CHAPTER 65

We stayed outside for about an hour. Street people had gathered to sympathize with us over the fire incident plus we were all trying to catch our breaths.

I stayed far away from the rest of the compound along with Scar. I didn't want my mum to see us or the compound people either.

We stayed in silence as we tried to enjoy the cool and undiluted air outside the compound which had quickly replaced the smell of smoke in the air.

"Do you feel OK?" Scar suddenly asked, breaking the silence that I was so much enjoying.

I nodded. "Yeah. I feel better now."

I was about to say something about the wind when I saw that everyone else was starting to enter the compound.

I held Scar's hands, "Come with me." I urged.

He looked at our hands and I removed mine, shocked that I held him in the first place.

"Since you asked nicely." He said with a smile.

When we got in everyone was busy talking and Scar sneakingly went to the back.

"What just happened here?" My landlady asked me immediately she saw that I was coming into the compound.

I just hoped that she didn't notice Scar. But scar knew how to handle himself so I didn't worry much about it.

She must have been told that I knew something about how the fire started.

I trust my neighbors to put one and two together and start a rumor.

Maybe they assumed that as I was so concerned with putting out the fire and alerting everyone then that meant that I was the one responsible for the outbreak in the first place.

My landlord worked in Lagos and came back to Warri only during holidays so the landlady was more or less in charge of the compound. She was Nice in her own way. She could be nice I mean but it wasn't something that was frequent.

"Their was a fire at the back." I said like it was not the most obvious thing.

Just then I saw the officers outside across the street looking in shock at me. How convenient was it for them to suddenly return after the trouble was over.

I secretly gave them a sign not to come in so as to avoid further questions and suspicion. A sign which they happily obeyed.

"I know that already, but can you explain how in hell the fire started?!" She yelled.

I stepped back a little afraid, although I was more tired than afraid.

My mum tried to speak for me, but I stopped her from doing so. I did not want to drag her into my mess not when she was oblivious to a lot of facts, and didn't know that she was oblivious.

"I'll come to your house first thing tomorrow morning to explain everything ma, but for now I need to rest." I told her with the best innocent face I could come up with amidst my fears.

I felt weak and I knew that I could not possibly speak to her this night. If I did then I would end up implicating myself because I would be too tired to think through my replies.

She looked at me then at my mum before she walked away, furious.

My neighbors clustered around a little longer but then they all went into their houses after some minutes. I had to assure them that everything was fine now.  Tomorrow was another day, but for tonight we were all tired.

"Mira come up now!" My mum shouted from upstairs.

My brothers were already in and she wanted to make sure that we were all safe in the house.

I didn't even notice when they climbed up. She most likely thought that I had been following behind them.

As if I was safe anywhere, as long as Ken was still alive. The only place I felt a bit safe was besides Scar.

"I'm coming now mum!" I shouted back so she could hear me.

"Don't waste more than five minutes downstairs. Do you hear me?" She warned before she went in.

I exhaled feeling relieved that she let me stay down for a while. I wanted to stay a little bit longer with Scar.