Unthinkable - Part two
Read the part one here
Soon enough, things seemingly got back to normal, and everyone had almost forgotten the incident that happened that morning - they didn't actually forget, but with Mrs Okoro under the tree in her distinct grumpy poise, they knew better than not act like everything was okay.
She sat in the same chair her husband had laid in the morning, putting on her agbada regardless of how scorching the sun was, her face as grouch as ever. She swirled the melon seeds in the rubber basket, picking out the chaffs from the seeds.
Those who had business to do downstairs, tried to do so as quietly as they could, wondering to themselves why she would stress herself sunning outside when she could pick her seeds in the comfort of her sitting room.
The electricity was running, and most of the sounds heard were from the television sets of the various apartments, except the brazing noise from the grinding machine located in the next compound.
When asked later, some said the shattering noise came before the bang, while others argued that the bang came before the shattering.
No one could really ascertain which came first. What happened, happened in microseconds – or so Mr. Dele said.
He wasn't even around.
No one knew what really happened, but it wasn't too hard to draw an inference. Mrs Thomas was there when it happened, she didn't see it when it happened, but she was the closest person to being a witness on the scene. According to her, she had seen when Temi entered into the compound, it was well know that she hadn't been around for close to four days so it was a bit surprising when she suddenly whizzed past her, casting backward glances like she was being chased by an evil spirit.
She swore she heard the bang first.
Curious to know what had made the noise, she trailed and seconds later let out a piercing scream, one that left the neighbors once again gathering around their landlord's house, except this time, a pool of blood was forming around the limp figure of Temi, who was lying face down the ground; sprawled all over her were the melon seeds Mrs. Okoro had just been seen picking.
Mrs. Okoro was nowhere to be seen.
Temi was rushed to the hospital, and she had her head stitched up, as she had been left pretty wounded up by Mrs. Okoro.
Luckily her injuries weren’t too severe, in the Doctor’s words.
The police was summoned by the doctor after interrogation of the neighbours who brought her to the hospital- none actually knew what happened seeing they weren’t there at the time the incident happened, but trust Mr. Dele to feel in the gap with his ever active imagination.
Back in the compound fire was brewing in the apartment shared by Mr. and Mrs. Okoro.
Apparently Mr Okoro had come home to find the patch of dried-up blood on his own floor and he inquired of the dimwit who had chosen to kill an animal in front of his house.
To which Mrs Okoro had replied, the animal was not dead, unfortunately, and her wish that it could die along with the lying scoundrel of a father.
Mr. Okoro seemingly confused by her words, asked her to state exactly what she meant. And state she did, only she made extra uses of her hands. No sooner had Mrs. Okoro replied, did they rupture into a bout of brassy argument, as they both kept shouting over each other’s heads.
It was at this state that the Police met them.
Ripping and hollering, Mrs Okoro was finally taken to the station.