UNSPOKEN - Episode 3
Date: 2024-12-18
UNSPOKEN.
Episode 3
(FICTION)
"Chidinma, can I ask you something?" I said, breaking the silence.
She nodded, her eyes still fixed on mine.
"How do I know that this is true?" I asked, feeling a pang of guilt for even asking. "I mean, my brother...he's always been a good person, or at least, that's what I thought."
Chidinma's expression changed, and for a moment, I saw a flash of anger in her eyes.
"Your brother is a monster," she said, her voice firm. "And I have proof. But it's not just about proof. It's about believing me."
I felt a surge of emotions, torn between my loyalty to my brother and my growing trust in Chidinma.
"I want to believe you," I said, my voice shaking. "I really do. But I need to know more. I need to understand why my brother would do such a thing."
Chidinma sighed, her shoulders sagging in exhaustion.
She looked at me, her eyes searching for something, her gaze was as heavy as a rock.
I got the message.
"I'm sorry," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'm so sorry for what my brother did to you."
Chidinma's expression didn't change. She just looked at me, her eyes filled with a mix of emotions.
"I don't need your apologies," she said, her voice firm. "I need justice and I thought you could be of help. You should know your brother better."
With that, Chidinma stood up and walked away, leaving me sitting there, feeling lost and confused.
Yeah, I should know my brother better…
Reminiscing about the past, the only event that could have made me suspect my brother was on the night of Christmas eve, 2 years ago.
I could remember a time when I was in my 100 level days, I came home to celebrate the christmas season with my family.
I was alone in the sitting room seeing a Christian movie. After dinner, some minutes past 10, Osas, my brother came knocking.
I opened the door to meet a different version of my brother; drunk and staggering with stains of blood on his right hands.
“Come here," he dragged the tip of my collar into the darkest part of the compound. His squinting eyes begging for help.
I couldn't read the type of help he wanted but observing his physical state, I was like an owl sleeping upside down. Confusion swallowed me.
“Bro, what's happening?"
“I had an accident," he said unmoved. His statement felt like a well written script. I observed his lips with all skepticism.
“Get me a clean shirt and trouser." He said sitting and spreading his legs on the bare floor. “Don't give dad any clue about this, I don't want him to be worried." He added.
From the look of things, I was forced to believe that the accident could have been severe and I felt for him.
That was the only incident I could suspect to be worth investigating about my brother.
But, after that, no other fishy thing about him. He's like a model to me.
But who am I to believe it? Or, could all of this have happened when I was in school?
I really can't figure it out. A lot has really happened while I was at school. I've been met with clueless situations; my brother being a rapist and then
Chidinma, the lady who I'd thought is a rare of its kind has been defiled.
As I sat there, sitting posture wasn't helping matters. I paced for a while trying to process everything Chidinma had told me.
I've never felt this uneasy in my life.
The park was empty, except for a few people walking by. The trees waved their wings announcing the approach of the night.
I stood up, trying to shake off the feeling of unease. I knew that I had to talk to my brother, to confront him about what he had done.
But I was scared, scared of what I might find out, scared of how he might react. What if it's not true.
I took a deep breath, trying to steel myself for what was to come. I pulled out my phone, dialing my brother's number. It rang several times before he picked up.
"Hey, bro," he said, his voice cheerful. "What's up?"
I hesitated, unsure of how to start. "We need to talk," I said finally.
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "What's going on?" my brother asked, his voice cautious.
I took another deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. "I know what you did," I said, my voice firm. "I know what you did to Chidinma."
There was another pause and for a moment, I thought the line had gone dead. But then my brother spoke up, his voice cold and calculated.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said.
To be continued…
