INTERIOR, Lydia’s Bedroom—Morning.
Amanda: Knife!Jesus! Jesus! Daddy!
Louis: Calm down Amanda, don’t touch him, you will alter the evidence we have …
Amanda: How did it happen!
Louis: Calm down, please…
Amanda: No! No! Who did this to m… what is Lydia doing on the floor? there are bloodstains on her hand, did she…
Louis: Didn’t she tell you? Your mother didn’t tell you Lydia kil…
Amanda: Killed him? Lydia what have l done to deserve this! You’ve killed my dad, now what is left for me! Iet me kill her too…let me kill her.
Louis: Leave her alone. She is in a coma. We need to revive her. If you choke her, I’m a policeman, I will arrest you and ensure you are charged. Now go outside and comfort your mother she needs you. The ambulance is on the way.
Amanda: I knew this would happen, always silent, wicked witch, l told Mummy but she won’t listen. it has happened o, yeh!
Louis: Leave everything thing in my hands, I promise you, justice is on the way. I need to take this call, it’s the ambulance people. Ehen! Hello, yes it is number twenty-six…yes… the yellow estate…the gate is painted yellow with a masquerade tree at the front, you will see our second patrol van outside… yes, be fast, someone is losing blood here.
Amanda: Let her die too, let her die, which stupid ambulance are you calling, which stupid…
Louis: Leave, l know it’s hard. go and comfort your mother, she needs you now. Let me do my job.
Fade to:
INTERIOR, An office, Ore Township Police Station — Evening.
Louis: It’s five days already, l think you are ready for this.
Lydia: …
Louis: If you remain silent. we need not drive this case any further, we will draw our conclusion that you are guilty of killing your mother’s husband.
Lydia: …
Louis: I said talk to me! What are you saying, you are just muttering, l can’t hear you! I know am not your lawyer, but you have to talk to me. Based on the report l got from your half-sister and your mother, they told me you were always silent before the incident. I have a little girl at home, just your age. I believe there is something wrong somewhere. Give me something to investigate.
Lydia: …
Louis: Ok, maybe l have being too harsh. I will give you some time, but we don’t have all month…why are you shaking your left hand…you want to write something…okay…here is a pen, write.
Lydia: It is in the gift I gave her.
Louis: It… is… in… the gift l gave her. Which gift? Who did you give? Amanda? Don’t just nod Lydia, talk to me, please. Ok, let’s call it a day, here.
Lydia: …
CUT TO:
EXTERIOR, Ore Township Police Station— Evening.
Louis: Hello, Amanda l have…this is Louis on the line. Ju
Amanda’s Voice: has she spoken?
Louis: See Amanda, at this junction you must come out clean…
Amanda’s Voice: About what?
Louis: Listen, Listen. You need to tell me everything. When l came to your house a day before yesterday and you told me about your birthday party and Lydia’s acting more strange than before, you didn’t mention any gift. Did she give you a gift that you haven’t opened?
Amanda’s Voice: I didn’t tell you because l didn’t see any need for that. Anyway, what has that got to do with the case? Why don’t you guys just sue her? She killed my father and her mother’s husband. I don’t know what you digging for.
Louis: This is my Job Ok? We can’t just jump to a conclusion, even when it is obvious she did it. Send the gift, don’t touch the wrap just send it.
Amanda’s Voice: what am l going to do with the gift, l pray she dies over there.
Louis: One more thing Amanda, One more thing…
Amanda’s Voice: What sir? it’s high time l left. Speaking about her brings back those memories we shared. You are making me relive those moments.
Louis: Amanda, when l came to your house, your mother told me Lydia was always silent and an aura of mystery was about her. What can you tell me about her silence you know you girls are sisters, you discuss stuffs all the time. Perhaps there are things you haven’t told your mum.
