SheWrites:


Happy New Year.

Yes, you can post the same book on all those site.

But on Amazon Kindle, the book or any part of it mustn't be found anywhere else (for free). If it is found for sale on any site, Amazon will agree to sell it.

For example, I can upload Bukky Alakara on Amazon, but they will remove the price tag and allow people to download it for free! Why? Bukky Alakara story can be found all over the net, for free and also for sale.

If you want to sell any book on Amazon, it must be completely for sale. No part of the book must be uploaded for free on any other site.

Hope you understand.

Thanks very much

The story continues in a moment.

CHAPTER 3

She walked out of the hostel in slow strained steps. She didn’t sleep well that night. She had bowel movements till day break. She was perfectly fine earlier the other day. She didn’t understand why her system turned upside down that night. She lifted her eyes and saw one of her roommates afar off. The girl looked as if she bathed in mud. Her shoes and bag were in one hand, while she used the other to support her mobility.

Ejiro mustered strength and quickened her steps. “Senami, Senami what happened to you?”

The girl halted and began to cry upon seeing a friendly face.

“Where is everybody?” Ejiro looked left, then right.

“I don’t know,” Senami sobbed. Her multi-coloured braids had turned red with mud too.

Her heart beats quickened. “What happened?”

“Some… some of the guys at the party started acting crazy all of a sudden. I think they were on weed or something worse. They grabbed some of the girls and began to rape them. A fight later broke out between two factions, boys from our school and those elsewhere.”

“My God!” Ejiro covered her mouth with a hand.

“Police men came from nowhere. They arrested some of our students. I… I ran. I lost contact with Cecy and Adaobi. I don’t know where they are.”

“Hey! Jesus oooo!” She placed both hands on her head.

“Your sister’s dream came to pass…” Senami locked gazes with her roommate. “Ejiro, your sister is a witch!”

She shook her head in disagreement. “She is not…”

Senami eyed her. “Then how… how did she know what was going to happen?”

Ejiro swallowed spittle. She had no answer for the girl. “Come, let’s get you cleaned up,” she helped her into the building.

People gave them curious looks as they climbed up the stairs, down the hallway to their room.

***

Rukevwe and Ejiro went home for the weekend as usual. They dropped their bags in their room and went to meet their father in his chemist shop.

“What are you two doing back home?” the man eyed his daughters.

The girls shared a glance.

“I thought I made it clear that you should both stay back at school until you’re done with your examinations?” Oghenekaro looked from one child to the other.

Ejiro scratched an itchy spot on her scalp. “Ehn… dad. I need money for my project.”

He eyed his older daughter. “What stopped you from calling? Why must you come home?”

“I also need money for books…”

He glared at Rukevwe. “Do you think money grow on trees?”

She avoided his gaze and folded her hands across her chest.

“I want this to be the last time you will both come home because of some flimsy reason. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir,” they murmured.

The man hissed and turned his attention to the television in the shop. “I will see what I can do before you leave on Sunday.”

Rukevwe beamed. “Thanks sir.”

“Thank you, daddy,” Ejiro gave him a quick hug and ran out.

Rukevwe chuckled and ran after her sister.
The man couldn’t help but smile.

The girls headed to their mother’s shop and met her entertaining a fair skinned lady seated beside their elder brother.

“You two are back!” Eru eyed his sisters.

“Leave them be,” Itoro cleared a bench so the girls could sit down.

“I turned twenty-two some days back and you didn’t bother to send me anything,” Ejiro eyed him.

“Oh… really? Are you twenty-two already?” he teased her.

Ejiro hissed and picked up a fashion magazine from the pile on the table.

“Ehn… don’t worry. I will credit your account before you go back to school on Sunday.”

Ejiro tried not to smile, but her eyes glowed with satisfaction.

“Adaeze, meet my two troublesome sisters, Ejiro and Rukevwe,” Eru turned to the fair lady.

The lady smiled at the girls. “Hello.”

“Hi,” the girls responded.

