If The World Was Different

  “I’ll go and serve your food.” Janet answered; with the hope that he would think his daughter had gone to bed and would not ask of her. Once he had eaten and gone to bed, she would sneak out and go and find her daughter. She never should have let her go in the first place. But, Luck was not on her side, because as she turned and headed to the kitchen, her husband asked, “won’t Christiana come out and greet me?” Janet paused; she was in some serious trouble.

  “Christiana! Christiana!” Daniel called, but there was no answer. Janet slowly turned to face her husband “she’s not inside.” She answered her voice barely above a whisper.

  “What do you mean she’s not inside?”

  “She… she…” Janet stuttered.

  “Why are you stammering? Don’t tell me she went for that damned deliverance, even when I warned against it.”

  “The thing is…”

  “The thing is what? I can’t believe you are this naïve. What kind of deliverance takes place outside the church premises, without the parents? Think about it, you dumb woman!”

  “I didn’t think that she would…”

  “You didn’t think period! I’ll deal with you later; just give me the address of the place so I can bring my daughter home.” Daniel was on his feet now; his tiredness and hunger have both disappeared.

  “Christiana took the address with her.” Janet answered, without looking at her husband.

  “My God, do you know how stupid you sound right now? You are the biggest mistake I’ve made in my life.” Daniel was yelling now.

  “Please don’t say such things, I know you are upset and I understand. The deliverance probably took longer than expected. She would be back soon.”

  “You are so unbelievable. Do you know why we are in this mess? It’s because I was in involved in a major fraud that happened in the company. I’m lucky I was not locked up.”

  “What are …?”

  “Shh, let me finish. Do you also want to know why I was involved in the fraud in the first place? It was because of you. Your demands were as high as the heavens, you wanted what you wanted. You refused to work and I wanted to be the loving husband. Even now that things are as they are, you still wouldn’t work. But I didn’t complain; now you have sent our daughter to some ridiculous deliverance because you think it would give you your materialistic life back.”

  “Honey, I know you are saying all these things because you are upset. But, you are being unnecessarily paranoid. She would be back soon and I’ll punish her severely for being so late. So, just relax and let me serve dinner.” Janet said nervously.

  Daniel was on the verge of tears, how he had lived with this woman for seventeen years was a misery to him. He should have listened to his father when he told him not to marry a woman because for her beauty. Now he was stuck with a beautiful, dumb woman. “I can’t take this anymore. Since you are so sure she will be back tonight, you are going to wait for her outside. Until she comes back, you are not coming in.”

  “What are you saying?” Janet was shocked. “Are you asking me to go outside?” She asked, just to be sure she heard right.

  “I believe I didn’t speak French. GET OUT!!!” Daniel yelled. When his wife still didn’t make a move, he pushed her out, locked the door and turned deaf to her door banging. He was only going to wait a while, if Christiana did not return; he was going out to search for her. He would begin his search at the church, hopefully she would be there.

 

  ********

  David stared at Christiana’s lifeless body on the couch for a minute, and then he moved close and shook her again and again. She was dead!

  His obsession with teenage virgins had finally gotten the better of him. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, usually after he had his way with the girls, he threatened them to remain silent because the shame will be on them and he had the church behind him, so he could do no wrong. He had never had a dead girl before, how was he to know that she was very fragile. It wasn’t his fault that she was so beautiful and innocent. It was the innocence that attracted him to her, now he was in deep mess.

  Daniel scratched his head in confusion for a minute and then it hit him, he knew what to do. He would clean her up and remove any evidence that could lead to him and then dump her body somewhere. He'd

  worked hard to get where he was today and he wasn’t going to let some girl bring him down. Without wasting anymore time, he removed what was left of her blood soaked clothes, put on gloves and carried her to the bathroom and washed her body clean with water and soap. He shook his head after he was done; it was a pity that the girl that had been so full of life when he entered her was dead. After a few minutes of sober reflection, he carried her naked body into his car.

  ********

  Abdullah didn’t understand why he was so pressed, he had been trying to hold it in until he got home, but it was no use. He finally had to succumb to the call of nature and entered a nearby bush to get relieved. While he was doing his business in the dark, a car parked close to where he was, the driver got out, opened his booth and dumped something on the ground. And then got into his car and drove away. But, the headlights of the car were bright enough for Abdullah to see the face of the driver before he drove off.

  When Abdullah was done, he went to see what the driver had dumped on the ground, with the very low light of his phone he found what he was looking for. And what he saw made him throw up.

  “Ya Allah! What is this? I have to get out of here, before someone sees me. Otherwise, there would be no way out.” Abdullah spat, before running as far as his legs could carry him away from the scene.

