James came back home extremely exhausted as he fell freely on the couch. His wife walked to him and gave him a peck on his both cheek. " Good evening darling... welcome home" " Yeah.. " he replied " Let me go and prepare water for you to bath, I can see you're already exhausted from today's work" She said as she stood up. " Yes dear, please do. My body aches so badly". Few minutes later , after James finished freshing up, he came downstairs where he met his lovely wife already waiting for him. She dished out the food and they began to eat. "So how did the stuff go?" Tracy asked. "Which stuff are you talking about? " " Ha! The new house of course" James hit his head gently. " Sorry dear , I forgot.. plenty things are going through this head of mine. I already found a house.. A big duplex, it has 5 rooms , four toilets , two kitchens and a big parlour. I know you'll love it" He explained. Tracy smiled as she rubbed her belly. " As long as it'll be comfortable for us and our future kids. I want a big house that'll contain us, even when we have visitors" She said. " I think this one is a typical example of your taste. But I'd want you to follow me tomorrow morning to inspect the house before I make the necessary arrangements and payments" Tracy frowned. " Why naa? " Madam , I don't have your strength.. Not when am done paying for everything , you'll see the house and you'll reject it. " He paused. Tracy laughed." Fear fear man!!! " " It's not about fear ooo but I don't trust you ooo. Especially as you're pregnant , you seem to be too selective In all decisions. So the conclusion is that you'll follow me to the house tomorrow morning. If you like the house, I'll now do the necessary". James and Tracy were newly wedded couples . After their wedding , they deemed it fit to leave their one bedroom flat to a house of their own considering the fact that they both had extended family members who came to visit every now and then and their were expecting a child very soon. The next day been Tuesday, James and Tracy drove to the area were the house was located .. The were few houses around, it seemed the area was an under developed area although it was quiet and very peaceful environment. The house looked very beautiful both inside and outside. One would barely believe that the house was built 6 years ago and had two families who occipied it. The made the necessary payment as the house was bought with a fair price. It was a distress sale, but James and Tracy didn't understand why the owner of the house sold it so cheap compared to it's worth. They didn't care to know , as they were satisfied with their soon_to_be house. Not knowing they were buying their own torments and death with their own money. They packed into the new house and everything seemed okay. Tracy began to complain that the house was too big for her to clean all by herself considering her condition. James had to employ a house help who assisted in cleaning and cooking, While Tracy lazied around . Everything seemed normally for a month before Tracy began to noticed some strange things in the house. One day , Tracy craved for ripe plantain, while she rejected the Jelof rice Gina the househelp cooked for dinner. After eating the quantity she could finish, she left the remaining one in the pot and went to bed. When she woke up the first place she went to was the kitchen because she was already very hungry. She was surprised to see an empty pot instead of her pot of ripe porridge plantain. "Shea na my eyes dey pain me abi na wetin???. Am sure there were leftovers of plantains in this pot.. Am sure, very very " She soliloquized. She opened the cupboard all she could see was empty pots. She opened the freezer but she could not find her plantain porridge. "Ginaaa!!!! She called, already annoyed and impatient. Gina came running to the kitchen. " Yes Ma!!. " Gina what are you doing this morning?? she asked. " Ma,am just arranging my room" Gina said. Tracy sighed . " I cooked plantain porridge just last night and am sure that I had leftovers from the food last night. I just woke up this morning to find out that someone has already eaten my food". She said bitterly as she bent the pot to reveal a dirty empty pot. "And I guess the person that did this must have been very hungry... the person finished using spoon and switched to hands. Look at how nicely scrubbed the pot is!!!". " Aahhh ma,I didn't eat your food ooo. After you finished cooking your porridge plantain ,I never stepped into the kitchen until now". Gina defended. Tracy was already boiling with anger coupled with the early morning hunger that was hitting her left,right,back and center. " So are you trying to tell me that my cooked plantains grew feather and legs overnight and boarded motor to Abuja , Abi?? Is that what you're trying to tell me Gina?? Or a ghost appeared from nowhere and ate my food ?? Because me I don't understand what happened to my food" Aahhh Madam , I swear I didn't touch your food talk more if eating it . I don't even know if you added Maggi or salt to it. " She pleaded innocently. Tracy sighed. " Where's my husband?? " Ma , he left few minutes ago . He said he wanted to pick few things from the grocery stores nearby" Tracy nodded slowly. " Make me a plate of custard with toasted bread and fried plantain. Please be fast.. am very hungry since my plantains grew wings and flew away". The incident repeated itself for three consecutive times . Tracy began to accuse Gina of waking up when everyone was asleep to eat the remaining meal in the pot. "Honey it's her. She's the one that has eating the remaining foods in the pot. You can't tell what I know " Tracy Pointed out when it became too obvious .She complained to James bitterly while Gina knelt down before her weeping. "Madam ,I