The Victim

 

Her breath came in short gasp. She cowered behind the sofa, her eyes bleeding tears. She could hear him pulling a cord in the closet and cursing with rage. She whimpered with fright and prayed to God to intervene, only then did she hear him coming. Her heart stopped. He pushed the bedroom door and screamed for her to come out. He threatened, cursed, his eyes sparked with rage. He forced the wardrope door open, looked into it and slammed it shut. He bent to check under the bed. He tossed the glass table out of his way and shattered the flower vase. "Come out or if I find you out myself, you will be dead! I will kill you, I will kill you with my hands", he roared. Omo was confused. She knew her husband, Ehis too well to keep hiding. She knew he meant it. It was better she came out and take the beating, but the overwhelming fear for him held her down. He walked up to the sofa, and there she was. "Oh baby please, baby please, I am sorry" She cried. He pulled her by her hair and dragged her out. She grabbed his arm and made feeble attempts to free herself. He punched her in the face and she fell, hitting her head against a broken piece of the vase. Soon, blood gushed out of the gash. Her husband was possessed with rage now. He went for the cord and she managed to get up and tearfully said, "baby I am bleeding. I am bleeding, Oh God!". Without a word, he came upon her and whipped her with the cord. She fell as he lifted his arm a second time and screamed.

Catherine jumped up from her sleep and ran to the hospital bed as Omo jerked on the bed, pulling the drip cord fixed on her right hand and it's stand. "It's okay", she said. "He is not here, your husband is not here". Omo opened her eyes. She looked surprised upon seeing Catherine, her best friend and then noticed too that she was on a drip. "Where am I?", she asked with a weak voice. "You have been unconscious for two days now baby girl, your husband almost killed you this time", she said. Omo bit her lips as she felt a sharp pain in her head. She closed her eyes and sobbed as her friend consoled her.

Ehis picked up his black berry smart phone and scrolled down his contact list. He stopped at Cathy's, dialled and pressed the phone against his ear. "Hello?", her voice came along as he stuttered with a panicky voice. "Is...is she still unconscious?", he asked. "No, she just woke up", she replied and hung up. "Em...em can I talk to...", he stuttered still and discovered he was disconnected. He redialled severally but Catherine ignored the calls. He quickly picked up his car keys from his wall unit and hurried out. He locked the door behind him and then the padlocks on the iron bars.

He made for his Range Rover sport jeep and clicked on the automated key system. The car said hi with a quick short sound and a flash of it's light at him. He got in, switched on the ignition, revved the engine, engaged the gear and zoomed off. Moments later, he drove into the parking lot of a super market, parked and dashed in. He got some beverages and fruits and headed for Guobadia Hospital, GRA, where his wife was admitted. Upon arrival, he exchanged greetings with some of the pretty nurses and made for the private ward she was admitted. It was first class, homely and expensive. There were some cute paintings on the wall and of course it was well air conditioned.

Omo was sitting up on the bed now. A Part of her hair was shaved to allow a plaster on the cut on her head. Her eyes were swollen and patches of red adorned her face like make up on a wizened face. Her arms had the prints of the whip, every single one. She was a sight. Her dad and five brothers gathered around her as her mom consoled her. Catherine got her a glass of water and she drank. Soon, there was a mild rap on the door.

Ehis squeezed the door nob and let himself in only to be taken aback by the sight of his in-laws. He walked close to the bed and again he stuttered, this time, a greeting. "Goo...good afternoon sir, good afternoon ma", he said. Instead of a response, Omo's dad was warning Pete, Omo's eldest brother to stop. "No no Pete! Pete!", he cried as the young man grabbed Ehis' neck from behind and squeezed his arms around it. His arms revealed taut muscles and Ehis was gasping for breath. "Pete! Pete!", both parents screamed as Ehis dropped down on his knees with the plastic bag spilling it's content. They all struggled to get Pete's arms off his neck. The hospital's security was alerted and some burly men came and joined in the struggle to save a man's life. Soon Omo cried out with the loudest voice she could muster. "Leave him alone, LEAVE HIMMMMMM! Everyone stopped and looked at her direction including Pete who let his prey go. "He is my husband and I still love him", she said and sobbed bitterly. Pete was shocked beyond words. In his confused state, he looked at his little sister, shook his head and left the room. Ehis was still coughing. He had had a close shave with death. He kept coughing as the security men excorted him away.