My love for you knows no bound
You knocked me out in the first round
It goes beyond the physical
You're my soul mate
Please forgive me for my actions
I didn't mean those words
I am ready to wait for you
Till you're ready
Because I love
I don't love you because I need you
I need you because I love you
I want to be with you and not just your body.
Please forgive me. I'd like to see you tonight if you truly forgive me..around 11pm at our normal spot?
your love
-p.o-
"P.o...what does that stand for?" Amara asked as she finished reading the letter out.
The girls had no idea. They all sat on Ezinne's bed apart from Amara who paced round the room as she read the letter.
"Wait..it seems they had a quarrel...he obviously wanted sex but she must have refused, I recall Ozioma was bent on preserving her virginity" Ezinne said.
Amara nodded. She could remember Ozioma had been very vocal about it.
"Oluchi...is your surname not Okon?" Mama asked with a thoughtful expression on her face.
"Yes it is..what's your point?" Oluchi replied rather harshly.
"P.o....Paul Okon"
"You must be mad!" Oluchi jumped up. "How dare you!"
"Relax..don't eat me biko, its just a suggestion"
"What kind of suggestion is that?" Oluchi was obviously upset.
It was a good thing she couldn't breathe fire if not beauty for ashes would have been the case.
"Wait..wait...wait first" Amara intervened "Oluchi you can simply check the writing if its similar to Paul's own"
"Its not the same" she said without looking at the paper and folded her arms.
"Wait..I don't understand...are you saying Paul is the killer?" Ezinne asked as she stared incredulously from the bed.
"No...of course not" Amara said hurriedly when she noticed Oluchi's expression had darkened.
"We already know who the killer is..have you forgotten its Okwudili...we're only curious about who was dating our friend back then"
"Exactly...I don't know why Oluchi is getting upset...besides that your brother seems like a player" mama said jokingly in an effort to lighten the mood.
"It can't be possible..my brother has been in Lagos for the past 3 years...he wasn't around when Ozioma was having a relationship" but even as she said this she looked at Amara and her friends expression said it all: how could they be so sure...he could have as well been close by all along answering to 'Emeka'.
"Fine...I'd check..I know His writing very well anyway!" Oluchi rolled her eyes and collected the paper. Her eyes scanned the words for some seconds as she seemed to scrutinize the writing.
Finally she handed the paper back to Amara "no...its not his handwriting...Paul's writing is more block letters but this is slanted"
"Okay...you see no problem" Amara said as she collected the letter. She wondered how far one was willing to go to protect the sibling. She knew she was willing to go the extra mile to protect her sister (Joy) and she knew Oluchi loved her elder brother.
She didn't believe her...not until she confirmed for herself that the writing was different.
"Stevenson..." Osi called out as he approached the house.
The European lived in a small but handsome self contain apartment. Dé Nwachukwu had given him the address along with the extra information that the house had been provided for him from the village purse. The European was deeply loved and respected by the people of Amaife.
Osi could see him on the verandah hunched over a notepad as he scribbled furiously. He had on a pair of reading glasses and as he looked up he looked different.
"Ah..pastor, what a pleasant surprise" he leaned back and smiled as Osi proceeded to climb the short steps.
"Sorry to barge in like this..hope I'm not disturbing your work?"
"No...not at all" he replied but he looked up in a 'what can I do you for' gesture.
Osi stammered..he didn't really know how to go about this...he had left the house this morning full of rage and the disturbing image of the dead woman playing behind his eyes. He knew he had to play hardball now..he had to ask questions...ask the right questions and the European was the first name to come to mind. But now here he was watching that polite smile and he didn't know how to go about it.
"I find this your work fascinating...I have this respect for writers...especially academic writers..I used to suck at writing..letter writing was always an F for me" he smiled sheepishly as he tried to get the conversation going.
"Ah...well believe me its not your passion..if it were your passion. You'd be good at it...you'd get better at it"
"Hmm...but I mean yours is quite unique...writing about African culture.."
