Nkpume Iko:
Omo T. Thanks dear.

But, please spill it out, or are you reserving it for...

exactly i'm actually reserving it for... But pls update this story make suspense no kill us o

christe james: I am endeared to ur impeccable writing nwa nna!!! Just spit them out i hope the poor girl is nt dead oo! U too much bro!!

Wow! 'Impeccable' Thats a lot you know. Thanks nwa nnem.

Am so spiting them out like your venom,oops, i mean James' venom.You know like james-viper-venom.

As per the 'poor girl', I guess thats what you have to find out.

**To be updated shortly**

Guy hurry my hrt is beating faster........ I can't wait to knw wat happened to d poor gal

* * * * * * *
EARLIER THAT EVENING….

It was a very drab evening at the Ugbowo Police Division of Benin City. Most of the routine police officers had all left for their homes; those on night shift being the only ones who dotted the environment.

It was a very big compound. The police building, a relatively large bungalow, was cocooned in a giant enclosing fence and a Big Black Gate. Inside the compound was a very high mango tree, which provided shade always to the veranda of the building, when the sun rose to its peak. On some other occasions, the produce from the tree simply served as meal to some police officers. They were the ones they called “Suegbe policeman”.

A handful of bad, abandoned and destroyed vehicles adorned the compound. Most were vehicles of citizens that were seized for one reason or the other, and their owners refused to come hold claim over. Others were vehicles that were involved in fatal accidents and were beyond repair. The police had had to go and clear the high way of those vehicles and ironically, their domain became dumping sites.

Inside the lobby of the station, two officers were engrossed in a conversation. They rested their elbows on the counter and they were directly facing the entrance. One was Sergeant Musa who had a strong aversion for the English Language. It is rumoured in some circles that you wouldn’t have said above three English words before he shunned. In fact, daring to speak it to him meant you were desperately trying to pick up a fight and he never shied away from giving you just that.

Sergeant Musa never spoke Hausa to non Hausas; he just tries to cushion his pidgin with a heavy Hausa accent, you would have to be incredibly dumb not to notice his ancestry. One conspicuous aspect of him was that he never wrote a statement. Whoever came to the station to lay a complain, did the writing, God help you and you decline.

Sergeant Osaro on the other hand was Benin and a relatively handsome policeman who knew quite a lot about his job, his only hubris being his orientation. He was not wholly confined to women, sexually. He was a chip of both blocks.

“Ahan, na zo you an the wooman kwom waka?” Sergeant Musa asked smiling.
“Musa! wetin you kon say make I do?” Sergeant Osaro questioned jokingly.
“Haba Osaro, the wooman like you. I see am korokoro dey luk you. No be nomal luk o” he jested.
“Musa forget that…”

He halt abruptly as he saw a young fine man walk into the lobby hesitantly. He couldn’t be more than thirty. He was tall, about 6ft 2 and he had an oval shaped head and perfectly grown moustache, that blended faultlessly with his clean shaved bald head and intimidating sideburns. He observed the man for some seconds and something jerked at his nether region.
Sergeant Osaro’s heart did a little jump in excitement like a hunter who just saw his trap had caught a huge grass cutter. He adjusted and motioned for the young man to come close.

The young man lumbered to the counter. “Good evening officers” He greeted cautiously.
“Ehem. Welcome” Osaro said beaming.
“Officers, I have important information to give.” The man said in a hurry.
“Come, if you no wont make I throw you fo sell nowu nowu, no speak English for hie again.” Musa snarled at the man.
“Okay, officer no vex” He apologized. “You know that girl wey them kill for school last two weeks abi?”
“Ehem ehem” Sgt. Osaro said quickly, urging him on.
“I know the people wey kill am” He dropped the shell.
“Oya rait am here”, Sgt. Musa said without the slightest iota of surprise, pushing the statement book to him. The young man was confused.
“Write wetin officer?” He asked bemused.
“The thing wey you tolk jost nowu” He snapped viciously.
“But officer no be you dey wr …”
“Shot up yoa maut” Sgt. Musa cut in angrily “You won teach me my job?”
“Haba officer!”
“Oya wetin be yo name and who you be?” Sgt. Musa inquired.
“My name na Osas, and I get photographic studio for Oluku.” The young man replied.
“Picture people, mtcheew.” Sgt. Musa hissed.
“Erm Sergeant,” Sgt. Osaro turned to Sgt. Musa, “E get wetin I won ask this man for outside.”
“No wahala” Sgt. Musa said with a shrug.

