THREE
AS RITA ROUNDED A
CORNER, she caught a glimpse of the red salon that seemed to have been trailing
her from the supermarket she had stopped at earlier on.
Perhaps an old buddy
trying to find out if I was really her. It wouldn’t amaze her if very few
people could recognize her. She’d never really frequented Nigeria. No even
after her mum’s burial. That was a year ago. Now she had only returned for the
memorial service.
She squirmed and
shifted in her seat as her jeep bumped its way slowly down the drive. She
thought of the bumpy ride from the airport. The roads were as bad as ever. A
nice way of saying ‘welcome back’, so it seemed. The streets looked deserted as
she drove past.
The sight of a petrol
station crowded with cars reminded her that certain things never change.
A low whistle escaped
her lips as the house came into view. The house was looking ramshackle.
Anyway, empty houses
quickly take on a forlorn look. She thought.
She hadn’t informed
anyone, except Kate Simon, her best friend - that she was returning and she had
done her a great favour by bringing her car right to the airport. She ought to
have called Seyi - the house keeper- earlier on.
She drummed her
fingers on the steering wheel as her eyes surveyed the house.
The window frames were
rimmed with dust. The door too. The flowers needed pruning, the grasses were
waist high, the walls…
She suddenly felt
ridiculous to have to sit and stare, when there was obviously a lot to be done.
She eased the car into
gear, then drove into the covered parking spot.
The floor needs
washing. She observed as she stepped out of the car.
She suddenly stopped
as she saw the slough of a snake. Fear clutched at her heart as she walked on.
She retrieved her bags from the booth and walked to the front door. She
inserted the key in the keyhole and opened the door. The living room was hot
and frowsty, but welcoming all the same. She opened the windows to let in fresh
air and turned on the fan.
Closing the door
softly behind her, she hugged her veil around her as she strolled from room to
room and floor to floor, switching on light bulbs. The house curved and twisted
giving access to a balcony to as many rooms as possible.
She switched on the
bulbs at the first floor, just then as her eyes spotted something that made her
skin crawl at the sight of it.
The scream she heard
was hers.
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