CHAPTER XIII: Security Guard

Back at the school, Lanre tried his best to just blend in and not bring any unnecessary attention to himself while he worked as the security man in the school. He never left the premises, no one knew where he stayed, what he ate, when he ate, and no one cared, Afterall, he was just a security man and his job description was to just ensure that no one broke into the premises during school hours and at night. The principal of the school hired him instantly when he said he was okay with the paltry sum of ten-thousand-naira salary she had offered. She was happy with herself as she showed him where to sign the dotted lines, signaling his acceptance of her offer. If he only knew how much the previous security man was collecting. She had sacked that one after he started asking for a raise from his 30k salary to 35k. She asked him if he had an account number where his salary could be wired to at the end of the month and Lanre had said he didn't have a bank account and that he preferred cash if that was okay by the principal. She said it was okay. 5 months into his job as the security man, Lanre started seeing that his kids were happy again, they were no longer sad. Some kind of force now prevented him from going around his house, so he was stuck around the school and was content with watching his kids happy again, he hoped their mum was happy too. His new friend, the nurse use to come and visit him sometimes to teach him ways he could remain human like without being caught. She taught him how to invade people's dreams but the only dreams he was okay invading were that of his wife and kids. He had tried one time to invade his daughter's dream, but her spirit had challenged him because his daughter was already dreaming of another man. "What does that mean?" He had asked the nurse on one of her visits. "Maybe she is already starting to see someone else as her dad. Kids are innocent and have a stronger spirit. It takes a seasoned spirit to be able to invade a child and you and I are not seasoned enough." She said and watched as he laughed at her. "That doesn't mean I can't do other things that you won't be able to do." "Other things like what?" "When your time here in this school is done, come around the hospital and I would introduce you to some more older spirits." With that she was gone.

He wasn't prepared that fateful morning when he saw Ese driving to school with the kids as she'd done every day for the past 5 months he'd been working there. Sheba was also in the car with the kids that morning and as soon as Derek opened the door for his sister to come out, Sheba bounded out and ran into the compound, running straight towards him, making all the other students, along with their parents and some of the teachers, scamper away for safety. Ese got out of the car and raced after the dog, shouting "Sheba! Sheba!" she ran after the dog in her night gown, wondering what had come over the dog today. This wasn't the first time Sheba was accompanying the kids to school, but this was the first time she was being so crazy. Lanre ran to the store behind the school building and hid there, that was where Sheba met him, and he patted the dog and kissed her head before he slinked into the store because he didn't want Ese seeing him when she came to get the dog. He locked the door behind him, leaving the dog whining outside as he listened to his wife scold the dog. How he had missed her voice, he badly wished he could wrap her in his arms once again. He watched forlornly through the window as she dragged the reluctant dog by the collar out of the school compound and into the car, apologizing to the teachers and the other parents who had witnessed the doggy episode. When he was sure the coast was clear, he came out of the store. He looked around at some of the teachers and parents huddled in groups whispering and wondering why the dog would run into the school like that or why a parent would even want to bring a dog to school with their kids, if only they knew that Sheba was no ordinary dog. He looked around once more to be sure that Ese and the dog were really gone before he got out of the store and walked towards the gate. He didn't look up when he got out of the store because if he had done that, he would have seen the amazed look on Derek's face. Derek had seen everything from the window of his classroom and wondered what that meant and why the dog would run towards the security man and not to anyone else. Derek had a habit of writing things down on the back of his book so that he won't forget. He wrote down a reminder, stating that he would tell his mum what he saw when he got back home after school.

Arinze sent a text to Ese later that morning, asking her for a loan of 2 million naira saying that he wanted to use it in getting some stuffs for his house to child proof his home, since her kids were now a part of his life and he wanted to set it up so that whenever they came around, they would have fun stuffs to play with. He wanted his home to be their home away from home, moreover, his house was even closer to their school. So, it would be a win win for all of them, especially if the kids would be spending more time at his place. Ese read the text and smiled. It was now a week since the last time she spent the night at his house. She had plans on paying him a surprise visit later that evening. Her own way of apologizing for her lackluster performance in the love making they had.

