Tale of the dead  episode 10

Kate struggled in the hands of her father crying and wanting to run after Alex but the father didn’t let her go. Mrs Nancy, the mother, also wanted to know the forest where Dave’s skeleton was found, so she asked Jimmy who turned to leave the room in disappointment, “Please, can you take me to the forest?”
As Jimmy adjusted his eyeglasses to reply her, Mr Ethen’s voice put back the words into his mouth.
“You are going nowhere, woman! I can’t allow any of you to interfere in this matter coz it’s a serious and dangerous one!” the husband had said.
“Please, honey, i beg you in the name of God” the wife pleaded with her knees on the ground.
“Daddy, let me go!” Kate also struggled.
Seeing all that, Jimmy clutched the doorknob and left immediately. He met Alex outside, inside his car waiting for him. Jimmy entered into the driver’s seat, glanced at Alex who remained quiet with a hand on his jaw. Though he wasn’t shedding tears anymore but the colour of his eyes explained his state of being.
“Now what, bro?”
“Take me to Dave”
“Dave?”
“I mean the skeleton”
“Sure” Jimmy put the key in the ignition thereby setting the car in motion. He drove as fast as he could on the way without any obstruction. He occasionally glanced at Alex after which he would shake his head piteously and adjust his eyeglasses too.
Just before the forest, Alex began to hear the sound of the bell but he didn’t show any reaction to it again. It kept ringing until they entered into the forest but Jimmy never knew that he had been hearing something. As they moved alone into the heart of the forest, Alex saw the rose flower the old woman talked about, so he bent down and took part of it. Jimmy kept quiet.
When they got to the tree where Dave’s skeleton hung, Alex began to climb up.
“What are you doing bro?” Jimmy asked him but there was no response until he hung down the skeleton whose joints were still intact. He carried it and began to leave the forest.
“Where are you taking that to?” Jimmy queried again.
“Just follow me” Alex finally replied, then Jimmy had no choice but to keep mute and follow him.
:
The whole thing took the young men almost an hour carrying the skeleton, the flower, pen and bunch of key found by Jimmy to the residence of Mr Ethen. Jimmy observed Alex’s actions when they got there-he dropped the skeleton, the flower, pen and the key at the doorstep coz the door was locked.
“Nancy Ethen!” Alex shouted standing before the items. Sweat could be seen running down from his face to his abdomen thereby rendering his shirt wet. “Nancy Ethen!” he shouted again.
Meanwhile while, inside the house, Kate recognised Alex’s voice then rushed to open the door, but was surprised to meet her parents already behind it wondering who could be calling in such a loud and disrespective voice.
“Daddy, open the door, it’s Alex”
“Will you shut up!” the father rebuked. When he opened the door, all saw the skeleton lying at the doorstep and Alex standing with the rose flower.
“Jesus!” Kate and her mother shouted running back into the house, while Mr Ethen stood firm holding the door.
“What is the meaning of this, Alex?”
“I’ve come to do the only thing i could” Alex began, then the women drew closer in a way Alex had a clear view of Mrs Nancy. “This is Dave’s skeleton and his properties. He was actually on his way to present this flower to you before he was killed by my father for a reason i don’t know..” he dropped the flower and Mrs Nancy broke down in tears immediately. Even the husband felt the pains as Alex continued, “I think I’ve fufiled Dave’s wish the only way i could coz i can never marry you even though you except me. If that will be the only thing that will kill me then let me die coz your daughter is the one i love and i will always love her till death. But please sir..” he looked at Mr Ethen in tears. “Do me the favour of allowing me to die in the arms of your daughter” he requested. His last statement also made Kate broke down in tears too then silence silence took over the arena.
“I’m sorry, you’re wish cannot be granted” Mr Ethen replied, banged the door close and locked it thereby making the women cry the more.
“Daddy, please, i don’t want Alex to die!” Kate held her father’s trouser. She suddenly left it and held her mother’s gown too. “Mum, please, marry him to save his life i beg u!” she cried.
The mother couldn’t do or say anything but to cry too. So she went on her knees again before her husband and said, “Please, honey, let me involve Dave’s relatives into this for them to know what’s happening. There must be a way out”
Mr Ethen thought for a while and entered into his room..
**
Alex left the skeleton and other things at the doorstep and headed to his apartment with Jimmy. As he wanted to open his door, the doorknob broke in his hand-the bad omen continued..
TBC