didn't do such thing ,please believe me. Am not the one that use to finish the food in the pot" She protested. " If not you... then who Gina? " James asked " She's indirectly saying am the one !! " Tracy shouted in sarcasm. Gina cried bitterly. "Am not the one eating the food ... believe me. Am not, Oga Please " " I'll only believe you if you provide the culprit, if not you're leaving this house this minute. Gina rolled on the ground begging but Tracy paid deaf ears to her pleas as she went to Gina's room and brought out her bags and threw them outside. Gina left the house in tears. Gina was immediately replaced by another Househelp named Josephine. The next morning , after Josephine was employed same incident repeated itself. This time around , They saw piles of dirty dishes on the sink. "Madam , I washed this plates na before I went to bed. I just woke up this morning to see dirty plates and pots on the sick. The beans and soup I prepared yesterday has finished. I forgot to dish it into the freezer yesterday night, now the pots are empty" Josephine explained. Tracy was speechless and confused at same time. "Who could be doing this???. I thought that Gina was the culprit behind this. Now Gina is no longer her but still the same incident is stil it repeating itself. What's going on??? Tracy thought within her. " But Josephine are you sure that you're not the person that ate this food??? " Madam , how can only one person finish a full pot of soup and beans alone and still wake up in the morning strong and healthy and able to talk?? That's not possible naa. Besides I ate enough before I went to bed" Tracy sighed and left. " I think it's high time I stop leaving leftovers overnight, instead we package it into the freezer because I don't understand what's going on in this house. Or is it that a thief usually breaks into the kitchen to steal food to eat???. No no, because the doors and windows are well protected and locked at night " She soliloquized. She decided to go round the compound. She walked towards the backyard,there she saw a flower nursery situated at the edge of the compound . She was surprised because that was the first time she saw that nursery In the compound. Tracy went closer to take a look, the rose flowers looked like they were been taken care of each day. They looked so fresh and healthy. She decided to pluck a roses,but got pricked so badly by the thorns . Blood dripped from her index finger to the soft ,moist soil. As she pulled the flower closer to her nose to smell ,she sneezed uncontrollably. After taking few steps away,she heard cries from the nursery. A cry of a baby.. She turned around to see where it was coming from but the voice died down almost immediately. " Maybe am just imagining" she thought and left. Tracy didn't know what woke her up , as she stared at the wall clock opposite her, it was already 1:15 am. She was hearing cries of a baby afar off. She stood up and walked to the window to see what was happening but didn't see anything. Everywhere was very calm , but the noise was deafening. She had to wake her husband James up. " Baby please wake up" she tapped him softly. James woke up with a frown. " What's it?? Can't you see it's already late?. Why are you not sleeping by the way?? "". " Are you not hearing that sound?? " she asked frightened. " Which sound are you hearing?? " he asked. " The cry of a baby outside" she whispered. James hissed. " Am not hearing anything... maybe it's your imagination trying to play tricks on you" Let's go to bed " he tried to hold her. " Leave me joor, how can you tell me that you're not hearing the cries am hearing? something that is very loud" She said in annoyance. James yawned. " Babe am not hearing anything. But if you think you're hearing something, na you Sabi cause am going to bed". He backed her,covered himself with the duvet and dozed off. Tracy immediately laid down and held on to James tightly shaking with fear. She didn't even know when she fell asleep. Screams were heard coming from the kitchen early in the morning. James and Tracy ran out of their room to the kitchen, only To see Josephine squeezed in a tight corner in fear. "What's the matter with you? Why did you scream in such manner?" James inquired looking very angry. Josephine pointed her shaking hands towards the floor.. there were bloodstains on the floor and it seems like it was bloodstains from a wounded child crawling. Half of the plates on the plates rack were on the floor while some were broken ,and all the pots in the cupboard were all found on the floor. "Jesus Christ of Nazareth !!!!" Tracy screamed and feel on her husband who was quick enough to catch her. " What the meaning of this????" James looked around in confusion. " It seems like that person that use to steal food at night came and the person didn't find any leftover food, he then decided to turn everything upside down" Josephine suggested while wiping the strings of sweats surrounding her face. Tracy held her husband so close not willing to let go. "Clean up this mess... I'd see what I'll do about it" He then turned to his wife was already gained her strength. "Stop stressing yourself and my baby .. I'll assure you this nonsense won't repeat itself again". James went to work and Tracy already sent Josephine to the mall to pick things needed in the house so she was left all alone at home. She sat in the parlour enjoying her plate of fried meat. She had seven fried meats on her plate, she took one. After eating the first ones, she tried to take another one but discovered that the plate was empty. She rubbed her eyes and pinched her elbow to be sure she wasn't dreaming. "My meats.... My remaining six meats where did they go to? She soliloquized.
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