"Good morning, Mrs. Garnahweh", Joe greeted.
"Joe, I want a perfect work done. Kill that bitch as clean as you can, make it look like a suicide. Make sure there's nothing for the police to work on because her father will try to investigate the case, you heard me right?", Chioma mumbled hastily. She turned around to make sure no one was watching them.
"Ok Ma", Joe rolled his eyes.
Chioma had been telling Joe the same thing over and over again since the previous week. They'd been planning to execute her stepdaughter. He had asked for the reason she wanted to kill the girl. She told him the girl has also been trying to kill her and her son because she wanted all of her father's properties.
Joe had been watching the girl since the last five days as she leaves for work and comes back home. But, something makes him feel connected to the girl and makes him think she can't do any of those things her step mother had been accusing her of doing. So, he cooperated with her with his own agenda. He had planned that he would find out if the girl is really innocent and then, plan a way of helping her.
He really wasn't an assassin but situations pushed him to it. He was rescued from a bomb blast in Liberia. He lost all his relatives to the blast. He suffered from amnesia after the blast and he had been trying to remember someone. He felt that person was important and loved by him.
The memory kept fading away anytime he tried to remember. He had once forced the memory but he passed out and was unconscious for days.
His guardian, Makanaki, had warned him never to force the memory ever again. Makanaki was the Good Samaritan who found Joe at the verge of death. The Liberian police had reported that they found no survival at the blast but, they didn't check well. Makanaki was checking around if he would find any trace that would lead him to the terrorists who initiated the blast. But found Joe instead.
He made sure the health sector did everything possible to save Joe's life. Joe got well and Makanaki took him along to his country, Nigeria. He treated Joe like his own son and gave him all he needed. He sent him to study in the UK. But, he had just one request from Joe, he wanted Joe to be part of his dirty works.
Joe's car halted at the front of Ceci's apartment. He had planted a chip that records every conversation in her house. The chip is connected to his phone so, he gets to listen to her conversations on his phone. He had planned to carry out his operation on Saturday morning. Mrs. Garnahweh had informed him that Ceci stays at home almost every Saturdays. Joe actually had to change his plan that Saturday morning when he listened to Ceci's conversation with someone he guessed to be her boss.
"The girl is really crazy to fool her boss", he said as he listened to her conversations back at his apartment. He started liking her from the day he started listening to her conversations. He liked her voice too. "Her voice sounds good and she looks good too, I like her", he thought.
"Joe, you can't start liking her," he told himself as he played her conversation again.
"He-hello boss, erm..", she said. He smiled listening to her feigning a sicky voice.
"I'm not feeling well, Sir".
"I'm serious, boss. I'll try to come tomorrow sir". He guessed her boss was doubting her.
"Ugrhhhh! Why does he always have to be a jerk? He already made this coffee taste sour in my mouth. Yuck!!". He smiled again and got out of his car.
..
..
..
Ceci crawled on the couch, feeling lovesick and lonely. She had been a loner since, Chioma snatched her father from her. She had actually gotten over that a very long time ago, but, you know no matter how strong one is one still tends to break down when one remembers the past painful memories one has had.
"No, Ceci, you can't cry now. You're a strong girl. You've lived all alone since all these days. You can't break down now!", she shouted at herself as she cried hard.
"Mom, I need you now, why did you have to leave me? You and Joe left me all alone. You could have just fought death and be with me!".
She cried harder, pulling her hair down with one hand and using the other to cuddle the throw pillow. She jerked as she heard a knock at her door.
"Who is there?", She asked as she ran to the mirror in her passage. She adjusted her hair and wiped her tears away.
"I'm Joe, your new neighbor", Joe said.
Ceci"s eyes went wide at the mention of Joe, then, she wondered who the new neighbor is because she still saw Michael and Suzzie, her neighbours, the previous night. So, it couldn't be that they've packed out last night without informing her.
"Who the hell is this new neighbor and what's he looking for in my house?", she whispered to herself as she turned the door knob.
She was shocked to see Joe Williams at her door. She pinched herself to make sure she wasn't day dreaming but lo and behold , she still found Joe standing before her.
"Joe?", she asked.
Joe looked surprised as she called out his name. He nodded at her.
"Sorry, have we met before?", he asked.
"Seriously Joe? Have we met before?", she asked looking confused.
"Come in", she ushered him inside.
She offered him a seat and sat on the couch opposite his so as to defend herself in case, he's a ghost.
"So...", Joe started but Ceci also spoke up.
"So... How-"
"Go ahead, ladies first", he told her.
"How come you're here? They said no one survived from the blast not even my Mom or Rick or Melissa", she said nervously.
"I'm sorry, but, I don't know you. Let me say, I can't remember you or any of the people you mentioned. It's true I was rescued from a bomb blast in Liberia and I lost parts of my memory. I could only remember the first thirteen years of my life", he replied.
"Oh...", she said looking lost in thoughts.
"So, why are you here? I don't think any of my neighbours packed out".
"Erm.. I actually live down the street. I've been watching you for a while and I found out you work at Escos Logistics. So, I was wondering if you could let me know if there's any job opportunity there", he shrugged and cleared his throat.
"Oh, how did you find all that out?," she asked.
"Well, I asked from a friend of yours that lives around here".
Ceci opened and closed her mouth, then, she laughed.
"Can you tell me what that friend of mine looks like?"
"Errm... She's fair and plumpy with an average height", he shrugged again uncomfortably.
"I know you more than myself, Joe. And I never thought you'd ever lose the memory of me. I know when you're telling a lie", she paused and smiled.
"First of all, I don't have any friend here and my female neighbour is dark and very tall. So, I don't know where this fair plumpy girl is from", she continued.
Joe looked away from her, rubbing his hands together uneasily.
"I'm asking again, why are you here?", she asked again looking serious this time.
"I'm not lying, the girl really told me about you. It's just that I forgot her name", he said holding his head.
"I'm seriously here because of the job. I'm new here I really have to get a job urgently", he said drawing closer to her.
"Ok", she stood up and walked towards the door.
"It was really nice seeing you again after so many years, Joe. It was nice having you here", Ceci said as she ushered him to leave her house.
"No, I'm not done yet, Cecilia", he begged.
"Wow, so you even know my name after saying you lost your memory?", she asked confusedly.
"I really lost my memory and I can't remember you".
"Oh really? I won't harbour a liar in my house. I don't even know you anymore. I don't even know what you've turned into and I was so gullible to have opened my door for you. How could I have even allowed you in? What if- what if you're even here to hurt me", she rubbed her forehead and opened the door wider.
"Please, leave now before I do something stupid".
"Ok, I will tell you everything now please, just close the door", he pleaded with her.
She thought about it for a while, then, shut the door.
"Will you start talking already?", she asked sarcastically as she crashed on the couch and crossed her legs eager to hear him out.