Eru placed a hand over her shoulder. “Adaeze is my fiancée.”

Ejiro and Rukevwe stared at her in shock and admiration.

“Wow! She is beautiful,” Ejiro winked at her brother.

The lady blushed.

“What do you expect?” Eru grinned with pride.

Rukevwe sized up the lady and smiled. Adaeze was indeed a pretty woman. Suddenly, the shop faded from her line of sight and something sinister flashed through her mind’s eye. She saw herself standing in the midst of a commotion. People were running helter skelter. Someone pushed her, she fell down and realized that she was standing over dozens of dead bodies. The bodies were littered everywhere!

She sucked in breath, and the moment she blinked, the frightful vision cleared.

“Are you okay?” Ejiro eyed her younger sister.

Rukevwe blinked again and met her worried gaze.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

She opened her mouth, but no words came out. How was she going to explain what she just saw? She didn’t even understand it. She couldn’t fathom what it all meant. She swallowed hard and directed her gaze at Adaeze.

The fair lady was looking at her brother as he shared their introduction ceremony plans with their mother. He wanted the event on his twenty-sixth birthday, which was in the first week of December.

***

Oghenekaro and Itoro ate their dinner and discussed their children one after the other. They were both excited because their first son, Eru, was ready to settle down. The boy got a good job recently and he was planning to move into a one-bedroom flat immediately after his introduction ceremony.

“It is indeed good to wait on God,” Itoro swallowed the food in her mouth.

“Yes… yes it is. Eru waited and God gave him a good job, plus a beautiful and befitting woman to marry.”

Itoro chuckled. “The girl is well mannered.”

“Of course. She was trained well,” he took a drink from the glass of cold water.

“Ochuko’s job is also good…”

“Ehn… but not as versatile as Eru’s work place,” he cut in and dipped a morsel of yellow garri into the hot soup.

Itoro shrugged. “At least he has a job now.”

Her husband nodded. “I remember those days when they would both leave the house with their CVs and return home tired, sad and depressed.”

She shook her head. “Those days are thankfully over.”

“Ejiro said she is almost done with her project.”

She nodded her head. “Yes, she asked me for some money to print some things.”

“Again?” he chewed his food.

She raised an eyebrow. “Again? As in how?”

He hissed and licked his soup stained fingers. “That girl also asked me for money.”

Itoro started to laugh.

“I cannot wait for her convocation day.”

She laughed harder.

“I will be so free,” he began to lick the empty bowl.

“We are not free yet. Rukevwe is still in 200 level.”

“Hmmm…” he washed his hands in the of clean water.

Itoro remembered the nightmare that became a reality. They had been shaken beyond comprehension. They were not even sure if it was a gift or a one-off thing.

“Has she had another dream recently?”

She met her husband’s expectant stare. She began to shake her head. “I don’t think so.”

He sighed. “God will help us.”

“He has helped us already,” she cleared the table and carried the empty bowls to the kitchen.

***

Rukevwe woke up suddenly and jumped down from her bed. She switched on the lights, ran to her roommates’ beds, one after the other, and woke them up.

“What sort of nonsense is this now?” Uloma opened her eyes and yelled when the bright light blinded her vision.

“Next year, I will make sure that I don’t end up with these type of uncultured, ill-mannered and wicked girls,” she felt like crying. She hated being disturbed whenever she was asleep.

“We must leave now!” Rukevwe rushed to the door and unlocked it.

Gbemisola stared at her, from weaved hair covered up with a brown net, to the wrapper hanging over her cotton night-wear, to her bare feet. She began to wonder if the girl had gone mad.

“What is she blabbing about?” Adiza yawned and sat up.

“Get up! Let’s go! Now!” She flung the door open.

Gbemisola got down from the bed and walked up to her. “Are you okay? What is going on?”

She looked straight at the girl. “The hostel will catch fire. It will blow up. People are going to die,” she trembled as she spoke.

Gbemisola blinked at her. She opened her mouth, but she couldn’t utter a word.

