Arrested By Love

Episode 1

Darkness covered everywhere in the
land of Obioha. Not even a single star
could be seen in the sky talk more of the
moon. The screeching of bats from a
nearby bush could be heard at this very
late hour-12:00am. Daria, the only
daughter of Mr and Mrs Alfred stretched
awake on her bed to the noise coming
from a distant. Due to the darkness of
the room, she located where the electric
switch is and put it on. Light shone all
over the room. One could see a typical
local girl’s room; clothes hung on a rope
while some on hanger. At another
corner was a locker full of books and
papers. Her bed was nothing to write
home about. Obviously, the room
indicated the poor background of her
parents.

Daria quietly moved towards the door,
she wore a gown without a bra. She
plate her hair in a local fashion but that
didn’t remove an atom of her beauty
rather it improved it to molecule added
to the attractive fair body complexion.
She could hear the noise and shout of a
familiar voice then she held her chest.
“Austine?” she soliloquized as she went
back to her bed. Sooner did she hear the
voice again loud and clear, “Please, don’t
kill me!”

“Austine!” Daria stood up with a speed.
She quietly opened the door to avoid
waking her parents up. When she got
outside, she couldn’t believe the
darkness of the atmosphere.

Nevertheless, she hurried up into the
darkness. Dogs barked, crickets chirp,
frogs croaked and most of all, cats
purred but Daria kept going. She
hastened up and began to run because
she couldn’t bear the cry of Austin. As
she ran like a blind woman, she
stumbled and fell seriously. “My God!”
she exclaimed…

**
On the other hand at the very resident of
Austin, he la!d flat on the floor wearing
only a boxer and singlet. Before him was
a man on mask and black. On his feet
were Timber-land boots and on his
palms were thick black hand-gloves. He
had a sharp sward which he had used
on Austin already. One could see blood
gushing out from Austin’s arms.
“They call me Red” Ebube, the man on
mask began. “I guess you must have
heard about me coz my fame bread like
a bedshirt. Your stubbornness let you
into this. You should have cooperated
with me peacefully. Now, look at what
you’ve done to yourself” he shuffled the
sward into it’s shelf and turned. He had
a power motorcycle which he climbed
heroically and put the key in the ignition.

The tyres of the motorcycle is as big as
that of vehicles but had wider area.
“Crooom, croom” it set on motion and
blasted out.

**

Daria struggled up without minding the
injuries she sustained, so she began to
run again. As she ran, she heard the
hoot of Owls and croak of toads but
these sounds suddenly overcame by the
sound of Ebube’s power motorcycle.
Hearing that, she hid beside a nearby
bush. She could see the ray of light
coming from the opposite direction. It
drew closer and closer until it passed,
then she began to run again.

At the resident of Austin, as Austin
staggered inside with his hands full of
blood, Daria arrived. “Austin?” she called
in a low voice standing few meters
away.

“Daria, what are you doing here?”
Austin asked holding his arm.
“I heard you shouting that’s why i
came” Daria sighted the blood then
rushed him. “Oh my God! You are
bleeding! What happened?”
“I was attacked but Red”
“Red? Who’s Red?”
“A criminal i guess”
“Thank God he didn’t take your life. Let
me clean you up” Daria sighted a bucket
of water. Austin stared at her as she
came back with the bucket and told him
to sit down but he refused.

“Austin, why? Let me clean you up” Daria
stared into his eyes with a clean cloth in
her hand.

“No, Daria” Austin replied.
“But why?”
“I’m worried why you came all the way
from your house to this place. Have you
thought of what your parents will say if
they get to know you left your house to
my house at this hour of the night?”
“But i came to save a life, especially for
the person i love. I couldn’t bear hearing
your shout then keep quiet. Please, allow
me to clean the blood. You’re bleeding
furiously” Daria concluded then both
stared at each other silently…

**

Mr Alfred, Daria’s father woke up to the
sound of the motorcycle. He stood up
toward the parlour door and found it
open. With the same gesture, he
checked on Daria but couldn’t find her.
“Elizabeth!” he shouted his wife’s name.
“Mama Daria!” he added before the wife
came out adjusting her wrapper.
“My husband, what is it?”
“Where is your daughter?”
“You mean Daria?”
“Do we have another one?”
“Hehy..” the wife entered Daria’s room
but couldn’t find her. “My husband,
where is she?”

“I’m asking you and you are asking me
back. Ihia anyi biara o gwam gwam
gwam?” the husband spoke in igbo
language.

“I don’t know where she is”
“If i don’t kill that girl with my hands,
she won’t disappear by this time of the
night!”

“Heh! Chim oh!” the wife adjusted her
wrapper again. Just then, Daria came
back with blood stain on her gown..