Ellen wanted to
scream out for help but her screams were muffled by one of her captors. She
began to get scared of what might happen to her in the minutes to follow. Goose
pimples riddled her already dry skin and in that moment, all she could think of
and all that came to mind was a song her father used to sing for her when she
was growing up as a toddler to calm her down. The first guy she helped with the
luggage started to undress, he took of his T-shirt leaving on only his
undershirt and trousers. At this point, Ellen could only guess what that
gesture meant. She remembered watching TV with grandpa when a man and a young
woman were in a room together and the man took off his shirt. Immediately that
happened, her grandpa asked her to quickly go into the kitchen to fetch him a
glass of water. When she returned, the T.V channel had been changed and she
never saw what became of the two of them. Tear drops started running down
Ellen’s cheeks. “I am not going to see daddy and grandpa again”, she wondered.
“What are these men trying to do to me?” “We live in such a cruel world”. “You
help someone and they pay you back with pain and sorrow, when you refuse to
help, you are branded as being pompous”. So is it right to help or not to
help?”, Ellen wondered as she looked up at the two men walking up to the window
to look through it. The man who entered after Ellen became alarmed and
exclaimed, “Joseph, someone is coming”. “I thought you said all your co-tenants
were out of the house.” At this time, Joseph run to the window to see who it
was. It was one of his loud-mouthed co-tenants she was rushing toward his door.
When she got there, she banged loudly on the door, “Joe, open this door”, she
shouted. “Ever since children started getting raped in the neighbourhood, I
suspected you because the way and manner in which you keep luring little girls
into your room was unusual”. “I have been keeping a close eye on you and today
you have reached your waterloo”. I was watching you through my window and I saw
the little girl who just entered the room”. “You better open this door right
now”. As the lady spoke, the urgency with which she spoke attracted the
attention of a small crowd of passers-by standing outside. “What are we going
to do now?”, the second guy asked Joseph. Now, Joseph started getting scared
and knew that the crowd was going to lynch them should they open the door. To
their surprise, and with the little bit of strength left within her, Ellen
began screaming loudly to attract the attention of the crowd that had gathered
outside. The screams enraged the crowd –now-turned-mob to break down the door
and went in to rescue Ellen. The two kidnappers received sound beatings and had
it not been for the usually late but timely interventions of the police, the
two men would have been beaten to death.
Erica had realized that it was getting late and Ellen had not still been
home. She began getting worried and enquired from her other co-tenants if they
had seen her around the house. When she received a negative feedback, she
decided to call David to find out if per chance, Ellen had changed her mind and
rather wanted to spend that particular weekend with him. When David answered
the call, Erica blasted off, “At least show me some respect and recognition as
the mother of the daughter you are so proud of”. “If you know you don’t want
her to come here, why can’t you just inform me?” “I hate being left in the
dark”. “For whatever it’s worth, I am her mother and I deserve some privileges
too”. “Dave, won’t you say something?”, Erica queried. “I am at a loss for
words right now”. “I was just about to call you to ask you to take Ellen to the
salon tomorrow morning and you call me to ask me these questions?” “Erica,
where is my daughter because she is not here with me”, David asked in a cold
tone. “She is not here, David”, Erica said with a trembling voice. David immediately
hang up the line and in approximately five minutes, he called Erica back. “I
just spoke to my dad and he says Ellen has not been to the house”. “The last
place we all agreed that she was going to be today was at your place”. “Erica,
you better find my baby before I get there”. “I am on my way”, David said and
hang up the phone. Erica stepped out of the house only with her brassiere on
and a cloth wrapped around her waist. As she stepped out, she saw a group of
people accompanying Ellen toward the direction of her house. “Please she is my
daughter” Erica said as she rushed to meet the angry-looking crowd. “What has
she done to you people?”, Erica asked, examining her daughter for possible
bruises. “We just saved her from being raped by two men”, one of the women in
the crowd said. Ellen appeared visible shaken at her near-death ordeal. She
could not speak for a long time. Erica could not thank the crowd enough and
promised to get them a handsome prize when Ellen’s father arrived. When David
arrived, he was looking unkempt probably due to the thought of having to losing
his only beloved daughter. He thanked the crowd and doled out some money to the
leader of the delegation that saved Ellen from the hands of the kidnappers.
David decided to keep a close eye on Ellen and never wanted such an incident to
ever happen again so he never allowed Ellen to visit her mother over the
weekend but gave her mother the privilege of coming to see her anytime she
wanted. Soon, Ellen had grown into a beautiful young lady and was about
entering the university. She had stayed with her father all her life and was
now about to face life alone in the university. She wished that her father
would move into school with her but that was not to be. Ellen left for school
but was always chatting with her father so much so that her roommates thought
that they were dating. She found comfort in her school, lectures, roommates and
Collins; a student she met on her campus. Soon, Collins’ company replaced that
of her dad’s and she began to break away from her dad’s tight hold on her. She
began to love school and more especially, Collins. He was her first love and
she could not get enough of him. She always wanted to be in his arms and always
wanted him to pamper her. Sometimes, she feigned sickness just to feel the
warmth and loving care only Collins could give her. On one of the nights that
David spoke to Ellen, he was on his way home. He drove past the old place where
Fred lived with his parents. Fred had built a plush house for his parents and
siblings and they had moved from their old house. He parked his car there for a
while and reminisced on the good times that he shared with Fred on that same street
when they were growing up as children. “Fred has done well for himself”, David
thought to himself. He sent him a message and Fred replied instantly with a
phone call. Fred told David that he had wanted to surprise all of them but
since he was more than a brother to him, he informed him that he had intentions
of coming home to establish a business. David was elated at the news and could
not wait for the moment when he could finally reunite with Fred. “How could you
keep such a thing from me?”, David asked, trying to supress his joy. “I just
can’t wait to see you again, Fred”, David said. “Just promise me that you are
going to keep it to yourself for now”, Fred begged. “I want to organise a
surprise party for everyone, except you of course”, Fred added “That would be
splendid”, David replied. David wished Fred well and hang up the phone. He
parked in front of his gate and had to open the gate himself since his father
was now old and might be asleep by then considering how late it was.
Immediately he got out of the car, two masked men wielding cutlasses rushed
unto him and pinned him to the car. “Take the car and the phone”, David spoke
trembling. “I don’t have any money now but we can work something out please”,
David added, fearing for his dear life. One of the assailants laughed and
asked, “You think it is going to be that easy?” “You just don’t want to listen
and we would show you how to”. Immediately he said that, he swung the cutlass
at David’s chest and it cut wide open with blood gushing out with full force.
The other assailant hit David on the head with the cutlass and cut off one of
his fingers and placed it in David’s pocket. “This would teach you to keep your
hands to yourself and not use it in taking off the panties of married women.
That being said, the assailants pushed David to the ground and left him to his
fate…. More soon. MY NAME IS EDWIN OKO LAMPTEY AND THIS IS STILL “BEFORE THE
WORLD ENDS”. STAY TUNED. RANDOM AFRICAN THOUGHTS ©. MORE AT
randomafricanthoughts.blogspot.com
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