 

 

 

  CHAPTER THREE

  It’s been a month, since Christiana went missing and three weeks since the police found her body. Daniel had big dreams for his daughter and now it was all gone, where was he going to start from? He couldn’t even vent his anger and frustration on his wife; she had become a walking dead. She couldn’t have any more children due to complications she had during Christiana’s birth and she blamed herself for her death.

  The police could not arrest Pastor David, because there was no evidence to link him to the murder. They had no case against him, the pastor had denied inviting Christiana for any deliverance and they had no proof because Christiana had taken the address with her. When Daniel went to the church to look for his daughter that night, the pastor was in his office. But, he was hundred per cent sure that the pastor had something to do with his daughter’s death. He couldn’t proof anything, David had the church behind him, and every one thought he was making unnecessary trouble and his daughter was probably a wayward girl who had been used for money rituals. After all, she was found naked. Everyone took the pastor’s side neglecting the fact that his only daughter, the one he'd over-protected, the one he didn’t allow enjoy the freedom of being a teenager was dead and gone. The Pastor was guilty, he knew it. But, he had no evidence or money to prove it.

  ********

  For almost a month, Aisha had watched her husband live miserably. He had stopped going to work, hardly ate, he just lay on the bed and stared at the celling. She couldn’t take it anymore. So one night, after Yusuf had slept, she confronted him.

  “I don’t understand what is going on with you, do you think lying on the bed all day and staring at the celling will solve our problems?” She asked. Either her husband didn’t hear her or he didn’t just respond.

  “Are you not the one I’m speaking to? You have been going on like this for weeks now. It has gotten so worse that you don’t say your prayers anymore. What is going with you? What is wrong??
?? Still, she got no response from Abdullah. Aisha sighed. If her husband continued like this, they would be kicked out of the one room apartment they lived in.

  “I saw something I shouldn’t have.” Abdullah said suddenly.

  “Alhamdulillah, my husband still speaks.” Aisha said, sarcastically. “What did you see?”

  Abdullah took a while before answering; Aisha thought he had reverted back to his mute mode. But then he said, “Do you know that Christian girl they talked about in the news?”

  “Yes, the one that was murdered recently. What has that got to do with you?” she asked uninterestedly.

  “I know who killed her.” Abdullah answered, still staring at the celling.

  “What do you mean?” Aisha’s interest piqued.

  “I saw him dump her body…”

  “You saw who dump her body?”

  “The Pastor of that big church in our area.” He answered.

  “Ya Allah, you should report to the police, maybe he used her for rituals. May Allah punish him!”

  “Whatever his reasons were, we cannot go to the police.” Abdullah suddenly sat up and faced his wife.

  “Okay, so what do you want to do? You are obviously so bothered about it.”

  “Think of it as an opportunity, the pastor is very rich. He is our ticket to the good life, Yusuf would have the best of things and we would be able to live like kings.”

  Aisha shook her head and buried her face in her palms. “Ya Allah, what has gotten into my husband?” She asked, as she raised her head up.

  “Don’t be like that, think about it. We are both illiterates, with nothing to offer our son. He’s just going to end up like me, a school dropout. Is that what you want?”

  “Don’t use our son as an excuse, you are doing this for your own selfish reasons and you know that Allah frowns at this kind of thing.”

  “To hell with what Allah frowns at, and there is nothing wrong with being a little selfish. I’ve battled with myself for several weeks before I reached my decision. Allah frowns at this, Allah frowns at that, yet he has done nothing to ease our burden. I’ll do what I have decided to do with or without you.

  “May Allah forgive you; Allah does not give a man a burden he cannot bear. So, if you cannot report the matter to the police, then you should leave it be. I’m going to bed and please keep your voice down, don’t wake my son up with your nonsense.” Aisha said as she moved to her own side of the bed.”

  Abdullah looked at Yusuf who was sleeping so peacefully on the mat spread on the floor. His sleeping son only solidified his decision, Yusuf deserved to sleep on a bed, not on a mat. “That is why you don’t tell a woman about your plans.” He said as snuffed out the lamp and lay back on the mattress.

 

  ********

  David relaxed in his chair, he was glad that the storm was finally over. It was time to lay low and play the good pastor. But, the animal in him wouldn’t allow him. There was another girl he had his eyes on already. Actually, he’d had his eyes on her for a while but, he let Christiana distract him. He was glad all that was over, the girl’s father had tried to make trouble for him. But, since he had no proof, he had no case. Also, it wasn’t his fault that the church had utmost faith in their pastor. David laughed to himself as he thought of the church’s foolishness.

  “Pastor, there is a man waiting to see you.” He had been so engrossed in his thoughts that he did not notice that his secretary had entered.

  “What did you say?” He asked.

  “I said there is a man waiting outside to see you” she repeated.

  “I thought I told you I need sometime alone?” He asked.

  “I know sir, but it seems like he’s seeking the face of the lord. I couldn’t turn him away sir.”

