Osahon was rushed to the nearest hospital. Spontaneously, Osato hopped into the ambulance. Few minutes ago, they were at loggerheads with each other. Hate burned in Osato’s eyes while Osahon testified against her husband. But that changed the moment the bullets pierced her body, splashing her blood all over the floor of the courthouse. Hate turned to despair, Osato took another look into her mother’s eyes and her fears heightened. She feared for her. Osahon was bleeding excessively and there was nothing she could do. “Mummy please don’t die on me.” Osato wailed in tears.“I don’t want to lose you too.” She sobbed on, “I am sure we can sort this out as a family. Please don’t die, mummy please don’t die.” Osahon’s attempt to say something only produced a mix of blood and saliva. She was helpless. “Please go faster” Osato yelled at the man driving the ambulance; the ambulance itself was just a bus that had a stretcher and a first aid box in it.
Osato held her mother’s hands and patted her hair with the other. Osahon managed to muster some words. “I am so sorry I did this to our family. Please forgive me.” “Mummy I forgive you” Osato quickly responded amidst sobs.
“I can see your sister reaching out to me. I can see Osasu calling me.” “Mummy no, Osasu isn’t here. Please don’t die on me.” Osato persuaded her mother like a child in dire need of something. They finally arrived at the hospital. She didn’t make it there alive. Her body was wheeled to the mortuary.
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Farouk and his men chased after the evil perpetrators in their van but their effort was futile. The men parked their car and ran into the market square that was closest to the court. They shot into the air, unsettled the crowd and escaped. Farouk couldn’t hide his disappointment. He knew he was going to answer some tough questions from the commissioner of police. A woman was shot under his watch and he failed to arrest the predators. He ordered his boys to retreat to their station where they continued their investigation and urged anyone with any vital information to come forward. The news of Osahon’s demise was communicated to him by Barrister Yejide. Both men discussed the situation that night over a bottle of Old Cask rum.
“Your client is ill-lucked. I wonder if he will make it out of this alive. As it stands now, he is also a suspect in his wife’s murder. Except a miracle occurs, he will definitely hang for this.” Farouk gulped another tot of the rum as he explained the situation from his point of view. With the composure of a professional, Barrister Yejide smiled and responded, “it isn’t over until it’s over. From the way I see things, this could be a game changer.”
“Game changer ke?” Farouk retorted. “Yes. I don’t have a plan yet, but I don’t intend to give up on my friend.” They continued their conversation till the bottle was empty.
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Emeka was transported back to his cell. He wouldn’t stop laughing hysterically all through the ride. His strange behavior left the transporting officers clueless and they just let him be.
On their way they branched at the hospital to collect his blood sample for the DNA test. When the news of his wife’s death finally got to him the laughter ceased. His expression was emotionless. He didn’t cry or beat himself up about it. He would lurk quietly in a dark corner of his cell all night. ****
Osato grieved for her family. She had lost her sister and mother. Her father, whom she presumed was innocent was rotting in jail, and her husband wouldn’t even see her. Tayo moved into his mother’s apartment with Johnson, Mark and Brian, thereby leaving Osato to her world of deep regret and loneliness. There are days when she’d summon up courage to visit Emeka. Other days she just smoke and drank; a habit birthed by frustration. The only company she had was her baby brother Emeka, Osahon’s son, whom she was left to nurse.
After several days of lying in the mortuary, Osahon’s corpse was buried in a private cemetery with a procession which was arranged by Mrs. Coker, with Tayo and Osato in attendance. The couple struggled to talk to each other as the former only managed to express his condolences. Osato wailed like a child as she watched her mother being lowered into the ground. Mrs. Coker couldn’t hold back her sympathy. She walked over to her son and engaged him in a mother-son conversation.
“Tayo, I understand your grievance towards Osato. I cannot claim to know how you feel. I am a woman, we make mistakes. I am a mother, and that’s why I am telling you this. Go back to your wife. Forgive her. More than you, she has lost so much. You need each other now than ever before.” Tears poured from Tayo’s eyes as his mother counseled him. He looked at Osato and whispered,
“Mama she hurt me. It is because of her that I killed my wife. Osasu wouldn’t have died if all these never happened. Mama no! This is hard for me too.” He wept on. His mother drew him closer and hugged him. “The calabash has broken. The water it holds has been spilled. Son, pick up the pieces and remould. Make it more beautiful than before and fetch clean water. Don’t do this for anyone, not even for me. Do it for yourself and for the kids.”
She kissed his cheek. She went to Osato and said to her, “your husband is waiting for you.” Osato walked up to Tayo and knelt down. “I am sorry.” She apologized.
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By the next court sitting, the DNA result was available and admissible as evidence. Emeka wasn’t the father to Osato and her sister. The prosecutor hinged his case on this fact, stating that Emeka was responsible for George’s death and was the prime suspect in Osahon’s murder. Farouk paid utmost attention while waiting for Barrister Yejide’s game changer. It was the first time since becoming a S.A.N that he was being given a run for his money. Farouk felt there was possibly no further ways to prove that Emeka was innocent with Osahon dead and the perpetrators at large. Barrister Yejide finally stepped forward,
“My Lord, I’d like to introduce a new witness.” He adjusted his gown when the judge ruled in his favour.
