Deadly as trust

Twenty-seven: Miriam

Darkness.

Everywhere was dark.

Behind me was the cold hard wall.

My hands were aching from where they had been tied, my eyes were blindfolded and my mouth was gagged.

It had been two days now and I was starting to wonder why they hadn't ended my life yet. They had the chance when they first carried me from the prison, they pointed a gun at my head and I was already starting to embrace the reality of death when somebody just called out that I should be taken alive.

The room was stuffy and with my heart pounding and me struggling for good air by taking rapid breaths, I could feel my life slipping away. Yet I wasn't dying, I wasn't ending the misery that was my life. I was still... alive.

I heard a creaking sound and recognized it as the door to the dark room opening.

Then the blindfold was yanked off my eyes. For the first time in two days, I was able to see the room I had been staying in.

Contrary to what I thought, it wasn't very dark. It was lighted by a single light bulb from the ceiling.

I squinted my eyes and turned my face away from the light. They had been so tightly shut that even the light from the light bulb caused a burning sensation in them. I felt dizzy from the blood rush to my head as the blindfold had been yanked away.

But before I could process what was going on, I felt a hard slap come down on my cheek. I didn't know when teardrops fell.

"You imbecile!", yelled a feminine voice, "Comon face me jare!"

I slowly turned to face her for the good of my face. In the light, I could make out the features of a plump woman probably in her mid-forties. She was fair-skinned and she wore a native lace dress with matching wrappers tied tightly around her waist. Her head was covered with a matching headtie too.

I almost gasped as I was looking at the one person I thought I would never see again.

"So, you small pikin. As I pick you for street the only thing wey you wan carry use tell me thank you na to spoil my business abi?"

It was Majoress.

She landed another heavy slap on my cheek and I felt like I would die the next moment.

"Now wetin you don gain?", she spat.

She dragged the gag down from my mouth. Maybe she was expecting an answer from me but I had none.

"Ingrate.", she scoffed angrily.

"Why don't you just kill me if you hate me so much?", my voice came out weaker than I expected.

"I no dey work alone if not I for don strangle you by now. You for don sabi that one by now. I get partner and him get plan. Now wetin you go do na to speak for this phone when I call the person wey I dey call."

She furiously dialled a number on a phone and put it near my ear. I couldn't help but wonder who she was calling and what it had to do with me.

"What do you want?", the voice came out harsh.

I felt blood drain from my head.

"Jide.", my voice came out not much louder than a whisper. I was almost sure he hadn't heard it but I was wrong.

"Miriam? Miriam is that you? How are you doing?"

"Well, I'm alive but I don't think it's get any better, only worse.", I managed to reply.

I had watched movies where the kidnapped person would scream or cry for the other person to pay the ransom so they could be released.

I was not them, I wanted to die now, I wasn't even sure but I was sure I didn't want to rope Jide in on anything.

Stupid me.

One moment I wanted to die and the next I was struggling to live. Dying was almost too easy, yet it was also extremely hard.

"Tell am where you dey. Tell am say make him come settle for your head.", Majoress whispered.

"Miriam, I'm coming to get you. Please stay alive and I promise we'll sort everything out. I try as much as possible to get a good lawyer to defend you. I'll stand by you Miriam, just please don't die. I'll do everything to get you out.", he begged. His voice was calm and low.

"Jide... Don't... don't come here. It's okay. Just... forget about me, like you wanted to—"

I was interrupted by a kick to my side by Majoress that sent me screaming and lurching towards the sandy floor. She dragged me back up and I was struggling for my breath again.

"Miriam!", I heard Jide shout from the phone.

Majoress put the phone over her ear. I could tell she was fed up with the little show.

"Now listen wella. If you know say you wan see am again just do wetin my oga tell you. Him no dey joke at all. And you sef, you no get time. Him dey expect you tomorrow so no disappoint am."

She hung up as soon as she finished talking, not even giving him a minute to respond.

I didn't say anything.

"And you! You mumu child.", she slapped my cheek again, "Person go tell you something and you no go listen abi?"

"Shebi you don forget say them dey call me Majoress. You neva sabi anything o. No try me o.", she continued shouting.

I didn't say anything.

When she finally stopped, there was a long silence between us.

"Now", she began quietly, "I don bring you food make you chop and water make you drink. Make sure you finish am o because the next time wey you go fit find food na tomorrow."

She ordered a man to bring in a gallon of water and a plate of rice in 'take-away' plate. He untied my hands and stood beside me to watch me.

"Make sure say she no waka go anywhere and make she finish everything. Nothing go work if she no dey alive."

The man nodded his head and she turned to me.

"I think say you dey wise. But the only thing you fit make na mistake. Mistake everywhere... just like your mama."

The last words threw me off balance and something inside of me broke.

She gave me a final disgusted look before finally walking away.

Just like your mama.

~~~

Surprise! 😁

Stay safe o
Much love from your girl 😘