Hameenat94:
*crying*... Bring both d bowl nd bucket... Hw callous some Human cn b.. Guess d Yerima comes in nw... Still crying...

About the Yekinis, hmmm... (sniffs and joins her in weeping )

Queenxstar: About the Yekinis, hmmm... (sniffs and joins her in weeping )

passing a bucket 2 her

Chai! Poor Katerine. She had to go through all that

Queenxstar: Babyzai, I sight you it's been a while. Hope you're okay.

Av been good. Just taking tins easy bt really loving nd enjoying ur story. D last update made me cry. Well done nd may ur fountain of knowledge neva run dry.

just because of jeep scratch, gosh!!, if i were Kathy, i will survive, u know y? so i could wipe out that man and all his lineage, rubbish, cos of ordinary car

babyzai: Av been good. Just taking tins easy bt really loving nd enjoying ur story. D last update made me cry. Well done nd may ur fountain of knowledge neva run dry.

What a shiny royal pence! Amen and thanks. .

Jeanfortune: just because of jeep scratch, gosh!!, if i were Kathy, i will survive, u know y? so i could wipe out that man and all his lineage, rubbish, cos of ordinary car

My dear... I'm sure that thought must have crossed her mind too.

Ziziola: Chai! Poor Katerine. She had to go through all that

All that and more dearie.

Hameenat94:
passing a bucket 2 her

(Dab eyes and sniffs ) Thank you dear.

Jeanfortune: just because of jeep scratch, gosh!!, if i were Kathy, i will survive, u know y? so i could wipe out that man and all his lineage, rubbish, cos of ordinary car

I guess God is already dealing with them one by one in his own way.

***

'We buried him.' Katherine sniffed and coughed. 'The press arrived before we took Kennedy home, so they captured him lying in his pool of blood. They came to the house after the burial and wanted a couple of interview. The man who killed my brother was sent into thick clouds and not presented to face the consequence of his action.'

'What obscenity!'

'I honored one interview where Nigerians were given the opportunity to call in.' She continued weakly. 'They expressed their grievances to the extent I broke into tears right there in the studio and then it dawned on me that it can only be talked about until the matter dies and whatever force or click he belonged to would protect him. So when I was asked for an interview to talk about the horrifying experience, I refused.'

Kelvin placed the thick woollen shawl around her shoulders because she was shivering and the sea breeze had become cooler.

'Did you check his name tag, can you remember his ranking from his uniform?' There was optimism in his voice and expectation in his eyes.

'I don't even know if I can recognise him, I can't remember what force he was in, all I know is that he was top ranked. Kelvin, no matter how people like me try, we don't have advantage over people of high class. He was so protected that even his name wasn't released. The law can always be modified to suit people who know how to grease the right palms.' She blew her nose and wiped it. 'You wouldn't believe the number of terrifying that are allowed to slide on daily basis.'

'That's crap.' Kelvin said irritated. 'How can it just be swept under the carpet?'

'For the fact that he had committed murder when his defense was not threatened, for the fact that he was a uniformed man and should know better would have been the reason while he shouldn't go unpunished. That is obtainable in this part of the world. When a poor person tries to get justice done, he will eventually discover that he had wasted his resources, time and hurt himself more.'

'That is baloney...absolute nonsense.' He bobbed his head from side to side before drumming his fingers on the table in controlled agitation.

'I have learnt to place my solace in God.' She said calmly and glanced at the sea. 'Let's hear the conclusion.' She drew out a shaky breath.

He directed his attention back to her.

'Kennedy and I were born with golden spoon yet our parents taught us that life was not a bed of roses, times of yesterday might never be that of today. When the rainy days came, we were able to find our feeting, when Kennedy dropped the baton, I picked it up with determination. What he wouldn't have me do, I was compelled to. I had to fend for my daddy and I. I got a teaching job.

My dad and I were closer than ever. 'She blinked severally and tears fell off her bloodshot eyes. 'Those days, I used to have horrible nightmares, he was there for me and we were always there for us. We spent most of our nights crying. We couldn't recover from the absence of Kennedy. My daddy was not happy that I had to work, he didn't express it though but I could see it eyes, in the way he looked me over when I came back from work. His eyes held disapproval when Kenny was working talk more of his baby girl. He wasn't pleased that he had to helplessly watch his children fend for themselves and him so early.

