If looked from another angle, obviously, Death must be so beautiful; to lie in the soft brown earth, with the grasses waving above ones head, and listening to silence. To have no yesterday and to have no tomorrow, to forget life, to forget time and to be at peace. At the death of Jubree and Leonard, Murphy and Kate must be at peace.
Jimmy had his men monitored the movement of Evan's family for years that's why he was able to locate their house, looking bloody like one from a battle field. Adaugo was in the kitchen when the door bell rang. She briskly walked to the door, opened it to see Jimmy standing there with blood stains. The young girl didn't know what to think. She was totally confused. "Mother!" she called out loudly without living the door neither did she avert her eyes from the young boy.
Meanwhile, Jimmy couldn't believe that he was at the door-step of the damsel he helped the previous day. When the gaze lingered, Adaugo whispered, "What are you doing here? You had me followed? Please, leave before my mother comes out."
Jimmy didn't say anything.
"Please, go!" she closed the door. Just then, the mother came into the living room to see Adaugo entering into the kitchen. "Who was that, Ada?" she asked her.
"Nobody, mother." she replied.
"I thought you called me. It also seemed someone was at the do..." The clutching of the doorknob, interrupted her. Both watched as the door opened horribly like in horror movies. Jimmy stepped inside with his suit on the shoulder and his shirt stained with blood. In one of his hands lies the same carved image on paper for quick remembrance. Alice glanced at her daughter first.
"Mother, I didn't invite him. I don't know how he followed me. I just opened the door to see him. I don't..." Adaugo was interrupted by her mother who called out aloud, walking towards the young boy.
"Jimmy?" she had called.
Adaugo turned amazingly. "Mother, you know him?"
"Oh, my sweet boy!" Alice hugged him warmly then began to shed tears.
It was a dramatic exposure Adaugo didn't understand. Apparently, the mother had not told her the story of Jimmy and his late mother. Therefore, seeing both in such juxtaposition became a baffling thing to her. She couldn't do anything but watched to see the end of it. Alice disengaged from Jimmy, turned to her daughter and said, "Adaugo, this is Jimmy." She turned to the young boy, demonstrating her statement with signs. "She's my daughter the one I was pregnant with. You were only five, I don't know if you knew what a pregnancy is then?" She smiled, thinking the boy was still deaf and dumb.
Jimmy waved at Adaugo.
The girl didn't say anything, she was more confused when she saw her mother treating their unexpected visitor like a disable victim. "Mother, I don't understand. How do you know him? He's the same boy I told you about and he can talk." she lamented.
Bemused, Alice looked at Jimmy. Only then did she fully realize that he was stained with blood. She guided him to a coach where he sat down. Jimmy exhaled. "I'm no more daef and dumb, aunty." he began.
"Chim ooh!" Alice exclaimed.
"I was saved by a man called teacher Murphy and he treated me. One of his men made me write the letter to you years ago. I'm back now that I've avenged my mother." he looked up at Adaugo. "I met her yesterday. I never knew she's your daughter." he concluded with a smile.
"Alright, someone should tell me what's going on." Adaugo requested with hands folded. Just then, Evan entered...
All seated in the living room. Jimmy narrated his story while Evan had also told the story of his years as a driver to late Murphy, how Jimmy was kidnapped and Kate killed. He never hesitated to narrate the heroic death of teacher Murphy and how he was killed too. But he never mentioned how he sold his daughter's destiny to the family. "... I just received a call by teacher Murphy's lawyer. He said I and my first child should be at the mansion tomorrow by ten in the morning. I guess the son has taken back that which belongs to him.." He concluded.
"I also received the same call." Jimmy added.
Silence creeped in. Of course Alice could relate why the first child should be present. So she stood up angrily. "My daughter is going nowhere with you." she warned and briskly left the room. Evan exhaled. He also stood up to leave but his daughter's voice interrupted him.
"Father, why did mother react like that? Is there any problem?" Adaugo had asked.
"You have nothing to fear." he replied and walked into the room to meet his wife.
".. On that day my driver, Evan swore that his child, Adaugo will serve my generation forever. She is our property."
Late Murphy was wise enough not to include that line on the book he gave to Jimmy. Therefore, even as the boy was left all alone in the living room with Adaugo, he had no clue what was going on. The poor girl looked at him. "Come, let me show you your room so you can freshen up." she led the way. Opened a room and said, "It's for my younger siblings. Manage it, they're not around. That's the bathroom." she pointed at a door.
"Thank you." Jimmy began to pull his shirt. Seeing that, Adaugo hurried towards the door.
"Ada" Jimmy called her.
She turned to see him staring into her eyes. It was like a torchlight shone directly to her eyes that had her head bending slightly downward. Her heartbeat accelerated. Jimmy totally pulled the shirt while the young girl waited to hear from him.
"I'm happy to see you again." he finally said.
"Me too." she replied. Both smiled before she finally clutched the doorknob.