Sgt. Osaro and the young man (Osas) went outside and talked for what seemed like two minutes.

Sgt. Musa was shocked when he saw the young man fuming and making a bid to leave the station. He ran out quickly to verify what the situation was. Was the young man lying when he said he knew who killed the girl, whose case was reported to the station a few weeks back?

He got outside and saw Sgt. Osaro looking obviously flustered, an embarrassing smile on his face. He looked at the young man who had stopped when he noticed Sgt. Musa was running outside.

“Wetin be dat?” Sgt. Musa queried the young man.
“Officer, since your second no won behave himself, I don dey go.” He glared at Sgt. Osaro and started for the Big Black Gate.

Nkpume Iko:
Oga Jony, you like updates sha. Never wori, e go soon land.

sure naw.. I must commend ur good work so far.. U've kept me stock 2 nairaland literature section

J0nyb0y:
sure naw.. I must commend ur good work so far.. U've kept me stock 2 nairaland literature section

Wow! You just made my night.

Erm erm...stil searchin my mind with osomo so as 2 knw wat 2 say o.

Hahahaha I de enjoy ma self

felipemadero: Erm erm...stil searchin my mind with osomo so as 2 knw wat 2 say o.

Na wa o.I hail that your mind o.

Well, na Empty Hen you dey use dats why the network no gree you search anything.

tmamuda: Hahahaha I de enjoy ma self

Its good to know you are having swell time.Just make sure you don't empty my fridge.

**walks through**

Mynd_44: **walks through**

WHAT!!!

Thank God its just a comment. I was beginning to think something went wrong. *sighs heavily* So relieved.

Its gratifying to know you are here Mynd.

Nkpume Iko:
Its good to know you are having swell time.Just make sure you don't empty my fridge.

I ll spare d fridge on conditn if u cntinue immediately meanwhile I need pop corn 2 enjoy da stuff.

Nkpume Iko:
WHAT!!!

Thank God its just a comment. I was beginning to think something went wrong. *sighs heavily* So relieved.

Its gratifying to know you are here Mynd.

Great work. Though

Following silently.

Mynd_44:
Great work. Though

Thanks Boss. I really appreciate this.

tmamuda:

I ll spare d fridge on conditn if u cntinue immediately meanwhile I need pop corn 2 enjoy da stuff.

Of course, I will continue but that will be much later.

Here you go *Hands him a pack of pop corn*

Hardeluv: Following silently.

No qualms dear.

As long as you are here.

Nkpume Iko:
Of course, I will continue but that will be much later.

Here you go *Hands him a pack of pop corn*

Since is gonna b d bam. Am gonna wait, while chillin wit d pop corn
Thanks man.

I will give you a rating of 8/10. Kudos nice work.

Tick tack tick tack...............strongly waiting 4 d next update and I love d fact dat u don't disappoint

My hands re folded,just wandering what d end will be nd why u av chosed d title.THE LAST STAR.
Kudos to u,i dey 4low u like twitter.

Iko don't fall my hand o, nt after I ve praised u pls come nd update cos I'm running out of patient

*searches 4 update* *found none..*
Walks out disappointed..

never tired of reading ur story, nice write-up

Obinnau: I will give you a rating of 8/10. Kudos nice work.

Ichie, welcome back

Thanks for the rating man. Thats massive.

radientstar: Tick tack tick tack...............strongly waiting 4 d next update and I love d fact dat u don't disappoint

Thanks

radientstar: Iko don't fall my hand o, nt after I ve praised u pls come nd update cos I'm running out of patient

Am so sorry dear. Something came up. Thanks for waiting btw

kojusoluwa: My hands re folded,just wandering what d end will be nd why u av chosed d title.THE LAST STAR.
Kudos to u,i dey 4low u like twitter.

Thanks for following Sir, and as for the title, i think i have addressed that before. Matter of fact, its becoming over flogged.

J0nyb0y: *searches 4 update* *found none..*
Walks out disappointed..

Oga Jony abeg no vex. i dey update now now.

adegwurulez: never tired of reading ur story, nice write-up

Boss! Thats soothing. Merci

* * * * * * * *

Life is no bed of roses, delude yourself into believing it is and you may never recover. Life is one big mighty porcupine and it arrows its spines at us every minute, those who painfully pull off theirs and keep their gaze ahead are those who survive. Oddly, Henrietta allowed her spines sank deep into her heart till they pierced out every breath of life she ever had.

