Sister Deborah. - Season 1 - Episode 24

Episode 5 years ago

Sister Deborah. - Season 1 - Episode 24

.
.
.
Ceaseless beads of tears cascaded freely from my face as I screamed out Deborah’s name out of shock. Frightened, the two nurses wheeling away the lifeless body of the unknown figure, turned backwards to face me, both annoyed. The nurses ignored me and faced frontwards as they continued wheeling away the lifeless body on the stretcher.

“Who was that?” I asked, facing Timi, with a literally protruding heart-beat.

“Bro, calm down. Itʼs someone else.”
“Who?” I countered impatiently.
“A man who shared the same ward with Deborah.” Timi explained. “He kicked the bucket some few minutes ago. Chill, bro, sheʼs alive.”

“Thank God.” I heaved a sigh and raised my hands up high for emphasis. All the while, Deborahʼs fatherʼs eyes had been on me with an angry look, still frowning. I turned to face him and went on my knees, interlocking my hands together with a cloud of pity roaming around me.

“Sir, I am sorry sir.” I pleaded with the elderly man wholeheartedly. “You were like a father to me but I wronged you, sir. I wronged your daughter, Deborah, even more. I neglected her in her time of need and difficulty when she needed me most. I abandoned her in her trying times. I was overwhelmed with hatred and blinded by bitterness. I now realize my stupidity and I regret my mistakes, sir. Please find a place in your heart to forgive me, sir.”


I was bitter with evident regret at that very moment. I gazed at the elderly man’s face, eagerly hoping and awaiting for his response. Alas, with tears saturating his eyes, Deborah’s father spoke softly.


“You are forgiven, son.” He patted my shoulder gently with a reassuring smile. “Get up on your feet, my son.”
I adhered. The elderly man shook my hands to signify and emphasize his genuine forgiveness for me. Afterwards, Divine, Deborahʼs friend pulled me into a hug as well to show the sincerity of her forgiveness, too.
Emotions upon emotions saturated the air at that moment. I felt at ease, having been forgiven by the people that mattered most in my life. As soon as Divine pulled out of the hug, coincidentally, something fell out from my pockets and dropped on the ground — it was the SIM card pack which I had retrieved from Annabelʼs diary earlier.


With a smile on my face, I bent low, picked it up and raised it up high, facing the elderly man. “Sir, I have a confession to make.”





The elderly man looked somewhat confused. “A confession? What could that be, son?”


Without delay, I cleared my throat, composed myself and revealed the shocker to them. I narrated the whole ordeal to them about how Annabel had been the one behind Deborahʼs rape the whole time. I explained how I got to find out, leaving no detail excluded. At the end of my narration, starting from Deborahʼs father down to Mr. Fabian, were all left in the blue, completely awe-struck.


“Who is this Annabel in particular?” Deborah’s father demanded, pulling out his phone from his pocket. “Do you know where she lives? I need every single detail about her.”


“I do, sir.” I affirmed.
“Ok.” The elderly man answered as he dialled a certain number on his phone.
“Hello.” He spoke hastily the moment the receiver at the other end picked the call.
“Am I speaking with the C.S.O?


Yes, sir. It’s Chief Etomi on the line, sir.
Long time, sir. I just got intel about the prime culprit concerning my daughter’s case, sir. I will appreciate it if you could send some of your men down here, sir.

Yes sir, send them to the school clinic, urgently.

Ok, sir. Thank you.”
Deborahʼs father dropped the call and faced me. “If this turns out to be true, I swear with my father’s grave, I will make sure this so-called Annabel faces the law even if it costs me my last drop of blood.”


At that very moment, the door of the ward opened from inside and a female doctor walked out, sweating profusely. She looked exhausted. Deborahʼs father, Divine and Deborahʼs step-mother all rushed towards the doctor.


“Doctor, how is my daughter?” Deborah’s step-mother inquired.
“She is fine, ma. We managed to stitch the wound on her head and stop the blood flow. She might likely experience a slight concussion when she recovers, but for now she needs as much rest as she can get, ma.”
“May we see her, doctor?”

“You may.” The doctor affirmed, walking away. Divine pushed the door open and we all trooped inside, hurriedly.

Lying on the hospital bed was a sick, pale-looking Deborah hanging in-between life and death. She was unconscious, covered with bandages on her head and her hands. I noticed her crutches placed by the bedside. She breathed slowly as a pint of medical drip connected to her body transfused slowly.

I sat beside her on the bed and touched her wrist to examine her pulse rate. She had expectedly increased temperature, too.

We were all afraid. In spite of the doctor’s words of assurance, we couldn’t help but ponder on what would become of Deborah’s fate and condition. It would have been preferably better if she only fell and hit her head, had it not been for her sudden asthma attack which led her into her present state of unconsciousness.

“I am scared.” Divine voiced out, holding back bitter tears. “Will she make it?”

“She will.” I replied, unsure of my own words. “I know she will.”

“I hope so. I honestly pray she does.” Divineʼs eyes became saturated with tears.

At that very moment, Chief Etomiʼs phone rang out loudly. He picked up the call with haste. The moment he dropped the call, he informed us that the police officers had arrived and then asked me to follow him downstairs. Timi and Mr. Fabian followed suit behind us as we exited the ward, leaving Divine and Deborah’s step-mum behind.

We met three police officers dressed casually downstairs. After a brief discussion between Deborah’s father and the officers, we all exited the hospital’s premises.
—
—
—
In about thirty minutes, exactly half an hour later, we eventually arrived at the outskirts of campus where Annabel’s apartment was situated. The police officers parked their vehicle at the same spot Mr. Fabian had parked Chief Etomiʼs car. I led the way forward past the gate, into the main compound and then we scaled through the stairs.

We got to the fourth floor and I met the shock of my life there — Annabelʼs door — bolted shut and fastened with two huge padlocks, coupled with chains and an extra padlock on the outside gate.