In the course of working, I did understand what my big brother was trying to protect me from. Despite how they tried they couldn't change me because I had already took the words of my parents and brother to heart and sealed it there.

When my brother was alive, I was ready to wait for him to gain his feeting before going to college.' Katherine shrugged.

'When all expenses were deducted from my salary including my daddy monthly appointment with an orthopaedic doctor, there was hardly anything left. ' She shrugged and exhaled. 'My dream was to become accountant and a financial consultant as I go higher.'

Kelvin beamed.

'My daddy was an orphan but he had two younger step brothers from my grand mum who remarried after the death of grand dad. Being from a poor family, my dad struggled through school and worked his way to the top, he sponsored his much younger brothers through school and got them connected to good jobs after they graduated.' She gave a short laugh and dabbed her eyes.

'I remember those beautiful days when our lives were rosy, they were always around the house at the littlest break, they enjoyed the treat in my mum's restaurant like they were Co founders. I remember the special treat every weekends.' She inhaled deeply and exhaled. 'Wind of fate could be such a merciless snatcher. The home front was my mum priority, she was kind hearted and an epitome of the Bible's virtuous woman. I remember how my friends, classmates and neighbours wished my she was theirs. They all looked out for invitation to treats in my house. Every Sunday was Africa salad treat.' She smiled at him.

'I see.' Kelvin chuckled.

'When things changed, we stopped seeing the faces of my uncles, the older one got married a couple of months before mummy died. They attended her funeral but they didn't come for Kenny funeral. They didn't give any assistance... I mean any.'



Kelvin raised a brow.

'When Kenny was alive, how I love that guy. He didn't consider begging anyone. I decided to give a trial without my dad approval but in his presence I called them and a minute into the conversation, I was so pissed, I hanged up and switched off the phone.

As days rolled into weeks, I did my best to take care of us. Four months after Kennedy passed on, that month was a rainy one, that very week got streets and houses flooded, so many were displaced.' Tears formed in her eyes and she extended a palm to Kelvin.

He took the palm and placed his free palm over it. It was cold.

'The weather situation made news because the rain descended the earth with no mercy. It was so serious that most couldn't go out to work.' She closed her eyes briefly and took a couple of deep breaths. 'You remember I told you about having nightmares.

Kelvin nodded.

'At a point, I couldn't sleep alone so I slept with my dad. On that particular day, I woke up to discover my daddy wasn't in bed, I turned on the table lamp and the table clock told me it was forty minutes past four a.m.
I went to the sitting room and discovered he had gone outside. Out of curiosity, I lingered at the window with a worried frown because he was allergic especially to such weather condition. I couldn't hear him but from his geetures, I knew he was pouring his heart to God so I didn't interrupt.' She paused and stared into space as tears now flowed in torrents. 'If I was not too young, if I had known that the wind of fate was not through with me...I would have know...I would have known.' She bit her quivering lower lips and sneezed.

Kelvin jaw dropped at her last statement.

'I left the window before he came in to boil water for his bath and make breakfast, his cloths were soaked and dropping, it was all stained. He met me at the kitchen, I had planned a surprise breakfast for him. When I told him, he told me I should have prepared for me alone.' She smiled amidst tears. 'I wouldn't hear of such. He told me how much he loved me, I never knew it was the last -I love you, his last words. He also asked me to take care of myself.' She rocked herself obviously in pain. 'I promised him I would. Oh my God...' She broke into sobs.

Kelvin took her into her arms.

'By the time I went to his room to wake him for the breakfast but he had passed on.'

He closed his eyes feeling her pain and conscious of the wetness on his shoulder. He felt her neck temperature was on the high side when he rested his palm on it momentarily.

'He was my mentor, the best daddy in the world, the only person I lived for.' She shut her eyes tightly though it was burning. 'I was dazed, I was only sixteen. I had perspectives of human and a distasteful taste of wind of fate.' She placed an arm around his neck. 'There is still more to come.'

'More to come?' Kelvin muttered flabbergasted.

'Yes Kel.' The sound of her voice more like a croak. 'After all, the Lord said in the book of Jeremiah chapter seventeen verse five that "Cursed be the man that register in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord."
Verse nine said, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked who can know it?" She freed herself and looked him in the eyes. 'Let me make you understand why I quoted from the holy Scripture.' She adjusted the shawl around shoulders.

