THE BITCH!

By

Ovie Mordi

I was awakened by the buzz of my phone, indicating a new message just came in. Swearing under my breath, I drudgingly opened my sleep-laden eyes to the white-blue LED light from the phone. I had only just begun drifting to dream land, having stayed up late watching the blockbuster Series, “24”. Not that it would have made any difference if someone knocked me out with the strongest of soporifics. Indeed, the tiniest of sounds can awaken me from my deepest slumber. Why I am thus accursed is yet a mystery. Sometimes I wonder if I can stay dead when I eventually die. Sleep is supposed to be the rehearsal for death right?

The clock on my phone showed it was 2:00am. Who in God’s holy earth would be so wicked as to send a message at 2:00am? I vowed to sue if the message happened to have come from my mobile service provider. They send you a message when you recharge, they send when you don’t, send when you call, send when you don’t, the only time they don’t is when you want them to. Anyway, the message wasn’t from them. It was from an unknown number. My anger went 5 notches higher. Just what I needed – a message from an unknown person at 2:00am! I almost didn’t bother opening the message but what the heck! I had already lost some sleep, it was better to just get it over with.  Besides, I am a notoriously curious person. I opened the message.

What my eyes saw next almost got them popping out of their sockets. It was a picture. No text. Just a picture. It was a picture of a masked man holding a gun to the temple of another man with a bloodied face and swollen left eye…who happened to be my younger brother. Ike.

Cold sweat suddenly broke out all over me as my body shivered involuntarily. In a flash, the recent heated word exchange I had with him played in my mind like a movie reel. He walked away that day, really hurt by my words. Well, he hurt me too, but that hardly mattered anymore. His life was in danger. He may even be dead for all I know.  The shivers had by now assumed a semblance of Parkinson’s disease. I dialed the number and waited. 1, 2, 3, 4 seconds, it started ringing. It rang and rang until the static tone came on. Two dials after I still had gotten no response. I tried yet again, almost paralyzed by my growing trepidation. ‘Click’…someone finally picked. The little relief that brought vanished quickly like a tiny vapour. Whoever it was on the line was probably a killer.

“I hope you love the cute picture Emy.” The voice was icy, slow and deliberate.

“What have you done to my brother?” I asked in a voice that didn’t sound like mine.

“That is not important now. Just take comfort in the fact that he is not dead…yet” he replied casually.

“How much do you need? I’ll pay I promise just te—”

“How much is he worth to you?” he interrupted.

“I….I…see just tell me what you want and I will find a way to get it to you please. Just don’t hurt him any – ”

“I ask you a question; how much is your brother’s life worth to you? His life may well depend on your answer, so think very well before you answer. In fact I suggest you drop the phone and call back in exactly 10 minutes. I am not that in a hurry to… waste him. ”

“Please I really need to be assured that – ”

“10 minutes is all you’ve got man. 20 seconds gone already so you will do well to hang up now! And just as an aside…talking to the cops would be damn right stupid. Won’t it now?”

I hung up immediately and started pacing my room. My mind was completely disoriented, incapable of any coherent thought. Why wouldn’t the crazed fellow just tell me what he wants? Damn!  Seven minutes went by at the speed of a blink and I still had not the slightest clue what the crazy bastard wanted from me. I wasn’t even tempted to call the cops as I, like many other citizens have lost faith in them. Better to play along with the maniac and hang on the thin chance that he would let my brother go. It had to be money he wanted, what else? But if this person, whoever he was, knew me well enough, he probably knew I wasn’t exactly in the ‘bucksed up’ category. By all standards, my I.T. Services Company was only a modest one. I quickly figured out what I could give which was about all my savings and capital for a planned investment. At that point, the money wasn’t important. Saving my brother was.

Nine minutes had passed by the time I called the bastard back.

“You still had about a minute to make up your mind.”

“I already have.” I replied.

“Well…let’s hear what you would give up for your brother.” The mocking edge in his voice would have been very annoying under different circumstances.

“Three million is all I’ve got. Please that has to do. Just tell me how I – “

“So you think this is about money huh? – “ I heard what sounded lick the corking of a pistol –  “You think what I want is your damn money right?”

I was dumbfounded, afraid and angry, all at the same time. Dumbfounded because I didn’t expect the reaction I got.  Afraid because I didn’t know what he would do next, with my brother’s life virtually in his hands. Angry because he wouldn’t say what he wanted if it wasn’t money. “I …you…I should at least know what you want” I stammered

“Even if I wanted your money, it wouldn’t be the lousy and pathetic amount that fell off your stinking mouth! So much for the worth of your brother’s life.”

“Now listen to me you lunatic!” I began in blind anger, forgetting to be afraid; “My brother’s life is worth more than all the money in the world! His life is worth more than whatever your sick mind wants, worth more than your worthless miserable life, and maybe worth more than my own life! Bastard!”

The line was completely silent at the other end by the time my angry outburst ended. Fear quickly replaced my anger. What have I done?  “Hello? You still there?” I asked frantically.

“Are you done?” he responded calmly.

“Look, I am sorry for flaring up, I’m just very tensed as you must understand”

“Did you mean any of the bullshit you yapped?’ he asked. The way he sounded, made me think he was smiling right then.

“See I didn’t mean to get you pissed off, I am quite a frustrated man at the moment”.

“Ok then, let’s see where your frustration gets you. Meanwhile ex –“

“Please I really am so – “

“Do not… interrupt me again…ever! So like I was saying, expect a message in the next couple of minutes.”

“Please man you are killing me with –“ ‘Click’. The line went dead. At that point, I was sinking into a state of hysteria. My mind was filled with thoughts of countless possibilities of all the bad things that could happen. I earnestly prayed God kept my brother safe.

In the midst of my fears and anxiety, my phoned buzzed. His message! I suppressed the urge to pee in my boxer shorts as I opened the message. It read thus:

I understand you had a fight with your ‘likely-about-to-die’ brother some days back. While I don’t intend to meddle in a petty domestic affair, I also understand that in the course of the fight, you said these words to your brother; “My life would be better off without you!” What I do not understand is your sudden urgency to save him now. Thought you would be glad to see him go. Anyways, glad to know you still care. Please ignore the earlier picture, it was doctored. That is a testimony to my perfected photoshop skills. I am very fine and nobody is trying to kill me. Do have a wonderful night big bro. one more thing…You were willing to spare 3 million bucks to save my life. Please can I have just 1 million instead? Please….

–          Ike

What the hell? Had it been a prank all along? Or is this killer up to something more sinister than I thought? The thought of my brother actually being safe after all was a luxury I couldn’t afford. I dialed my brother’s number immediately and you probably guessed right, he picked and was having the laugh   of his life. The bitch!

I refused to speak to him for a week. But was I glad to know he was really okay. With all his troubles and proclivities I find irritating, he means so much me. More than I can imagine. The bitch!