At Home
Salma was at home with her step mom Stephanie she was due as she felt the labour pangs no one was around then she called Salma for help but she ignored her as her late mom image came back to her she clenched her fist and bite her lips in anger with a callous heart she asked for revenge.
Painful Death
Stephanie bled profusely and called for help which never came as Salma’ cold eyes and revengeful heart watch her died a painful death.
Salma
She went back into her house so that her dad would not found her in the sitting room she listened to her music and shut herself in her world.
Mourning
Friends, neighbours and loved ones paid their condolence. Alhajj Yoro came with Mr. Benjie to show their sympathy;
Fams
He wept in front of everyone;
“I felt very bad that my sweet Heart died in cold death without saying good bye and without drinking water she does not deserve such a cruel death; she has left me all alone in this cruel world, she gave me a home and made me stay in it. She went away with my baby, she does not deserve it at all.”
He was broken and wept as a child.
Salma
She stood at the top stairs and heard everything her father said to the mourners;
“Hypocrite I am not yet finish with you; my mother loved you up to her dying bed, you assaulted, molested and alienated her but still she loved and cared for you what was your reward to her cold death now feel my pain this is how you killed my mom and my sister and made me alone in this wide, wide world. So dad tit for tat is the game.” She reflected in her mind.
Date with Bashiru
Salma met Bashiru and humbled herself in front of him he was amused and surprised but accepted the apology with humility.
“I am very sorry for being rude to you it was uncalled for in ecstasy I slap you.”
Bashiru
“Okay it’s alright.”
Salma
“Am I forgiven?”
Bashiru
“Sure you have been forgiven.”
Salma
She stretched her hand;
“Friends!”
“Yes, friends!” Bash paid his condolence and she accepted it.
Computer Classes
She asked Bashiru a computer expert to teach her computer and he agreed; during the classes concentration was lacking and they teased each other in romantic overtones.
In Love
The love between them grew as Salma opened up to him and told Bashiru her pain;
Open Up
“My dad kill my mom and her unborn child he denied me a sister how can I forgive him? He never took care of us he denied us food and made us starve, he humiliated us we lived in a big house we never enjoyed my mom loved him with all her heart but he abused it I hate him with a passion and if I have the chance I’ll kill him. My dad saw my mom and sister died that fateful day mom sent me twice to go and called him for help but he refused and threw a pillow at me with insults and curses I went to the street to call for help they came and when mom crawled to the door step dad was ashamed he rushed down to help when it was too late. I can never forget my mom when we reached hospital she has already bled white and reached the hospital a corpse with a still birth the baby died in the womb.”
Bashiru
“No! No! My fair lady don’t hate your dad he has regretted that’s why he has tolerated you. Use your talent to develop yourself with your dad’ connection or my connection you’ll have a job and live a productive life to make your late mom proud because your revenge is leading you to a destructive path I love you and I am here for you. Buckle up you’ve kept your anger for so long but it will be fine.”
She laid her head on his lap as he caressed her hair.
Change
Salma changed and has a purpose in life she took her computer studies seriously, cooked, washed and got interest in the home she became closer to Fatoumata their house help.
Fatoumata
When she first saw her cleaning, cooking and putting things in order she rubbed her eyes and could not believe her eyes;
“Am I dreaming? What is happening? She cannot be Salma.” She waited until she went to the kitchen and she followed her and asked;
“Girlfriend!” That’s how they called each other; “What are you doing?” Fatima asked.
“What am I doing? What do you want to see?”
“What you have never done so why now?”
“Change! Change is the only thing that is constant I now have a purpose of living are you not happy for me?”
“Yes, I am very happy for you for the family Boss would now be relieved to get his daughter back and you would also help your rascal friends to also change.” Fatima posited with amusement.
“Bring me the ingredients I want to cook a delicacy for the family but don’t say anything to dad I want to surprise him.” In Love
Her friends were surprised they did not see her for a long time she decided to check them out.
Salma met her friends at the pub and they all jeered her;
“Girlfriend! What’s your problem have you made up with dad?” Gui asked.
“No! Guess more.” Salma teased.
“We cannot guess tell us.” The others were impatient.
“Am in love!” Salma answered.
“In love?” The girls teased and laughed at her.
“You have no love heart Salma! How can you love?”
“Wait and see!” She said and left.
At the Restaurant
The lovers went to the restaurant after dining as they were at the stairs about to come down they saw dad downstairs dining with a teenager younger than Salma he took out his specs and sternly stared at Bashiru he looked away but Salma stared at him to send a message then they climbed down and walked past him with his partner.
Eliza
“Do you know them?”
Fams
“It’s okay let leave.”
Bashiru and Salma
“I am very uncomfortable with dad’ staring we should tell him our affair now is the right time.”
Salma
“We will tell him at the right time.”
Bashiru
“Sunshine this is the right time he should know my noble intentions.”
Salma
“Okay, we will tell him at the week end right.”
Bash kissed her and smiled
“I cannot wait to legally hold you in my arms.”
“Fatima is surprised at my change thanks to you coming into my life.” Salma posited.
Fams
He was in rage;
“I suspected it, it was Bashiru who was instigating my daughter all this while to defraud me but I’ll teach him a lesson.”
He teaches Him a Lesson
The shock of her life she visited her lover and what did she see?
There was Bashiru basking in his own blood murdered in cold blood she yelled aloud and went home; she kept herself in doors for days and refused to eat or drink until Fatima has to break the door and forced herself in she told her off and coached her to eat she showed Bashiru’ pictures to Fatima and wept at her shoulder;
“They killed him but why? He was my life and he brought change into my life! Why did they kill my Bash?” She wept bitterly.
“Live for him that’s what he was telling you please Salimatou don’t be a coward now eat your food and be strong for Bashiru.” She ate just to make Fatima happy as she was the only friend she has now after her change.
Reflections
Scenes with Bashiru invaded her mind and she wept bitterly,
“Who killed my Sunshine? I’ll find out and avenged his death.”
Fams
He spoke to some unseen faces through the phone while Salma lurked somewhere eavesdropping him;
“Why did you kill him? I just told you to teach him a lesson.”
Salma
“Oh so it is dad who kill my love and Sunshine? He will pay for it.”
At the Pub
Her friends paid condolence and cheered her up which she appreciated.
Pay Back
She closed all the doors and kept the keys Fatima made coffee for dad he drank the coffee and started to bleed to death Fatima came and was amazed;
“What is happening to dad? It is me who gave him the coffee open the door and we take him to hospital.”
Salma
“I poisoned the coffee of this wicked man who denied me my mom and sister and now my Sunshine he has to dead for his sins I’ve punished him before God does his part and I am ready to face the consequences.”
Fams
“Forgive me my daughter I was the author of my death I was neither a good father nor a good husband I am very sorry. You should not be prosecuted you were estranged.” Then he died Salma and Fatima fell upon the corpse and wept bitterly.
The beautiful house of gold became a house of death.