People gathered inside Pamilton hostel as grief hung on the air. Swollen eyes and gloomy faces were readily available as the gate of the compound opened and some more melancholic faces came inside.

Sympathizers were scattered at various angles of the compound, crying and weeping their eyes out. Some strong hearted ones simply stood with no tears in their eyes but with sombre faces peering into the gathering dark clouds, wondering what life was about.

Henrietta was a friend to all, males and females alike.

Inside of Henrietta’s room was another spell bound sight. Crying girls were all over the place. Some sat lazily on the rough; their eyes had exhausted its tank of tears. Others stood with arms folded across their chest, backs resting on the wall, looking at Henrietta’s lifeless form on the bed as though she was having a much needed nap, disbelief clearly painted on their faces.

Joy, Henrietta’s roommate sat on the bed stroking Henrietta’s hair. Henrietta was gone, never to return. She knew this, but a last show of affection would hurt no one. She continued stroking the hair of Henrietta’s lifeless form, crying inside, there was not a tear in her eyes. She looked around at the number of sympathizers in the room and she grinned sorrowfully. Henrietta was truly a friend to all.

She had placed a call to the UBTH emergency unit and she was expecting a siren, blaring outside any moment from then. It was almost 9pm and she knew it would take them twice the usual time to arrive. It was night and medical personnel are generally reluctant then, especially those who manned emergency units.

She hoped they would surprise themselves for once and arrive Pamilton hostel soonest, but sincerely, she knew it was a forlorn hope.

Joy and Henrietta had been in their room that afternoon, playing a ludo game, enjoying themselves, a collection of volume deprived soft rock music forming a backdrop. Henrietta had the upper hand. She was leading Joy 5-3 and was laughing hysterically and jesting to her fill. She was a naturally a free spirited girl but she was always in incredibly high mood, whenever she led anyone in a game of ludo.

The afternoon had been going on smoothly until it turned sour when Henrietta’s phone rang. Immediately she saw it came from James, her beaming face turned abruptly into a frown. She had picked it up and she didn’t say a thing, she just listened instead, and Joy saw her frowning face slowly deteriorate into a scowl.

After the call ended,
“What is it?” Joy questioned
“Its james…he says I should dress up that he is on his way. We are going out.”
“And he didn’t even deem it fit to pre inform you?” Joy asked startled.
“It baffles me too. More surprising is why he wants to see me after how he reacted when I called to inform him of the pregnancy. Mtcheew.”
“Girl, you just have to go. At least to listen to what he has to say. You know now, guys and their ish” Joy advised.
“Na true you talk, but he had better made sense, if not...” Henrietta left her sentence hanging but there was an underlining vagueness to it. Joy tried but she couldn’t see through it.
“Okay now, make I pack up this ludo and stroll reach Dumebi hostel. Make man pikin straight body small. We go see when you come back now”
Henrietta sighed, ”Okay girl, make I dress up quickly then”…

Joy had overstayed at Dumebi’s place and when she came back at Sundown, she saw Henrietta’s shoes at the door mouth and wondered why she came back so early. She opened the door and saw her on the bed sleeping, her hands and legs slightly apart and her head bent awkwardly. Joy had thought she was tipsy and was only suffering from hangover. She had looked at the figure on the bed again and realized a whole lot was wrong.

Henrietta was still completely dressed and Henrietta always changed into her nightgown no matter the degree of dizziness. She walked towards her and just when she was about to tap her, her eyes caught sight of a note on their desk. It looked as though it had just been written for a pen was on top of it. She walked to the desk, her heart pounding against her ribcage.

She got to the desk, picked up the note and read :

I HAVE AGREED TO YOUR TERMS JAMES, BUT I DECIDED TO MAKE IT TWO LIVES. YOU WIN!
Henrietta.

Joy couldn’t believe what she had just read as she started to gasp for air; the room had become stuffy all of a sudden. Her palms began to sweat and she felt goose pimples like chicken pox all over her body. She felt irritable and nauseating. She dropped the note in a flash and ran to the bed and…

“Joy”, someone called. She looked up and saw one of Henrietta’s friends who had come to sympathize with them, angling her head to the door. She followed the direction slowly to the door and there stood James, flanked by Razz and Sleek.

Nkpume, ku ise sogbo?.....

Nice update