The house of Dickson had suddenly become a den of battle. Stephnie knew it as soon as Mike's brothers, Madone and Jeffon walked into the house. They had been mad at her since their arrival from the village accusing her of not inviting them over immediately, she knew Mike was ill.
It was extremely hard for Stephnie to understand what they were talking about, for all she cares, their accusations were void. She was wrath at them because they seem to be bending the stick towards her as the cause—cause of what?
The cause of Mike’s death
She had never allowed the last word to sink into her head because she knew, she didn’t do it.
Mike had never been friendly with Madone after the death of his father, Dickson. He had accused Madone of murdering their father to possess his properties. Properties, he wasn’t competent to handle.
Madone was a smoker and a womanizer. Those two characters made Mike hate him. And Mike never stopped wondering if he had been under a spell by the four spirits of Gumasi. The spirits of the greedy gods dwell in the strange forest of the dead lepers.
The more Stephnie looked at him the more, she felt so sad that he came to make trouble out of nothing.
Madone eyes had never stopped walking around. He struggled so hard to calculate when Mike arrived in City to have acquired so much wealth. Shuddering in disbelief, he was not only appalled, but excited at what he saw in Mike’s house, everything was breathtaking. He never knew Mike had grown this wealthy.
Now that he is dead, all his properties will come to us, his greedy thought resumed. He stood up disturbed and took Jeffon by the hand to a far corner of the sitting room. He lowered his voice as he spoke, almost to a point of whispering.
“Mike, our brother is dead and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it. It is obvious, we can’t raise the dead. Hmm, pity he died this way. But on the other hand, it is a blessing in disguise. I mean a huge blessing to us.” He smiled broadly as he looked around again. The moment he was satisfied Stephnie was still sitting down where they had left her, he continued, “This is unbelievable. I never knew Mike was a billionaire. Eyes never make mistakes, Jeffon. That woman is evil. She certainly must have killed Mike craftily. We must drive out that woman. We never loved her, and we must possess all of Mike's properties.” He changed his standing position, and stood more erect, making sure his voice was not heard by Stephnie. “She has no portion here, never in this life will she have a share of Mike’s wealth, and certainly not when we are alive!” He opened his eyes wide as he spoke, but this time a thin evil smile walked past his lips.
Jeffon watched his brother talk with bitter feelings for Stephnie. He knew he had to correct his outrageous ignorance. “He has a son Madone, and by law, the son is entitled to inherit his father’s properties. What we should be talking about here is how to bury Mike, and not how to possess his properties. We shouldn’t talk about Mike’s wealth, remember he still got a family, and his wife did not tell you she wanted us to help out with Mike's properties.” Jeffon's temper increased, “besides, I think she knows better what to do, let’s stay out of his properties.” Jeffon frowns at him sensing his greed.
Madone looked at him with hate.
Why must he separate Mike’s death from his wealth?
Mike is dead, but his properties are alive and visible. That should be of more interest to us, and not the dead that will soon be thrown six feet under the ground, he pondered.
“When will you grow up, Jeffon? Mike’s wealth could be ours if we play our cards well. Stephnie has no inheritance here. She is only, but a woman, can’t you see that, be reasonable for once, Jeffon!” his eyes redden.
Jeffon closed his eyes with both hands. He was beginning to wonder what evil Madone got in his mind. He seems to be allowing the voice of the devil to rule his thoughts. “Madone, that woman over there struggled with Mike. They both worked hard together. We can’t push her out, she is certainly one of us now even though we refused to accept her initially as Mike’s wife, and that was in the past. Let’s be honest, she has all the rights here, so let’s keep off—” he flared.
Madone held onto Jeffon’s clothes, “don’t play a fool here, Jeffon. Let’s play our cards well, and enjoy life. Let’s bring down heaven on earth. I do not believe in heaven up there, having money to meet more than your needs is certainly heaven on earth. We could meet our expectations. I mean make our dreams come through only if we play the mind game brilliantly.” Jeffon could see the eyeballs of Madone burning in greed.
Jeffon pulled Madone’s firm grip away which was almost choking him. He dragged air into his lungs as he looked at him angrily, “I cannot understand what you are talking about Madone. We have a serious issue on the ground and you are talking about properties. We came here to know how Mike died and then know how to join his family in burying him. I am pissed off by your deadly thoughts, Madone. Now, tell me, has it not occurred to you yet that Mike our brother is dead? Come on, we were at the mortuary a few hours ago and we saw Mike’s chilled body. Where is your feeling, Madone? Perhaps, we should talk about what you are struggling so hard to make me understand after Mike’s burial—okay.” He attempted to walk away, but Madone held him back. He knows Jeffon is refusing to cooperate. He suddenly thought of something else, “Okay that’s fine. However, she must come to Alliya. She has many questions to answer?” he looked horrified.
