"Dawn" part 3, written by Funke Ogunsanyan

The continuation of the captivating and unpublished story written by Funke Ogunsanya...if you missed the previous chapters, kindly see it here and here...please grab your popcorn, and when you are done kindly drop a comment and share your thoughts with the young writer so we can encourage her to write more.

On the floor, we laid down and shook like jelly fish. No one dared look up to see their faces.
“Please don’t kill us. You can have all you want” Big mommy pleaded. Her voice shook too. She was scared.
“Shut up! If you talk, I would shoot.” He corked the gun to emphasize his point. His voice was firm and loud. He commanded the other people in the room. Only him spoke indicating he was the leader of the gang.

Judging by their movements, they were not less than six in number. They stood at designated areas and pointed their guns directly at us.
Choked, I held back the cough. Sister Boye was a typical example why I shouldn’t make any sound. She had a slap on her face when she moved while on the floor. We were to stay still.
“I go scatter your brain. You wan prove smart for me abi? Try anything I go slap you.” He threatened and actually slapped her.
“Now get up!” The leader commanded. But nobody moved out of fear. He kicked dad very hard, threw many blows at his stomach and beat him with a whip. Blood gushed out of dad’s mouth and bruises had been created. He moaned out of pain. In my heart, I cried.
“Do not try to prove stubborn to me next time. Take instructions and do as I say.” He stopped beating him “Take us to the Ghana must go you bought in this evening.”
Dad, the leader of the gang and two other men left. We fidgeted on the floor.
After breakfast, we prepared for the wedding. Sister Boye and big mommy ensured the hall was ready. The hotel rooms had been occupied with guests as dad had requested that every guest who had to spend the night should do so at the hotel. He had told Uncle Debo to make sure everyone was comfortable and administer the affairs there.
On my bed, I anticipated the ceremony. My clothes, jewelries and shoes were neatly arranged in my wardrobe. I had rehearsed how I would walk in the heels and pose for the photographs. It was in the midst of my anticipation I spelt off.
I woke up after a tap on my laps and found two men standing in front of the bed. I was certain it was a nightmare until one of them spoke “Get up and follow me.” It was then reality dawned and I realized I was fully awake. My heartbeat increased and my legs shook as I walked to the sitting room. They had guns with them.
There I met dad, big mommy and sister Boye lying flat on the floor. It was an armed robbery attack!
“Can I please go to the rest room? I wanna pee.” Sister Boye requested.
The men laughed and said something in a language we didn’t understand. The only time one of them spoke in English was when he said “Sho, see me see wahala o. She still dey talk like oyinbo. These ones never know wetin them enter. Una don enter gobe. If you no shut up, I go scatter your brain.”
Another also spoke “if you wan piss, piss for there. Abi you wan make I open my month for you? This one no sabi anything.”
“Solo, I dey think say make we sample am sef.” He unzipped his trousers ready to make a move. Heaven almost went loose when he laid on top of sister Boye. Fortunately, that day he was still forcing down his trouser when the leader and the two other men entered into the sitting room and told them “Let’s go!” He referred to us when he said “Nobody move.” In a twinkle of an eye just as they came, they disappeared.
Immediately we heard the screeching sound of the car and we were sure they were gone, we ran into dad’s room. We met him on the floor in a pool of blood. Luckily, he was alive but unconscious.
“E gba mi o, somebody help! He has been shot.” Big mommy screamed. We rushed dad into a car. We ignored Ramoni who we met tied to a chair with his mouth covered with a cloth and rushed to the hospital.
“Ma se bayi Alao. Don’t do this to me.” Big mommy cried. Doctors and nurses rushed him into the emergency ward. The news of the armed robbery attack spread like wildfire. Even though it was 5am, neighbors and sympathizers had found their way to the hospital. I thought I was dreaming and pinched myself severally.
The doctor denied us access into the emergency room “He would be fine. He is well taken care of an under our supervision. You can please go home.”
He brought out a pen and paper, wrote something before saying “Take this to the pharmacy. It is a drug to help you three recover from the shock of this incident. Please use it and ensure you rest properly” He left to attend to other patients.
“I’m not going anywhere. I am staying here with my husband. We will walk out of this hospital together ni agbara olorun.” Big mommy demonstrated with her legs.
“Amin” Uncle Debo replied “But your stay here would not make any difference. Go home, freshen up and come back. You need to take the drug the doctor prescribed and rest.  I will definitely be here with egbon mi. Be rest assured he’s in safe hands.”
“No way! I’m not going anywhere. I am staying here with my husband.” She insisted.

