Chapter Twelve

The seasons for the rains had come and it seemed to Edna like the gate of heavens were open as rain fell down heavily.  She heard a sound but could not detect immediately if it was her mind playing games with her or a reality. She recalled that she had seen a strange man at the kitchen during the weekend but the idea of telling Mrs Coker wasn't a pleasant one as she felt it was inappropriate considering the emotional turmoil she was experiencing. Cold shivers ran through her body as the thought of strange figures moving around the house scared her. A screeching sound came from the main entrance of the house which got her startled as it increased her curiosity.

"What if they were dangerous people at the door." She thought.

It would be of great relief if someone could walk to the sitting room and observe were the sounds were coming from, but every member of the household seemed to be asleep except for her which even increased the tension she felt. It was difficult for her to sleep comfortably, but the only option in her head was to go to the sitting room. She got up and decided to be courageous and went down the stairs to find out were the sounds were coming from. Stepping down from the stairs her whole body felt cold as the cool wind blew. Suddenly she felt a hand on her mouth, holding her tightly from behind why she struggled to speak.

"Take me to your father's room," the husky voice of a man spoke. Feeling frightened Edna assumed immediately that the man was referring to Mr Coker, as she walked up to his room and knocked on the door. He grumbled to himself as he got up from the bed, Mr Coker got dressed in his pyjamas, and got up from his bed and walked to the door sluggishly and opened it with drowsiness in his eyes. There seems to be no one who knocked at the door he thought. A fierce looking man, pointed a gun directly to his head which made him feel jittery quickly.

"Who are you?" He questioned feeling tensed as he turned to look at the man. A group of men had now encircled the sitting room as they came through the kitchen area. The man walked down the stairs with Edna as he held a gun pointed towards the direction of Mr Coker as they walked. They got to the sitting room and he commanded Mr Coker in a brash tone to lay on the floor which he obediently did without hesitation, however Dele had perceived in his room strange sounds which got him worried.

"Do you think the option of betraying the boss was a wise one?" A man who was dressed in black with a blood shot eyes spoke.

"Look at me." He said placing a gun at  Mr Coker's chin. Already Dele on hearing the strange voices that spoke from the sitting room tiptoed to his parents bedroom.

"Mum," he tapped softly as he spoke in a low tone. Mrs Coker opened her eyes and felt her bedsheet as she wanted to know the were about of her beloved husband.

"Mother, I can hear sounds from the sitting room." Wide awake now she turned, getting up from the bed and feeling that their was danger she walked through the hallway with her son down to the staircase. Her pace stopped to check on Rose, who laid in her bed fast asleep, her eyes darted everywhere around the sitting room as they were men dressed in black with masked faces. 

"Go down, they heard a voice from behind speak. Her body felt frozen, as she thought of what to say feeling alarmed at what was happening but obediently went to the sitting room with her son.

"Where is the money," the man with the blood shot eyes spoke again.

"I do not have the money with me." Mr Coker replied shaking his head.

"Then were is it?"

"I don't know" Mr Coker retorted back.

The man fired a gun at his feet which sent him screaming in pains.

"Search the house," the man with the blood shot eyes commandingly spoke to the other group of men who immediately began to rummage the whole house but found nothing. He shot Mr Coker again at his chest while they watched helplessly with tears rolling down their faces. Rose who stood up stairs watching the gruesome scene had began to scream as she beheld the sight of the scene, they walked out of the house leaving them to grieve over the incident as they were shattered pieces of glass scattered on the floor in the kitchen. Mr Coker was rushed immediately to the hospital with an oxygen mask on his face as he was placed on the bed by health officials. They put him inside a van that made a siren sound as Mrs Coker followed wailing uncontrollably in pain.

The room was a small room, sun rays filled the room making it bright. Dele lay on the floor groaning about the event that had occurred last night. He feared that his father might die, a poster of football team mates, was hung along side a guitar. He violently cursed under his breath as he wished an action was taken by him when the armed men came. He wore a loose long pair of trousers, which was unzipped revealing his underwear. Bright lights shone on his face revealing a young helpless teenager, it was a good-looking young man who was gradually becoming a young adult. His eyes was wet with tears as he wore a look of unhappiness which was written all over his face which he desired to be over, his face held a sad look as he felt confused. 

"Who were those men, and what did they want?" He raised his arm to bring down the guitar and play as he sat down thinking deeply in pain of his mother and the agony she might be feeling at the moment. Again it suddenly hit him that things might turn out differently if his father gave up the ghost. He waved the thought away from his head, and let his eyes roam around the ceiling. He now desired more than ever to focus on the past when things were normal but it definitely was not possible. As the thoughts of the event that occurred last night made him feel bothered as he felt a strong yearn to revenge.

Edna looked at the broken pieces, of glass on the floor and went to the backyard disposing them off carefully 

and gently. She wished more than ever that last night could be reversed.

"Who were those men." How could it be that some group of gangsters had just walked into their house and made a wreck, but none of these mattered because the deed had been done. All her hopes had been raised high by being in the midst of the Coker's. She went back into the kitchen realizing that their was a lot of work to be done in the kitchen 

"O Lord please help us." She sighed feeling distressed at the moment.

Edna thought of the resemblance, of one amongst the men who pulled off his face mask which reminded her of the man that came to the kitchen.

"But what did Mr Coker do to deserve this." God be praised that none of the other family members had neither gotten killed or injured. She was a little bit tired and hungry now, but too sober to start preparing breakfast or do anything aside from getting a proper rest.

Edna slouched on the couch and dozed off immediately. Her face was reflecting among mirrors too many to disentangle from. Like an enchantment their was a land far away with beautiful flowers, planted on the ground which were properly arranged. A wild laughter roared as a man looked into her eyes.

"No don't take me away." The stress of the struggle encountered in her  dream made her scream back to reality.

"Oh it was a dream, a very scary one at that." She said amidst gasping for air.