Jeffon contemplated for a while, he wasn’t so sure what the darkest part of Madone’s heart was aiming at, and he wondered why the rush. He was hesitant for a while and finally responded quietly, “alright then—” He shrugged. Greedy bitches.
Madone smiled at him as they both walked back to where Stephnie was waiting for them.
He cleared his throat loudly as he approached Stephnie, and then got her attention by whistling.
Staring at her, he spoke up smiling, “I see you are relaxing here while Mike our brother is chilling in the mortuary, right? That’s quite unfair. His death was a shock to us. I only wish he never died. Now, tell me who killed him? Women of your type can do anything for wealth. Well, you got lots of questions to answer about his death. We want you in Alliya to appear before the Dickson family.” He smiled as he said that.
Stephnie on hearing those words quickly searched her brain for how to reply. She knew Madone is wicked and was up to mischief. She still remembered an unforgettable encounter with him some years ago. And with those hateful thoughts, she stood up and dared him, “I’m not sure that would be necessary. I have told you all I know, and good enough Doctor Lens also related what he saw to you. The cut in Mike’s neck, the missing organ—what else do you want to hear from me or know, we have not told you?” She stood up and walk around the sitting room angrily. “I regret to say this, Mike was a cultist and he never told me or you. He kept this to himself—all to himself.”
“He was a billionaire—”
“Yes, but an occult billionaire.” Stephnie reacted to Madone's exaction.
She spun around and gave him a glare, “I may not be able to prove it, however, considering all that we saw and what his friend Ohman Crest said which I have reiterated to you. He was a cultist, and with all due respect. I want to stay here. I’m not going to Alliya. What I have said here is all to it and nothing more.” She felt so disgusted.
Madone knew he got a hard nut to crack, he looked at her calmly. He knew she was right, but if she doesn’t go to Alliya, their chance of separating her from Mike’s properties would be near impossible. He stood up and walked around the sitting room with his nervous hands inside his pockets.
Several seconds later, he stood erect for a while as if trying to digest what Stephnie had just said. He then turned around, and fixed his eyes on Stephnie, “look here, woman. We have our laws, and the laws of the land must be strictly adhered to, and you know what? We have been very patient with you and I’m sure you know there is a limit we can take of your stubborn attitude. It is ill-mannered to talk back at your elders. We see you have suddenly grown wings. How big those wings are, I’m afraid only time will tell. I do not wish to get my voice cracked here. You must have presented yourself before the Dickson family to wash your hands off Mike’s death. Not just to Jeffon and me alone, but the entire Dickson family, period.” He spoke spreading out his hands to buttress what Stephnie considered to be an unreasonable talk.
She looked at Jeffon quietly but made up her mind that they have both connived to nail her. They were not talking about their brother Mike, who had died mysteriously but had shifted their attention to her. She was mad inside but tried to put her emotion under control.
“I will think about it and—” she muttered.
Madone shouted stopping Stephnie from completing what she wanted to say, “There is nothing to think about woman, or else you will be labeled a witch and only the gods know if you can escape it. If you don’t want that, you must come to Alliya to clear yourself, okay.” He walked toward Jeffon, who had been speechless and wondering how Madone was handling the conversation.
“Let’s go Jeffon, words have been spoken.” He turned around and looked at Stephnie. He was happy to see her fidgeting, “we are on our way Mrs. Late Mike, and it is our sincere believe you will comply with our instruction.”
“Greedy bitches—” she whispered.
She couldn’t help it. She burst into tears bending down her head in shame as she watched them leave. She wished she had never married Mike; for once in her entire life, she hated the word called love. She had wished it had never come for her.
Did it come alone?
She remembered how Mike came with it and rock her world, but never allowed her into his secrets.
She soon walked up to Terry, who was crying. She carried him up and fixed her eyes on him.
What was she thinking?
She put him down and walked further away from him. She watched him play a few minutes later.
She spoke calmly to herself, “he is Mike for sure perhaps the missing plug would make all the difference.” She stopped thinking, trying hard to control her mind which was fast getting corrupted. Suddenly, the thought of Donnie Lemard filled her mind. And the urge to be counseled sprang up strongly within her. She never loved Alliya; she believed the people who lived there are diabolical.
She walked up to the sitting room phone booth. She placed her right hand on the phone as she contemplates what to do.
She was becoming more depressed and confused now.
Several thoughts crawled past her mind, and the moment they all froze, she knew she got to make a decision between Lens and Donnie.
Should, I call Doctor Lens or Donnie?