PART 6" ONCE UPON A TIME "

PART 6
" ONCE UPON A TIME "
©️Opeyemi Akintunde
Inspired by the LIVING WORD

Rogers wiped his tears. He was a walking depressed man. He had worked so hard in life to get to where he was despite several roadblocks but yet his joy was not full...

He had seven big Mobile phone stores in Lagos. He was a Multi millionaire. He owned ROGERS' HUB.

He wasn't sure why God created him and why He was watching women die on him.

The word on the Street was that he must have fallen off his mother's back but he had asked his mother countless times if this was true but she vehemently denied having such.

He had said his goodbye to marriage, he planned on adopting a child but fear of anything happening to the child on entering his life had restricted him from following up with his adoption plans.

His thoughts in the last few minutes however, pointed to the possibility that Rachel could be the answer to his silent prayers.

Coincidentally, the girl had his birthdate. He heard when Kemisola gave the Date of birth.

He had been born May 29, 1961. His mother had named him Mojiyabi, but after his father died, his mother remarried. The new husband was from Rivers state. He had adopted him and his elder sister changing their yoruba names to English names.

Hearing that the poor girl shared his birthday, made his heart swell in compassion...

" You are not taking her from me" Kemisola's voice jolted him back to reality. He had his back to her.

On turning, Kemi moved back in surprise. His eyes were bloodshot red. He had been crying.

" Please, Let me have her. My needs supercedes yours, you need a maid, I need a daughter, a hier. I have so much and I have no one to bequeath it to." Rogers said with a pleading voice....

Kemisola nodded.

******
Harry didn't hang up, he heard the exchange of words between Mrs Kemisola and the strange man on the phone with him.

" Did Rachel return to her? And what is the talk about her dying and just now he was saying he wanted to take her as a child." Harry reasoned

He ended the call with the stranger. He wasn't sure of what was happening and he needed answers.

*******
" She is a bit stable, Thank God you brought her as quickly as you did. She ate something very poisonous! Her breathing however isn't stable, so we will be watching her. We have placed her on some IV fluids and she is receiving oxygen as well. She will be fine." The doctor said to Kemi and Rogers.

" Thank God!" Kemi said after three hours of waiting endlessly.

" Can I see her?" Rogers said

" Her father?" The doctor asked

" Not yet but soon!" Rogers replied.

" I am her guardian and he is a friend" Kemi said quickly

" Oh Ok..."

" Come with me!" The doctor said

*******
Rachel saw her new boss walk into the room with a stranger. She remembered leaving the woman's house with the agent and later on was pushed by the agent out of his car. She remembered buying rat poison and swallowing it.

Suddenly she remembered the flash of her new boss hovering over her and calling her name, while others just stared at her without offering any help.

" Why did you stop me from dying?" Rachel said with tears flowing down her cheeks as she took off the oxygen mask

" You don't deserve to die, there is still so much enjoyment in life you haven't experienced" Rogers said before Kemi could reply Rachel

" I can give you a life that will make you forget your misery. " Rogers continued. Kemi was getting pissed off at his desperation...

" Who are you?" Rachel asked

" Rogers...We share the same birthdate and I saw you at the busstop when she did. She told me she wanted to take you in as a maid, but I have volunteered to take you as a daughter instead."

" My Birthday...How did you know....?" Rachel was saying before Kemi cut in

" Actually, that was my birthday... I filled in my birthday for you when we were filling the hospital form."

" Your birthday?" Rogers was taken by surprise...

" Yes..."

There was a moment of silence...

" That doesn't change anything...I am still open to accepting you in my house. You don't have to be a maid in my house. I will treat you like my daughter..."

Rachel was speechless...She didn't know who this man was and why he was proposing a good life to her.

" I ..." Rachel looked towards Kemi for help...

" Hey..Mister....at the point you are beginning to sound desperate and that scares me. Her breathing is not yet stable as you can see. Please can you stay outside." Kemi changed to her firm self. She pushed him outside the ward...

Rogers knew he was sounding and behaving desperate, but he couldn't help it. He had a deep compassion and connection to the girl and as it was, he wanted to save her from death. The child needed a good life.

He wasn't planning to give up so easily. He knew who was going to settle this score...The Agent!

He brought out his phone from his pocket. He redialed the number....

" Hello, Mr Harry!"

*******
" I don't like him" Rachel said

" Same here!" Kemi Replied

" Who is he? Your friend ma?" Rachel asked.

Rachel was struggling to speak, the poison she took had affected her breathing. Kemi could see her struggle in breathing. She placed the oxygen back over her nose.

" You should rest! I will go home to get you some food. Don't try anything funny again. Life is sweet."

" Not for me...Life has been unfair"

" Nevertheless, we must live the life. We can create something great out of it. Gold is buried in dirts..."

Rachel smiled a little, Kemi reminded her of her mum...

" So stay ...We will walk through this life together meaningfully, I promise." Kemi said

The words of commitment she just said played itself back in her head and she wondered where the words came from. She was not planning to carry anyone along the journey of her life. She had experienced too much misery to add another one to it.

*****
" Mr Harry! What's your price? I need the girl" Rogers said to Harry in the Waiting Lobby.

Rogers had told Harry the hospital they were. Harry drove at top speed to the hospital. He had a good feeling about the man. He had researched his name online and he found out he was Legit and very wealthy. Harry could see good in that...

" Why do you need the girl really? " Harry asked Rogers with a smirk. He saw the desperation in Rogers' eyes, voice and his hands. Rogers kept tapping his fingers on his thighs...He hoped the man was not a pedophile. Harry had girls he could give the man if he was interested in young prostitutes...

" I just want to help her." Rogers said

" Mister, I am a man so you can cut the crap on this talk of helping her. I know what you really want. You want fresh blood, Listen Man, I have girls who fit that purpose. Tell me your spec and they will be here in less than two hours."

" I don't understand you!" Rogers said looking honestly blank.

" Mister, you want a young girl you can ride anytime, anyway, and any day?"

" What? No...Listen I have lost 5 wives and none of them bore me children. I am wealthy, but with no one to call a child. Rachel is looking for where to stay. I live in a Mansion. Please let me have her. I will pay you anything you want..."

Harry searched the man's eyes for answers but he found desperation instead.

The man was a " No No" for Harry. It was either he was a pedophile or a ritualist. He would have to take Rachel from this hospital as soon as she was fine...

" Can I at least see her first?" Harry said.

To be continued

NOTE: This piece was written with the intention of touching lives, feel free to share but please be mindful of the writer by not erasing her credits and that of the HolySpirit who Inspires her. May men be mindful of you too, may you not be deprived of the Credits & blessings due to you in Jesus name. God bless you.

DEEP THOTS NOVELS
INSPIRED BY THE LIVING WORD
Written by Opeyemi Akintunde
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