DEATH CAN WAIT.

EPISODE 6.

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The school bell rang, signaling the end of another lecture day at Bright Future Academy. Nkechi, Amaka, and Ajoke knew exactly where they were headed, so they quickly packed their belongings and set off on their journey to go see the herbalist.

The walk to the herbalist's abode was quiet, taking them along a narrow bush path. But they eventually arrived at their destination, and Amaka instructed her friends to walk inside backward.

"We are on sacred ground," Amaka explained. So the girls turned their backs and stepped in backward. Upon turning around in the hut, they were welcomed by the herbalist who sat warmly on a mat.

"What have you come to do, my daughters?" the herbalist asked, staring at the girls, who were barely eighteen years of age.

Nkechi and her friends immediately exchanged glances, each waiting to see who would explain the reason for their visit to the herbalist first.

As the silence became uncomfortable, Amaka noticed her friends' nervousness. They were intimidated by the old herbalist, who sat across from them and surrounded by mysterious substances with his legs crossed. So, Amaka decided to take charge, since she had suggested visiting the herbalist in the first place.

"Baba, we... we need something strong from you," Amaka said, clearing her throat afterward.

"Something strong?" Baba repeated slowly, raising his head to look at the high school girl's. "What do you need something strong for?

"Baba, there is a girl named Shola at our school," Amaka explained. "She's interfering in my friend's relationship and making it difficult for her to be happy with her boyfriend."

"Oh, so you have come to me to remove that thorn from your friend's relationship," Baba replied, rubbing his palms together. "Don't worry. I will make her forget about your friend's boyfriend completely. She won't have time to bother him again."

"Thank you, Baba," the girls said and nodded happily as they watched Baba get up and go into his inner hut. Moments later, he returned with a container filled with a reddish substance and handed it to them.

"Take this substance and put it in her drink," Baba said. "Do just that alone, and be assured she won't bother your boyfriend again."

"No, Baba, this isn't what we came for," Nkechi said nervously, speaking for the first time since they arrived. "We need something more potent, something that will work immediately."

"Of course, that's exactly what I'm offering you," the herbalist replied. "The potion I gave you will cause dizziness and weakness once you sprinkle it in her food. It won't harm her permanently, but it will keep her distracted and make her forget about your boyfriend."

"That's... that's not strong enough now, Baba," Ajoke said, turning to her friends, who nodded in agreement. "We need something that will keep her away for good, something that will make her stop bothering us."

Baba's expression changed dramatically at their request. "What!" he exclaimed in shock. "How old are you all to ask for something this evil? Aren't you high school girls? Judging by the uniforms you're wearing?"

The herbalist's words made Nkechi and Ajoke begin to murmur, complaining bitterly to Amaka for bringing them to his hut. "You should have told us we were coming to a place where they would insult us," they muttered, starting to leave when the herbalist called them back.

"I will give it to you,"said the herbalist. "But it will cost more money, something around thirty thousand naira."

"Here is one hundred thousand naira, Baba," Nkechi replied, reaching into her school bag and handing the money to the herbalist. "Just give us what we are here for; money is the least of our problems. The bigger obstacle is Shola."

"Shola, is that her name? Wait here then." The herbalist instructed and returned to his inner hut. He soon emerged again, this time holding a black potion.

"You young ladies," the herbalist called out. "Are you all on Thick-toss, or what do you girls call it these days?"

"Thick-toss?" The girls repeated slowly, glancing at each other in confusion.

"Baba, Do you mean TikTok?" Ajoke asked, gesturing her hand.

"Yes, Thick-toss," Baba repeated again. "I gave a girl a potion earlier this month, about your age. All she had to do was make pepper soup with it. Guess how many people ate from it and ended up dying."

"Four boys," the girls chorused in disbelief. "We can't believe you made the potion for that girl everyone's been talking about," Nkechi added. "We want something like that too, especially since Shola didn't die on our first attempt."

"Here is the powerful potion," Baba said as he handed it to Nkechi. "Just a few drops of this will make anyone d-ie instantly."

Nkechi took the potion with a shaky hand and said. "So, will this be enough to keep Shola from this world?"

"Yes," the herbalist confirmed. "Be careful, and make sure you don't harm yourself when preparing it for your victim."

The girls paid the herbalist his money and left the hut, wearing bright smiles, especially Nkechi, who believed she would finally have Samuel to herself.

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(ROADSIDE RESTAURANT)

It was almost 2 p.m., and Serah had been busy at the restaurant all day. The scent of the spicy stew she had cooked filled the air as she attended to hungry customers.

Her madam sat and watched as Serah completed all the tasks. As she sipped alcohol from a bottle on a stool in front of her, the madam suddenly remembered the money she had given to Serah the previous night.

"Serah! Bring me the money I gave you yesterday." The madam called out. "I need to go deposit it in the bank before I forget again."

Without hesitation, Serah returned into the restaurant, reached into her bag, and took out the brown envelope. She handed the money to her madam, unaware that her brother, Israel, had stolen fifty thousand naira from it. She returned to serving customers, while her madam slowly counted the money.

Sarah's madam exclaimed shortly after counting the money, "What's this? Didn't I give her three hundred thousand naira yesterday?" She pondered.

"Serah! Come here right now!" her madam shouted, and Serah hurried over to her place.

"What's this?" the madam began. "I gave you three hundred thousand naira yesterday, and now it's short by fifty thousand!"

"Fifty... fifty thousand naira?" Serah repeated in shock. "I gave you the money exactly as you handed it to me. I didn't take anything."

"You think I'm a fool, Serah?" Her madam said and splashed her drink in Serah's face. "I trusted you with my money, and this is how you repay me? You're nothing but a thief."

Serah's dress was soaked with the drink poured on her, and she felt embarrassed in front of the present customers. Some customers had abandoned their meals to witness the commotion. They pleaded with her madam to release her grip on Serah's clothes.

"I won't release her," the madam shouted. "She must have been stealing from me all this while, God has finally exposed you. Thief!"

"Madam, I didn't..." Serah tried to explain, but her madam cut her off, continuing to grip her clothes while people attempted to separate them.

"If you don't pay me back, be ready to sleep in a police station tonight," her madam threatened. She held onto Serah's clothes with one hand while reaching for her phone with the other to call the police.

At that moment, Kamoru, a regular customer and bricklayer, entered the restaurant in his dirty working clothes. He met the commotion, which was unfolding just as he arrived for his usual lunch at the spot.

"What's going on here?" Kamoru asked, stepping in to free Serah from her madam's grip. "There must be a misunderstanding because Serah is a good girl. She wouldn't steal from you."

"I don't care! Just tell her to give me my money, or I'll call the police on her," the madam insisted.

Kamoru reluctantly reached into his pocket and pulled out fifty thousand naira, money meant for cement by a client. He handed it over to Serah's madam, wanting to make a good impression on Serah, whom he admired greatly.

"Here, madam. Take it and leave her alone," Kamoru said firmly. "That's fifty thousand naira cash."

Sarah's madam snatched the money from Kamoru, counted it, and put it in her purse. "This doesn't change anything, eh," she said. "You're fired, Serah."

Serah was struggling to process all that just happened, she could barely lift her head and she felt humiliated in front of everyone.

Kamoru gently took her by the hand and led her away. As they left, the people who had gathered too slowly returned to their seats.

"Thank you, Kamoru," Serah said before bursting into tears.

@Berry Tyra