Out of the Ordinary: A Puzzle Solved

Copyright © 2011 by Anne Alalibo.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2011900997

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4568-5614-4

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4568-5613-7

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4568-5615-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

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Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Having a creative ability isn’t all that is needed to write a book.

I acknowledge everyone who has contributed in one way or another. I’m grateful to my parents; Engr. & Mrs. I.B.E. Alalibo, and also my wonderful brothers; Krama, Henry, Belema and Ngo for their prayers and love. I dedicate this book to you all.

I’m grateful to everyone who edited this book. I acknowledge my friends for their encouragements.

Above all I thank God for giving me this talent.

CHAPTER ONE

Dark clouds were forming in the sky. It looked as though a terrifying rain was on its way. There were flashes of lightning followed by rolls of thunder. The sound was frightening. It was late February, a bit early for the rains to come but they were close by. Driving was difficult as there were lots of cars on the road, and the traffic wardens were of little help. It was fifteen minutes past four.

Vickie Beniah regarded the dark clouds through the windshield with a frown. She prayed silently in her heart to get home before the rain poured down. In her haste, she had missed been hit by a hair’s breadth.

She knew she ought to be more careful, but she didn’t want to be caught in the rain because the road leading to her home was bad, and driving home became difficult whenever it rained. Moreover, she prided herself to be an expert with automobiles.

It had been a sunny Saturday not quite three hours earlier, and because of that she had seized the opportunity to do the monthly shopping. She was driving her mother’s Peugeot 405; she had been driving ever since she was a teenager. At the moment, her parents were away in Italy for their annual holiday which usually lasted three to five weeks and that made her the oldest at home.

At twenty-five, Vickie, who was the first of four children, was described as a highflyer. She had a black belt in Karate and at the age of fifteen learnt how to drive. She was an excellent swimmer and had represented both her primary and secondary schools several times in competitions, and won prizes and scholarships. She was at present rated among the best ten swimmers in her state. Twice she had represented her state and each time won a gold medal. She had also gone to the Olympics with a team of professional swimmers and they came back home with a silver.

She was a natural athlete and had inherited it from her father who had achieved a lot in sports. At present he was retired and was in business. He had taught her how to ride a power bike and treated her as though she were a boy, even though she had two brothers.

She was both intelligent and witty, and was the pride of her parents. She had achieved a lot more things than most girls of her age. She had had the opportunities of going to Australia, England, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Ghana and South Africa because of her talent. Right now, she had taken a break from professional swimming and was not thinking of going back.

It was more than two years since she graduated as a Biochemist. Getting a well paid job was not easy, so she started work in a private water treatment industry and was being paid what she called a token.

The rains touched the earth and in heavy drops.

Vickie reasoned if it hit anyone on the head he or she was bound to have a headache. She was thankful she was nearly home. Well, with the way she had driven she didn’t expect to stay in the traffic long. She was an impatient driver, and her mother had complained on several occasions about it.

She drove through the gates of her home in a short while. A large white and blue duplex stood in the middle of the compound. It had a balcony on the first floor with a white painted burglar-proof. This house had been her home for fifteen years and she was in no hurry to leave it.

Beside the house was a garden and that was where she spent some of her spare time since she stopped professional swimming. She loved gardening and had the gift of arranging flowers. Her home had gotten a very attractive look since she discovered she had an artistic side to her nature. Her mother had once told her she was a chest of good surprises.

The maid, a girl of twenty, came out with a large umbrella to meet her. She was dark skinned, plump, average height, and was from their home town. She had only been with them for three weeks. When she wasn’t speaking their native language she spoke a lot of pidgin English which always caused laughter among Vickie and her siblings.

The car contained enough food and provisions that could last a month. Her parents had only been gone a week and she had three or four weeks to take care of everything and she intended doing her best. Her brothers were at school and would be back the following week, on a Friday. Her sixteen year old sister, Jane, had gone for her weekend lesson blocks away and would be back before six-thirty; she was preparing for her West African Senior School Certificate Examinations.

All alone with Gloria, the maid, she proceeded to cook egusi soup with bitter leaf, and chicken stew.

Vickie was her father’s favourite and everyone knew that except for Vickie herself, who disliked being seen in any one’s shadow. She knew she was like her father in physical appearance and in character. He was strong willed and decisive and was a lot like him. While her father worked towards making her a successful professional swimmer, her mother had made sure her school work did not suffer, therefore, leaving her with no time of her own. Vickie sighed no wonder her social life was bland.

It was twenty minutes past eight and Vickie was on her laptop surfing the Internet when her cell phone rang. It was her cousin, Emily Douglas. Emily was more like a sister than a cousin; they had spent a lot of quality time together in their younger days. They attended the same secondary school. They were in the same age bracket, just two months apart. Vickie was older. Emily graduated as an electrical/electronics engineer from the University of Ilorin and was presently doing her National Youth Service in Jos.