Arinze was so thoughtful, she thought to herself and smiled as she asked for his account number and she transferred 3 million to him. The extra million was her little way of appreciating him for always been there and available for her and the kids. 'It's not a loan dear' she typed on her phone and sent him the text. He was her man Afterall and he had good intentions towards her and her kids. He sent her a heart emoji when he got the alert and she sent him one back along with a bikini emoji and some water emoji. She planned on making love to him a second time later that night when she goes to pay him a surprise visit at home. "You've been a bad dog, Sheba! What got into you?" She scolded the dog and the dog kept whining and looking back out the window towards the school. "They would be back soon dear." She said and stroked the dog's ears, thinking the dog was pining for the kids. When they made a turn, Sheba turned towards her and barked once before she started whining again. If only Arinze was fond of dogs she would have discussed this morning's drama with him, come to think of it, she was yet to know why he didn't like dogs. Though if she could cut him some slack, she also didn't like dogs too till she met Lanre. Maybe with time she would bring Arinze to liking dogs too. How she missed Lanre in times like this, he would've had a logical explanation to Sheba's strange behavior. When she got home, she let the dog out, fed her and Adolph and then proceeded to tell her mom all that had happened. "I wonder why she would act that way." "Same thing I'm wondering too, mum. It wasn't as if she knew anybody in the school or she probably smelt another dog in the school." "Yes dear, maybe that's why she acted that way. Talking about strange happenings, I think it's strange that you've not gone to spend the night at Arinze's place again since that last time. Don't you think it's strange, dear?" Her mum asked and smiled. She knew it was just a matter of time before her daughter would go back there because she saw and knew that her daughter was spending quality time with the man. "About that mum, that's why I actually called. I wanted you to come babysit your grandkids tonight." "My grandkids, right? You're so much like your dad, Ese. Blackmailing people to do things for you." Then, there was an awkward silence, "so that means you don't have plans tonight with your man, right?" "No dear, I don't. Even if I did, I can cancel it. He would understand." "Thank you so much mum, you're the best. You know I love you, right?" "I love you too dear. Would be there around 4." "Okay mum, see you soon." Dropping her phone, she went through her wardrobe, looking for the perfect dress to wear. She wanted something that screamed 'take me!' So, she settled for a thigh length black gown she'd only worn once. Last time she had worn it was on her vacation with Lanre. Then she smiled at the memory the gown dredged up. The last time she had worn the gown was actually the day she had conceived of Ethel. If the gown could talk, what it would have said was "I am available for anything you want to do and anywhere you want to go." Lanre had almost ripped the gown off her because he'd said the gown made her look like a delicious snack. She hoped it would have the same effect on Arinze tonight too. She thought to herself as she placed the gown on the bed and decided that she wouldn't even need to wear panties under the gown. She wanted to let Arinze have it all tonight without nothing to take off or push to the side. Since she had an extra key to his place, she decided she was going to get to his house before he got back, so that he would meet her at home. She hoped she wouldn't have to wait for too long because she knew how hectic things can be for him at the bank. This was the first time she would have to use the key since he gave it to her.

"I guess that means our plans for tonight are canceled." Fred said as he held his jacket. He had heard the details of the call as well; her daughter needed her again. "Not really, my cuddly Teddy bear. We still have three hours to spend together before I go over to my daughter's house. We can always reschedule our dinner plans for tomorrow. Are you still upset?" She asked as she kissed his ears. "Yeah, I am. Kiss me again, maybe that would make me feel better." She obliged him as she sat astride him and started to kiss him. Meeting Fred two years ago at church was one of the best things that had happened to her in a long time. She kept telling herself that this was how her husband would have looked if he were still around. At sixty-two, Fred still was a catch. He still turned heads whenever they went out on dates or on their twice a week evening stroll. What made her fall in love with him at first was how much he reminded her of her late husband. Fred was so intelligent just like her husband had been. His big bald head and white goatee gave him a boyish charm that she found alluring and his strength and vigor in the bedroom, defied his age. Two months ago, when she had introduced Fred to her daughter, Ese had immediately seen why her mom had been so happy all this time. Mrs. Osas wished Arinze would bring her daughter this much happiness as well. "Honey, with the way you're handling me, I am tempted to tell my daughter I won't be able to make it." She leaned into his arms, counting the grey hairs on his chest. "If not for the fact that you've promised her that you were coming, I would have asked you to call her back and tell her you can't make it." Then they both laughed because he knew she knew he would want her to go. Fred's wife had passed away while having their last child twenty years ago and for the past eighteen years whatever feelings he had towards relationships and women had been channeled into raising his two kids and what an excellent job he had done. His daughter was a professor, and his son was studying to be a lawyer. Two years ago, he had seen Mrs. Osas in church and he just knew in that moment that he was finally ready to love again. His daughter had threatened to matchmaking him with some random women if he didn't go out and get a woman. He had eventually gotten Mrs. Osas, a vixen living in the body of a sixty-year-old and his kids had been happy with decision, they even called her mom, Mrs. Osas didn't know it, but Fred always felt good whenever he heard any of his kids calling Mrs. Osas mum. Maybe it was because they were both older and knew what they wanted, because when he told her that he loved her, thirty minutes into talking with her, she had told him he looked like an adorable teddy bear. "Would you come pick me up at her place tomorrow?" She smiled knowing what he would say before he even answered. "If you want me to wait out in my car all night till morning, you already know I'd gladly do that. When's your uber coming, do we have enough time for another round?" "You randy old man...I need to be able to stay strong enough to withstand the activities of my grandkids. But tomorrow, when I get back, I'd definitely show you the stuff I'm made of." Then he walked her to the door minutes later as her uber arrived. Tomorrow already seemed so far away.

