THE GIRL IN THE WELL( FINAL CHAPTER)

Two truths can co-exist.... I sat beside my brother the whole night. I dare not close my eyes. What if TJ comes back? I was engulfed by his innocent face. He looked so much like daddy. His light caramel complexion and his big brown eyes. Everything about Aaron reminded me about daddy. I didn’t want to wake him so I left the room quietly. I locked the door and took the key and headed to the bathroom. My biggest mistake was leaving him alone but I wasn’t going to do that again. I had a shower and headed back to my room until I heard someone turning the doorknob downstairs. I raced back into my room and picked up the knife. I know that this time, TJ wouldn’t survive this. One person was going to die and it wasn’t going to be me.I came downstairs quietly and waited on the stairs until I could see who it was; it was mummy.“What are you doing here?” I asked her. I didn’t think she would have the nerve to show her face to me after what she did.“Why I came back to my own house?” Ene SaidThere was something about the way she walked in. She didn’t look like she was here to fight or anything. She was pale and exhausted.“You are so stupid!” She said as she continued to walk past me. I scoffed the moment she said this. I still find it hard to comprehend what my mother is.“You are evil! I said to her back and loud. She looked at me and could see that my face couldn’t hide my disgust and hatred for her. “You are truly the devil.” I said it again but this time, louder.“ TJ raped Aaron but you, you destroyed him. You know that right? To keep your pathetic relationship with TJ, you allowed him to do that to Aaron, over and over again? How do you sleep at night?“In peace.” She said. Her response struck me. I could not believe what I was hearing. She was expressionless, cold and somewhat distant but the first time, I saw who she truly was. I stood up and walked away“Ozi! She called out to me.“Ozi!” she said again but I didn’t respond, I just kept walking.She caught up and pushed me against the wall.“If I am evil, if I am the devil, then what are you?” You ungrateful… brat. After everything I have done for you?Let…me…go!” I said as I tried to push her off me.“Shut up!” she said as she screamed at my face. Do you think I don’t know that you knew what TJ was doing to Aaron for the past Seven years? When he will ask you to sleep beside him at night and you will tell him no? Why didn’t you say anything then? What changed? Tell me! What was the point of the whole drama, you hypocrite? Do you think I don’t know what you are? What you truly are? Tell me, what happened to Leila? You saw her the night she disappeared right? Why was she found inside a well? “I… don’t… know.. what happened to Leila!” I said to her. I didn’t realize I was stuttering until I had stopped speaking. I tried to push her away but it was a wasted effort, she was strong, stronger than she looked.“If only I believe you!” She said and finally let me go. She stood far from me but not too far that I can run. She put her hands in her pocket and brought out her cigarettes. She lit one and blew the air on my face. The last time I saw her smoke was when daddy died.“You know, I know when you left this house with her that night, I didn't see you but I heard you telling her to meet you somewhere but I know I saw you come back without her that night. So are you going to keep up your stupid lies with that stupid look on your face? You know, you’re just like me,”She said as she blew another ball of smoke to the air. “It's only a matter of time.”“I told you” I said firmly “I don’t know what happened to her.” I don’t know why she was found in a well, dead.”"You want to be like your daddy so much." She said disappointingly"Don't talk about Daddy." I said to her but she just scoffed and took another puff of her cigar."You know, before your daddy died, he was a good father but a terrible husband. I would catch him sleeping with anything that wore a skirt. I would confront him and he would deny it, we would fight, he would go out and repeat. So one day, he came home with a child, a boy and told me that from now on, he will be living with us. So when he died, I had debts to pay. He owed so much to TJ there was no way I could pay it and raise you and him. TJ said he will let go of all the debt your father owed if I marry him and I agreed. He said he will talk to the others to forget the debt as well; and they did, they all did and we got TJ’s protection in exchange he lives out his fantasy with Aaron.I was shocked she was saying this.“He is a boy, a child!” I protested“He is your father’s son! He is not my own! What is my business?”“Can you hear yourself? I ask her.“So Aaron is the scape goat here?“Better him than you wouldn't you say?” She said“Your father was a failure and a loser and not man enough so how was that my fault? I will protect my own!” she said. “You are still my child, so I will protect my flesh and blood. I know you will always blame me for how he died but he died because he refused to being a public toilet."She walked away and headed to her room.“I will protect mine!” I said to her. I was crying at this point but I needed her to hear me."Aaron is my flesh and my blood and if TJ enters this house again or even looks at him again, I will kill him.”“Don’t. Worry, he won’t.” She said “TJ is dead.”Her words struck me. l wanted to ask how but I am so scared of what she would say next.“I told you, I will protect my own!” She said. I could not see her expression. She no longer looked at me and headed for her room. Now get dressed we have to attend Leila’s burial.”I said nothing to her, I think my expression said it all. I didn’t not stop looking at her until she was out of my sight.“TJ was never coming back!” I said to myself. Those were words that no emotion could express.I went back to the room.Aaron was sound asleep, I wasn’t sure if he was pretending to be or he actually is. There was no way he didn’t hear all that. It didn’t matter, he looked so peaceful. I picked out my clothes from the wardrobe. It was a black laced dress. I remember the day I got this dress, it was actually for Leila. She said the dress had become too tight for her. We never really hung out when we were in school until one day, we did. She defended me from the bullies in class. Everyone had found out I liked Tobi and Tobi didn’t like me and since then, my life became hell; until she came along. We would take evening walks together, I would go to her house and help her prepare meals. I felt at peace when I was with her.I wore the dress, everything about it looked like her. I woke Aaron up. The last thing I was going to do was make him stay at home by himself.He said nothing to me though and headed to the bathroom. From there, he went to his room and within thirty minutes, he was ready. Mummy was downstairs, sitting on the sofa, staring at only God knows what. I had to tap her before she came to her senses. Just as I was heading to the door, she pulled me closer for hug and whispered something in my ear, it gave me chills. Eventually, she let me go.“let’s get going then!” She said before leading the way. We went next door to check Zainab but she wasn’t there. So we head to the church. The drive was longer than I, remember. The last time weThe cool breeze made it unbearable to keep my eyes open so I closed them for a while and there she was, Leila, in my head. It was as though my life was truly flashing before my very eyes. She was so loved, so beautiful that I fell in love. I told her to meet me at the old well, I was going to tell her how I feel. I made my hair and wore the prettiest dress I owned, this black dress. By evening, I was there and so was she. She looked like a doll, so innocent. She approached me with a smile. I held her hands and she didn’t protest. I hugged her, she didn’t object and when I tried to kiss her, she pushed me away; She didn’t feel the same way for me. I tried to run away, I was so hurt, embarrassed and she tried to stop me, she wanted to apologize but I wasn’t having it. I pushed her away from me and I pushed too hard and she fell. I tried to catch her but I was too slow. She slipped and fell into the well. Leila didn’t jump, I killed her. I looked around to see who could help me, if I should run, if anyone saw me. And from the side of my eye, I saw Aaron. He must have followed me here. He took my hands, he could feel that I was trembling. He said he wouldn’t tell anyone and if anyone ask what happened to Leila, we don’t know. We left together like nothing ever happened. The car stopped abruptly and I was awaken from my thoughts, we were finally at the church.“ Nobody needs to know the truth” That was what mummy said to me and she’s right.

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