A New Season

 

Lisa walked into the room, convinced she had it all under control. She was glad someone had listened to her. Now everyone will know her uncle for who he truly is. She knows all the sacrifice her father made for his brother and many other people. He raised her to always do the same. Now he goes on to treat her like that?

After her parents died in that ghastly motor accident, he took charge of her life. He arrived almost immediately and handled all the processes that led to their burial. Everyone thought he meant well.

He moved her to his house in Kaduna immediately after the burial. She wasn't even allowed to sort their things out.

She would have loved to keep a few pieces of jewellery, some pictures of trips they'd embarked on together, but she wasn't given that chance. 

She was later informed that the house and everything in it would be sold and her father's debts settled. Debts? She knew it was a lie. Why not rent it out and the proceeds paid into an account for her? She would have loved to keep the car her Daddy bought for her last birthday, she tried to reason with her uncle but he wouldn't budge.

He couldn't even send her back to the UK to finish her final year of school. She has been home for more than a year now, all her devices,  were conveniently lost in transit. She was denied a new phone so she couldn't reach anyone.

She was so grief-stricken she didn't notice all that was going on around her till a few weeks later when she decided to get a grip on her emotions and sort things out.

She thought she would be in Kaduna for just a short while but was shocked to find out that there was no such plan in place. Her passports went missing. it was as if everything of value to her was stylishly or dubiously destroyed or misplaced as the story seemed to change every time she asked.

When she insisted on certain things, someone came to see her and the next thing she knew she was in some sort of enclosure.

After much persuasion, she was informed that she had a mental breakdown and because of that, she had to be taken to the special facility where she currently is.

If only that were all, it would have been okay. But Lisa wasn't allowed to step out of that room. If she argued too much, she would blank out after the next meal. She'd be in that state for days on end.

Eventually, she learnt to not insist or ask for help and decided to play along, praying help would come to her one day.

Her uncle came in a few times but never stayed for more than a few minutes. He was always in a hurry to leave. Since she learnt to not insist and patiently wait for the day God would visit her case, Lisa always acted like she was not aware of her environment. 

In that state, she overheard conversations...

"She has to always be in that state of not being aware till I sort out her father's estate. After that, I'll decide what to do with her. Your allowance will continue to come in for as long as I'm alive," her uncle promised the attendant in charge of her ward.

"And my colleagues?" Asked the attendant.

"You need to sort them out. They are getting suspicious, you know. You need to visit more often and act like you care or else..."

"Or else what?" Her uncle asked.

"They may spill the beans, Sir. These people are hungry and angry. They despise injustice. If they as much as suspect that... I won't be accountable,"  he concluded. 

He left, promising to attend to their demand as soon as possible. 

Chief Mamman was getting tired of the whole thing. Left to him, he just wanted two cars and a few million to enjoy what is left of his life. But his wife!

His brother was always nice to him, but his wife was never satisfied. All he owned was courtesy of his bother. The five-bedroom duplex in Barnawa Kaduna, the cars, his children's education, even the jobs that two of them currently have are courtesy of his brother. His wife's boutique is constantly stocked up regardless of her turnover. They've gone on vacations abroad... But his wife!

What does she want? 

Andy Mamman knew his wife wished she had married his brother and not him, but his brother preferred her cousin. They were out hanging out with his brother when they ran into the ladies and his brother was immediately smitten. Till he died, Mary was his world. 

She settled for him as a second option, thinking he had his brothers money, but he didn't. His brother tried for him and they both decided business wasn't for him as he was constantly conned. So he opted for the monthly allowances and anything that may come up. How nice can one be?

Well, he left there with the decision to free that girl, regardless of what his wife thinks. He'll get back to Lagos and then the UK quietly before his wife returns from Benin. While trying to retrieve Lisa's valuables, the door opened and his wife walked in.

That night, "Andy Mamman passed away from a brief illness," it was announced. 

The ward attendant heard of it the next day after work. He was perplexed and wondered what they would do with the girl. They can't continue keeping her, or they would get into trouble because she would be discharged once it was discovered that nothing was wrong with her.

Phew!!! Musa couldn't wait for morning so that he'll solve this problem once and for all.

Thank God they hadn't given her any medication for a few days now. Hopefully, she'll be lucid enough to move. If it means taking her to his house first, he would do that. But first thing in the morning, she's out of that ward. 

Unfortunately for him, Lisa was out by the time he got there. Someone had been watching for a while. An "eye" the hospital management had put in place following reports of maltreatment of patients.

Lisa's story was taken seriously by management. They reported to the police and they all drove to her uncle's house only to find out about his demise. 

Lisa said she wouldn't want to spend a minute more in that house. Upon her insistence, her phone was released to her, of course with the help of the police. She got all her valuables back.

When asked if there was anyone she could call for help, she said yes, her Father's lawyer.

He was so glad to hear from her and immediately sent money for her to check into a hotel, then went ahead to book a flight to Lagos for her for the next day. He assured her everything was intact. Efforts had been made to dispose of her inheritance but the legal team in her Father's company had blocked it all. He was good to them and they had all vowed to protect his interest, with Lisa topping the list.

As she boarded that plane to Lagos the next day, she made up her mind to forget all the tragedy of the past year. She forgave her uncle when she learnt he had passed on. No use holding a grudge against the dead.

Though they greatly betrayed her parents, she will never hold or use it against them, she vowed as the plane took off, taking her into a new phase and season of life...