At 4pm, her mom arrived, she'd taken the liberty to pick the kids up from school and when her mum saw what she planned on wearing, she only just smiled and said, "I pity that man tonight". "I pity him too, mum." She kissed her mum, and then kissed her kids and was out of the house. Sheba wasn't there at the door to bark at her this time because when they got back home that morning, Ese had locked her up in the kennel with Adolph. Sheba hated being locked up but that was her punishment for the stunt she had pulled that morning.

"I would be home early today, babe. Can we have dinner?" Arinze said as she picked her phone on the second ring. She was already driving to his house. "That's lovely babe, but can we skip it today and reschedule for tomorrow? I'm swamped here at work." She replied and smiled. "Or better still I can bring dinner to you at work and maybe get some after work." "Get some what, you bad man?" She enjoyed their sex talk, if only he knew where she was currently headed. "Babe, let me call you back later about that. Just go home, I would come over to your place soon as I'm done here." She said and hung up. She went to get some groceries, she planned to cook his favorite meal before he got home.

A few minutes past 7pm, she heard him drive in. She had lit a single candle on the dining table and his favorite meal was covered on the table. She hoped he would have her first before the meal because he would be needing his strength by the time she was done with him. He opened his door and saw that it was already unlocked, before he would raise an alarm and turn on the lights, she came out of the darkness and kissed him, "welcome home darling" she said as she kissed him again enjoying the look of surprise and mischief on his face. "I thought you said..." putting a finger on his lips soaked with her wetness. "Shhhh, don't think, just feel and do" then she stuck the finger in his mouth and smiled as he sucked her wetness from her finger. Without closing the door or making it to the dining table, they had each other there on the floor. By the time they were done, the candle had gone off because it had finished burning, only thing he still had on was his tie and Ese couldn't even remember where her crazy gown had ended up. She enjoyed every minute of it, and it showed in how sleepy and exhausted she was. "Now, it's time to eat" he said as he helped her up to her feet. "I definitely agree" she said, and they ate naked, well technically naked because Arinze was still wearing his tie. "I love this kind of surprises" "you do? Well, keep doing what you're doing, and you would be getting them" Arinze smiled, he never planned on stopping whatever he was doing. He was nearing his goal faster than he thought. When she got home the next morning, one look at her and Mrs. Osas knew that her daughter had had one hell of a fun night. "Welcome home, slut." "Thanks mum, at least one slut welcoming another isn't that bad Afterall" and they laughed so hard till they started crying. Nothing else needed to be said. Her kids were playing outside when she got home that morning since it was a Saturday. When she got into the shower, she didn't scrub her body the way she had done the previous time. She no longer felt guilty, she was starting to enjoy giving her body to him without inhibition, then she remembered that she had totally forgotten to tell Arinze about the situation with Sheba the previous day.

For some reason, Derek also totally forgot to tell his mum what happened in school 3 weeks ago. He had a habit of telling his mom daily of any interesting thing that had happened at school, but he never got around to telling her about what happened between Sheba and the security man at his school. Other things had taken priority in the mind of the 6 year old, especially now that he was always dreaming of his dad. Two times he had told his mum about his dream and she was happy that her son still remembered his dad. "What does he look like in those dreams? Was he happy or sad?" She had asked him one morning when he woke up and said he dreamt again. "Yes mum, he looked really happy. He told me he would get me toys if I took care of Ethel and try not to do anything to make you upset." "He really said that? Well, you better listen to him then." She looked out the window as she blinked away tears. "Mum, do you think I should tell him the toy I want, since I've been a good boy?" Spooning cereals in his mouth, he watched his mum arranging plates in the cupboard. “Yes D, you can tell him anything you want, and you definitely have been a good boy." She came over and rubbed his head, then thought for a while and added "you can also tell me the toys you want so that I can discuss with your daddy when I dream of him." "Okay mum, do you think Ethel dreams of him too? Should I tell daddy about Arinze when I dream of him?" "No, love. Daddy already knows about Arinze, he told me in my dreams that he was okay with Arinze being my friend." Her son was so precocious this morning. She went to get her daughter before her son would ask questions she couldn't answer him this morning. As she left the kitchen, she wondered why she no longer dreamt of Lanre. Arinze was starting to fill all her thoughts and she didn't know if she should be happy or sad.

One Sunday morning, they all woke up and Sheba was gone.