Adiza clapped her hands and started to laugh. “I think she is so drunk.”

Uloma shook her head. “She is not drunk. She is on weed or something worse,” she hissed and lay back on her bed.

Rukevwe pulled at her roommate’s hands. “Let’s go! Let us go.”

“Easy, easy girl,” Gbemisola backed away from her. “How did you know that the hostel is going to catch fire?”

Her eyes darted about. “I… I had a dream.”

“Hey! Jesus ooooo. What kind of roommate do I have?” Uloma turned on her side. “Rukevwe, when did you become Joseph in the bible? Eh… Josephine the dreamer,” she started to laugh.

Rukevwe blinked back the tears threatening to surge from her eyes. “This building was caught in flames. I saw a very big inferno,” she noticed that they were staring at her as if she had lost her mind. “We are not safe. We are not… I am going to get my sister,” she turned around and ran off.

“That girl has started smoking something,” Adiza felt sorry for her roommate.

“Please shut the door, Gbemisola. I sprayed this room yesterday. Don’t let those vampire mosquitoes return,” Uloma adjusted her pillow.

“What… what if it is true?” Gbemisola whispered.

“You too?” Adiza started to laugh.

Gbemisola returned to her bed, slipped into a pair of flipflops, picked up a wrapper and headed out.

“Please shut that door,” Uloma called after her.

She hissed and slammed the door behind her.

“Crazy people,” Uloma covered herself with her blanket.

Gbemisola walked into Ejiro’s room just in time to see Rukevwe pulling at her sister’s hand, urging her to hurry. While Ejiro’s roommates were cursing her for waking them up in the middle of the night.

“If she says the building will catch fire, I believe her,” Semani jumped down from the bed. The party she attended some weeks was still fresh in her memory.

“All of you should get out!” Cecy growled. A sudden headache attacked her due to the light coming from the bulb on the ceiling, at the center of the room.

“Biko, oya, make una carry your madness and waka!” Adaobi yelled.

Ejro, Rukevwe, Semani and Gbemisola hurried out of the room, ran down the hallway and scurried down the stairs.

They went to the hostel security lodge and intimated them that the building was about to catch fire. The officers ordered them to return to their rooms, but the girls refused and stood outside the building.

“We need to start shouting,” Rukevwe stared at the dark blue sky.

Ejiro glanced at her sister and yawned. “Why?”

“If we shout, we might be able to wake some other girls,” she placed a hand on her hips.

Ejiro glanced at her roommate. Senami shrugged. “Maybe some girls might wake up and come out.”

“Hellooooooo! Everybody come out of your rooms!” Gbemisola started to shout.

Rukevwe joined her. “The building is going to catch fire any moment from now!”

“Helloooooo!” Ejiro started to scream too.
Senami yelled. “Everybody come ooooouuuut!”

Some of the hostel security officers came out of their lodge.

“Hey!”

“Hey! Stoooopit!”

“I thought I told you girls to go back to your rooms.”

“The building is going to catch fire…”

“Shut up!” a security officer waved a baton at Rukevwe.

Some of the female students in the hostel came out of their rooms and joined the girls outside. They had no idea what was going on, but the fire alarm was enough to get them out of their beds. Others peeped through their windows to view the commotion outside, while the rest remained in beds.

Suddenly, there was an explosion. Huge flames burst from the mid-section of the building. Many of the female standing with Rukevwe and her sister looked on in shock. The hostel security guards were also very afraid and confused. One of them ran off to get help. The officer hoped that the fire service in the school has water in their tank.

The students on the ground floor ran out of their rooms and trooped out of the building. Many got injured in the stampede. The female students on the first were also able to escape the mounting inferno. They headed down the smoky stair way, climbing over one another. But the students at the top floor were unlucky. They were all trapped because the fire started on the second floor!

“People are burning on the second floor!” Senami shouted continuously, unable to stop herself.

Gbemisola wrapped her arms around her small body. She trembled as she watch the black smoke hovering over them.

