The Widow

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 3

The Widow, Day Three

It is now the third day since Simi’s in-laws visited to threaten her and accuse her of eliminating her husband. She has not been able to go anywhere, not to work or to visit friends in the neighbourhood. She has been alone, thinking and pondering on how to handle the situation so as to come out unscathed.

On this day, Simi was in the living room, thinking about her life when suddenly, she heard a knock on the door and she rushed to know who it was. Behold, it was Ajuka again. It was so early in the morning, so Simi was not ready to quarrel with anyone, so she just opened the door and allowed him to come.

“You are here again? Believe me, if I knew it was you, I wouldn’t have even stand up from where I was resting. You people have stressed me so much over the past three days. I feel like I have been abandoned and I also feel like I’m about to be denied what rightfully belongs to me. So, as it is now, I don’t even want to see anyone related to my late husband. I just want to be alone and face my problems.” Simi said quietly as she left the door and started going back to the seat where she was lying down.

She sat on the chair and folded her hands calmly as if no one else was in the room. Simi knew that whatever Ajuka was coming to tell her would be a rehash of the same trash she has been hearing since her husband passed on.

“I’m here again today because of the love and admiration I have for you. If it were to be another person, I would have hands-off this issue for a long time and allowed the person to face the consequences of her action. But it is you, the person I so much like. I do not want you to suffer the things that my brothers have in plan for you. They want to do away with you and take what rightfully belongs to you. I have come here again to give you the last chance to agree to my proposal.” Ajuka tells Simi but she paid him no attention.

“Are you not talking to me? You and I know that it was not you who killed your husband. You know you are innocent of the crime you are being accused of committing, but the truth is that people out there would believe what the family tells them. If your late husband’s family is saying that it was you who killed their brother, the neighbors and even the whole world would believe what we are saying. They will not even ask questions to know if you did it or not. They

will just believe what we are telling them. That is how the world is. The odds are stacked against the widow who has no man behind her. You did not eliminate your husband, but the world will believe you did it the moment we start saying it out there. We will broadcast it for people to hear. So, if you don’t want your beautiful name to be tainted and tarnished, you should just accept the beautiful proposal I have given to you.” Ajuka was still talking. He did not sit down, but was standing up to buttress his points with gestures.

“So you knew that I did not eliminate my husband right? You are aware that he died a natural death? You knew that I’m totally innocent of the things you people are accusing me right? Why then are you people accusing me of things I did not do? Why have you joined your kinsmen to torment me with awful words and threats at a time I’m supposed to be mourning my husband and thinking of his burial? What did I ever do to you people? What did I do wrong?” Simi asked tearfully, knowing that she would not get the answers she is looking for, because Ajuka was not there with pure intentions.

“You did nothing wrong! The truth is that I was the one who invented that lie. I’m the one who instructed my kinsmen to lay the accusation on you so that I will get what I want. I want you. This is because I’m the only person who can take good care of you in the absence of my brother. Since my brother is not there anymore, I have come to take full charge. You must not turn me down, because I have all my plans laid out to rescue you from this situation. And if you refuse, I will sink your boat.” Ajuka said to Simi who was just watching him with a lot of amazement.

“I don’t need your rescue. I can handle this alone.” Simi responded.

“You can’t handle it. I have already told you that my kinsmen are lined up to show you a lot of trouble. Look Simi, after today, I’m not going to come here again to beg you. This is the last time I will be visiting to plead with you to do what is clearly in your own best interest. The burial date has been set and we did not even tell you before setting the date.” Ajuka said.

“What? How can you set the burial date of my husband without telling me? This is not right and I will not accept it.” Simi said while still pouring hot tears.

“You can’t do anything about it. And for your

information, before the burial, you are not

expected to be seen anywhere within this house.

Tomorrow, we are coming here to share our

brother’s properties amongst ourselves. If you

accept my propose right now, I will convince my

brothers to leave you alone, but if you refuse,

I’m sorry, there is nothing I can do.” Ajuka said.

His voice has an element of threat in it.

“What I know is that I’m holding on to the will that my husband wrote before his death. He said in the will that all his property belongs to me. There is no going back. You people should come, I will be waiting for you.” Said Simi. She has still not stood up from the chair, but her voice had become stronger.

“You should prepare very well. You better start packing your bags. The next time you see me here would be to throw you out of this property. The fly flying around the grave would be buried with the dead.” Ajuka said as he storms out of the building with his ego bruised.

Day 4 Dropping soon………