Sundays were lazy days in the Briggs household. Ese woke up first at 8am. Ethel had spent the night in her bed. She sat up and watched her daughter sleeping peacefully. That was her morning routine, she loved waking up early to watch her daughter sleep because Ethel was a spitting of a father she never even got to meet. Whenever Ese woke up to watch her daughter sleep, she got this strange satisfaction that her late husband was still around. She got to the kitchen first to see what they could have for breakfast and settling for pancakes, she walked to the door of the living room, hoping to find Sheba there since Sheba had not come to meet her in the kitchen as she normally did. Sheba normally slept on one of the futons some days of the week, unless maybe Derek had chased her outside the previous night. Not seeing Sheba in the living room, Ese got outside and called out her name: "Sheba! I'm awake." Adolph barked. Ese waited for a minute and called out again. No sign of Sheba. She walked around to the back of the house; Adolph was still in his cage, but Sheba was nowhere to be found. "What's wrong mum?" Derek asked as he got out to meet his mum, her calling out to Sheba had probably woken him up. "I can't find Sheba. Did you let her out last night?" "No mum, I didn't." It would have been normal if Adolph was the one that got missing because he had a knack for scaling the fence, that was why he was always either in his cage or in chains. Sheba never scaled the fence but apparently, today she had because the gate was locked and the low fence in front of the house would never stop a determined dog from leaving. They searched everywhere in the neighborhood and she was nowhere to be found, Ese cried, the kids also cried because Sheba was more than just a dog to them, she was family. Arinze reluctantly joined in on the search, a part of him was happy that the dog was missing, he hoped she would never be found, at least he would now be able to come into her home without being scared of the dog barking or pouncing on him. None of the neighbors agreed to seeing her. They searched late into the night ; they still didn't find Sheba. It was a somber mood that Sunday evening. It reminded Ese of the night she lost her husband. She held her kids as they slept, while she wept silently, wondering if there were signs she may have missed. She was sure Sheba was happy with her and the kids, but she still couldn't imagine why the dog would just go away like that. Or did the dog get stolen? She thought to herself and smiled at the thought. Whoever would want to steal Sheba was inviting disaster to his limbs. She was sure the dog would come back, but she was starting to lose faith in that conviction with every passing hour.

On Monday morning, the next day, while she was dressing up for work, after having agreed to allow Arinze to take the kids to school, she heard her phone ring. She picked up, wondering why the principal was calling her so early on a Monday morning. Hopefully, her kids weren’t in any kind of troubles and they were definitely not owing the school any fees because she always paid their fees before the term began. After pleasantries, the principal told her to come pick her dog, that the dog was with the security man, and even though it wasn't causing any harm yet, she didn't want the other kids getting scared of coming into school. Ese explained that she didn't know how the dog got there since the school was on the other side of town and that they had been looking for the dog throughout yesterday. She apologized for the inconvenience and said she would come get the dog immediately. She wondered what Sheba was looking for in the kids’ school all the way across town and why especially the dog would be with the security man. She tried to remember something Lanre had said one time about dogs, something about dogs and their owners but she couldn't remember his exact words. She knew for a fact though that whoever the security man was, that was keeping Sheba, definitely didn't know the dog. Maybe the dog just took a liking to him because Sheba could be friendly and charming when she wanted to. Then she called Arinze and explained things to him and pleaded with him to help bring Sheba back when he took the kids to school since she was already running late for an appointment with some important clients she'd been talking to for months, and being the romantic man he was, he agreed to do that. She had sent another 5 million naira to Arinze 2 days ago when he'd said he needed her to loan him the money because he was planning a vacation with her and the kids and she really needed a vacation badly as well so she had given him the money after he told her to choose where they should go, she was yet to decide between Mauritius and Dubai. Mauritius would have been fun if it were only the two of them, but since the kids were involved, they would have to go to a place where they would have the most fun, so she leaned towards Dubai. She would let him know her decision later that day when they met up for lunch.

