At the eleventh hour - S01 E04

2 years ago

At the eleventh hour - S01 E04

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 4

At the Eleventh Hour…

Mike runs after Kadir who tries to escape leaving him to solve his problem all by himself. He drags him back into the living room and they both fall on their backs. He thought Kadir would never abandon him in times like this- The only person who can save him right now is Kadir; Mike has gotten to a Cul-De-Sac. He can’t let Kadir off his sleeve no way! He tightens his grip on Kadir who struggles to free himself to no avail. They roll on the floor for a while, still holding his shirt, Mike pulls him closer, becomes desperate and yells.

Mike: “Why are you being selfish? You know I can’t even hurt an insect. You know, I don’t have a hand in Meenarh’s death, Kadir, you know! So, why do you want to leave me like this? Is this what friendship is all about?”

Kadir: “Get your hands off me! You got yourself into this mess, clean it up yourself!” he struggles to push his friend away.

Mike: “Fine-fine. You can go, Kadir. Go and leave me to solve this, but don’t forget, tables turn! ” he lets go of his shirt.

Kadir at this time already knows that it is his responsibility to help his friend manage the situation. Millions of thoughts run through his mind at once, yet he cannot decide what to do, then he resolves to share his thoughts with his friend. Kadir walks around the room for a while and in a flash, sits on the chair, like one exhausted after a long walk.

Mike: “Any idea? ” he asks as he notices Kadir’s attempt to talk.

Kadir: “Stop talking and get me water to drink. I can’t even think, I need to clear my head.”

Mike runs to the refrigerator and grabs a bottle of cold water, hands it over to Kadir who empties everything in few seconds. He pauses to catch his breath for a while.

Kadir: “Hmmmm. You know say you dumb? You be mumu, First class M-U-M-U…that’s what you are. Why you go bring my sister-in-law come your house without informing me? If you had, maybe I would have done something to prevent this whole shit. It’s obvious someone came in here last night and we don’t even know who, we don’t even know if this is to set you up or something. And to make it worse, I’ve always been the one fixing your shit. I don’t even know why I came here in the first place, now I am stuck!”

Mike: “Calling me names isn’t gonna solve a thing right now. I thought I explained this to you already? And about you being the one fixing my problems, have you ever been there when I need you most? Have you? If you had arrived last night this would have been done with. If you don’t wanna help, that’s the door!” He hopelessly points at the door.

Kadir sighs, one that suggests that he is contemplating helping his friend or using the door to get himself away from this trouble.

Just like a professional sniper intending to finish his assignment, Mike pulls his shirt and dashes into the bedroom. Within an hour, he finishes the job; cleans up the body and wraps it with a blanket, then uses a tape to roll over the blanket to hold it firm to the body. It is now Kadir’s turn; he lifts the body from the floor, takes it to the backyard where he meets Mike, who helps him bring down the body; they both dig the ground and dump the body. As Mike tries to cover up the grave, Kadir stops him…

Kadir: “Wait!” He moves closer to the corpse “Meenarh, I’m sorry, but you gave us no other option…please rest in peace and may Aljanah Firdaus be your final abode” then to Mike, “you can now go ahead”

In the meantime Mike fills the soak away pit with sand and replaces the cement blocks that he had removed before digging. Kadir on the other hand is done with his own part, he is washing his hands and getting ready to leave. Mike is uncomfortable with the way the body has been discarded, but he dare not open his mouth to tell his friend because he knows Kadir will bluntly call him an “ingrate”, little does he know that Kadir is also having the same thoughts.

Kadir: “Guy, as you can see, I have once again proven my friendship to you. I don try well well for you. What we have to do now is put our brain through the stress of trying to figure out how we can create an alibi for the both of us. When did you say you brought her in?”

Mike: “Some minutes past Twelve…yea” he looks up to the ceiling like he is doing some calculations in his head.

Kadir: “Ok…did you by any chance see anyone around the time you drove her in?”

Mike: “Not at all. In fact, I was very careful so Bella’s colleague, Busayo, won’t see me with another woman. Her house is just by the road.”

Kadir: “Ok. That means we can say, you never came home with her. Hmmm…that is if anything comes up to warrant explanations. So, we are good. Relax some more, have your bath and get yourself busy. Live like it’s the usual Saturday. Make sure you do the regular stuff so people won’t suspect. And before I forget, get this Turaren-wuta, or any regular incense…it will help bring down the bad smell”

Mike: “Honestly, I know this is hard for you because I know the implication. I’m sorry about the whole stress. Thank you, Bro. I owe you a lot.” he shakes hands with Kadir

Kadir: “I’ll have to go now. I got things to take care of at my brother’s house. His wife wants me to help her take the car to the mechanic. From there I’ll go chill at the Bamboo. We meet there at Four right?”

Mike: “Sure! But there’s something I forgot to tell you, not important though…”

Kadir: “What’s that?”

Mike: “Your brother was here. His car broke down and he needed some Jump Cables. He came in and stood right there, where you’re standing. But he didn’t notice anything but the smell”

Kadir: “Hmmm. You mean Uncle Kay was here today, and you didn’t see it as something important? Is it me feeling this way or this is going way complicated? Anyway, just do what I have asked you to do. My sister-in-law is already chatting me up. Bye”

Mike sees him off to the front of the house; with a feeling of dizziness, he goes to the kitchen to have a drink. As he gulps, his favourite Red Bull energy drink does not taste the same way it used to, this one feels like he is swallowing frozen urine; squints as he empties the can, shortly after, goes to the bathroom to have a cold shower. Making sure the water from the shower touches his whole body, he bathes as if he is washing off his sins.

Unfortunately, this is the second murder incident he would be involved in. Mike has never been lucky with women; the first incidence was when he was in school. A girl he met on Facebook visited him; he made sure she was comfortable in his well furnished apartment off campus. They got very close that fateful day and he was about to penetrate when she politely told him they could not do it without protection. He knew she was a decent girl, so he paused the mood and rushed down to the supermarket down the road to get some condoms. The girl had died before he returned!

“We have forgiven you and won’t press charges. Naimah was diabetic, Allah gives and He alone takes…” that was what the girl’s mother said to Mike when the police took up the case.