Tale of the dead episode 4

Mrs Nancy opened her eyes widely listening to Alex who lamented on how hectic he day was. Alex appeared to be stressed, frustrated and exhausted as he glared at Kate pouring out his anger which Kate couldn’t take anymore. Therefore she began to
shed tears from the chair.
“Alex!” Mrs. Nancy called thereby interrupting him from lamenting angrily. She didn’t like the manner in which he was talking and looking at her daughter which triggered tears from her eyes. So she stood up breathing hastily. Anger could be traced from her eyes too. “Stop raising your voice unnecessarily especially at my daughter. Is she the cause of your hectic day? Can’t you see she’s being hurt emotionally?” she said.
“I’m sorry, ma’am” Alex apologized calmly.
“You should be, otherwise you’ll have nothing to do with her ever again! You should go find a solution to your own problem all by your…”
“Mum!” Kate interrupted and stood up instantly. She walked pass Alex and stood before her mother in a way she was in between the two then continued with a lower voice. “Mum, stop sounding that way. It’s part of him, he gets angrily easily especially when it has to do with something that will sabotage his carrier”
“Then he should control it because i can’t tolerate that in my presence!” the mother retorted then the room became quiet.
Alex glanced at the centre table where the key of his house was. He had left it for Kate before going to work that day, so he gently picked it. The jingling of the bunch of key brought Kate’s attention so she turned to see Alex ready to leave.
“Baby..” she called in a broken voice.
“I’m sorry, i have to go, i need a rest” Alex looked at Mrs. Nancy. “Once again, I’m sorry ma’am. I have to be on my way now” he began to walk towards the door.
“Baby.. Alex!” Kate tried to stop him but he had already used the exit then she turned to her mother in tears. “Mum, what’s going on?”
“I’m sorry my daughter but you need to stay away from Alex” the mother replied.
“Why?”
“His life is complicated now. From what i have seen and heard from him, he has a hazardous days ahead, so is better you let him be”
“You know i can’t do that, mum. I love him so much. We should look for a way to help him, not to abandon him” Kate objected and briskly walked into her room.
***
At Alex’s residence, one could see him flinging his clothes out of his box. The day was gradually becoming dark but the availability of power subdued the darkness that should have overtaken the sanctum. As Alex was scattering his box, his phone rang but he ignored it knowing very well it was Kate. Just then, he brought out a large album containing different faces and their details- Those were people he graduated with which many of them are working successfully. He picked his phone, dialed one’s number from there. “Hello, Jim..” he said on the phone.
Jimmy, popularly known as Jim was Alax’s friend right from higher
institution who studied archaeology. He’s a gentle and quiet guy that doesn’t like to stress himself for anything.
“Who’s this?” Jimmy asked on the phone too.
“It’s Alex”
“Alex Frank?”
“Exactly”
“Guy..”
“Jim, listen to me” Alex interrupted seriously. “I’m in a serious mess. I need to see you immediately”
“What’s going on bro?” Jimmy queried voraciously.
“I want you to examine a dead body for me, tell me how long it has been there and other details about this particular body..” Alex explained everything to Jimmy.
:
THE NEXT DAY
That was on Friday early morning. Jimmy arrived at Alex’s residence and all drove straight to the forest where the dead body was found.
“That’s it” Alex pointed upward looking at the skeleton.
“Alright, i can handle this” Jimmy replied as he began to wear a hand-glove. He glanced at Alex to see him looking restless and frustrated. “Calm down, bro. I do believe in reincarnation but i don’t think it’s what you are experiencing” he added.
“Then what am i experiencing?” Alex asked.
“Let’s see what we gonna find out from here while you go to work”
“Sure”.