As Arinze drove the kids to school, he wondered what made the dog come all the way across town to the school. That was when Derek remembered what he saw 3 weeks ago and then he told Arinze. "Is that so?" was all Arinze replied to the information he just got from the boy, as he thought up two ways to dispose of the dog. He would either pay the security man to keep the dog or pay the security man to kill the dog, either way he was sure that the dog wasn't going to be part of their lives again because he had no intention of bringing her back, he would think of ways to dispose of the other dog that was left at the house when the time was right. Soon as he got to the school, the kids rushed out and Derek agreed to lead him to where the security man normally stayed, in the store at the back of the school. Lanre smiled as he saw his son walking to see him, thankfully, his son no longer knew or recognized him. Even Sheba was wagging her tail and ran towards Derek, then Arinze made the turn too because he had been flirting with one of the female teachers while the boy went ahead of him, after collecting the teacher's number, he remembered why he was in the school and then started following Derek and watched as the kid made the turn, the kid was walking too fast, he ran to catch up with him and as soon as he made the turn, the dog growled and pounced on him. His screams made Lanre look up, and that was when their eyes met. "Arinze!" was the only thing Lanre said before he disappeared, and Arinze went mad. Derek watched in confusion as the grown man started to strip in full view of everyone. He looked around for the security man because he had been there just now talking to him and asking about his sister and how his mother was, but he was no longer there, "Daddy" he whispered to himself then he wondered why the security man had looked so familiar, like the man in his dream. He kept looking around and went into the store, the security man wasn't there either. He got out of the store and called out to the dog and Sheba heeled immediately at his side and the growing crowd of parents that had brought their kids to school that morning, watched while the teachers murmured as they saw the man that drove two kids to school in a shiny black car, sit on the ground, naked and eating grass like it was coleslaw and he kept muttering "I killed him. I killed him." "Security! Security!" The principal called out as the commotion made her run out of her cozy office. "Where's that stupid man?" she asked no one in particular as everyone ran around looking for the security man. No one even knew his name. They all knew him as the security man. In his tiny voice Derek spoke up, "He is my dad and He disappeared". Everyone turned to look at the little boy incredulously like he didn't know what he was talking about. "what did you say, Derek?" one of the teachers asked him and Derek repeated himself again "the security man was my dad, he just disappeared" then he went on to narrate everything that happened. One of the teachers said, "I thought his dad was late." "Yeah, he is. Maybe it's just his imagination that made him say that." "No, that was really my dad." He insisted in his tiny voice. One of the teachers went to fetch the school magazine, it contained picture of parents of pupils in the school. She opened the pages to 'Briggs' because the names were in alphabetical order. When she saw Derek and his sister's pictures, she saw the pictures of his parents. She drew the magazine closer to her face to be sure of what she was seeing. Derek’s dad really does look like the security man, now that she was looking at it. She took the magazine out, accompanied by two teachers. "Derek, come look at this." One of the teachers motioned to him. He held his sister's hand as he was handed the magazine, opened to his family's page. Without being asked, he pointed "That's the security man, he's my daddy." The teachers looked at themselves and then ran away, leaving the confused children wondering what was wrong. The school was closed down that day because some of the teachers ran away after listening to what Derek had said and parents started taking their kids back home. Even the principal ran away and called Ese from the comfort of her car to come pick her kids, the dog, and her mad boyfriend from the school premises. Ese didn't understand one word the principal said, but she heard clearly that she needed to go pick her kids and her maternal instincts kicked in. As she was about to rush out to her car, she felt nauseous and quickly ran back into the building to use the rest room to throw up. While she was washing her face, she looked at her reflection in the mirror and wondered how Arinze would react to the news that she was pregnant. Pregnant for him. She would tell him while they're on their vacation in Dubai next week and hopefully, he won't be as disappointed as she currently was. She had planned not to have anymore kids but apparently her body had other plans.

She floored the pedals as she raced across town to her kids' school. Arinze wasn't picking his calls and it was making her panic. Hope her kids were okay. She tried calling the principal back, she also wasn't picking her calls. As she drove at snail speed when she encountered traffic, she started to think of how she'd been so careless to even get pregnant with Arinze's baby. She had forgotten totally that unprotected sex would lead to her getting pregnant. She started to wish again that Lanre was around, Lanre always had solutions for everything, but if Lanre was around, she never would have had anything to do with Arinze and she would definitely have had a child or two more after Ethel. Then a chill breeze went through her that made her shudder. This was the third time it was happening to her. She inched slowly in the traffic, angry at all the other drivers, honking her frustration till the road cleared and she continued racing to her kids’ school. From afar, she saw Arinze's black Mercedes Benz parked outside the school and a crowd had gathered too around the school gate, she was now worried as she hurriedly parked her car some distance from the school and ran the rest of the way to see what the fuss was about. "Excuse me, excuse me" she said as she weaved her way through the crowd. She was hearing some people saying things like "maybe na jazz they do am" others were saying "e be like say he kill person" and others were saying "all these big men wey don do bad things, na so God dey punish them." she didn't have the patience to focus on what she was hearing, she wanted to see her kids. She made her way to the gate and then Sheba saw her and ran towards her wagging her tail, then Derek too, started walking towards her, holding his little sister. She breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that her kids were okay. She looked up at what her son was pointing at and saw Arinze naked and rolling in the dirt, shouting "I killed him, I Killed him." she didn't understand what was happening. This man was sane this morning when he kissed her and offered to bring the kids to school, what then happened to him in the space of 1 hour? She thought to herself as she hugged her children tight as if she was shielding them from something. "Mummy, what's wrong with daddy?" Ethel asked her mum, Ese too needed an answer to that same question, and she asked her son what happened, and Derek went on to tell his mom everything that happened, and Ese looked at him, bewildered, not wanting to accept what her mind was telling her. She kept her kids behind her as she approached the mad man that was rolling on the ground. "Arinze love, look at me, who did this to you? Who did you kill?" She asked as she went close and touched him. The crowd was shouting "madam, no go close o make you sef no go mad o." she paid them no heed as she touched him again, repeating the questions and it was as if his madness cured momentarily and a deafening hush fell on the crowd because Arinze sat up and told her everything he did to her husband that night that had changed her life forever, he went on to tell her how he had planned on making her fall for him so he could have access to her money. When he finished his confessions, he resumed rolling around in the dirt. In that instant, she knew misery and happiness intimately, that it stunned her to silence. She had experienced both extremely and right now, she felt so miserable. The crowd went so silent again as he continued talking of how he murdered the woman's husband and how he came back into her life with the intention of taking everything her late husband left her and the kids. Ese collapsed as the reality of Arinze's words struck home. Some people from the crowd rushed to her and carried her and her kids out of the school premises, other people pounced on Arinze as his madness resumed after the bone chilling confession he just gave. They beat him up to an inch of his life before the police swooped in and took him away in cuffs.

