THE WHITE MURDER
My name is Tayo. I work with a vehicle rental service company which rents cars to couples on their wedding, to and from the wedding venue.
I love my job because I get to see the beauty of love almost every weekend. My best part is usually when they are 'just wedded'. It always seems like there is an outburst of affection immediately they enter the car. Alone in the back seat, they kiss and cuddle and I watch them from the mirror above my head. I'm not a voyeur. It's just always a beautiful sight. Or maybe a sad reminder that I am yet to find love. Sad. I smile when I see them whisper into each other's ears but something pinches me deep down my heart and I ask myself, " Tayo, when will you find love?"
I am 45 years old and I have never been in love with any woman. Perhaps because I was a cult boy for 10 years and we were not allowed to be emotionally attached to any woman. We raped women and had the ones we could have after a drunk night but we never loved anyone. Love? sighs. Never. I don't understand it. Well, that is bygone now. How I got out of Setina Fraternity is another story on its own.
Last week Saturday, I drove a strange couple. I had prepared my eyes to feast on another couple in love but this particular couple shocked me. They sat together on one end of the backseat. They had angry faces on. The woman removed the silver crown on her head and the man dropped his tie.
"Dare, if you don't cooperate with me, I will kill you right here."
"Kill?", Dare laughed. "And you think you will be able to run away with the money?", he laughed again. "I hear you."
There was silence again. The lady wanted to speak but I think she was cautious of the fact that I was in the car. I was shocked to my bones. What a strange couple. I was driving to Tebitha Hotel in the outskirts of Lagos. It was about 45 minutes drive from the wedding venue. 'Did these ones really get married?', I thought. What a way to start a life time journey.
I wanted to get to the end of this. My curious mind wanted to hear more from this strange couple. So I took the longer routes with the excuse that the straight road was bad.
"Dare, I mean every word. Nana is sick. If she hears that this is a fake marriage, she'll die of sorrow in that hospital.", the lady said and the expression on her face shuttled between sadness and anger.
"And what is my business? You're talking as if I freaking care about your mother. She's your mother, not mine. If she dies, you bury her."
The lady drove her hands to his neck and squeezed it with all her might. He struggled and finally freed himself from her painful grip.
"Wura, you had better be careful. Comport yourself. We can fight in the hotel room.", Dare said.
I kept quiet. This was too much drama. It seemed like they had forgotten that I was in the car, I didn't want to remind them that the person who was driving had eyes and ears.
"I needed this marriage so I can get my inheritance. It is my inheritance, mine, it's mine, not yours! You're only an instrument for goodness sake. I am not giving you more that 1 million naira and immediately I give you, I will leave the country. Damn you, damn your mother, damn your family!", Dare said and looked away.
Wura was boiling in anger.
" Dare, we agreed that you'll give me 3 million naira and that you will wait for my mother's health to improve before you leave me. Can't you just play along for at least 6 months? So much craze about travelling abroad." She was almost crying.
"Well, I'm sorry Wura. No going back. I already sent a message to your sister that the marriage is fake. I forwarded the message to your mother already. No going back. Die if you want.", Dare said and looked outside the window.
" What?!, you did what?!" , Wura shouted, the tears that had welled up in her eyes were already pouring with reckless abandon.
"When we get to the hotel, we'll fight this out. Just keep your calm here.", Dare advised and looked out of the window again.
" Well, we may not get to the hotel.", Wura said and brought out a gun.
My heart jumped. It was dangerous. Even my own life was at risk. I still kept quiet. I planned to jump out of the car in no time.
Wura pulled the trigger but before she shot, Dare stabbed her with a pen knife. Her white gown was soon stained with red blood spreading very fast on the satin material.
I shouted. Dare picked the gun and shot my shoulder. He opened the door and fled while the car crashed into a building.
My greatest joy is that I'm alive to write this story albeit both my legs have been amputated and my right shoulder still hurts.
Image credit: mailonline.com