He opened a bottle of water and handed it to her. 'Drink water. '

She obeyed.

'Drink more. ' He told her when she took only a sip.

She took more almost emptying the 75cl bottle.
+++

nice one, but she don suffer enough ooooo.

boladex1: nice one, but she don suffer enough ooooo.

That was fast darling.

Ziziola: I guess God is already dealing with them one by one in his own way.

Abi.

D EVIL dat men do lives with dem & after dem. A pure case of it here. Hmm nw things re beginning to fall into place wit d oda characters. ... Eyah, poor Kathy had to go thru dis awful ordeal... ... I really do feel fr her... It got me crying... Estar thanks for d nice update, jisike nwannem

I pity Kathy. She had to go through all that at sixteen. No wonder shez neva over joyous about things in SIC

Now I see...hmmm

Wow,u such a very good writer too,u av ur way wt words

ooooooooh, now i understand the case of the yerima's......... Well......hmmmm,,,
One doesn't get away with any evil doing, just like the yoruba saying 'asegbe kan osi'
the law of harvest surely comes to fulfilment,,, you reap what you sow!

I'm just happy for kathy, despite all this and thru it all, she still came out strong,,, and a good role model for young ones to look up to.

Queenxstar: My dear...I don't understand myself.

Abiii...........
Good work, and i must say i appreciate you alot,
You are so good with words. God bless you real good.

nnekamezor: D EVIL dat men do lives with dem & after dem. A pure case of it here. Hmm nw things re beginning to fall into place wit d oda characters. ... Eyah, poor Kathy had to go thru dis awful ordeal... ... I really do feel fr her... It got me crying... Estar thanks for d nice update, jisike nwannem

You're so Welcome darl.

Ziziola: I pity Kathy. She had to go through all that at sixteen. No wonder shez neva over joyous about things in SIC

Never joyous and never trusting. Thanks Sweetie for royal pence.

I need a handkie, I do feel 4 kathy. Weldone Queeny

crislyn: Now I see...hmmm

I'm glad you do Sweetie.

Candis009: Wow,u such a very good writer too,u av ur way wt words

I'm blushing purple and cyan, that means a lot to me dear.

pweeeetychi: ooooooooh, now i understand the case of the yerima's......... Well......hmmmm,,,
One doesn't get away with any evil doing, just like the yoruba saying 'asegbe kan osi'
the law of harvest surely comes to fulfilment,,, you reap what you sow!

I'm just happy for kathy, despite all this and thru it all, she still came out strong,,, and a good role model for young ones to look up to.

I'm glad you're learning a lot and pointing out for others to see. You've made me a fulfilled writer, God bless you.

Daintydaisy: I need a handkie, I do feel 4 kathy. Weldone Queeny

I saw Jeffrey selling hanky on Audrey's thread, I'll probably employ his services or someone here should volunteer. I do feel for Katherine Just listening like Kelvin was, I would have crying more than she did.

OMG! you know what? YOU ARE AN ENCHANTING WRITER.never met anyone on NL who writes and touches emotion like u... u are so good in narration and in painting pictures... I like ur update allot

hassan85: OMG! you know what? YOU ARE AN ENCHANTING WRITER.never met anyone on NL who writes and touches emotion like u... u are so good in narration and in painting pictures... I like ur update allot

Your pence uplifted me, thanks darling.

Hmmmmmm... Kathy shuld cry it out nw... @ 16, I was still enjoying Mum nd Dad soup while someone lyk Kathy has been fend 4 herself.. Dis world will only b gud if we Humans make it so.... I think d Yerima is really reaping their Dad sowed... What a life!!! Dads my face wit already soaked hanky...anoda fascinating nd captivating story 4rm dat beautiful nd intelligent lady over dia

Sorry pls forgv me av nt bin comenting. Nyc work n tanx for making d picture more clearer by d day

Hameenat94: Hmmmmmm... Kathy shuld cry it out nw... @ 16, I was still enjoying Mum nd Dad soup while someone lyk Kathy has been fend 4 herself.. Dis world will only b gud if we Humans make it so.... I think d Yerima is really reaping their Dad sowed... What a life!!! Dads my face wit already soaked hanky...anoda fascinating nd captivating story 4rm dat beautiful nd intelligent lady over dia

I am quite careful not to blame people for the path they've taken, who knows their story. Thanks darling.