Today marks it a year since I lost my only brother–Charles. I wouldn't have even remembered if not for Facebook that had to share the 1-year memory.

Charles my elder brother was attacked by some thugs, just a day before his matriculation, in school. It was heard that he stole a mobile phone that was charging peacefully at a corner, in the supermarket, at the school gate.

Right from childhood, I've known my elder brother – Charles as a Kleptomaniac ( one who steals compulsively ). He steals both things he needs and ones that he doesn't need as well. It's so pathetic that he just has to steal.

He was expelled from many schools during his secondary school days. Even though mum has taken him to different deliverance sections, he refused to be out of the wood.

But I think this day, a year ago was the day his cup got filled up and was let to stew in his own juice.

Our single mum had told me to go and stay with Charles after I made many pleas to her.

I had to pack my bag and travel to Charles's school, to stay with him, in preparation for his matriculation. I was an aspirant of the school then. Charles even was delighted to see me stay with him in his lodge. He made me very much comfortable during my stay there.

On the day before his matriculation, Charles hurriedly prepared and left the lodge that morning. He told me that he is going to have his haircut and attend to some things too. He gave me some money to buy bread and beverages to have for breakfast and also told me to cook noodles in case I get hungry in the afternoon. 

I smiled and bade him farewell, curiously hoping for him to come back so that I would see the hairstyle he had been bragging about since, that he would have.

Just some minutes before noon. I was fast asleep then. I heard thunderous shouts, echoes, and cries, coming from outside. An engrossed fear gripped me as I arose from my slumber. I had to check through the window to know what the scene outside was like. But just before then, I received several bangs at the door.

My little legs trembled in fear. On the opening of the door, my eyes beheld the unexpected.

I saw my Charles lying lifelessly in a pool of his own blood. He was surrounded by too many people.

"Ole !" "Klepto !" "Thief !" were the major voices that were thrown at the air, that moment.

I managed my way through the few angry people surrounding Charles.

There I met him, with guilt and shame in his eyes. Welts of different sizes were kissing their way through the pale, dark skin of my brother, Charles.

I let out a silent fart as I fell on my knees towards Charles.

"Please brother, tell me it's not true". I managed to say, even scared of his response.

However, a heavy hiss came from one of the aggressive people that stood there, which I felt were not students.

"This is the hand behind all our missing properties in this vicinity all this while. Get the tyre and lighter let's burn this nigga off! The voice came again.

Everyone began with their shouts again. Some continued throwing stones at Charles of which few, fell on me.

"No!! No !! Please..." I begged the angry mob but all to no avail.

The tyre, lighter, and fuel were here. They had to set Charles ablaze. All my divulges fell on deaf ears.

Pathetic. Aggressive. Haywire. Uncertainty. I tried all within my feeble power at the moment to dissolve the mob from lighting up Charles. My efforts, however, were outridden as heftier men held me up to avoid me jumping into the burning Charles.

Swiftly, I saw Charles already wailing and struggling for his life amidst the blazes of fire that entangled him.

The guilt, the disappointment, the painful cries, the bitter regrets, all in his eyes. He'd known that he has wronged us–mum and i. And even apart from him, we didn't deserve the trauma he has put us through.

Now, this whole year seemed like just a day of Charles's demise. The memory has struck a new in my mind. Apart from the few moments of reflection, I have over Charles's demise. And the few times Charles appear in my dream, crying and chanting sorrowful songs. I have lived this whole year as though I never had a brother. School activity alone makes me forget so much about him.

But I feel something even more weird is still in existence in our family. It's mum. I think she's yet to recover from the trauma which almost cost her her life.

She wakes up every Monday morning, crying at the door of my room, asking me for the whereabouts of his son - Charles. She believes nobody and nothing again. Her strange and weird behavior has probably raised a catalyst of concern.

Now, the question is, "Does it mean that Charles's demise has turned mum into a psycho???

FICTION STORY! ⚠️

© Oji Dickson 

It's barely a year into our marriage and yet I haven't had peace of mind even for once. The first issue is that I was too eager to have a child for him as I was really getting close to menopause. And I wanted possibly like 4 children before I hit menopause but there was no sign of any child coming. 

I tried all my possible best including going to prophets & native doctors to know whether there could be a spiritual solution out but all efforts proved abørtive. And the worst part is that my hubby doesn't even seem to be bothered at all. He keeps on telling me that children would come at the appointed time God chooses. I don't know how to tell this man that time is no longer on our side. I am just being so scared of standing the shame of being called barren while my mates are already through with giving birth.

But that aside, my husband behavior scares me the most. The man acts little concerned about issues. He is so reserved. Can you even imagine that he has a private room in our own house. No one DARES to go near the room. He always goes to the room late at night and early in the morning. He says the room is his temple and no one is permitted to go or have access to the room. I have tried to make him understand that I am his wife and I have every maximum right to have access to that room so far as this is our matrimonial house but he's not even ready to listen. He doesn't want to discuss what that his temple room is all about and this has been giving me serious night mares. Sometimes when I dream, I would see him coming out from that his temple room with a knife to k!ll me but when I wake up I would see him lying peacefully beside me. I am nervous and paranoid. Sometimes I even think he is the issue behind me not conceiving all this while or does he eat up our babies in that his temple room??

I'd been so depressed that I had to confound on my friend — Margaret. Margaret was shocked too about the whole situation. She advised me to break into the room while he's not at home.

"But he will definitely come back and find out!" I told Margaret at the thought of her suggestion.

"Look here Tomi, the main concern for you now is to know what that room is all about and not his actions when he finds out you broke into the room. How can you be living in a house for almost a year without you knowing the content of a particular room. C'mon, you need to brush up and be wise. That your husband must have some skeleton in his cupboard if not, why does he deprives you access to that particular room. I told you from onset that you need more time to know this man before marriage but you paid deaf ears to me and jumped into marriage. Now, you are married to a total stranger!!" Margaret plainly told me.

She was right afterall. I have too many irons in the fire to attend to and I have to do them fast before I end up crying over spilt milk. 

I left Margaret's boutique immediately for my house. My husband should still be in the office by now so I can carry out my investigation to clear my doubts. I rushed in quickly to the room's door with a hammer on my right hand. I was just about to break the door but then, I was held back from behind.

"What are you trying to do woman??". It was my husband, he held my arm so hard that I yelled in pains.

“Don't even try to do anything stup!d or else you are ready to face my wrath”. He told me, spat on my face and left. He took his briefcase along with him and then drove off.

I literally didn't inspect well, he must have came back home to pick up something ( like he does sometimes ). I became very scared. So scared that the rest of the day didn't turn out well for me. 

Later at night, I had that same dream I've been having for over a year now. This time around, he came out from the room with a dead baby and a knife in his hands. He stabbed me on my stomach and I woke up immediately. I became so aggravated and fed up with the whole night mares. I grabbed my pillow and choke my husband whom was sleeping next to me in the face. He struggled for breath and died instantly !! 

I ran up to his temple room, broke the door and found everywhere dark. I switched on the light and found just a chair and a reading table in the room. A holy bible was laying peacefully on the table. Then at the other end was a library of philosophy books. My husband was a lover of philosophy and that was what he studied in school.

It was then that it dawned on me that there was nothing fetish about his temple room. It was just a room where he meditates and have his quiet time. I was just mentally disordered about my childlessness and that was when the trust issues and suspicions started trooping in leaving me out in an Imaginary world.

Now, my eyes are clear. I am not only barren, I also made myself a widow!!! 

©️ Oji Dickson 

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