EPISODE 38 — THE QUESTION SONIA COULDN’T ESCAPE
The moment Madam and Sonia drove away from the compound, I knew something was wrong.
Very wrong.
I stood by the window, watching their car disappear down the street.
My mind kept replaying Madam’s expression.
She wasn’t angry.
She wasn’t shouting.
She was thinking.
And somehow, that frightened me more than anger ever could.
Ada walked up behind me.
ADA:
“Emeka… what do you think she’s going to do?”
I turned around slowly.
ME:
“I don’t know.”
Ada folded her arms.
ADA:
“You don’t know? After the way she looked at Sonia?”
I shook my head.
ME:
“That’s exactly what worries me. Madam doesn’t need to shout when she’s angry. When she becomes quiet, that’s when you should be afraid.”
Ada swallowed hard.
ADA:
“Do you think she knows?”
I looked at her.
ME:
“Knows what?”
She hesitated.
ADA:
“You know what I’m talking about.”
I stepped away from the window.
ME:
“Ada, we have to be careful.”
ADA:
“Careful? Emeka, how long are we going to keep pretending that everything is fine?”
I didn’t answer.
Because deep down, I knew she was right.
We had been hiding the truth for too long.
And now, it seemed the truth was beginning to reveal itself.
MADAM’S SILENCE
Meanwhile, inside the car, Sonia sat quietly beside Madam.
The atmosphere was painfully tense.
Sonia kept looking at her.
SONIA:
“Madam?”
No response.
SONIA:
“Are you angry with me?”
Madam continued staring through the windshield.
Then she slowly turned toward Sonia.
MADAM:
“Why should I be angry?”
Sonia forced a smile.
SONIA:
“I don’t know.”
Madam nodded.
MADAM:
“Exactly.”
Sonia’s smile disappeared.
Something about Madam’s voice made her uncomfortable.
Then Madam asked the question Sonia had been desperately hoping she would never hear.
MADAM:
“Where were you that night?”
Sonia froze.
Her heart began pounding.
SONIA:
“What night?”
Madam stared at her.
MADAM:
“Don’t play games with me.”
Sonia looked away.
MADAM:
“I asked you a simple question. Where were you?”
Sonia opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
Madam leaned closer.
MADAM:
“You told me you were at home.”
Sonia remained silent.
MADAM:
“But someone else told me they saw you somewhere else.”
Sonia’s face went pale.
SONIA:
“Who told you that?”
Madam smiled faintly.
MADAM:
“So you admit you weren’t home?”
Sonia immediately realized her mistake.
SONIA:
“No! That’s not what I meant.”
Madam turned back toward the road.
MADAM:
“Then explain.”
Sonia desperately searched for an answer.
But every explanation she considered created another problem.
Finally, she whispered:
SONIA:
“I can explain.”
Madam nodded.
MADAM:
“Good. Then explain everything.”
BACK AT THE COMPOUND
Ada was still standing in front of me.
ADA:
“Emeka, what are we going to do if Madam finds out?”
I sighed.
ME:
“We tell her the truth.”
Ada’s eyes widened.
ADA:
“Are you crazy?”
ME:
“No.”
ADA:
“She’ll destroy us!”
I looked directly into her eyes.
ME:
“She may destroy us if we lie. But if we tell the truth, maybe she will understand.”
Ada shook her head.
ADA:
“You don’t know Madam.”
I lowered my voice.
ME:
“Neither does Sonia.”
Ada became silent.
Before either of us could say another word, we heard the sound of a car approaching.
We both turned toward the gate.
Madam’s car had returned.
But Sonia wasn’t inside.
I looked at Ada.
She looked terrified.
The car stopped.
Madam stepped out alone.
She closed the door quietly and walked toward the house.
She stopped at the entrance.
Then she looked directly at me.
MADAM:
“Emeka.”
ME:
“Yes, Madam?”
She walked closer.
MADAM:
“Call Sonia.”
My heart skipped.
ME:
“She isn’t here.”
Madam’s expression remained calm.
MADAM:
“I know.”
Ada and I exchanged a confused glance.
Then Madam said something that sent chills through me.
MADAM:
“That’s why I want you to call her.”
She paused.
MADAM:
“Tell her I know what she did.”
Ada covered her mouth.
I couldn’t move.
ME:
“Madam… what exactly do you know?”
Madam looked at me.
MADAM:
“Everything.”
Then she walked into the house.
Ada grabbed my arm.
ADA:
“Emeka… we’re finished.”
I stared at the door through which Madam had disappeared.
For the first time, I realized that the secret we had been protecting was no longer ours to control.
Madam had found the missing piece.
And Sonia was about to face the question she could no longer escape.
TO BE CONTINUED…