Lanre stood under the mango tree close to the gate and watched as his wife collapsed. He was pained that he didn't warn her and that he couldn't have prevented it from happening. “I think your job here is done, Lanre" the nurse said to him as they both looked at what was happening in the school yard. She was sitting precariously on some mango leaves. I guess she read my thoughts when I looked up at her. Smiling down at me, she said, "once you are a ghost, gravity didn’t matter so much" "Is there no way I can comfort her? I am the reason why all this happened" "You see that regret you're feeling right now? we all felt it in the early years of our spiritual existence. All the things we would have said and all the things we would have done differently while we were alive, that's the burden we would carry for as long as we spiritually can. There's one thing you can still do though, but it comes at a cost." Turning towards her, as she floated down to stand next to him, he asked in excitement: "what is it? Right now, I would do anything." "Even at the cost of not having to see your family or this dog ever again?" She felt sorry for him as his excitement turned to sadness. He rubbed the dog's head before she ran off to be with his kids; and with shaky voice, asked; "Is what I would do, going to be worth it?" "It may or may not be worth it to you, but it would give her closure and you would finally be able to get some peace." He wanted his wife to find love and be happy again but definitely not in the arms of the same man that took his life, he was pained that he couldn't even approach her to touch her or even his kids again. "So, what is it, Bisi?" He smiled at the surprised look on her face. "You're surprised how I got to know your name?" "Well, that's by the way. Your phone is still there at your house, right?" "Yes it is, why?" "There's a frequency through which you can reach out to her and she would be able to hear you and you would also hear her, but since your job here is almost done, you would have to hurry because that frequency wouldn't stay for long." "Have I had this frequency all this time?" He asked, surprised that he had not even thought of it. "Yeah, you had but didn't know how to harness it." He remained glued to the spot as the crowd surged through them, passing through them as if they weren't even there. He should have told his wife about Arinze while he was alive. So many mistakes he made while he was alive, meeting Arinze was the greatest of all his mistakes. He reached out his hand to touch his wife, but he couldn't. Sheba ran back towards him again when they took his wife and kids away. She sat under the mango tree watching people empty out of the school compound. No one could see the two spirits conversing by her side. "So, how would I reach her through my phone?" He turned to her as he watched her pat the dog. "It's actually simple. First you would have to wait till your wife gets back home. Follow me, let's go to the hospital." "What about the dog, what should I do with her." "Nothing" she snapped her fingers at the dog, and she fell asleep instantly. "Let's go." "How did you do that; would she be okay?" He asked as he reluctantly floated with her. "Don't worry about her, she would be fine." All they had to do was close their eyes and will themselves to be anywhere and instantly they were there. When he opened his eyes, he watched as his wife was brought into the hospital. Her mother was there too with his kids. Bisi led him to the room where his wife was and he watched amazed as a doctor walked in and spoke to Bisi, instructing her on the drugs to administer to the sedated woman. What amazed him was the fact that the doctor didn't notice him, but she noticed Bisi. "Why did the doctor not notice me?" "She's human and to her I'm human too. I work here, remember?" He watched as Bisi touched his wife's hair and tried as he could, he couldn’t do that. He couldn't even bring himself to be corporeal again and he wondered why. "Go into her dreams and let her know you forgive her. Hope you can still remember how to do that?" Before she had finished asking, Lanre had gone into her dreams. Bisi turned and walked away after administering the drugs to the woman to calm her down. So many things she was going to teach this man once this ordeal with his family was over she smiled to herself.

Hours later, she woke up, she had been smiling in her sleep because she had experienced a wonderful dream. She saw her mum sitting beside her on the bed and crying, then the memories of what happened that morning hit her. "Mum, you should have told me not to go out with him." she cried as her mum came to sit on the bed with her and held her. "I'm so sorry Ese, how would I have known? The signs were there before us, but I ignored them because I saw how happy you were again and wanted you to remain that way. I'm so sorry baby." "All those times Sheba was barking whenever he came to pick me, I would have seen that as a sign, but I stubbornly refused." She wept on her mum's shoulders. "That dog really did try to warn us many times and when we didn't pay her any attention, she ran out of the house." Her mum cried as she held her daughter. Her daughter had really been through a lot. Falling in love with the man that killed her husband and even getting pregnant for him. Well, she may not have been able to change what happened between her daughter and the murderer, but she was going to definitely prevent any lingering link that would connect her daughter to that man, so she approached their family doctor and explained everything to her and pleaded with her to please get rid of the growing fetus in her daughter's womb. And the doctor being a woman understood the situation, went against the Hippocratic oath, and carried out the abortion on the bed ridden woman. After agreeing with the older woman to tell Ese that she had suffered a miscarriage because of her emotional distress, and that was a secret both women swore to keep, maybe one day, she would confess to her daughter and hopefully, Ese would understand. After 2 more days at the hospital, Ese was considered strong enough to go home and she was discharged.

