Fading Star

28

I went to bed early but I couldn't sleep. I was so disturbed. Richard didn't sleep also. He stood up after a while and left the room. I sat up around 11am and picked up a book to read but my mind wasn't in it.
After about an hour I slept off. I dreamt that Richie was back home and we were having a picnic, then suddenly it turned dark and blurry and I was alone in a dark alley. My heart was thumping as I heard footsteps coming towards me. The alley was stinking of urine. Water was dripping somewhere nearby. The footsteps sounded closer. I was shaking like a leaf and I was sweating profusely. I didn't know where I was or who was chasing me. I felt a presence behind me. A cold hand gripped my shoulder. I screamed and woke up.
My throat was dry and I was sweaty. Richard was sleeping beside me. The time was 4AM. I took a cold shower and tried to make sense of the dream I had. I couldn't think of a possible explanation for it.
After I showered, I wore a tank top and my training shorts and went downstairs to make a cup of tea. Drinking it made me feel better. I knew I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep so I decided to go for a jog. I picked up my ipod and my headphones.
I started jogging just outside the gate, listening to music. I reached the end of the street and turned left. Just then a man appeared in front of me. He was wearing a mask. He must be a burglar, I thought. I quickly turned back and ran. I didn't turn to see if he was chasing me.
As the gateman saw me he quickly opened the gate. I ran in breathing heavily. I was so scared.
"Madam what is it? What happened?" he asked. I couldn't answer him as I was still trying to catch my breath. I peeped through a gap in the gate. There was no sign of the man. Strange, I thought.
"Is everything okay?" the gateman asked again, looking concerned.
"Yes. Please don't let anyone in." I replied and went into the house. Was I hallucinating or the man was real? I wondered. He looked so real but when I turned again I didn't see him. He must have stopped chasing me or maybe he didn't even chase me. You need to calm down, stop being paranoid, I said to myself.
The sun had risen. I thought of what to make for breakfast. I decided to make French toast. I was on the last one when Richard came into the kitchen. He hugged me from behind.
"Good morning sweetheart" he said to me. I turned and kissed me forehead. He looked tired.
"Morning. I guess you had a rough night too?" I asked.
"You have no idea. I couldn't sleep much" he replied. I told him about the dream and the man I saw this morning.
"I think God is trying to tell me something" I told him.
"Don't be silly, Ally. It's not realistic. It's just your mind playing tricks on you" he said with a smile. He made coffee while I finished making breakfast. We went to the dining table and ate in silence.
When we were done I called Bola to clear the table. I heard my phone ringing in the living room. I wondered who would be calling so early. Before I could reach it, the call had ended. I checked the caller. The number was hidden. I ignored the call.
A few minutes later Richard's phone started ringing. Luckily it was on the table in front of him.
"Private number" he mused.
"Strange, I just got a call from a hidden number too" I said to him. He picked up and put it on loudspeaker.
"Hello? Who is on the line?" he asked. There was silence.
"Hello? Who am I speaking with?" he asked again. Still there was no answer then the caller hung up.
"It must be a prank call" I said to him.
"Yeah I guess" he replied. He excused himself and went upstairs to shower.
Richard  went to work while I remained at home. The day passed by so slowly. I was running  out of things to do to keep my Mind off the terrible thoughts that had been haunting me. I wanted to go to Delilah's place but I knew she would be at work.
I decided to go shopping.  I couldn't help thinking about the dreadful things that could be happening to Richie as I drove. I offered a silent prayer and hoped that God would answer it. At the mall I bumped into my late father's friend. He was shocked to see me. We exchanged pleasantries.
"I hope you and your husband are doing well?" he asked.
"Yes we thank God" I replied. I asked about his family and we had a little chat. We were talking when a boy about Richie's age walked up to where we were standing. He greeted me.
"This is my youngest son, Ayomide" said Chief Abayomi.
"Nice to meet you" I replied and smiled. The boy looked familiar, like I've seen him before.
"Have we met before?" I asked the boy.
"Yeah, Richie was my classmate" he replied. No wonder he looked so familiar.
"By the way, sorry about what happened to him. Have you heard anything yet?" he asked concerned.
"Nothing yet. When was the last time you saw him?" I asked curious.
"At the prom. He was leaving the venue with a lady he introduced as his mother. They left in Richie's car". He replied.
That's strange, I thought. So Blessing was basically the last person to see him. That could be useful.
I said goodbye and left them. I called Richard and told him what I heard and he said he'll inform the police to find out about Blessing's whereabouts.