Amanda’s Voice: You know we are half-sisters. Mum had an affair and her husband divorced her, so she took custody of Lydia and she married my dad and when she gave birth to me, we grew up together. Lydia was once the Jovial type and l mean very lively. l can attest to that since we shared our childhood experiences. But all of a sudden when she turned seventeen she became silent. She withdrew herself into her shell and nobody could reach her. Her grades started to suffer in school because she just stopped showing interest in anything. Mum tried to help her, l tried, even my dad—may his soul rest in peace—gave this devil more attention than she deserved. He was always around her. I don’t know what my dad did to the psycho to deserve an horrific death.
Louis: Thank you for the information I’m very grateful, please don’t forget the said gift.
FADE TO:
INTERIOR, An Office, Ore Township Police Station— Afternoon.
Louis: l am sorry for everything l did but still wondering why you kept It all to yourself, you could have told your mum.
Lydia: …
Louis: l understand the fact that the abuse caused all this…this silence. I know how it feels to…to…be molested by a loved one. But you should have spoken. You shouldn’t have remained in your silence. When Amanda brought the gift this morning l had no faith in it. When l tore the wraps open and l held your diary in my hand, honestly when l started reading, l couldn’t believe it. And when l took the memory card you sealed separately in another envelope and played it on my laptop. I wept, l couldn’t watch all the videos. you were fifteen for goodness sake! when he started molesting you. I am so sorry for my judgement since you came to this station. If you answer my questions,l promise to work with your lawyer, you are not going to any juvenile prison. Please talk to me, ehen, why didn’t you speak out?
Lydia: I tri…tried, l tried. I used everything l could. I was scared, l was dying but she couldn’t see through the haze. She loved him, cared for his daughter. She didn’t have any time for me…she didn’t…know l…l…
Louis: Here, take, wipe your eyes.
Lydia: Thank you. I was fifteen when it all started, mum and Amanda travelled to Singapore for a business trip. So l had to stay with him at home. He was like a father to me, l didn’t suspect anything until it was eleven o’clock at night. I just finished reading Steven king’s Salem’s lot, and l was trying to sleep. Then he came, he was wearing only his boxer and singlet. I was uncomfortable, but l wasn’t scared, after all, he was like a dad to me. So foolish me didn’t shout, at least we live in a estate with the buildings very close. someone could have heard me if l shouted , but l didn’t. Suddenly he jumped on the bed , covered my head with a pillow, tore my skirt and started to…to…force me…
Louis: Sorry, Sorry. But you should have reported to the nearest child support agency close to you.
Lydia: He had a video record of it, he told me that if l told mum, he would upload it to the Internet and my life would be ruined. So l was hooked. I became his object of pleasure. I was dying, the scenes kept playing in my head. I kept seeing it in my dreams. I was losing my mind. The only thing l could do was to write in the diary and keep swallowing pills and pills of painkillers. And mum saw nothing!
Louis: What of Amanda? You could have told her.
Lydia: She wouldn’t believe. That was why l gave her the gift, so she could see what l was facing. I endured until l turned seventeen last month. I ordered for a pin Camera which l fixed in my room, so every time he came l got a video of him.
Louis: Armed with this evidence, you could have shown someone, it’s enough proof.
Lydia: No, l wanted him to feel pain . I was filled with anger and couldn’t forgive him, so l waited patiently until the day Amanda was celebrating her birthday . As usual, Mum took her to one of those nice restaurants and l was alone with him. I went to my room and l lay on my bed. A few minutes later, he sauntered into my room, and he grabbed me, but l was ready for him. I took the knife from the pillow where l hid it and stabbed him.
Louis: You shouldn’t have done that. You should have reporterd and seek the face of God so you could heal. Let me ask you this: How did you feel after you did it? Did you feel any joy?
Lydia: l was scared, l didn’t know what to do. All knew before l lost consciousness was, l cut a vein in my left hand and blood was dripping to the ground.
About the writer
Oladejo Victor Olayemi is a budding artist and a secondary school graduate. He lives in Ore, Odigbo, Ondo state and wrote in via victoroladejo95@gmail.com
