THE STRANGERS IN MY HOME (PART 2)

PRESENT DAY...

“Who the hell are you people?” Madam Okafor asked, pointing the knife in front of the woman dressed in her own clothes.

“My name is Uchenna Umeh. And my husband there,” The woman responded and nudged her head towards her husband, Josiah, lying on the floor, “he is Josiah Umeh. And... and we are the strangers in your home.”

“Nne, shut up!” Josiah called out from the floor.

“No, you shut up!” She shouted back at him from the floor.

Suddenly, an argument ensued between Uchenna and Josiah Umeh. It began with Uchenna blaming Josiah for making them come to this house in the first place, for making them hide in the Okafors’ boys’ quarters for two years because they were running away from the streets. Their former neighbours had threatened to burn them alive because Josiah had killed their landlord for sleeping with and, consequently, killing their 2 year old daughter, Ada.

It was one event that led to another.

Josiah could not bear the thought of being blamed for Ada’s death because he knew the landlord was a paedophile and he allowed him to sleep with their little daughter as a payment for their 3 years’ rent.

But when Uchenna had brought the past up this very night in the Okafors bedroom, screaming and crying as she cursed him...

“It was you who killed Ada! It was your fault!” Uchenna screamed at her husband, “If you were not so stingy and poor and useless and stupid-”

“Watch out-”

... Josiah lost his mind.

Before Chief Okafor could finish warning Uchenna to watch out, it was too late.

Blood began spurring out of Uchenna’s mouth.

Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at her husband holding the knife against her throat. He stared back at her bloodshot eyes as they were face to face with each other.

Josiah pushed the knife harder to her throat until she bled more and could no longer move again.

“Sometimes learn to shut up, nne.” Josiah whispered coldly at his wife’s pale face before her body collapsed on the floor.

Silence filled the room. Everyone froze for a second. No one could utter a scream or make any audible sound. They were all in a phase of electrifying shock, before they finally regained their senses.

“Mama!” The Umeh twins screamed for their dead mother from the floor next to her. They were tied against the closet in between their mother and the gateman, and they began kicking and screaming from the floor.

The Okafors were still in shock at everything they just witnessed. Chief Okafor quickly whispered to his wife and kids to leave the room and run away.

As they rushed for the door, Josiah turned around and caught Chief Okafor’s eyes. Before they could reach for the door, he jumped right in front of the door and pointed the bloody knife in front of them.

“Nobody is leaving this room alive.” Josiah threatened them. “Nobody!”

He began swinging the knife around and began laughing like a mad man. They all scrambled away in fear, but Josiah kept jumping from corner to corner with the knife.

“Una never forget say I dey craze.” He laughed.

Chief Okafor could no longer take his madness anymore, he pushed his family behind him and grabbed a pillow from the bed and rose it to slam Josiah’s head.

But before it could reach Josiah’s head, Josiah stabbed his stomach with the knife. Chief Okafor fell backwards and groaned in pain at his bleeding stomach.

“Honey!” Madam Okafor ran towards his side but as she got closer, Josiah stabbed her back too, causing her to scream and fall next to her husband.

The stabbing lord was in action.

Chief and Madam Okafor moaned helplessly on the ground and looked up to their children standing in front of them in tears. But it was only Chima and Chike that stood in front of them. Where was Chidinma?

“Daddy?” Chidinma called out from the opposite corner of the room.

“Yes.” Josiah and Chief Okafor answered at the same time.

Both men glanced at each other in fury before they turned back to her and both said at the same time, “Come to daddy!”

She stared at the two men in confusion, trying to figure out which one was her real father. Was it the man in luxurious clothing holding the knife? Or was it the helpless man in tattered clothes on the floor?

Who was the real Chief Okafor?

*****