CHAPTER FIVE

"In the name of the father, the son and spirit". The pastor nodded his head once and the coffin was laid down to rest. And afterwards, they started to cover it with earth. When that was going on, everyone took a step back for her parents to have a last look at their daughter.

Faith felt for Mrs Oseni, he just had a look at her worn out face and felt a pang of pain in his chest as he thought, if my mother was in this position, what would she do? He couldn't fathom the memory so he shook his head to clear all kinds of thoughts from his head. He felt like this was the end...end?

He had no idea what he felt, all he wanted to do now was take a time machine to go back in time to see what changes they could have made...and as he thought that, he knew no matter how many times he even used a time machine, something drastic would always happen. Maybe not to Liza, but someone else would take the fall. It was meant to be, but he was not yet ready to grasp the knowledge of not seeing Liza anymore. She had been more than a friend. More like a sister. For the past three years they had been together fighting through school work, personal problems, cried, laughed and even at times fought, made up.

He felt a tear run down his cheek as he watched Mrs Oseni fall only for her husband to catch her in the process and she clung to him as if her life depended on it as she cried her eyes out.

Liza's baby brother, Ezekiel had been left out of the ceremony. Said he was with a family friend. Better ... Faith thought, with all that was happening, he didn't want the little boy to remember his sister dead....and he guessed that was on his parents mind as well.

The burial was done and the crowd had started going straight to the parents to offer their condolences. His friends had started moving to the opposite side of the event and as they sat down on a bench.

They all sat down quietly as they all seemed deep in thought. One of them sighed and the others followed suite. Faith was watching his friends as he looked up to watch the dispersing crowd. At the corner of his eye he caught the officer and her assistant watching them from the opposite side of the field. He sure as hell was not about to go through another questioning as the woman's face alone scared him.

"Guys, the officer is here". Faith announced to the group as they all turned to where his eyes were watching and all nodded to her direction and she nodded back.

"What do you think she is doing here?" Veesh asked in a shaky voice. Maybe she shared his same thoughts. Faith thought.

"Her job". Mary countered.

Faith looked at her. Her face was set in an expressionless way that made Faith wonder if he ever knew this side of Mary or saw it. He had always known she was different. Not in a weird way, but in her own way. He caught her eyes as they landed on him and he smiled... a small smile. She did the same but her own was more tired and emotionless.

Faith looked at the officer and saw that she was headed their way. His heart did a big summersault and he quickly placed his hand above his chest telling himself to quit it. True she terrified him. He hated anything that had to do with the law. He hated the uniform black....it terrified him. Made his teeth chatter and limbs shake.

Her questions the other day had made him feel hopeless at last all he wanted was out of the room.

"Do you have any idea who amongst your friends you suspect did this?" That question made him almost wet his pants. But he had shook his head no and said.

"My friends are not murderers".

Now that he thought about it, what if Liza had just slipped and someone had tried to help or she had been there weak and her voice couldn't carry far in the air? What if she had been pushed by someone mistakenly, or she had a little brawl with someone and had fallen instead of anyone pushing her? The...What ifs had run out as he stared at her figure and a man he hadn't seen before beside her.

"Hey guys".

She had addressed them as if she had not just yesterday made them sit across from her cowering in fear.

Emma looked at the officer again as she stood right in front of them as she did yesterday at the lobby.

"I know you guys are grieving, so I will just make sure my questions are very short". She raised one eyebrow as if to ask for permission.

"You have to talk with our parents first". Luke spoke out crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"I did handle that yesterday " the woman said as she took a paper from the man standing right behind her and more like shoved it in Luke's face before he took it, scanned through it and gave it back to her as she smiled her dangerous smile and said, " okay?"

Luke was fuming at the mouth silently cussing as he agreed under his breath.

Emma looked at the woman in front of her and her friends and remembered yesterday when she just sat across from her in the dark room. She liked the woman and how she took her job seriously. She was a woman with no more 5 feet tall and some inches. Full around the hips and lesser at the bust, small feet's, small face but looks not so sharp. Looked like a woman but with the features lightly.

"Good," the officer said and bent mid- way as she looked us all in the eye and said,

"Faith where were you around 1am that morning?"

At the corner of her eyes, Emma saw him jump a little before relaxing as he opened and shut his mouth not saying anything.

**************

He was panting and he didn't like it. He only had attacks like this one if he was scared and he hated being scared not now...not ever.

He kept walking faster as the cold wind bit through his skin. He was only wearing his T-shirt he wore to class that day as he had not being able to get back to the hostel to change clothes and had had to get something for some people.

He hated feeling intimidated and that was what was happening to him now. He remembered back in the day...no one could treat him like crap and get away with it...not now and not in a million years.

He increased his pace as he felt thunder clash through the night sky accompanied by lightning. He fixed his cap on his head as he headed to the meeting point.

When he felt the rain start up all over he started running instead as he made his way fighting through the hard current of wind and rain blowing into his face at every opportunity. He knew now that if he didn't take things carefully, he would lose his eyes for a while and that wasn't useful to him as he had a deadline to make or he could just kiss his freedom and the peace he had acquired through out the years go to waste and disperse before him.

When he was sure it wouldn't do him any good...he decided to pass through alley ways where the turbulence of the wind wouldn't disturb him as he tried to get to his destination.

"Woah!" He righted himself as he had almost slipped and gripped tightly the box in his hand. It was either that or he was finished totally toast.

It was true he had once purchased these items back in the day, but now he had stopped it but as they say...your past would always come back to hunt you.

He thought he had cleared himself from his sinful acts in the past but they were now catching up on him and he didn't like it. He had no one to turn to for fear of rejection. He didn't want that so he decided to do their bid and to deliver the packages to them. Or else they would carry out their threats which he knew they wouldn't blink an eye to do if they found out he wouldn't do their bidding anymore. He shivered at that thought as he at last made his way out of the alley. He stopped for a while to get his breath and checked the time on his wristwatch.

Three more minutes...

He looked up and saw them all six of them standing under a tree as they waited under the rain. Ahhh.... talking about the rain...it had lessened and it was dropping lightly. He wasn't very far from them anymore and decided to walk the few feet but still kept his pace fast.

" Wow," the guy sitting that seemed to be the leader of the gang spoke as he watched him get nearer. He was wearing a orange sweater that had a hood. He was wearing it as it shielded most of his face from being seen as did the others. Though within themselves they believed he didn't know any of them but he sure as hell knew the one walking up to him. If you were in this line of business you had to set your priorities right and have a took to fight with if things ever go wrong.

" you are almost late" using his finger he rolled his thumb and his index finger in a circle to emphasize his point. Something the guy in the wet T-shirt understood too well...but he wasn't prepared as he felt his face turn sharply to the left his side as it started to sting.

Wham!

He staggered to his feet as he came face to face with the leader he knew if he wasted time to do so they might decide to make a punching bag out of him which he had no heart for tonight.

"Where is it?" One of the boys asked as the other one in front of him stretched his hand forward.

Without a word he handed the box to the stretched hand. And this time he was ready for the next blow as he felt the air to his right shift as another blow landed in his jaw. This time he didn't fall or stagger as he had with the last blow and only blinked to space out the pain.

When he was sure they had left he started heading the way he had come back through the alley as he felt the rain coming back on. The downpour was so evident as he got to the entrance of the alley only to touch his head to shield him from the water running down his face only to find out he couldn't find his cap.