"Well its my field.." He sighed impatiently "I'm sorry but you kind of caught me at a bad time...I'm fully immersed in comparing a particular 16th century Ireland festival with the masquerade festival they had two months ago...strangely there are as many similarities as differences"
"Ok...lest I forget.. Where were you last night?"
"I beg your pardon?" Stevenson sat up, just slightly but Osi noticed.
"I mean last night...I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow's service but I didn't see any sign of you"
"Really...what time was this?" Steve asked with a frown
Osi flashed back to the body...he tried to estimate the likely time of death...if rigamortis had already set in by morning then the death had to have occured by midnight.
"Errm...well it was quite late.. I think just before 12 midnight"
"Woa...midnight...I was tucked in..far away in dreamland by then" he smiled as he said this but Osi thought his voice had an edge.
He waved it off as paranoia as he joined Stevenson in his exaggerated laughter.
"I should have been asleep too but too many thoughts about the crusade..."
"I understand...please I'd appreciate if you come back or better still I'd come see you when I'm done...I need to finish up this chapter today"
"Okay no problem..forgive me for disturbing"
Osi took his leave thinking of what he had just learnt. So Stevenson had been at home during the time of the murder. He had also been alone meaning there was no one to vouch for him. That alibi was poor.. Very poor.
When the girls left Ezinne locked her door. Amara had emphasised that she lock the door and windows and that she not go anywhere alone. She was getting scared already. Her parents were not in, her father only came home on weekends as he worked with a transport company and her mother was in the market. She would need to go and join her mother and help her close very soon like she did every evening.
She suddenly wished she had walked with her friends and from there taken the path to the market. Amara had not only made her security conscious but had managed to scare her as well. She didn't want to be alone right now.
"Joy if you don't mind I'd like us to stop by pastor Bartholomew's house"
Her sister laughed "If I don't mind? If I mind would it even matter..you want to see your boyfriend I can not come in between"
"I don't appreciate your snide remarks...I have something I want to show Osi that's all"
"Osi...oh you're already on first name basis...you see my point exactly" her sister smiled mischievously and Amara gave up but she coulsn't stop the corners of her mouth from turning upward.
The fat pastor opened the door. He smiled when he saw Amara.
"Heey..you again...eeeerm...don't tell me..." He snapped his fingers "Amaka!"
"No...Amara" she corrected with a smile.
"Please..come in..come in...its a pleasure to have you here..this must be your sister...the resemblance is uncanny"
They entered the parlour. It was the first time any of them were entering the house and they looked around.
"Is pastor Osi in?" She asked
"Not yet..but I'm expecting him any minute now" as he spoke they heard the door open. "That should be him"
But it was Bukky. She entered the parlour with a nylon bag of vegetables she had bought from the market.
"Hello pretty ladies..you came to hear the word that's nice"
"Actually they came to see Osi" Ovie explained and Amara thought she felt the woman frown. Just slightly.
She tugged her sister's hand "maybe we would come back...I
just wanted to show him something"
It seemed Joy was in one of her mischievous moods. She didn't budge "no na...sheybe he'll soon be back...let's use this opportunity and listen to the word..after all I have missed all the Virgil service so far"
Ovie smiled bringing out a gigantic bible from the TV stand.
"Say no more dear...say no more"
"Well...what do you think?" Amara asked Osi as they walked the path home and he reread the letter again. He had arrived just as Joy had agreed they leave which was about 30 minutes into Ovie's preaching.
"This writing....I think I've seen it somewhere..." Osi said as he looked at the words for the umpteenth time.
"Where did you see it..are you sure?"
"Hmmm..." He frowned and closed his eyes.
He thought back and remembered earlier in the day when he had paid Stevenson a visit. The man had been writing something down and although the pad had been upside down and Osi had only glanced at it, he could almost swear the curvature was the same.
To be continued...
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