CRASHING

When Stephanie returned from school that afternoon, she met the meal Jenny kept for her in a food flask. The house was empty except for Bisola who informed her of Sarah's absence due to her ill health. She was glad that Sarah was absent but she sympathized with her in her absence and went ahead to devour the meal Jenny prepared. It was a delicious plate of fried rice, plantains, and beef. She called Jenny on the phone when it was almost evening time and Jenny informed her that she was still out with some wedding vendors.

Mrs. Bose returned earlier than Jenny because Jenny insisted that she would finish the rest of the plans by herself. Not too long afterward, Michael returned from work, followed shortly by Deji and Nina. Bisola served them the meals and they all ate. As usual Jenny's meals were always satisfying.

Stephanie went upstairs to sleep as she was very tired after school. Michael decided to call Jenny on the phone. As he dialed her number, Stephanie returned downstairs.

"I can't find the picture of mummy on my bed stand." She grumbled to her grandmother.

"Which picture?" Mrs. Bose asked nonchalantly as she was distracted by the television musical she was watching with Nina and Deji.

"The picture I was given as a birthday gift by My mummy."

"Oh you mean the painting Jenny gave you of your mum?"

"Yes grandma"

"Ask Bisola na. I am sure she cleaned the room today"

"Aunty Bisola!!" Stephanie called out already infuriated.

"Yes, Stephanie, what is it?"Bisola answered from the kitchen. She was busy cleaning and washing the dishes.

"Where did you put my picture on the lampstand?"

"It's still there. After I cleaned it, as usual, I left it there." Bisola answered confidently.

"But I can't find it" Stephanie protested.

"Are you sure you did not move it?"

"I did not" Stephanie screamed.

"Stephanie, what is the issue?" Deji asked. He had been hearing the young girl argue with the cleaner. She narrated her ordeal.

"Let's go upstairs and check your room together". He encouraged her. They indeed checked the room but they did not find the picture.

Bisola was called upon as well as Nina who had left the movie downstairs to join in the search of the picture frame.

Upon Nina's insistence that Bisola might have misplaced the picture while cleaning, they chose to check the other rooms, commencing with the closest which was Jenny's room.

As soon as they entered, Bisola noticed the room was not as she arranged it when Jenny left that morning but she kept quiet. The picture was not at the bedside either.

However, as they exited the room to search the next which was grandma's room, Deji's eyes connected with a frame behind the curtain. He halted and moved towards it. Everyone stopped in their tracks as he lifted the curtain.

There the picture was, slashed in several places and torn, bounded with a red cloth and a white inscription. it says "Your reign has ended and it's my turn now"

Deji dropped the fetish commutation on the floor and Stephanie started crying. It was like a scene out of a movie.

"Why would She tear my mummy's picture?"

"Stop crying, Stephanie. I don't think Jenny did this."Nina said out rightly to everyone's hearing.

"What is going on here?" Michael asked from the entrance of the room.

As soon as he saw the picture and the red cloth, he was speechless. He went closer and knelt beside it.

"Oga I don't know who did this. But I cleaned this room today and Nothing like this was here when I cleaned." Bisola defended.

Mrs. Bose also walked in to see the pandemonium and she was utterly confused.

"Jenny is a Christian and not some fetish person. This is not her handwork." She defended Jenny immediately.

"Stephanie, why are you crying? Jenny got you that painting, why would and destroy it now?" Mrs. Bose asked her granddaughter.

"Then who did mum, you just came in here a few seconds ago and you are defending her."

"And you should too. When you trust and love someone, that is what you do. You know her as well as I do that young Woman is filled with good and righteousness."

"Mummy is right. Jenny is not a fake. This is such a sick joke." Deji pointed out.

"I swear my love. Jenny is not like That at all." Nina concurred.

"Bisola sweep this and burn it. I will get to the bottom of this. And Stephanie, another picture will replace that okay?" Mrs. Bose admonished her granddaughter who nodded in agreement.

Everyone left the room except Michael.

He had spent the last few minutes talking to Jenny on the phone. She sounded excited about getting married to him but seeing this, he wondered If she was manipulating him from the beginning. Women are not to be trusted!

Stephanie went to bed by 7 PM and Jenny was still not home. Bisola had gone home for the night while Deji took Nina home. Mrs. Bose had gone upstairs after she supervised the cleaning of Jenny's room.

Jenny arrived by 7:30 pm looking exhausted. She met Michael in the living room oblivious to all that had happened in her absence.

"Good evening my love" She greeted smiling.

"Why are you coming this late? I thought you hired a planner." He attacked without responding to her salutation. She picked on that.

"oh, I thought I told you. I changed my mind. it's too much a waste of money. I would do the planning and vendor sourcing myself. I told mummy already".

"I told you to use a planner and give me a budget. Nothing is too expensive for me." Michael declared.

"I am already working with the money remaining from Stephanie's birthday. I don't need more." She sounded so sincere but he was skeptical about it. she could be putting up an act.

"Speaking of Stephanie, am sure she is asleep. let me go and kiss her good night. I missed my baby all day"

Carrying the bags, she began to climb the stairs.

"Be sure to return Laura's picture to her daughter's nightstand. Her child can never be yours" Michael uttered coldly.

"Excuse me. What hat did you say?" She asked turning back.

"You heard me, Jenny. I thought you were a Christian. A virgin, a woman with a good heart, and yet you're so diabolic."

"Wait a minute sir! Where is this coming from? what changed in the last 2 hours from when we spoke to one another." Jenny asked as she was closer to him.

"Clarity came. Sense came to me, so I can see you for who you are. Is that why you went to the village? To get juju to trap me?"

"What?" Jenny could not believe what Michael was saying. It was as though another spirit had overtaken his soul.

"Don't what me. I saw the charm. You wrapped Laura's picture stating her reign has ended. But for your information, Laura's reign can never end in this house and my life. I love her. I will always love her. You will never be able to fit up to an inch of her awesome personality."

By now, Jenny's eyes were filled with tears but she could not stop being the outspoken woman her father trained her to be.

"Please....please and Please...you can stop now Mr. Michael Oladokun. I don't know what happened or while I was away but I do know that I am not a fetish person. I don't even need to do anything extra to make anybody love me. All I have to do is be myself. And if myself is not good enough for you Mr. Michael, it is your loss, not mine. Now I don't know what made you this angry but if you think your late wife is better than me. I don't think I should be marrying you. I can't compete with the dead." Jenny narrated.

The words pierced through Michael's heart but he didn't want to admit it.

"Exactly you can't, you are beneath her and my eyes are so clear." Jenny moved upstairs as he spoke. She entered Stephanie's room to kiss her on the forehead. She loved this child so much even though her father was an asshole at the moment. Maybe her time was up in this family.

She entered her room later that night to write a long epistle. She knew what she had to do. By dawn, She was gone.