Evil is a seed that eats everything planted around it, even the very foundation it is planted on.
SSgt Aniema
{Abeokuta. Alice's home}
Cyril's cousin was a beautiful lady of twenty seven years. She was a nurse and a single mother of a three-year old boy. Her former lover; the father of the boy had died in a ghastly motor accident two years back. He was a driver, transporting goods from one city to the other. On one of his trips, he had collided with a fuel tanker and the tanker immediately went up in flames; he was scorched to death in those gruesome flames.
She worked at the Abeokuta Emissary Hospital as a Certified Nursing Assistant.
Taking care of patient's daily need and health care are indicative of her job and she did them well. She didnt know what had brought about his illnes and why Cyril had brought him to her instead of taking him to his family but she took good care of nonetheless.
One could almost say that Abiola felt at home but his condition left him virtually unhappy and bridled. He couldn't move as freely as he would choose, he couldn't empty his bowels without Alice's help.
There was no way he could tell her what had happened to him and sometimes he could see distress in her eyes. She would go to work and instead of coming home to rest with her child, she would have to come attend to him.
He would sit all day thinking about his friend.
"How is Cyril faring?" He would ask himself.
{Back at Layman's hotel and inn}
At about 12:15 am, Cyril was awakened by a voice in his dream. He was terrified, he got up from the bed and stared at the sleeping Veronica. She was fast asleep, it was time for his plan to commence. He tapped her on the shoulder and asked for them to have a talk.
"Vero, Vero wake up let's talk please."
"Ohh! Cyril, you are disturbing my sleep, why can't you wait till its morning."
"I need to ask you something."
"Ohhh Cyril! you men are all the same, you pretend to be humble and after you get what you want, you start pestering.
Ask your question then."
Cyril walked towards the small fridge standing just next to the edge of the bed. He brought out two cups and a bottle of wine. After opening the wine, he handed one cup to her and poured the content of the bottle into it and some for himself.
She took a sip and he did too. He looked at her and asked.
"Vero do you love me?" She looked up at him.
"Why are you asking this question?"
"I just want to know" He said " I've been thinking about it lately"
"Well I like you Cyril, because you are a nice guy and you are cool."
"So you don't love me?"
"Come on Cyril, love is not easy. It takes time, so with time I will love you if you treat me nicely."
He stared deep into her eyes as she took one more sip to avoid his gaze. He was filled with rage. All this time his friends had been right and she never truly cared for him.
After a couple of sips, Veronica began to feel dazed. Her hands were numb and her body weak, her head was spinning. She thought it was the sleep that she needed, so she placed her head on the pillow; she was sound asleep.
He touched her to see if she would move; she didn't. Immediately, he called one of Nonso's friend that had gone with them to the shrine.
After about 20 minutes Nonso's friend arrived at the hotel, the gate was opened to him. The gateman asked him if he wanted to lodge for the night he answered in the negative. While he was trying to explain his reason for being there at that hour, Cyril came running out from his room.
He told the gateman that his girlfriend was sick and had to be taken to the hospital immediately.
The gateman innocently went into the room with him as they carried Veronica out and placed her inside the car that Nonso's friend had brought with him.
The gateman opened the gate and they drove out into the night.
{Meanwhile, back at Nonso's home}
Nonso didn't like what he was about to do but he had no choice. Akpara Ekpe had been very vivid about his task, he had come this far to turn back now.
He undressed his sister and placed her underwear into the polythene bag, he trimmed the hair just above her genitalia, the hair under her armpit and the hair on her head; just enough that she wouldn't notice. He placed them inside the polythene bag. He used a white handkerchief to wipe her female organ and placed it into the polythene bag. After he was done, he walked back to his room.
Early the next day he told his mother that he had to leave but that he will come back soon.
"Mama I will be back soon, I have to take care of an urgent matter."
"Son you said you will be here with us for two days."
"Mama i promise to come back soon."
He left his family and headed immediately for Akpara Ekpe's village with his items.