen door. He sees himself in the store; picks the Jumper Cables and hands it over to Uncle Karim. He has lied about having two Jumper cables, he knows Uncle Karim might want to return it if he knew he has just one.

Mike: “Here you go, Sir. Like I said, you can keep it, I have another,” He sweats continuously.

Uncle Karim: “Thank you. You just saved a soul. You may want to take your carpet out, the smell is awful.” He smiles and makes his way out of the house.

Mike is taken aback but he manages to keep his cool. He does not wait for Uncle Karim to get to the untarred road in front of his house before slamming his door. He removes his shirt, uses it to clean the sweat on his head and begins to yawn.

“Gossh, that was very close. God help me”, he says slamming his palms together.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

He hears another knock on the door. Again, he is scared, he refuses to answer but waits until a voice is heard.

Kadir: “Guy, na me”.

Mike: “You-who?” He pauses before he speaks, and confused again, “Could it be Uncle Karim again?” He whispers to himself

Kadir: “Mike!” Mike doesn’t answer. “Mike its Kadir. You don turn deaf? Wetin dey do you? Open this door now”

Mike opens the door; he sees that it is truly Kadir. He lets him in and puts on a long face. Kadir doesn’t say anything, he goes to the couch and sits on it halfway and uses the neck of his shirt to cover his nose. Mike is expecting some explanations, he puts his hands akimbo, Kadir pretends like he cannot see him, Mike taps him on the knee and takes his hands back akimbo.

Kadir: “Please don’t lie to me” He looks up to Mike. “Tell me the whole truth. What did you say happened to Meenarh?”

Mike: “Wait, you think I killed her?”

Kadir: “I no talk say na you kill her. How she take die?”

Mike: “How on earth am I supposed to know the killer? I swear to God, I no touch this babe. Come, come see how the body was placed.” He walks like he is going to his room, he thinks Kadir is behind him. He looks behind…

“Why u still sitting there?”

Talking while he covers his nose, Kadir stands up

Kadir: “Wait o, you think say I go stand up go look dead body wey don already dey smell? Dead body don turn cinema abi wetin wey I go stand up go look. Can’t you get it? In a couple of minutes the whole of this Senanga Street will begin to smell like dead body.”

Mike does not know what to say. He takes few steps backwards and sits on the floor.

Kadir: “Wah really happened, Mike? Talk to me.”

Mike towers over Kadir fidgeting,

Mike: “When… whe…whe…”he stutters.

Kadir: “Relax,man” he looks at Mike who has sweat dripping everywhere.

Mike takes a deep breath and continues,

Mike: “When you left the two of us after the introduction, your sister in law,Meenarh, told me she was dizzy and wanted to go home, she refused to let me inform you. She suggested we come to my house”.

Kadir: “Okay?” looks keenly at him.

Mike wipes the fore head with the back of his palm then continues the explanation,

Mike: “I drove her here. We didn’t even have anything to discuss. I tried to touch her but she won’t let me. She slept off few minutes later. I was about to retire to bed too when I saw Bella’s call…”

Kadir: “You took her home, was that the plan? He pauses, then continues, “Bella come here? Is that it? Na Bella kill am? So, why did you say you don’t know the killer then?”

Mike: “Why are you so impatient? Did I say Bella was here? I’m saying Bella called me on the phone. She said she wanted us to go dancing. I didn’t want her to come home and meet this chick here, that was why I drove to her house, picked her up and took her to Aso Bill”.

Kadir: “Ohhh…now I relate. Hmmm. Let me see the body”. He uncovers his nose as he is already used to the smell. Mike takes him to the room to see the body. Kadir cannot hold his breath for long; he rushes out of the room and makes for the door.

Kadir: “Inna Lillahi…!”

Mike: “Where are you going to? Kadir! Kadir!!”

Kadir: “Where else? To my house of course. You don’t expect me to stay in this house with a decomposing body”

Mike: “You want to leave me all alone with this corpse? What do I do with it?”

Kadir: “How e for be before? But, You were alone with it before I came here, now. Don’t you get? This is messed up. How can I help you fix this shit? I mean, I wasn’t here when it all started so why get me involved now?” He walks away.

Quickly, Mike gets up and intercepts him at the door preventing him from going out.

Mike: “Listen, we are this together, you cannot leave me all alone in this mess. No, I won’t let that happen afterall, you encouraged me to go after this girl. Its either we find a way of handling this together or we both go down. There’s no way I am going to allow you step out of this place without implicating you, no way!” he shouts at Kadir with fire in his eyes.