‘Hi Emily, what’s up?’ she asked pleasantly. There was always pleasant news whenever Emily called.

‘Vickie, how are you?’ she enquired jovially.

Emily was an extrovert and talkative too. She had her strength of being enthusiastic and emotionally warm and she had her weakness of being weak-willed, emotionally excited and restless. Vickie had always been there to help her through her weaknesses and that brought them closer.

‘I’m fine, it’s been a long time since we last spoke. How are you?’

‘I’m very fine,’ she replied pleasantly. ‘My convocation comes up next week Saturday and I would like you to attend.’

Evaluating the distance between Rivers State and Kwara State, she quickly said, ‘Emily, it’s far . . . I mean your school for me to start coming down.’

‘That shouldn’t discourage you. I was there for yours. Remember?’ Emily reminded logically. ‘Well, I would really appreciate it if you would be there because I want you to meet my fiancé.’

Vickie was taken aback.

‘Your fiancé!’ she echoed with surprise.

‘Yes,’ her cousin affirmed with joy. ‘He proposed to me last night and I agreed to marry him.’

‘I don’t even know him. I never knew you were serious with someone.’

‘Come on, Vickie, I have to settle down some day. We all have to settle down some day even if you haven’t given that a thought.’

‘So how long have you known him?’ Vickie asked.

‘Six months but believe me it’s like my whole life.’

Vickie laughed. ‘You also have that same effect on people, but don’t you think it is rather too short to accept marriage?’

‘We aren’t getting married right away. Besides, you haven’t met him and my parents haven’t met him yet. You’ll like him, he is great.’

Vickie was surprised as she perceived pride in her cousin’s voice.

‘Emily my parents travelled for their usual holiday and indirectly I oversee the affairs of the house so I can’t travel. Not at this moment,’ she explained.

‘It’s just for three days. Don’t tell me you are tied to that house even at your age?’ Emily said disapprovingly.

‘I’m almost twenty six but it doesn’t mean I should do as I like when I’ve been given a responsibility.’

‘Alright to put your mind at rest I’ll call your parents and ask them myself.’

‘No, you won’t.’

After a brief pause, she reluctantly said, ‘I’ll give them a call and give you an answer tomorrow.’

‘Now you are talking. I bet you your mother will be excited and will say yes.’

Vickie knew that was true but she said nothing and was glad when the call ended.

She gave her parents a call the next morning and her mother did not disappoint Emily, she actually encouraged her to have fun on the trip. Immediately she called Emily and told her and it was finally settled that she would go with Emily’s family who would be travelling by road on Friday. Vickie still thought it too far because of her phobia for long journeys, especially if she wasn’t the one handling the wheels but she was a bit excited at the thought of meeting Emily’s fiancé.

*******

Vickie scolded herself for being scared when she had made several trips by air to several countries. She resolved to be bold and face the journey on Friday, and to brighten her spirit she decided to buy herself some new clothes.

Emily had said her fiancé would take them to Abuja after the convocation where she, Vickie, would spend a night in Sheraton Hotel and be back on Monday. The weekend sounded interesting but Vickie’s thoughts were only on her phobia.

On Monday during lunch break she went with her colleague and also a good friend of hers, Nengi Briggs, a microbiologist to the shopping mall. She intended buying a trouser suit and a lovely gown. She didn’t forget Nengi while shopping, Vickie was known for her generous and considerate nature.

Vickie knew people envied her slender build, especially in a country where women do not give much attention to their weight. Just a week ago Nengi had told her how she wished she had a little of her looks. Nengi was a head shorter than her and was thin, she always cried she was too thin and for that reason seldom wore trousers. She was always in skirts. She was two years older than Vickie and was still single.

A week ago, Nengi had told her seriously, ‘I can excuse myself for still being single but you . . . I don’t see why. You are beautiful, witty and hardworking, and I don’t see why you should be wasting away your beauty. You have no male friend at the moment much less one you are serious with.’

‘I’m not wasting anything away,’ she had replied with a pleasant smile. ‘I don’t think I’m ready yet, especially with what I went through with Felix.’

‘If you put it that way no one is ever going to be ready for marriage. I think you should forget about Felix, he was a big blunder. Your problem is that you haven’t met Mr. Right,’ Nengi had corrected.

‘To be honest Nengi, I’m not interested in marriage at the moment, I’m a little too pre-occupied for that,’ she had stated and changed the subject.

Vickie pulled the car to a halt in front of the mall and hoped the money she had on her would be enough for all she had in mind to buy. The shops were filled with beautiful and outstanding clothes and she had a difficult time making up her mind. Fortunately Nengi had the eyes for good clothes.

‘I may not have the body for good