The Betrayal

I got in the bush for my usual Saturday routine of hunting, but then, this particular Saturday is a different and special one. With my shotgun, I was busy in search of my prey, and out of the blues I saw something unusual on a tree. It was a rope, I looked at the rope from where it was tired downwards. Surprisingly, it was a girl who hanged herself, with my shotgun, I aimed at the rope from the very top and I shot and broke the rope, then the lifeless body of the girl dropped to the ground and I quickly rush to check if she was still alive. Fortunately, she was alive but unconscious, I rushed her to my humble abode. After sometime of treatment, she finally gained consciousness, but she wasn’t happy with me for saving her life. Calmed her down and even promise to take her life myself if only she will tell me the reason she wants to take her own life. I want to know her story. There was silence for a while and finally she begun with her story. I was only seven years old when I lost my mother, being left with my younger brother and father. My father decided to remarry and everyone thought he was going to marry for the woman to come and take care of my brother and I. When she came, everything was fine with us, she was like a mother we never had untill she got pregnant. That was when I became the slave in the house. I did all the house chores available. She give birth to a bouncing baby girl and my wahala increased to the nonsense degree. I was literally the mother of the house. Some years later, my brother fell ill and died. My father on the other hand, doesn’t even care about my well being. For him, I was always wrong and his wife and daughter are always right. Life became so miserable for me, I don’t even know why I’m living. Few years down the lane, I came to a conclusion that death is better for me since I will join my mother and my brother. And that is how I came to a suicidal thoughts only for you to ruin it. Wow! That is a very sad life you lived, but it is still not enough reason for you to take your life. I would love to share my own story to you, since mine is also a sad one. “But you will keep your promise of taking my life!” She said with a smile. Then I begun; I went out to play, I came back later only for me to find my entire family lying down dead on the floor. My father, my mother, my elder brother and a younger sister all dead. I was only 9 years old. I rushed to my uncle’s house and informed him of what I saw, and together with some people, we came to the house. My family were confirmed dead and my uncle blamed for it. After the burial, I was thrown out of my father’s house. They even told me that if I ever step my foot in anywhere around my father’s property, they will kill me just like I killed my family. I was compelled to run away and nobody cares how I live. I found this deserted uncompleted building and I lived my entire life here. I can go empty stomach for 3 to 5 days. Life has been a living hell for me. I don’t even know how am living till now. But with all this hardship, I never had a suicidal thought not even for once, I managed to send myself to school, I have completed the basics, but I couldn’t continue with secondary. And that’s my story. Somehow I spotted tears in her eyes, she felt for me. So tell me, are you ready for me to kill you? I quickly asked but gently she shook her head and then said; “I don’t want to die anymore, but I can’t go back to my father’s house!” You can stay with me if you want, am sure I can manage it with you here. She agreed to stay with me and thanked me for the support I’ve offered her. Since then we have been living together, and as hardworking as I am, I have been able to take care of Assibi and myself. After some few months of staying together, Assibi declared love to me. As surprised as I can be, I accepted the love for I felt love for her some days back but I couldn’t tell her, wouldn’t want her to feel that I was going to take advantage of the situation. We have been living like a husband and a wife ever since. One day, Assibi went the stream to get some water. She came back very excited, but she refused to share her excitement with me. We have been living for four years and even blessed with a baby girl by name Azumi. Assibi has never hidden her excitement. I kept wondering what at all was in the head of my wife. She went for water again on the next day, but this time around, she stayed much longer than the usual days. She came back home with a new phone, but she still kept mute. I followed Assibi to the riverside, she didn’t stop but rather proceed further. I kept following, sadly for me, Assibi met a man in a car. I couldn’t believe what my eyes was seeing. Assibi with another man? Hmmm. I went straight to them to confirm my thoughts. Upon seeing me, Assibi quickly stepped out of the car, angrily; she asked me to go back home, then the man also came out of the car and asked if there is any problem? But she said no and completely denied me. She even told him that I only a neighbor! I became very confused as I watch them drove away. Later in the evening, as I was sitting inside the house with my daughter, I heard the sound of a car approaching my place. I came out and it was the same car that Assibi was in, only that this time around, there were more than two people in the car. The man, Assibi and two older people, a man and a woman. They came out of the car and straight to me. The older man greeted me with respect and told me that he is Assibi's father and the woman with them is her step mother, and the reason they came to me is to thank me and also to pack her belongings for they have reconciled. I didn’t say anything to them. The man even went ahead to tell me that they want to prepare her for marriage to the guy. As shocked as I could be, I began to wonder, Assibi never brought a anything in the house, not even a pin. She came with nothing, even her life was not for her when I found her. But I did not say a word to them as I could not believe that what ever was happening was real, for me, it was just a bad dream. They went in and pack her things. Just as they were about to leave, Azumi rushed to her mother and held her very tight. Assibi looked at her daughter and also looked at me. She smile and said, “this is not mine for I did not bring her here when I came”. She pushed Azumi away and walk off. Sadly, I watched them drive off. Am back to being lonely again but at least I have a daughter. I send her to one of the primary schools around. One day, I sent Azumi to school and on my way back, I met with something which did