Tale of the dead episode 5

There was an expression of surprise in the faces of Alex and Kate after the announcement made by Jimmy the archaeologist. The thought of the dead body having the same age with Alex was something worrisome.
“Are you saying that the body has stayed there for twenty-five years?” Alex asked.
“Yes” Jimmy continued. “The body must have died twenty five years ago. Therefore summing the years while he was alive and dead, it’s up to fifty-eight years”
“Wait..” Kate interfered. “Did i just here you say ‘he’?”
“Yes, the skeleton is of a man not a woman” Jimmy replied.
The room became quiet again with surprise faces. How can this coincidence and phenomenum be explained? Something spiritual was really taking place which Alex had no clue of. He stood up from where he sat with Kate and reached his alcoholic drink again, then Jimmy and Kate glance at each other in a way that shows: HE’S GETTING CRAZY.
“Baby, stop!” Kate stood up and collected the drink from him. “This isn’t the best way of getting an answer to what’s happening to you! You’re causing more problem to yourself!”
Alex ignored her walking closer to
Jimmy and looking into his eyeballs. He knew that his carrier was at stake because he nearly got fired few days ago. So he asked, “Jim, did you find any other information about the body?”
“Uhmm..” Jimmy reached his box and brought out a rusted pen and key. “Obviously, the man dead by hanging. Either he committed a Suicide or he was hung to death by someone. These are pen and key i found after digging up the soil” he handed them to Alex and continued. “I also detected some things that made me believe that the man was a banker”
“What!” Alex exclaimed.
Already, Kate’s hands had started vibrating in fear without knowing what to say. “Now what’s your conclusion?” she managed to asked Jimmy who exhaled deeply.
“Sincerely, it’s above my field. The sound of the bell makes me believe it’s spiritual and dangerous too. I’ve done my part but i can still help by taking you guys to someone who has a better answer than i”
“Thank you, Jim” Kate appreciated.
***
Monday was another working day. Remedy Bank of Africa set to patronize and attend to her esteemed customers and Alex was delivering his services peacefully but the thought of Jimmy’s discovery rang like a bell in his head. He found himself walking down a staircase with files in his hand. Both staffs and customers also used the stairs until a particular young man almost the age of Alex dressed in a Bank attire came from the opposite side. His face wasn’t familiar but how come he had the bank attire? Nevertheless, he greeted Alex with a smile and stopped.
“Do you work here?” Alex asked him.
“No” he replied.
“But..” Alex looked at his dressing again. It was no different from his. “Well, i don’t know you”
“The manager just employed me”
“Oh..”
“Yeah, my name is Dave” the young man stretched his hand for a shake.
“I’m Alex” Alex shook his hand and both departed, but his heart, body and soul weren’t at rest. “How can someone be employed without the staffs knowledge?” he thought as he claimed down the staircase. Fortunately, he met Glory climbing up too.
“Hi, Glory, have you seen the new staff?”
“What new staff?”
“I mean Dave”
“Who is Dave?”
“A new..” Alex paused and looked back. “I just met him now”
Glory rolled her eyes in disguste and tiredness. “What is wrong with you again Alex? If there should be a new employee, shouldn’t the staffs be informed about that? I’m sick and tired of your attitude these days” she complained.
“But.. but.. but..” Alex stammered looking stupid and confuse. “Wait” he hurried back upstairs to meet Dave but he was nowhere to be found again. He entered into his office to see a note on his table. He gently pick it up and read thus:
YOU’RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME!
After reading the note, Alex turned to see Glory beside him.
“Who wrote that?” she asked.
“I don’t know” Alex replied.
“Where’s the Dave?”
“I don’t know”
“You don’t know anything?” Glory
became surprise. “Who are you then?” she asked stupidly.
“I don’t know either” Alex folded the paper. As he tried to hurry out, his feet mistakenly dragged a wire connected to a computer thereby making it to fall on the ground and scattered instantly. That was a huge offence!
The news of the incident got to Iyk, the manager, and he didn’t hesitate to fire Alex. “Get out of my office! You are fired!” he had shouted in his office without listening to Alex’s plead.
:
All that Alex had worked for, suffered for, struggled for and fought for came down crashing within a twinkle of an eye. His life began to change from good to bad. He gathered his properties from RBA and headed home hopelessly. When he got home, he collapsed on the bed lying with his back and winking his eyes thereby preventing tears from dropping. Suddenly, his phone rang.