She got back home to an empty house because the kids were at their grandma's. The school had asked that she withdrew her kids from the school, and she had promptly done that. It was the right thing to do too because she wouldn't want other kids to make fun of her kids. Kids could be so mean sometimes. She was going to put them in another better school in the next school year. For now, she wanted them to stay with their grandma till she sorted things out. She was so grateful that even after all that had happened, she still had more than enough to take care of her family. Even from beyond the grave, Lanre was still taking care of them. She had refused to touch the money that was anonymously transferred to her months ago, because she felt that whoever sent it would one day come asking for it, moreover, her husband had left them more than enough, but now, seeing that the money was actually her husband’s money and that had been the reason why he was murdered, she decided she was going to use it to create a foundation in his name. A foundation that would cater for widows and orphans. She knew Lanre would love something like that.

She went through the next week, listening to Lanre's voice notes during the day and would spend the nights calling his phone to listen to his ring back tone. She felt so bad and foolish. It was like she was mourning him afresh. She noticed that she started to dream of Lanre a lot, was he trying to tell her something? She thought to herself one day when she had woken up in the middle of the night. She wished she could bring him out of her dreams and just hold him in her arms. She later heard that Arinze hung himself in the psychiatric ward he was being held and treated before he would face trial for murder, she also heard that Mr. Adams had suffered another heart attack that he didn't recover from. She didn't feel bad for either of them. They both got what they deserved. She would wear all of Lanre's clothes throughout the day, and then fall asleep wearing his pajamas, she still smelt him in his clothes and that made him feel closer to her. She couldn't bring herself to giving them away.

Whenever her kids would ask of Arinze, she would tell them that he had gone on a long journey, gradually, they started to understand that he probably won't be coming back. She owed her kids that vacation to Dubai. They deserved that much, after all she had put them through. Maybe it would help them get the memory of Arinze out of their minds, she needed more than a vacation herself to get rid of the foolishness she got herself into, but a change of environment would definitely do all of them some good.

They sat precariously on the ledge of one of the windows on the third floor of the hospital. He watched as she leapt off the ledge and was suspended in the air, defying gravity. She invited him to do the same, but he declined. Though he was dead and still coming to terms with being able to walk through objects and have people walk right through him, he didn't think he was ready to test out if the gravitational pull would work on him. "You're already dead, Lanre. You won't die again if you do it." "Well, let's take it one day at a time. I used to be scared of heights when I was alive, I think that phobia accompanied me into the afterlife." She laughed at his words as she drifted back to sit beside him on the ledge. They sat in silence as he took everything in. He was amazed at the number of spirits that were drifting around the hospital. Some could become corporeal like Nurse Bisi, others like himself couldn’t. She explained to him that some ghosts were actually trapped in the hospital because they were taunted by the lives they had lost and being at the hospital gave them some kind of hope and a longing that just maybe their spirit can be sent to possess a new born, others were trapped because they were drawn to death and still saw death as a fascinating concept, they stood as chaperones to usher in the newly dead and let them know how to adjust to the afterlife. She went to let him know that after he finally talked to his wife through the phone, he would lose all chances of seeing or being with family. He would now become a wondering spirit. It would have been a relief to be free from sorrow and guilt, from responsibility for the people he’d left behind. He thought to himself "Is that a bad thing?" He'd asked, "not as bad as being tied to an animal." "How do you mean being tied to an animal?" "You see, some spirits always want to have something to do, so they plead with the higher power that instead of them roaming about aimlessly without their corporeal form, they are willing to possess any animal or plant and that animal or plant's life span would determine how long you would get to exist. As soon as the animal or plant dies, the spirit is snatched away instantly for judgement." Lanre started to think this through. For Ese’s sake, and the sake of the people he cared about, for the love that endured after death, he had to find a place in this world. Even If that meant he was never wholly part of the living or undead worlds, well, he’d always been in-between, with this idea of possession, he could finally pick a side. Maybe it was not the afterlife preached from pulpits or envisioned by pastors who liked painting heaven as a place filled with laughter, and fluffy clouds, maybe that wasn’t what afterlife entailed. Maybe afterlife meant actually looking out for the people you had loved while human and that seemed like a pretty good way to spend eternity. Now, he had a chance, a second one at that. So, the decision came easy to him. "You don't have much time, Lanre. After you've connected with your family, you would be snatched away and become a wondering spirit." "What about you, how come you can take human form and still become a spirit? Is your job here not done?" "You see that nurse that treated your wife? She's my granddaughter. I promised her mum that I would take care of her, that's why I can still become corporeal at will." "Where's her mum?" "You see that dog over there at the gate, the Brindle one sitting next to the dumpster?" Lanre nodded and frowned in disgust. The dog looked sickly and could drop dead at any time. "What's wrong with the dog?" "That's her mum, my daughter. She asked for her spirit to take possession of the dog ten years ago and her request was granted, so, as soon as the dog dies, her spirit is snatched away for instant judgement." Soon as she said that, Lanre knew immediately where he would want his spirit to possess after he was done talking to his wife. "So, when your granddaughter dies, what now happens to you?" "Easy, you see that plant growing there?" She pointed to a little tree growing behind a bench at the park. "Yeah, what about it?" I plan on possessing it immediately my granddaughter dies. That way, my spirit can hang around much longer in something living, unless the tree gets cut or burnt. So, before you think of possessing your dog, remember you would only have eight years or ten if you're lucky to be in that dog before it dies. "That's actually more than enough time for me" he was finally happy. "Now, you would need to plead with the higher force to send your spirit instantly into the dog when you're done talking to your wife. Remember once you do that, you also would no longer be able to enter their dreams." Lanre was okay with that as well. Sheba was the dog he planned on possessing. He said the words nurse Bisi instructed him to say and she told him all he had was ten minutes before the possession was complete. Then he made the call. Nurse Bisi had told him that all he had to do to make the call connect was to just close his eyes and concentrate all his mind on his phone, she had told him that it also didn't matter if his phone was charged or not, as long as his wife's phone was on and available, he could connect with her.

