Aliyah

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 17

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ANNIE’S POV

All my thoughts revolved around Sean. Where could he be? He wasn’t around ever since the incident. He disappeared at the party also. No, it can’t be. Sean can’t harm her. They never had any issue.

Luckily, or maybe it skipped their mind, mrs. Ridoh didn’t repeat the question. I caught dave several times staring at me. I don’t know if he was swimming in the same ocean of thoughts with me.

The room was dead silent. Mr. Ridoh was outside receiving calls. Mrs. Ridoh sat with Aliyah’s sister who rested her head on her mother’s chest. I stared at them. Aliyah really looks like her mother. Just that Aliyah had this killer curves. I had seen her body several times while we were in her room.

Mr. Ridoh entered. I watched as he sat down next to Dave. Our eyes met. He smiled at me. I bowed.

The room was as silent as a graveyard. I stared at Ruth and Chioma. They were already dozing. I stared at Mrs. Ridoh, she had her eyes closed.

Few minutes later, I felt my eyes closing. I needed not to force myself not to sleep. I closed it myself and adjusted my body on the sofa. No one had gotten a good night rest ever since the incident.

Slowly, the door opened. He entered looking surprised. Everyone stared at him. I didn’t know what to do. Maybe, I should jump at him and tear him to pieces.

“No, you can’t do that” A voice in me said.

“He’s just a suspect” Another one said.

“You can’t judge him yet”

“Who knows”

“Where did he go since the incident happened?”

“But that doesn’t mean. He might have an excuse”

“Excuse indeed”

The voices kept on arguing. I watched him as he stood still at the door. He closed it slowly.

“Good… Good afternoon ma” He greeted. His voice trembled.

“Afternoon dear. Have a seat.” Mr. Ridoh answered.

Why is looking so scared? I asked myself as I watch him sat next to dave. We all stared at him. Dave glanced at Sean. I knew he did buh I had my gaze fixed at Sean.

He looked at each one of us starting from Dave. I guess he was kind of surprised and was wondering what’s happening. I eyed him when he looked at me.

“Why are you pretending? Where have you been?” I suddenly found myself say.

Everyone was shocked. Aliyah’s parent stared at me, then back to him. Ruth pinched me but I hit her hand away.

“W…wh…What do you mean? I..I really… I don’t understand” He asked. I glared at him.

“When did you turn into a stammerer? Tell me!” I barked at him.

“Annie! What’s all this? Are you out of your mind!?” Dave barked at me. He stood up, facing me.

“What!? Don’t bark at me! You know about this? Do you? Tell me?” My voice cracked, tears rolled down my left eye.

Dave looked at me. He was surprised at my action. He slumped on the chair and covered his face with his palm.

“Ma, this is sean. He was with us at the club. During the time Aliyah disappeared, we couldn’t find him also” I explained to The Ridoh’s who were lost and also surprised at my action.

“Annie” I heard Sean call out softly.

“But you guys didn’t mention him from the beginning. Why?” Mr. Ridoh asked.

I stared at the floor. I wished I had. No one answered. Ruth was sobbing quietly.

“Sir… I.. I swear, I don’t know what happened to Aliyah” Sean said.

I glared at him surprised. No one mentioned something happened to Aliyah. Mr. And Mrs. Ridoh stared at him almost at once.

“Sean?” Dave said, shifting away from him.

“I… No, no. Not what you guys are thinking… I…” He paused immediately as he saw Mrs. Ridoh stood up and moved towards him. Mr. Ridoh followed her from behind incase she acted rough. I guess he feared she was up to something.

We looked at her wondering what she was up to. She got to where he sat and touched his stripe shirt. She used her fingers to trace the button line from up. She stopped when she reached the third to the last button.

It was empty! There was no button there. We gasped. Everyone was shocked. Dave stood up from his side. Sean stammered trying to say something.

Mrs. Ridoh slumped on the ground crying. Aishat quickly held her mother. It was another round of tears for everyone.

Suddenly, we heard a sound. It was as if thunder striked. Everywhere was silent. I was shocked. My body shook in fear.

Mr. Ridoh had slapped Sean. Sean held his cheek. Tears rolled down his eyes. I looked at Dave. Now, he was crying.

“My daughter’s been in coma for days. You killer! Pray, homo sapiens! Pray! Nothing happens to her. I’ll skin you, roast you, cage your spirit, scare….” Mr. Ridoh kept on ranting. He brought out his phone after lashing Sean with big grammars and dialed a number.

“Yes… Come right away” He said.

We needed no soothsayer to tell us it was the police. I felt like a betrayal. I wished I didn’t. Had I known. I wouldn’t have.

Sean pleaded. He said he was innocent. Mr. Ridoh held him tight like a criminal while Mrs. Ridoh cursed. I sat down helplessly. Weak. I wish I just didn’t do that.

Few minutes later, the police arrived. They handcuff Sean who was screaming begging Dave not to let him go.

Dave sat down. He watched his friend being dragged away. He didn’t even look at me throughout. He just had his face being buried in his palm.

Few hours later, Mr. Ridoh’s phone rang. The doctor had called that Aliyah was awake but she had slept again and will be very hungry when she wakes up.

With joy, we prepared her something light and also filled our belly. We had our bath and wore new dress. It seems everyone had forgotten about Sean.

If only we knew, if only we knew. We would have cried from home and saved our joy for another day.

We got to the hospital and saw someone being wheeled out of the I.C.U where Aliyah was. Her face was white.

“Aliyah!” I gasped as the cloth used to cover her face blew off. Hot tears ran down my face. The basket Aishat held dropped and the contents scattered.

Mrs. Ridoh’s scream echoed in the hospital building. She ran forward and held her hand. I watched her drop it immediately and shift backwards. She gasped. Her mouth wide open.

“Aliyah! ! !” Mrs. Ridoh screamed and broke into tears.

I stood still. My legs trembled. I fell down. My eyes shut immediately.

The news spread like wild fire. I wonder who posted it online. Students trooped into our compound. Everyone wore black. I sat on the floor. I was in the room but I was far away. Have you ever lost someone before? Someone that puts a smile on your face. Have you?

My tears poured freely without stopping. I watched as Aishat was wailing. Mr. Ridoh eyes was red. Mrs. Ridoh wasn’t crying anymore. She just sat still shaking her two legs uncontrollably.

“Dear, we’ll leave early…tomorrow morning to bury her” I heard Mr. Ridoh say to his wife. His voice was In million pieces. His lips trembled as he spoke. Even though he didn’t cry out loud. I knew his heart is in pain. He was surely crying inside.

“Early?” I heard Ruth asked. She was sitting next to me and next to Chioma.

“Yes. They’re Muslims. If not that the day is already getting late or they are at home, they would have buried her” I explained to her.

She stood up and rushed in to the bedroom. We heard her let out a loud, doleful wail.

I covered my face with my palm. I sobbed quietly.

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This part is so sad. I… I… I don’t know what to say. Next episode comes up tomorrow.