“But you need to go home.” He tried to convince her but she snapped “Fi mile o jare, Leave me alone. My husband is in the hospital lying unconscious and you ask me to go home. Go home for what?”
Uncle Debo became silent. It was not longer than ten minutes a nurse came “Ma please we need some items for Alhaji Alao”
“Items like?” Big mommy asked
“Flasks, towel, soap, toothbrush …..” She was listing them.
“Just write them down. I will go home immediately.”
The nurse left and came back with a paper which she handed over to big mommy.
“Boye, we have to go home now.” She turned to Uncle Debo “I will be going home to get those items. I will be back shortly.”
“Okay Iya Boye. I will be here. Olorun o ni fi wa le, God won’t leave us.” We left.
Police officials surrounded the house. An official was in the sitting room.
“Could you please invite those present during the robbery for questioning.” The inspector requested. Ramoni (the security officer on duty that day) and Bisi (the head of cooks) were invited into the sitting room. The inspector started interrogation while the second official took pictures and recorded as we spoke. Ramoni’s own side of the story went thus.
“Na madam say I go come knock gate say I open gate for person. Na him I come hear knock. Walahi, I open gate chop slap for face. I beat me, tie me for chair, come enter house. Na there I know.” His Hausa accent was eminent.
“Ramoni, you are very stupid. How can those men be Tara? Tell me I wanna know. I told mom to tell you Tara would come by 5am not 3am or thereabout. You caused it all.  All these are as a result of your stupidity. You should be jailed.” She was ready for a fight as she stood on her feet to buttress her point.
“Take it easy madam. We won’t get anywhere with this. Please sit down.” She sat angrily. The inspector asked her.
“Were you expecting anyone?”
“Yes Tara. She was to do my make up for my wedding.”
“Okay. Go on Ramoni.”
“When I open gate, I beat me, beat me, remove I cloth.”
“You said that already” Sister Boye shouted.
“Please ma. Calm down.” The inspector told her before she sat on the nearest sofa. “Ramoni, you can continue.”
‘I no know say I be thief lai lai.” He began to cry. We ignored him.
“Now you.” The inspector referred to Bisi “Mi o mo nkan kan, I no know anything until everybody commot rush Oga go hospital. I don’t knew when anything wey happen sele.” She mixed Yoruba, pidgin and grammatical errors “I stayed in boys’ quarters not the main house.”
After their explanations the inspector said “The two of you will go with us to the station for more interrogation.”
“Walahi, I mama I papa no reach there before! Go station for wetin I know no? Kai, if I know I for no come Lagos. I for stay for Ilorin Allah.” Unlike Ramoni, Bisi was expressionless.
Sister Boye and I explained to the police officials how we were not aware of how they opened the doors or our rooms or even located the room.
“It’s the work of an insider. I’m really sure about that” Sister Boye ended her explanation.
“They forced me into the sitting room where I met dad, big mommy and sister Boye.” I summarized my explanation.
 Big mommy came in with a bag fully packed “Boye let’s go.”
“Ma if you won’t mind please we will like to know your own version of the story.” The inspector asked big mommy.
“Fi mi le o jare! My husband is lying in the hospital and you want me to sit here to tell you a story. You must be out of your mind.”
She made way for the door.
“Mom, it is important for investigation purposes. You’ve gotta do this.”
She shouted angrily in reply “What more should I tell them? Is it that we don’t still know how they opened the door to our rooms or they beat us mercilessly? Isn’t it obvious with my husband lying in a comma? Can’t they see? Please I don’t have spare time to explain anything to anyone. Let us go please.”
“It is okay.” The inspector told sister Boye. He asked me.
“Was there any other person present during the attack?”
“No”
“Thank you very much. You can contact us if there are other observations. The Nigerian police are your friend and are obligated to help you. We will get back with positive responses.”
I remained on the sofa still doubtful of everything that had happened.