not go down well with me. Some boys were trying to take a briefcase from a certain man. I stopped them at once, I even fought them and drove them away. The man thanked me and eventually introduced himself as lawyer Fuseini, so I also told him I am Yamtaya. He look very surprised as I mentioned my name. He asked me who my father is and whether he is alive or late!!! I told him that my father had died plenty years ago together with the rest of the family members, and that I am the only surviving member of my family. Lawyer Fuseini asked me to take him to where I live, he is going to tell me something very important and we need privacy. So I took him to my place. We got to my place and I offered him a seat. After a long silence, he asked me if the name of my father was Mr Tahiru? With a smile, I nodded. “Your father was my boss and I was his most trusted worker. He sent me to the law school, but unfortunately for me, the day I graduated from school and came back, your uncle Tanko only showed me the graves of you family, I asked of you and he said “nobody knows of your where about”. Lawyer Fuseini paused for a moment only to wipe his tears. Since then, “I have been searching for you to fulfill my promise to your father”. A promise you say? I softly asked. And gently he said yes. “Your father had a lot of properties and only your uncle and myself knew about it. But your uncle did not know that I also knew about your father’s secret. Another thing your uncle didn’t know was that all your father had were in your name and all the documents were with me. He knew his life was in danger so he entrusted all the papers to his properties to me. Am talking about companies, houses, car, lands, in fact, your father was secretly a billionaire. Your uncle poisoned your family and he took everything your father had, certainly not legally. He also believe that no one knows about your father’s wealth”. After listening to this story, I become very weak. Clearly my uncle wanted all of my family dead but God saved me. I looked at lawyer Fuseini and sadly I asked him what should we do now. Lawyer Fuseini told me not to worry and that the documents are in the briefcase. The very briefcase those boys were trying to snatch. Lawyer Fuseini showed me all the papers and also told me how we can get back all the properties from my uncle. Lawyer Fuseini and myself went to my uncle’s house. We only respectfully told him to surrender everything to me for we know that all he is claiming to have is my father’s and I alone have right to the properties. He didn’t know that there were original documents to the properties, so he angrily asked us to leave. Lawyer Fuseini told him to expect us in court but he only laugh at us since he believes that we don’t have a case. Some days later, lawyer Fuseini made filed a lawsuit against uncle Tanko and pretty soon he was taken to court. It was that very day that the court ruled the case on our favor. Tanko was given a maximum of 72 hours to surrender all that belonged to my father to me. And we were also given 72 hours of protection. Surrendered everything peacefully to me but one house he didn’t. I confronted him and he told me that the house is where his son is living. I guess he didn’t want to give me that one, so I decided to take it by force. I took some policemen together with lawyer Fuseini to the house to claim ownership. Uncle Tanko's son had a wife and they were both living there. I really don’t know them but I can’t let them stay. When we got there, (Surprisingly) it was the same guy who took Assibi from me. (It’s funny as I thought I will be taken away everything from a guy who took my woman from me) . Assibi came out and to her surprise, Yamtaya is there. It came to her notice that we have actually come to vacate them from that house. We gave them 30 minutes to pack and leave, and they did. They left with nothing aside from their bags. I am not wicked but considering all that I have lost and the life l lived! I can’t spare anyone. I took over everything and made lawyer Fuseini the boss. As he was so loyal, I left everything in his hands to manage while I stayed in the house learning business management. Yes i am now rich, I can feel it. The change of environment alone is on another level. Uncle Tanko and his wife came to my place looking very miserable. They came to ask for some compensation. The point he was that even though he did a lot if evil and also snatched everything from me, he has also kept it well and now that I have taken everything, I should at least compensate him for developing and expanding the business. It is true that he has done a massive job but considering all that he has putting me through, from killing my family to accusing me of witchcraft to making me homeless and to taken everything my fathers has laboured for!. I didn’t even think for a second before throwing them out. Later that day, lawyer Fuseini came from the office and I told him what had happened, but he advised me on the importance of forgiveness and also told me of how kind and clean hearted my father was. That actually made me to forgive my uncle and also compensated him with a house, a car and some cash. Assibi also decided to get a divorce from her husband since he is now broke and can’t take care of her needs anymore. Assibi's father and step mother advised her to come and apologize to me since am such a stupid person with a soft and kind, I might forgive and accept her back. Just like that! If it was you will you forgive? Assibi came to the house and met Azumi and I watching TV. Assibi was smiling when approaching us but neither Azumi nor myself smiled back. Even Azumi is not happy to see her mother. Assibi knelt before with a soft voice and begun to beg for forgiveness. She’s begging and pleading. She even said it was the devil that made her leave us but she’s now back to her sense. Very funny! I said as I was laughing out loud. “The only thing the devil did was making me save the life of a serpent like you from the tree lwhere you were hanging. I can still remember the exact location of the tree. I can take you back there”. After I told her this, she then realized that I can never take her back. Then she tried to use our daughter as a weapon, but fortunately Azumi is allergic to snakes so she run inside her room. Sadly and broken heartedly, Assibi left the house and our lives for good. As for me, I got introduced to lawyer Fuseini’s daughter. A very beautiful and charismatic girl and a lot of good in her. We became friends and later fell in love with each other. We got married and lived happily ever.