Tale of the dead episode 6

No other person than Jimmy was on the call with Alex and both remained quiet for a while before exchanging words.
“Hey, bro” Jimmy began but Alex kept mute. “Are you there, bro?”
“I’m here” Alex replied then cleared his throat loosing his necktie at the same time.
“You need to come over to Unna. I’ve seen someone who might help you”
“Alright, I’ll be there in the next two hours” the line went dead.
Alex went back to his initial mood and position. As he laid hopelessly on the bed, the door cracked opened. He directed his eyes there to see Kate coming with a basket of provision. She always had the spare key of the house for some activities but she was surprise to see Alex at home by that time of the day which was unlike him. She glanced at her wrist watch then dropped the basket in her hand. “Baby..” she drew closer to the bed to see him devastated emotionally. His eyes were still wet with tears and heart filled with worries. Kate looked beside him to see his bag, files and the very note he found on his table. She gradually picked it up staring at it to decode the meaning but couldn’t. Therefore she asked, “Baby, why are you home? Who wrote this and why are you like this?”
“I’ve been fired” Alex sat up completely loosing the necktie.
“But why?”
“That is why!” he stood up and pointed at the note in Kate’s hand. “I found that on my table after meeting a strange guy that says his name is Dave. Before i knew it, everything came crashing down in my office, and i got fired for it! You know what Kate, i don’t give a d--n of anything or anybody anymore. I must get to the root of this even though it gonna cost the last drop of my blood! Do you hear me?!” he rushed his cell phone, button up his shirt and began to wear his shoes.
“Baby, calm down” Kate said.
“Calm down?” Alex glared at her. “I lost my job and you said i should calm down?”
“Where are you going now?”
“To Unna. Jimmy wonna introduce me to someone who might help”
“I’m going with you” Kate moved forward but Alex held her back looking into her eyes.
“This is my problem not yours”
“Your problem is my problem. Let me help you know the unknown my love” Kate’s voice melted his heart and both remained speechless.
:
Kate and Alex were seen driving with a high speed on the road. Kate, being the driver, occasionally glanced at her fiance who laid his head on the front seat with his eyes closed. Seeing that, she dialed her mother’s number.
“Hi, mum, I’m on my way to Unna with Alex. Gonna explain later, bye” she hung up the call.
Unna was several kilometers journey away from Labon, Alex’s town, that even before they got to their destination, the sun had began to set. After meeting Jimmy, they started another journey to Boronu where Jimmy thought the answer for their problem will be gotten. Boronu wasn’t far but had all kinds of spiritualists. The dwellers also speak different language which Alex and Kate found difficult to understand except Jimmy. They entered into one of the buildings. The house had no electricity but ray of light from windows and other openings gave it a dim light.
The sitting room was totally empty except a local chair at the centre which made Kate wonder if someone was living there. As they waited in the silent of the room, an old man in his seventies came out wearing a black singlet and trouser. “You experience bad omen, sees things that seems you’ve done before in the past and hear the sound of a bell. That is more than reincarnation” the old man said looking at Alex who became surprise because those were exact description of him. So he stepped forward living Kate and Jimmy behind.
“How do you know all this, old man?” he asked.
“Call me Ife”
“Sorry, Ife, but..”
“Shheee” Ife interrupted and lit a candle which brightened the room. He moved closer to Alex with the candle looking straight into his eyes. “The day you were born was the day the body was hung to death living his most wanted dream in actualized. Now he wants you to actualize it otherwise you’ll be frustrated in life until you die” Ife turned his back on Alex after explanation.
“That means I’m possessed and only need a deliverance” Alex said.
“You aren’t possessed but reincarnated in a dangerous form”
“I don’t get it! Why me, and what is that dream he wants me to actualize?”
“I don’t have answers to your questions. If you really want to get the answers, follow me” Ife began to move into one of the darkest rooms. Alex wanted to follow him without any fear but Kate ran to him holding his hand.
“I’m not leaving you, baby. I’m following you too” she said and followed Alex into the room.
Only Jimmy remained in the lonely parlour looking scared. “Mhen, I’m freaking out” he murmured and also joined them..
**
Back to Labon, Mrs Nancy reached her box in the bedroom, brought out an old picture of a young man and began to shed tears. “I still love you, Dave” she said.

Tbc