“Who is going to help them? Somebody help them!” some of the female students started to cry.

Ejiro held her sister and watched from a good distance. She couldn’t help but think of what might have happened if she didn’t listen to her sister that night. She looked at the younger girl closely and wondered if God himself had bestowed her with a gift or some kind of power to see things.

Rukevwe could feel her sister’s gaze on her. She was as frightened as she was. She couldn’t believe that everything she saw in the dream that night was happening, faster than she thought.

The school’s fire service arrived an hour later. The fire fighters drove the female students and onlookers away, making sure that everyone stood far away from the burning building.

At about four in the morning, the fire was put out, but the building was a shadow of itself. It looked like something out of a horror movie. The mid-section was totally destroyed and the top floor had caved in, half-way.

The large numbers of injured female students were taken to the school hospital and to the clinics in the environment.

Good to see someone finally caught my interest with a nice story as this after a long time. Kudos sister.

ghostwritter:
Good to see someone finally caught my interest with a nice story as this after a long time. Kudos sister.

I appreciate *winks*

This is a nice story.....Op Well-done.

Opeade939:
This is a nice story.....Op Well-done.

Thanksssss

Nice story... I hope it gets completed cus most nairaland writers always leave stories uncompleted.

Vulcanheph:
Nice story... I hope it gets completed cus most nairaland writers always leave stories uncompleted.

Go to the beginning of the thread and read my terms and conditions.

Nice story, just hope you can upload everything in okada, the weekend wait is too much

I'm glued to my phone anticipating

gstelly:
Nice story, just hope you can upload everything in okada, the weekend wait is too much

Not too worry, I will speed up the editing, so that I can upload it on Bambooks, Okadabooks and other sites...

You won't need to wait for too long.

Oluwatimi2000:
I'm glued to my phone anticipating

*smiling*

Happy Sunday!
Due to popular demand, I will try and upload the story twice in a week.
Have a favoured week ahead.
*hugs&kisses*

SheWrites:
Happy Sunday!

Due to popular demand, I will try and upload the story twice in a week.

Have a favoured week ahead.

*hugs&kisses*

almost made the suggestion, thanks alot

gstelly:
almost made the suggestion, thanks alot

Lol... you're most welcome

Hope i am not late ooh....but who is in for a chill bottle of origin and nice one op....

Yay!!
*Dancing**
Thanks SheWrites
Wish you a blessed week ahead!

SheWrites:
Happy Sunday!

Due to popular demand, I will try and upload the story twice in a week.

Have a favoured week ahead.

*hugs&kisses*

Thanks for the update ma’am

VincenzoZhuxu:
Hope i am not late ooh....but who is in for a chill bottle of origin and nice one op....

*winks*

I want a chilled glass of Hollandia Yoghurt.

Ann2012:
Thanks for the update ma’am

You're welcome

PrudySara:
Yay!! *Dancing** Thanks SheWrites Wish you a blessed week ahead!

*hugs*

........

hmm,i no go miss dis one oo...front seat booked

VincenzoZhuxu:



And you shall surely get it my dear...... Bar man.... Bar man where is this stupid boy....self..... OK come here with the best chill bottle of Hollandia yoghurt you have it is for someone important....... Be fast about Kia kia

Now I don focus jare

Aaaah! My teeth oooo... this is very chilled. You have done well. Aaaah... let me relax.

Zara20:
hmm,i no go miss dis one oo...front seat booked

You're welcome.

Morning peeps...
The story continues today *winks*

Wow! I love this story. It's long since I was last in nairaland and the one writer I have never forgotten still surprised me.
God bless @shewrites for for us.

Osgee:
Wow! I love this story. It's long since I was last in nairaland and the one writer I have never forgotten still surprised me.
God bless @shewrites for for us.

I appreciate you.

*hugs*

........

CHAPTER 4

The phone kept ringing and ringing. The screeching sound pierced into his ears, making him groan inwardly. He wished he could fling it. He didn’t care if it crashed against the wall or somewhere far, far away. All he wanted to do that morning was to sleep.