  David sighed, the things that came with being a pastor; he didn’t have any privacy. “Alright let him in.”

  “Yes Pastor.” The secretary smiled and left. David admired her backside; he already plans to marry her. After all, a pastor is expected to get married and multiply. He would just tell her he saw a vision and lord told him she was meant to be his wife. She wasn’t that smart and would not suspect his escapades.

  “Welcome to the house of the lord, what can I do for you?” David asked the local man standing his office.

  “The question is what can I do for you?” Abdullah responded. At that moment, he was very grateful that he knew little English.

  “Please sit, and tell me what you mean.” David said, his voice laced with suspicion.

 

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Daniel stared at the lifeless body of his wife with tears in his eyes. She lay on the kitchen floor in a pool of her own blood; the knife lay a few feet away from her. Her depression had finally gotten better of her and she had slit her own wrist. He walked out of the kitchen with tears in his eyes; one man had ruined his entire family. He couldn’t remember the last time he'd asked God for anything, but as he looked back into the kitchen, he prayed that God took vengeance for him; he prayed that the man, who caused him so much pain, should experience more pain than he could ever imagine. He went back into the kitchen, looked at his wife and wished he had been nicer to her, if he hadn’t blamed her for everything that happened; she would still be alive with him. He couldn’t hold it in anymore; he fell to his knees and wept like a baby.

  ********

  Aisha looked at her husband with so much disappointment; she couldn’t believe he actually went through with his plan. She wasn’t an educated woman, but she knew what he was doing was wrong both legally and religiously.

  “I can’t believe you actually went through with it.” She said, twisting her mouth in disgust.

  “It actually worked. When I got there and threatened him with the little English I know, he trembled. He’s going to give us ten million naira.” Abdullah answered excitedly.

  “You are unbelievable. You are on your own if anything happens; don’t involve me and my son.”

  “Nothing is going to happen.”

  “If you say so, but I’m not comfortable with it.” Aisha insisted.

  “You worry too much woman; this is an opportunity for a better life. Can’t you see?” Abdullah tried to convince his wife.

  “Don’t you think it was too easy? He just agreed to give you the money without any argument. It doesn’t sound right.”

  “I threatened to tell the police. Did you expect him to argue after that?”

  “When did he say he would give you the money?”

  “Today, he said he would bring it personally to our house.” Abdullah answered.

  “Are you insane?” Aisha yelled. She thought her husband was a wise man, but he was the king of fools.

  “Why are you shouting at me? You no longer know your place because I tell you everything.”

  “How could you give him our address? Even a child would know not to do that.”

  “What are you talking…?” Abdullah was interrupted by a loud bang on the door.

  “Who’s that? Who’s knocking on my door without manners?” Abdullah asked angrily.

  “We are here to see Abdullah?” A gruffly voice answered.

  “What do you want?” Abdullah asked, without opening the door.

  “Pastor David sent us.” The voice answered.

  Abdullah turned to his wife and smiled. “See, I told you he would send someone.” He said and opened the door. Three big men filled the small room, Abdullah was a big man himself, but he was intimidated by the size of the men that filled his small room. The room suddenly became hot; Abdullah did not need a soothsayer to tell him that the men had not come to give him the money.

  “Pastor David asked us to deliver a message to you; he
said to tell you that when he sees you in the next life, he would give you the money you asked for.” One of the men said, it was the same man that answered behind the door.

  “All I wanted was a …” Abdullah’s sentence was interrupted by a slashing sound; he turned to see his wife holding her neck, before she fell to the ground with a loud thud; blood streaming out of her neck.

  Abdullah screamed and flew at the man who had killed his wife, but the man who had spoken earlier dragged him back, and snapped his neck while the other two held him down.

  “Our job is done, let’s get out of here” the man said, and they rushed out.

  Yusuf, who had gone outside to relief himself, came back in to find his room filled with neighbours. An elderly man tried to prevent from entering the room, but he struggled against the man and entered the room where he found his parents on the floor. His mother was in a pool of her own blood, while his father’s head was turned in an awkward position. He couldn’t scream, he couldn’t cry, he just stood there in shock and confusion.

  “Who could have done this horrible thing?” One of the neighbours asked.

  Yusuf stared at his parents, he didn’t know who killed them and took them away from him forever. But he intended to find out and when he did, the person would wish he had never been born. Yusuf promised himself that he would not cry or mourn his parents until he had sent their killer to where they were. And with that conviction, Yusuf pushed his way out of the crowded room and ran, he didn’t know where he was going and he didn’t care. He just continued running as fast as his legs could carry him.

 

  TWENTY YEARS LATER

 

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “Where have you been, this past week?” Chief Suleiman asked his daughter, who stared defiantly back at him. “Are you not the one I’m talking to?”

  “Father, I went to sort out some issues. I’m back now; don’t make it such a big deal.” Mariam responded.