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THE NEXT DAY
Once again all gathered in the living room found in the mansion. Richard's wife and children were there, followed by David's family. Kalu seated at a corner while Evan, Adaugo and Jimmy made use of the same cushion. Of course the lawyer made use of the right position too. Only Leonard's family was absent. Normally, Mrs. Vivian could also be found on her seat. Only the Don's seat was left vacant. All waited for him to come. Suddenly, the lion himself began to climb down the staircase. He was ascending the stairs like a hero, wearing a caftan with hands behind him. At the sight of him alone, his might would cripple every morale you have and also have your heart pounding like a morter of a grandmother. That was the state everybody in the living room found themselves especially Evan.
Nwachukwu's feet silently echoed through the staircase until he stopped at the finishing line. Everybody stood up without knowing it. His might, what the Igbos call 'EBUBE' lifted their butts from their seats but had some of their legs quivering while standing. Though he looked little physically but they knew his worth and power. Notwithstanding, Nwachukwu looked from Adaugo through Jimmy to the last person in the living room. He walked to Jimmy and said silently, "I heard your scores. You're welcome, brother."
"Your scores was greater, so I heard." he replied. Both smiled and hugged.
Nwachukwu looked at them all saying, "We've all gathered here today to listen to my father's Will. Please, sit down."
All seated. The lawyer began by going straight to the point to quote late teacher Murphy thus, "To my wife, she has my mansion and everything I possess in Nigeria. She's my life therefore she carries my light and must be respected. To my unborn child, female or male, he or she must solely take my place and rule the both worlds." The lawyer shook his head. "I don't even know what that means." he said sarcastically.
"The unknown is left unknown to the mind of the unknown. Forge ahead." Nwachukwu ordered while Jimmy smiled.
"To my driver Evan, my child must make a cheque of fifty million naira for him and one of my bungalows. To the family of David, Richard and Leonard. All should have one hundred million each to start a life of theirs rather than fighting to rip where they did not sow. To my P.A and his family, they deserve as much as my driver. To Jimmy, if succeed in the task I gave him, he shall have whatever my child gives him. If any of my sons is dead. I'm sorry. It's not my fault. It'll be as a result of their own unreasonable initiative'." The lawyer exhaled. "This is teacher Murphy's Will" he concluded.
"I shall make available the wish of my father to any of you. Thank you and God bless you. You may all go except Jimmy, Evan and his daughter." Nwachukwu instructed.
After all had left, he stood up, turned his back on them in way he faced the wall. "Sir Evan, you had an agreement with my father" he began. "You spied on him and heard that which you shouldn't have heard. Then you vowed that if he should leave you alive, your first child will serve him and his generation forever. Therefore, Adaugo is my property from now henceforth."
"What?!" The mother stood up. "Nwachukwu, what are you talking about?! I don't know what you're talking about and I don't care to know. I told you this girl here opened my womb from which you were born. How can she become your slave!?"
Nwachukwu did not say anything neither did he look at his mother but his ears were very much active.
Adaugo looked at the father. "Father, what's he talking about?" she asked him.
"Please, child" Evan began. "I served your father very well. You can take whatever he gave me from his Will and allow my daughter go with me. Her mother will never forgive me." He tried to kneel down but Jimmy held him saying boldly, "Fear is death. Be brave at the point of death to live. Cowards shrink from challenges, weaklings flee from them, but warriors wink at them." he looked at Nwachukwu who had not turned from the wall. "Nwachukwu, you bear a great name. I've read about how teacher Nwachukwu whom you're named after, brought up your parents and other orphans. Truly, his knowledge flows in you. Please, for my sake, let the past be past. Let Adaugo go."
Nwachukwu finally turned. "Sir Evan, what did you hear as the secret of death?" he asked him.
"Reaf" he replied.
"Reaf is an act of carrying off, abducting, or devouring another. You have to be powerful to do this, and the power is by eliminating fear from your mind and casting it to the one who wants to kill you. That's why if you rearrange the word 'reaf' you have 'fear' which is the main secret of death. One who is afraid of death dies twice before his death, and that's a coward." he lectured.
"Do not fear death. Death is always by our side. When we show fear, it jumps at us faster than light. But if we do not show fear, it casts its eyes upon us gently then guids us into infinity." Jimmy supported.
"Death is not the biggest fear we have; our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive -- the risk to be alive and express what we really are." Nwachukwu added again.
"Nwachukwu is not your enemy, sir. The last enemy that shall be defeated is death. While I thought I was learning how to die, I have been learning how to live from reaf." Jimmy supported again.
"If you're not ready to die for it, take the word 'Freedom' out of your vocabulary. Man cannot possess anything as long as he fears death. But to him who does not fear it, everything belongs." Nwachukwu concluded and hugged Evan. "My father said I should let you know how to use the secret of death. Now you know. My father was a good man, he cannot make your child a slave. He said I should use this time to teach you the secret of death." he hugged him again.
Adaugo and Mrs. Vivian were speechless all through. When Vivian wanted to shed tears, she found herself doing it in Kalu's shoulder. As Evan shed tears in Nwachukwu's shoulder too, so as Jimmy pulled Adaugo closer. Both looked at each other then kissed passionately.
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THE END