There are more to be critically revealed about the sudden death hovering the city and the country at large. Though teacher Murphy may have cleverly decoded the location of the solution, but what about the source and the reason for the death? If discovered too, what about the solution requirements or processes? These are way too much for the orphans to analyze especially teacher Murphy but he must save his people as prophesied and foreseen by late teacher Nwachukwu.
Nevertheless, the young president, at almost midnight, at the love garden, sadly patted Erika's back as she never let go of him from the hug. The girl had fully forgotten that teacher Murphy whose shoulders she rested on had married. As a matter of fact, that suppose to be his wedding night. Before she realized that, Murphy gradually began to push her away.
"Oh.. I'm sorry." she totally stepped away from him by herself with her eyes clutched with his. "I was carried away by your intelligence." she confessed.
"Is okay, Erika. We need to leave here now." Murphy bypassed her with that sad expression. Getting to the door, Erika called on him saying, "Why the long face, Murphy?"
The boy stopped, staring at the floor without looking back or turning back to her. He thoughtfully closed his eyes for a reason best known to him
"I only appreciated how Vivian is lucky to have you." Erika added.
Yet, teacher Murphy never generated a kinetic energy or made a sound. It got down on Erika that her president was motionless so she wondered why, walking closer to him, step by step. Unexpectedly, Murphy opened his eyes and turned, thus, stopping Erika on the way. Both stared once again as Murphy spoke up.
"A Man's greatest battles are the ones he fights within himself. Everyone has this greatest battle, hence no one is flawless regardless of how intelligent, smart and beautiful they are."
Erika remained quiet. Murphy's statements were becoming a silence syrup to her.
"Erika," he continued. "Talking without thinking is like shooting without aiming. The way a bitter-colar sounds in the mouth is not how it tastes."
"I don't know what you're talking about, Murphy" Erika finally confessed.
"I'm not perfect. Everyone has some flaws.." he swallowed hard. "Vivian may not be lucky to have me. Surely, i am the one lucky to have her." he turned to clutch the door-knob but turned for the second time saying, "And it's 'teacher Murphy' not just 'Murphy'. Always accord me with that respect."
"Now, you sound provocative and insultive." the girl unabashedly challenged.
"Truth must be told at all times regardless to whom it may concern, and this truth is not only bitter, it is also interpreted as an insult by a proud soul."
They became silent for a moment. Murphy finally clutched the doorknob and walked away. Erika didn't know whether to get upset or happy or even to apologize to him. The boy's statements put her in the state of woozy and multi-mood.
:
:
Catastrophically, the city lamented over the death of their own people and those yet to die. Murphy and Erika stepped down from the chopper at one of the death scenes. They witnessed the crying voices of affected family and the corpes of a young lady lying on the floor, clustered by people. She sustained a broken head, fracture and dislocation as a result of jumping from a building. One could see blood flowing through a pathway like the current of a river. The presence of teacher Murphy did not only give people hope but also attracted guards who were sent to his location immediately for protection.
Murphy bent down beside the corpse to examine the body, while others looked at him like the messiah. Looking at the beautiful lady, tears rolled from his eyes to the ground.
"What were her last words?" he asked, looking up.
"She didn't say anything. She woke up and jumped through the window." The mother of the lady replied.
Murphy sadly lowered his head once again. Suddenly, he saw Erika walking out from them to a distance like one being controlled.
"Erika, what?" he stood up.
The girl didn't turn.
"Erika?" he began walking to her as others watched in anticipation. Just before he got to her, they heard a gunshot behind them which scared people away.
Turning around, one of the guards was already lying dead by shooting himself. At the same time, a man could be seen running towards the main road where a trailer was speedily passing too. To everybody's amazement, the man purposely jumped on the trailer and it crushed him into pieces. Blood splashed.
"Oh God!" Erika exclaimed seeing people, running away.
They also heard a pandemonium at several location which signifies a massive act of suicide.
"What's going on?!" Murphy shoulted.
"It's happening again." Erika replied.
Instantly, body guards clustered them. "We need to evacuate you now, teachers." one of them said.
Teacher Murphy and Erika were guarded into a vehicle, like said, were being evacuated immediately.
Through the tinted glass of the car, they saw dead people on the road and people lamenting over the suicidal death. It was a night to be remembered. Murphy occasionally glanced at Erika until she caught him.
"I know the look. Just spit it out." she told him.
Murphy didn't say anything.
"I'm just helping you to fight your battle, teacher. If you don't need me anymore, you only have to tell me to leave." she added.
"Is not as if I'm suspecting you, Erika." Murphy began. "Before the owl hoot and perched before us at the love garden the other day, you sense it prior to time. And back at the death scene, before the escalation of another suicide, you felt it too. I hope it won't be offensive if i say that you're directly or indirectly connected to what's happening."
Erika averted her eyes from him to the glass of the car, generating silence. "I don't know what to say.. I'm just experiencing what you said." she turned to see Murphy still staring at her suspeciouly. "I think I have the instinct to detect when something bad wants to happen." she concluded.
Murphy remained quiet, he looked through his own glass to see a six year old girl walking into a nearby bush.
"Stop the car!" he instructed loudly.
The car generated a potential energy by the driver applying the brake. Hastily, Murphy jumped out from the car, running after the girl. Already, the child had stopped without looking back. She wore a gown, on her feet were no shoes but had a long natural hair. Behind her was Murphy, and after Murphy was Erika before a few gaurds. Silence stretched across the environment. Only a distant clamouring of people as a result of the suicidal death could be heard from there.
"Little girl, what are you doing here all alone?" Murphy broke the silence.
"She called me." the girl replied.
Murphy glanced back at Erika who whispered to him saying, "This is creepy. We have to go."
Murphy ignored her, listening to the child who continued to say, "Your doom is near. Your reign as the clever one is over. You've carved your own coffin and you'll lie in it."
Murphy swallowed hard. "What are you saying, little girl?" he asked.
"I am not the one saying. She is the one."
"What is her name?"
The girl became mute for a while. Gradually she turned thereby showing her innocent face to them. "She said her name is Erika." she replied.
Murphy looked at Erika who couldn't say anything. It was as if the allegation blocked her vocal cavity.
"Murphy, she's bluffing. She must be talking about Papa Joe." she said.
"The last time I recall the rules of English language, Papa Joe should be a 'he' not a 'she'" Murphy analysed.
Just then, a mother cried from a distance, shouting the name of the six year old child. "Emily!!" Guards blocked her, preventing her from going to her daughter.
"Mummy!!" the girl ran to her mother instead, leaving the two orphans in the state of woozy and multi-mood....