“Honey, please pick your call…” she turned on her tummy and placed a pillow against her ears.

He hissed twice and pulled himself to a sitting position. Where was the noise maker? He looked around the bed and the bedside table. He didn’t see it. He couldn’t recollect the last time he used it or where he placed it. The cursed phone kept on ringing and ringing.

“Oh God! This is so unfair. Please pick the miserable call!”

He eyed his wife. “Where is my phone?”

“Like seriously?” she turned on her side and faced him.

“I don’t… where did I put it?”

Itoro sat up, grabbed a pillow and headed out.

“Where are you going?” his eyes followed her.
She murmured something inaudible and slammed the door behind her.

He hissed again. The phone stopped ringing. When it started again, he felt like screaming. It rang over and over again. He followed the sound and found the phone under his pillow.

“Hello…”

“Hello, am I speaking to Ejiro and Rukevwe’s father?”

He didn’t recognize the voice. “Who am I speaking to?”

“I am the head security officer of your daughters’ hostel.”

“Okay…”

“I am Officer Chukwueze Obi.”

Oghenekaro slapped an itch on his right thigh. “Good morning, Mr. Obi. You are indeed speaking to Ejiro and Rukevwe’s father.”

“Good morning, sir. Your attention is needed at the hostel. Your daughters are being held for questioning…”

Sleep cleared from his eyes. “Excuse me! Held for what?! Why?”

“There was a fire incident earlier today, at the female hostel your daughters reside…”

“Whaaaaaat!” he jumped down from the bed. “What happened to my children? I want to speak with them this minute!”

Itoro returned to the master bedroom when she heard her husband shouting.

“Sir, your daughters are fine. But, we believe that they knew about the fire before it happened.”

“What nonsense are you vomiting this early morning, Mr. Obi?”

“Sir, sir… sir, please, please, respect yourself.”

“Respect who? When do people start manufacturing fire? How can you hold two girls against their rights and believe that they have information about a fire break out?”

Itoro approached her husband. “What fire? What happened? Where is Ejiro and Rukevwe?”

He ignored his wife. “This is unconstitutional.”

“We are expecting you, sir.”

“Hello… helloo…”

“Oghenekaro! What is going on?” she stood toe to toe with her husband.

He eyed her and backed away. “Mr. Obi? Officer?” he realized that the man had cut the call.

“Oghenekaro!”

“Itoro!” he shouted back at her and threw the phone on the bed.

“What’s going on?”

He paced the room for a few seconds then marched out of the room.

She followed him. “My husband what is going on?”

***

Oghenekaro and his wife arrived at the Lagos State University in a cab. They approached the Queen Latifah hostel and were shocked at the horrific look of the building.

“Jesus!” Itoro placed her hands on her head.

Oghenekaro noticed that there were a lot of parents and guardians moving around, obviously searching for their children. He also saw a few female students crying at a corner. They seemed to be mourning the death of some of their friends. It was a pathetic sight to watch.

“Where are my children?” she faced her husband.

He dialed the number of the security officer that called him some hours ago. The man didn’t pick the call until the fourth ring.

“Hello…”

“I am standing outside Queen Latifah hostel. Where are my children?”

“Please come to the school’s security office. Your daughters are here.”

Oghenekaro hissed and ended the call. He looked around, called a male student and asked him for directions.

About twenty minutes later, they arrived at the school’s security office. Officer Obi was waiting for them at the entrance. He was a very large man, about six feet, broad shouldered and nursing a pot belly that resembled that of a pregnant woman with triplets.

“Where are my children?”

“Please, come inside.”

They followed him into the office and met about six other officers. They were all wearing the same uniforms.

“Around midnight…” Officer Obi cleared his throat. “… your daughters raised an alarm about a fire that has not started yet.”

Oghenekaro and his wife exchanged glances.

“Not too long, after they were able to gain the attention of a few other female students, an explosion shook the foundations of the hostel.”

