At 11 o'clock on dot, we were dressed in our black suits as Seun hit the street going to the address that Henry had given him. The breeze blew past us as we enjoyed the jazz music coming from the radio.
It's just to injure a man, not kill him, I comforted myself in my head. I could do this.
"We'll be there soon! I can't wait to be in bed to sleep," Seun said.
I opened my eyes, looking around the place we were. There were orange street lamps to reveal the place we were. It was kinda familiar. I knew this place. I gazed at my besties and saw the same look on their faces.
Abusive husband. Maltreating husband. And this area was familiar. It was becoming clearer. It fit the description of my adopted father. Maybe not. We were still on our way, so we still didn't know which house it was. He wasn't the only abusive husband in the world.
"And here we were!" Seun announced.
I looked bewildered at my house as my heart accelerated. I thought I was going to die of a heart attack at that moment. What was going on? Why would I be assigned to my house? Who could have given such an assignment to Henry? To kill my adopted father? Who hated him that much?
"Wear your mask, ladies, we are jumping over the fence," Seun said, looking around before he wore his mask and got down from the car.
"Oh no!" I exclaimed.
"Look here, did you tell anyone about your family?" Bisola whispered.
"Of course not! No one knows about my background. I didn't tell anyone all these years, so why now?"
"Jesus," Toyin buried her head in her hand, "not even Jeremy?"
"Jeremy...? I paused. "I...did... But he wouldn't have sent anyone after my parents."
"Tosin," Bisola called, wearing her mask.
"I didn't tell him where I'm living or where I lived. I mean it, I didn't." I was freaking out.
"Girls?" Seun hit the car slightly.
Toyin wore her mask too. "No one from the group knows about your background. Could it be your mum?"
"It couldn't be." I shook my head.
"She's at Gideon's." I wore my mask. "Maybe we got the wrong address."
"We will figure this out." Toyin patted me as she gave me a gun before we got down.
Seun looked at us if something was wrong before jumping over the fence. We followed his lead and soon, he was knocking on the door. Without delay, Johnathan opened the door.
Johnathan shifted his gaze between us and frowned. "Why are you all wearing black? Who are you people?" he asked then laughed.
Why was he awake now? It was past his bedtime for Christ's sake!
Seun sighed and bent, his hand on Jonathan's shoulder. "Where are your mama and papa?"
"Your mask is nice. Is it Halloween time in Nigeria?"
"Johnathan? Who's that?" Loveline called as she descended the staircase. On seeing us, she screamed and nearly stumbled down the stairs.
"Mummy, are you alright?" Johnathan went over to his mother.
Loveline got on her feet and grabbed her son as she ran to the sitting room. Half shocked and angry, she slapped Mr Johnson awake. He was snoring away on the couch.
"What the...?
"Shut up, you imbecile! I only left Jonathan with you for a few minutes and you have snored your life away." Loveline complained as she began to sweat. "What is with you and sleeping these days?"
Shaking my head, I thought this wasn't the time to start scolding.
"Greeting from us to you," Seun walked into the sitting room, gun in the air.
Mr Johnson saw this and quickly went to his family to shield them. "Johnathan is supposed to be in bed!"
"He wanted to play with you! He barely sees you at home!"
"What is the noise about? It's late please."
I saw my Mum come out of the room and on seeing us, she rushed back inside but Seun was quick enough to get her before she could close the door. He peeped inside and said, "Come out with your children."
My heart sank as I heard this and I felt like a stranger in the house I grew up in. I couldn't do anything.
The whole family faced us, shivering and scared for their lives. Bayo and Busola were already crying, holding on to their mum. The fear in their faces broke my heart all over again.
"We aren't here to harm anyone..."
"Oh thank God!" Loveline panted.
"But your husband!"
"Why for what?" Mum asked.
"I presume this is an extended family. Two wives, one man, three kids."
Gradually, everything being said started fading away and I was lost in my head. I thought they were at Gideon's. What were they doing at home? Could it have been my mother who assigned this to Henry? Was that why she didn't want the cops involved? How did she connect with Henry? What connection did she have? It wasn't Loveline, was it?
I swallowed as tears blurred my vision. It was a woman, but who could it be? There are two women here. Why didn't Mum tell me she was back here? Was it because she wanted to see him dead? No, she wouldn't do that. I knew her.
"One of you wants your husband dead, which of you?" I stepped forward. This was my mission but I had already failed it. I shouldn't have revealed that someone wanted him dead.
"Oh, it should be this slut!" Lovelin pointed at Mum.
"One of you wanted me dead? Why? After everything I have done for you all?"
"Bullshit!" Toyin yelled.
"I will never want you dead, Ola," Mum sobbed.
"Told you we should have stayed at Mr Gideon's house. I don't want to be here," Busola cried.
"This is too much, Mum. You don't listen," Bayo said, slightly angry.
This was too much for me too, especially how I saw Busola looking at me with teary eyes and I saw the fear in her. She was always scared. And I didn't want that for her. I didn't want her to live her whole life in fear. Fear that might damage her future. Maybe I should put an end to it after all. Put an end to the fear.
I raised my gun, straight at my adopted father who was shocked to the point of peeing. I snorted at his embarrassment and saw the annoying look on his family’s faces.
Who could have thought a man acting tough, a bully would be so frightened to the point of peeing? All my life he was there. Making me acceptable and also disowning me. Making my life a living hell. Making me feel like I was nothing nor wanted. Maltreating Mum and making her life a living hell as if she was responsible for his loss. Or how things weren't going his way until he decided to ruin it all by blaming it around instead of doing something else. Something reasonable than being careless around town.
It was time for him to pay too. For all the suffering he inflicted on us all. Pay for the burden he caused me to carry. Maybe it was a good thing I was assigned this mission. Maybe fate wanted me to kill him. End his life and stop this feeling. He probably needed it. He would thank me later when he gets to Heaven. I unlocked the safety and screwed my eyes shut. I didn't want to see him drop dead as the memories of being a loving father to us and a loving husband to Mum washed over me.
The happy memories of a happy family. I pulled the trigger and I heard a scream. My eyes flew open in fear as I saw blood oozing out from his shoulder. The family moved away from him as he dropped to his knees, cursing out loud.
"Let's go!" Seun said, already heading outside.
Mum cried as her lips quivered while holding together my siblings. I smiled sadly as I recollected the question I asked myself how Mum was going to react if she knew her daughter was the killer of her husband?
The look on her face was horrifying and terror was all she was witnessing. The only difference was that she couldn't see the ungrateful child behind the mask. I shut my eyes again and pulled the trigger into his chest as I heard another shot. One of the girls did that to scare them.
I opened my eyes and met with my adopted father's eyes which were filled with terror. The father I loved. The one who made me whole and shattered me. I loved him and I hated myself for what I did. I dropped the gun and mouthed I was sorry.
Toyin picked the gun and we made our way out. As fast as possible. I just killed my adopted father. I silently sobbed my way out. Silently to prevent Seun from hearing but he was in the car waiting for us already. I may have put an end to my Mum's mystery, but I just started my own.