“Go ahead. This court will admit your witness.”
“Can Mr. John Elliot please step forward?” he announced. The court murmured as a tall and light complexioned man approached the witness box. It was obvious that he was a relation of the deceased George Elliot. After swearing an oath Barrister Yejide began his examination of the witness.
“Can you please introduce yourself to this court?”
“My name is John Elliot.” He answered with precision.
“What is your relationship with George Elliot?”
“I am his younger brother and doctor.”
The Barrister adjusted his wig and continued.
“Please tell us about your brother’s health condition while he was alive.”
“He suffered from depression which was caused by his diagnosis of prostate cancer.” He answered astutely, but one could sense the grief he held back as he answered. He presented George’s medical file and credentials to the court and it was admitted as evidence. The examination continued.
“Before the unfortunate incident that claimed his life, how long did he have to live?”
“Two months. Chemotherapy didn’t help much.”
Barrister Yejide made a dramatic turn to face the court and he got their attention. They eagerly awaited his next question or line of action. Farouk paid intense attention and Emeka was rather confused. He couldn’t fathom what his friend was up to.
“I am sorry for your loss John. On a final note can you please tell this court in few words about what transpired between George and yourself the last time you saw him?” A glint of a smile played on Yejide’s face, this was apparently the game change trigger.
The doctor took a long drag of breath and proceeded.
“The last time I saw him he was angry. He told me about his intention to get back his girls before he died. I advised him against it. I didn’t think it was wise for him to just show up after twenty years of having another man perform his duty. He stormed out of my house. Three weeks ago I was called to come and identify his corpse.” He rounded off with mild tears.
Then the counter attack.
“Your honour, I put it to this court that the deceased George Elliot was a time bomb waiting to explode. He was a dying man who was desperate to claim a responsibility he walked away from. He was a vengeful man who took my client in a hostage situation.” He faced the court,
“Why should such an innocent man have a loaded gun if he meant no harm? He isn’t so innocent after all. He knew he was dying, so he came prepared to die if that was what it would cost him to claim the girls who only recognize my client as their father. My client was only protecting his family. What he did was in self-defense.”
He approached the judge with another file.
“This is the case file from Ipaja police station where the incidence was reported to by my client. The officers who arrived at the scene reported that the state of the sitting room showed a struggle between two men.
The pictures of the scattered sofa are all inside this file.”
He handed the file over to the judge who admitted it as evidence before continuing.
“Therein are the statements everyone who was present that day, including late Mrs. Idemili and Musa. They all recounted that it was in self-defense. What changed? My client’s wife became bitter because of the revelation of his intention to file for divorce after she put to bed and plotted this to get back at him.”
There was a round of exclamations in the courtroom before it was restored to order by the registrar.
“As we speak there is an ongoing investigation to unveil who sold the evidence to her. The gun was logged in as evidence, how did she come across it? Please note My Lord that one of the prosecutor’s witnesses, Musa lied under oath. His initial statement contradicts his testimony in this court; a crime punishable under the law. I’d also like to state that the accused wife’s testimony emphasized on him as the culprit, contrary to Musa’s words that Tayo and Emeka are the masterminds of the incidence. Why the contradictions? Everything about this case points to conspiracy. My Lord, my client is being framed. He is an easy going man without any history of violence. He is not guilty. I adopt my final written address, which sums up to my client being discharged and acquitted of this charges.”
The court adjourned judgment for a fortnight. The courtroom erupted with noise after the judge took his leave. Osato ran to her father and told him everything would be fine.
EPILOGUE
Barrister Yejide sat comfortably on the couch, his friend sitting across him.
“How do you feel now?” he asked him after drinking from the glass of cold water the house help served him.
“The price of freedom comes at a cost. I am glad it didn’t mean spending the rest of my life in jail.” Emeka replied after letting out a deep cough.
“The doctor said I will get better. I hope mine won’t be one of the situations where people contracted terminal illness due long time of incarceration. I must admit, I honestly don’t under- stand this cough.” He coughed again; this time he drank a little water out of his cup to ease the pain.
Barrister Yejide showed some concern, “Pele.”
“Thank you my friend.” Emeka drank another glass of water. “So, I invited you here for two reasons.”
“Okay…” Yejide nodded as he temporarily looked away from the cup he was refilling with juice.
“I want to adjust my will. Life has tweaked even me so this adjustment is almost inevitable.” “Okay. I agree that there should be an adjustment to the will. Just tell me what you want and I’ll come up with a draft before the end of the week. What’s the other thing?” Yejide asked.
Emeka let out another cough and proceeded.
“Have you spoken to Farouk recently? Has any progress been made as regards the men who murdered Osahon?”
“No” Yejide responded sharply. “You are an amazing personality, you know. You are seated in that chair a free man today because she is dead. That woman was ready to send you to the gallows.”
“Hmmm” Emeka sighed, “women, so unpredictable.”