He folded his arms against his chest and stared back at the security officers that were glaring at him as if he was responsible for the fire outbreak.

“We have reasons to believe that your daughters have a hand in starting the fire,” Officer Obi faced Oghenekaro.

He laughed. “You must be very dumb and stupid too.”

“Excuse me. Please, do not insult us,” another officer got up. “Your daughters are going to face jail time. I am sure they started the fire as some sort of prank or something.”

“No!” Itoro screamed at the man. “I did not raise such children.”

Oghenekaro closed the gap between himself and the officer. “You are all deluded. Do you have evidence against my girls?”

The officers exchanged glances.

“Please, release them to us this minute!”

Officer Obi shook his head. “They are not going anywhere. Evidence or no evidence!”

“Exactly!” the second officer added.

Itoro dropped her jaw as she stared at the unreasonable security officers.

“Oh ooooh. Fine! Give me twenty minutes then,” Oghenekaro dashed out.

The officers hissed and growled.

“You cannot do anything, Mr. Man! Your daughters will sleep in our cell until they confess. Useless children from useless parents!” Officer Obi glared at Itoro.

She hissed and hurried after her husband. She found him making calls outside the building. He informed her that a lawyer friend was on his way. She sighed in relief. She couldn’t think of what her children had been through for the last six, seven hours. She began to pray for God’s intervention.

About an hour later, Oghenekaro’s lawyer friend arrived. The lawyer bamboozled the security officers with a lot of legal jargons until they had no other choice than to release Ejiro and Rukevwe. They threatened that if the detectives handling the case find anything incriminating against the girls, they would come after them with the full force of the law. The lawyer asked them to call him and also give his numbers to the detectives. He was confident that the girls were innocent.

“Mummy! Daddy!” The girls were so happy when they saw their parents outside the security office building.

“How are you?” Itoro embraced her daughters.

“I am grateful,” Oghenekaro thanked his lawyer friend.

“What are friends for?”

They shook hands.

“Don’t worry. They won’t bother your girls again. They don’t have a case against them.”

“All right,” he was happy that the whole charade was over.

“I have to go. Take care man.”

“No wahala. Thanks once again,” Oghenekaro saw him off to his car.

“Our roommates said some boys were able to get some of our things out of the collapsed hostel building,” Ejiro spoke to her father.

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Itoro frowned.

“Let’s go and get your stuff. I want to leave this place,” Oghenekaro placed a hand around Rukevwe's shoulder.

“Let me call my roommate,” Ejiro walked away.

Oghenekaro and Itoro stared at Rukevwe, then shared a knowing glance. They were sure that she dreamt about the fire before she raised the alarm.

***

Rukevwe and her siblings sat outside their father’s chemist shop. They watched as a set of children played with lighted sticks of fireworks.

“These children are going to lose their fingers,” Eru complained.

His father eyed him. “Is that not how you and Ochuko ran around the whole neighbourhood, playing ‘Police and Thief’?”

Ejiro and Rukevwe burst into laughter.

Eru got to his feet when he saw Adaeze on a motor bike.

The biker stopped in front of the shop, allowed her to alight, then he zoomed off after she paid him.

“Hi…” she beamed at him.

“Come here,” he pulled her into a warm embrace.

“Nawa o bros, see enjoyment,” Ochuko winked at his brother.

“I go marry o,” Ejiro giggled.

Eru and his fiancée couldn’t help but laugh.

“Good evening sir,” she knelt down before Oghenekaro.

“Evening, our wife. How are you doing?” he patted her on the shoulder.

“Very fine, sir,” she got to her feet. “Is Mumsie in her shop?” she turned to her fiancé.

“Yes.”

“Let me say hello,” she headed towards Itoro’s shop.

Eru scratched his itchy arm. “The sooner we marry, the better o.”

His father and siblings began to laugh.

He eyed them and settled back on the bench. “Una no go understand…”

“I swear-rit!” Ochuko got up and started to clap and laugh at the same time.

“Have you furnished your apartment?”