Two days to when they would be leaving for Dubai, she had woken up that morning at five am, her phone was ringing again, thinking it was her mom, she hurriedly picked it up without checking who the caller was. Her kids were still at grandma's, so the call was probably related to them, since they would be coming back home later today. When she picked the call, his voice filled her head "Hello my sweet" that was when she knew that he was back again, she had been expecting a sign since the incident at the school a week ago. Though, expecting a sign, but the sign she was expecting definitely wasn't a phone call from her late husband, in fear, she threw the phone away and it went off, she got out of bed, wearing his pajamas as she picked up the phone from the floor, turned it back on and with tears in her eyes and trembling hands, she dialed his phone. The phone on the bedside shelf rang and his voice came back again "Hello my sweet" it was faint this time, like he was being stifled. He sounded like he was struggling with something. She had never heard him sound this was. "Hello Lanre, I'm so sorry. I love you." she spoke as she sobbed. "I love you too, Ese my love. Please forgive me too." he spoke in an inaudible whisper, struggling with his words. “I forgive you Lanre, where are you? Are you happy?" " Thank you, my sweet, I am happy now. I....love you" were the final words he said as the call ended, and he was finally gone. She felt the emptiness again, the same way she had felt when his coffin was lowered into the ground 3 years ago. She sat on the floor and wept bitterly. She tried dialing his phone again but the phone on the bedside table didn't ring anymore. She went to it, carried it up, it felt light, turning it around, she saw that there was no battery in it. She wondered how it had been working all this time, then she smiled through her tears as reality hit her like a ton of bricks. Lanre had always been with her, and she didn't know it.

Soon as the call ended, a strong wind snatched him from the ledge he had been perched on with Bisi and it felt like a whirlwind because it kept turning him round and round and he saw contorted faces of everyone he'd known while he was alive, he saw blurry images of everywhere he'd been and everything he'd touched when he was human. The wind kept spinning him round and round till he became one with the wind. Then all of a sudden, he saw a familiar path. A path leading to his house. He could feel legs around him and he wasn't walking upright, he could also smell things too. It had been so long that he smelt something this good. He wondered why the smell was so familiar like he had encountered the smell before. Then it hit him. The smell was of his wife. So many smells started to invade his senses as he got closer to his house. All of a sudden, he saw himself jumping over a fence. When he saw his front door, that was when the reality of what had just happened to him hit him. He had taken possession of Sheba and it felt so good. It felt like he was being wrapped in a blanket made of feathers. In that moment he concluded that even if Sheba died the next day, he would be happy that he finally got a chance to come home and be with his family again. Who knows, maybe he would have more fun being a dog than he would have had if he'd possessed any other creature. He felt sorry for Bisi and the tree she would eventually become. Being a tree was definitely no fun.

She heard scratches on the door, as she dropped the phone back on the bedside table, she turned towards the door, wondering who it was because her kids were at their grandma's, and would be coming back home soon. She dried her eyes with the sleeves of his pajamas as she opened the door and smiled when Sheba entered the room, wagging her tail and panting. She was back home as well. She must have run all the way here from the school because Sheba never returned home since the Sunday night she had gone missing, till this morning. The dog had been gone for a week and it showed on her body because she had lost some weight, and Ese wondered what it had been up to all this time. She bent down and hugged her furry best friend, "Sorry girl, if I had listened to you, all this wouldn't have happened." Sheba licked her face as if to say, "damn right, it wouldn't, you better listen to me next time." Then they both sat on the floor and she cried while the dog placed her furry head on her lap, because their man was now really truly gone, that was when she remembered the words Lanre had said before about dogs and their owners. “No one can fully understand the meaning of love unless he's owned a dog. A dog can show you more honest affection with a flick of his tail than a man can gather through a lifetime of handshakes,” a quote by Gene Hill. Then Sheba licked her face again as if to say, "we would be alright," and in that moment, she understood why Lanre loved dogs.

THE END!