CITY OF FORTUNE : EPISODES 31 – 40
BY SOLOMON ADINYA
“Sir where are you going to move to from here ?” The chef asked almost in te@rs , Ezekiel had been of tremendous help to him and his family. Ezekiel placed a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry Edet , I’ll be fine the Lord shall take care of me .” Ezekiel said , the man was crestfallen and s@d .
“Thank you sir for all you’ve been doing for me and my family , I’m grateful sir , I cannot repay you, Only God can .” He said Ezekiel smiled and tapped his shoulder . “May the Lord be with you in Jesus name!” Ezekiel prayed , he nodded , the house help put Ezekiel’s bag in the booth of his Carolla , they continued waving at Ezekiel until he could see them no more .
He had about two million naira remaining in his account , he wondered what his next move would be , his mother had been calling him , but then he knew her , he had been avoiding her question about his work at the church.
He drove to Utako by old Edo line office , where he found a hotel , he booked himself in for ten days , he lay on his bed thinking about all that had happened , he saw his notification light flashing , when he opened he saw several messages from Beatrice .
“You don’t want to take my call , even though I’ve said I’m sorry , my father disgraced me in public , I can’t even go to church anymore, I can feel their h@teful stares p!ercing my back , you’ve br0ken my heart ,this world feels so b!tter for me , I’m ending it all! Am sincerely sorry for getting you into tr0uble.” Ezekiel’s heart began to be@t , he began to pace around the room , calling her number she wasn’t taking her call .
CITY OF FORTUNE : EPISODES 31 – 40
“Oh God don’t let her do something so stüpid !” Ezekiel lamented while he tried to reach her . When he had called her over ten times , and there was no response , he placed a call to Helen . “Hello Helen are you at home ?” he asked it was already seven thirty P.M in the evening . “Hey Ezekiel how are you doing?” she asked .
“I am fine , please help me check up on Betty she sent me a terr!ble message .” Ezekiel said , breathing fast and talking quick . “What message ?” She asked .
“No time for question and answer , please she wrote me a message about committing su!cide .” Ezekiel said . “Jesus! su!cide? I am not at home now, I’ll call my mum immediately!” She said hanging the phone .
Helen called her mum . “Hello mum is Beatrice at home ?” Helen asked . “Yes she’s in her bedroom , why are you asking ?” Phoebe asked . “Mum Ezekiel just called , he said Beatrice sent him an alarming text , mummy please check on her .
” Helen said , Phoebe rushed upstairs, she knocked severally, but nobody was responding, the door seemed to be locked from inside. The chefs rushed to the first floor , where Phoebe’s voice was heard pleading with Beatrice to open the door , for fifteen minutes she and the chefs called out Beatrice’s name, but they was no response.
CITY OF FORTUNE : EPISODES 31 – 40
“Please Mr Peter somebody should call Manasseh from the gate , tell him to go and get a handy man to f0rce the door open . It took Manasseh thirty minutes more to get a handy man. Phoebe had called her husband , who had travelled to a crusade at Lagos . He also called her number , her phones were inside the house ringing but Beatrice wasn’t answering.
Helen retuned from work to meet the small crowd trying to get into Beatrice room, from the look in her mother’s eyes, she knew something b@d had happened to Beatrice , Phoebe was already cry!ng , the door was a German made door , so it was difficult to break open .
When they finally bürst into the room , Beatrice’s room was impeccably clean . Her bed well made , her phones and pad were all on her bedside cabinet. They searched the bathroom ,Beatrice was no where to be found .
Two empty bottle of pills lay on the ground . Phoebe turned to Helen .”Do you know that your sister had been on drugs ?” She asked bürning with @nger . “Mummy I don’t know , Beatrice doesn’t take any drug that I know .” Helen said , she picked up Beatrice’s pad and note she had placed in between the cover dropped , she scre@med when her eyes met the content .
“Mummy am sorry I want to break your heart. I was a good child , I did everything you told me , but then I got so weak , I don’t know why Tosan had to call Ezekiel to come over , she knew I was weak , I think she planned it , I am dy!ng as a virgin , Ezekiel is a good man , he never touched me , he loved me , the first man that I had ever felt a connection with , did dad have to emb@rrass him in public? the church h@te me for bringing down an anointed man of God, dad won’t even listen to me , I took those p!lls I wanted to end it all , but the p!lls couldn’t do the work , I will find a bottom of a river where you’ll never find my body . I can’t face the sh@me for what did not happen .
CITY OF FORTUNE : EPISODES 31 – 40
If you can’t find my body , then there’s no need for a sc@ndal of your child committing su!cide,I can’t take this sh@me ,I know I made a mistake , but dad blew it out of proportion, I can’t stand seeing my face on the internet , not for good , but for the b@d I didn’t do , I’ll just disappear.
I love you mum , tell Helen I love her she’s the sweetest sister one could ever ask for . Tell her I didn’t wish to make her cry , but I couldn’t face the p@ins and sh@me anymore, Ezekiel won’t ever forgive me . Tell Tosan she succeeded, that she just k!Iled me , she can now have him to herself. I pray God forgives me for this sin am about to commit, don’t bother looking for me , because I’ll be food for the fishes ,I am sorry mummy I love you .” Helen fëll on the bed , she began to cry, hot te@rs sipped out of her eyes .
Phoebe picked up the letter , as she began to read , she couldn’t help but continued scre@ming the name of Jesus. Pastor George landed in Abuja that evening , Phoebe had already logged a complain at the Maitama Police division ,they went there by ten P.M to check what the police had gotten concerning the case .
Neither the pastor or his wife , had a minute of sleep that night or the next , they sat up making calls and trying to find Beatrice .
Ezekiel had driven to the compound, Manasseh who had no explanation how Beatrice disappeared stopped him from going in . He had been given instructions to never let Ezekiel in.
CITY OF FORTUNE : EPISODES 31 – 40
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