Eru turned to his father. “Yes, the place is ready.”

Rukevwe sensed her brother’s impatience. His introduction had been shifted to Boxing Day and his traditional and church wedding was slated for the Saint Valentine’s Day. She remembered the last relationship she was involved in. She dated someone while she was preparing for her JAMB examination. But it ended when she caught him in the arms of another girl.

Adaeze returned and sat on Eru’s laps. “Mumsie said my clothes are ready,” she grinned from ear to ear.

“I told you my mum is a professional.”

She chuckled. “I believe you now.”

Unexpectedly, the environment began to fade away. A picture-like video flashed through her mind’s eye. She found herself in a church. It was filled up with people dressed in the same attire. Then she saw Eru and Adaeze at the altar. Suddenly, they heard a noise outside the building. People were running helter and skelter. Someone pushed her and it made her stagger. In the twinkle of an eye, she found herself in the midst of blood- stained bodies. They were lying everywhere! All over the church hall! When she looked closely, she recognized her eldest brother. Eru was lying amongst the dead bodies!

Rukevwe gasped and broke out in cold sweat. When she blinked, everything faded. She leapt to her feet the moment she realized that she could see her surroundings clearly. What was happening to her? Why was she seeing things? Were they even real? Her heart beat raced erratically against her chest and from nowhere, her head began to ache. She placed a hand on her forehead and winced.

“Are you right?” Ejiro looked up at her.

She turned to look at her sister. She opened her mouth but she couldn’t utter a word. Her throat went dry with fear and confusion.

“Rukevwe…” Ejiro became worried.

Her eyes became blurred with unshed tears. She shook her head and sat back on the bench.
Her father and brothers watched her. They were equally worried.

“Abi she don start to dey dream for broad day light?” Ochuko made light of the situation.

Eru started to laugh. Oghenekaro hissed and shook his head at his younger son.

Ejiro got up, pulled her sister to her feet and led her to their mother’s shop.

Itoro noticed the tears in her daughter’s eyes the moment she came into her shop with her sister. She set aside what she was doing and told her apprentices to go home and resume early the next day. The girls thanked her, picked up their bags and left.

Rukevwe and Ejiro sat on the chair beside their mother’s electric sewing machine.

“What is the matter?” Itoro moved close to her younger daughter and wiped her tears with the tip of her wrapper.

“Mummy…” more tear drops rolled down her face.

Itoro sat beside her. “Talk to me.”

Rukevwe breathed out loudly. “I saw… I saw them.”

“Who?” Both women chorused.

“I saw Eru and Adaeze. They were in a church and they were getting married.”

Itoro sighed in relief. “Ehn…that is good news. Why are you crying?”

She started to shake her head. “People were running everywhere.”

Ejiro frowned and folded her arms against her chest.

“Which people?” Itoro asked.

“Everybody… then, I saw… I saw dead bodies everywhere…” she whispered.

Ejiro opened her mouth wide.

“What!” Itoro’s eyes grew wide in fear.

Rukevwe grabbed hold of her mother’s arm. “I saw Eru amongst them…”

“God forbid!” Her mother jumped up. “I cancel! I bind! The devil is a liar!” she screamed.

Ejiro stared at her sister in disbelief. She couldn’t believe that Rukevwe’s nightmares had expanded into day light visions.

“It is not my portion! I will see my children’s children! That is what God said. Whatever you saw is from the pit of hell! You better erase it from your mind,” she glared at her daughter as if she was the devil himself.

Rukevwe avoided her mother’s gaze and pressed her lips together.

Ochuko walked into the shop. “What’s the noise about?” he looked around and saw his mother staring at Rukevwe as if she committed a grave offence.

“Where is Eru?” Itoro scowled at her second son.

“He has just seen his fiancée off,” Ochuko replied.

“You better warn your sister,” Itoro stepped away from the girl. She picked up her scissors, then dropped it on the table again.

Rukevwe wiped her wet face with the back of her hand and cleaned her dripping nose.

“What is it now?” Ochuko eyed his sister.

Ejiro leaned against the chair, feeling scared and depressed at the same time. “She saw something.”

“Ehn hen! I said it! She has started dreaming in full broad daylight.”

Ejiro continued, “She saw Eru and Ada getting married, but the wedding ceremony turned into a horror movie. Dead bodies everywhere, and Eru was one of them.”

“Heavens forbid!” Ochuko frowned at her.

Itoro got up and marched out. “Where is your father?”

Ochuko and Ejiro watched their younger sister. They didn’t like her daylight dream or whatever it was one bit.

Rukevwe bowed her head. She began to pray against what she had seen concerning her brother and his fiancée.

“Where is she?” They heard their father’s voice outside. “What sort of a devilish dream from the pit of hell is that?”

Her heart skipped a beat when her father came in, followed by her mother.

“What did you see? It is one thing to dream in the night. It is another thing to start seeing things in broad daylight!”

“Exactly!” Ochuko added.

Oghenekaro turned to his older daughter. “When did she start seeing things during the day?”

Ejiro shrugged. “I… I don’t know o.”

Ochuko hissed. “You are supposed to know. You both attend the same school.”

“Oh really? When did I turn into her shadow?” She glowered at her brother.

Rukevwe remained silent and closed her eyes. She wished it would all go away.

“Where is everybody?” Eru walked into the shop. “What is going on?” He could sense the discord in the air.

They all looked at him, then back at Rukevwe.

“Your sister has started again,” Itoro approached her first son.

“What now?” Eru looked up at the ceiling, then down at his sister.

Rukevwe raised her head and met his concerned stare. “If you get married to Adaeze, you will both die on your wedding day.”

His concern faded, replaced by shock. “Are you God?! Who made you God?!”

Ochuko nodded and leaned against the door. “Exactly.”

Tears gathered in her eyes again. “I saw…”

“You saw what?! God punish whatever you thought you saw. Enemy of progress,” he marched towards the girl. “Assuming you are not my sister, I would have dealt with you…”

Ejiro got up quickly and leapt in between them. “Take it easy. Remain calm. Please.”

Eru stepped away and faced their parents. “Dad, mum, did you hear her? Can you imagine?”

Itoro hissed and folded her arms across her chest.

“It is okay,” Oghenekaro patted him on the shoulder.

“Please… please listen to me,” Rukevwe begged.

“She is still talking!” he pushed Ejiro out of his way and hit Rukevwe across the face twice.

The girl yelled and started to cry.

Ochuko took charge of the situation and pulled his brother towards the door. “Come, let’s go.”

“No! Let me deal with her. Let me teach the witch a lesson or two.”

Ochuko and Oghenekaro pulled him out of the shop and led him into their apartment.

“You see your life? Josephine the dreamer,” Itoro hissed again and walked out.

Ejiro sat beside her. “You too sef. What sort of things are you seeing? Ehn? What kind of problem is this now?” She placed her hands on her head.

Rukevwe held her hurting face and wept. She prayed within herself, asking God why she kept dreaming about things she couldn’t do anything about. Now, her dreams has escalated to daylight pictures or images in the form of videos. Or was there a way out of everything God was showing her? Will the visions stop?

Then she realized that God used her to save so many girls in her hostel several weeks back. Even though she couldn’t avert the fire outbreak. And once, her own sister had been saved from going to a party where she might have been raped. Indeed, her God given gifts had a purpose, but at what cost? Now her family hated her.

She covered her face with her palms. Maybe there was something she could do to save her brother from death. He was still a young man and he had a destiny to fulfill. It wasn’t his time to die. She decided not to give up. Even if he ended up beating her in the process, she would endure the pain and the hatred until his life was longer in danger.

If this was the way God wanted to use her in the world, she had no other choice but to surrender. Afterall, it was all for His glory. She didn’t like the aspect of sounding like the ‘Prophet of Doom’. But maybe in time, God would also reveal good and praise worthy things to her, not just the bad and horrific ones.

..........