25/07/2026
The Tears of a Village Maid — Episode 15
The night grew darker, but the atmosphere outside Aunty Beatrice’s restaurant remained warm and cheerful. Chika smiled gently as Emmanuel shared stories about his apprenticeship days, his laughter lighting up the dim street. But a sudden, cold shiver ran down Chika’s spine—that instinct of danger she had developed during her painful days in Nkiru’s house.
She glanced casually across the street. The dark sedan was still sitting there, its engine idling silently in the shadows.
"Emmanuel," Chika whispered, her voice tightening with fear as she put down her drink. "Look at that black car over there. It has been parked there for a long time, and the driver hasn't stepped out once."
Emmanuel turned his head slowly to look. As a mechanic who worked late nights near busy roads, he knew when something was wrong. The dark tinted glass, the lack of license plates, and the strange position of the car set off alarm bells in his mind.
"Stay behind me, Chika," Emmanuel instructed quietly, standing up and shielding her with his body. "Let's head inside right now."
Just as they turned to walk toward the safety of the restaurant, the heavy doors of the dark sedan swung open. Two tall, heavily built men stepped out into the night. The man with the deep scar across his cheek pulled a long, glinting metal pipe from under his jacket, his eyes locked onto Chika like a predator.
"Hey! Girl!" the scarred man barked, marching aggressively across the street toward them. "Come here!"
Chika gasped, terror gripping her chest as recognition dawned on her. These were not random street thugs—their calculated movements meant someone had sent them specifically for her. Nkiru.
"Chika, run inside! Lock the door!" Emmanuel shouted, shoving her toward the entrance while turning to face the oncoming men. He grabbed a heavy iron wrench from his back pocket, his eyes burning with protective fury.
"Out of the way, young man, unless you want your blood on this pavement!" the scarred thug snarled, raising the metal pipe to strike Emmanuel.
Emmanuel dodged the incoming blow with lightning speed, swinging his heavy wrench and striking the thug hard on his arm. The thug howled in pain, dropping the metal pipe onto the hard asphalt. But the second attacker lunged forward, tackling Emmanuel to the ground.
"Emmanuel!" Chika screamed from the doorway, her tears falling fast. She couldn't leave him to die for her sake. Driven by courage she didn't know she possessed, Chika grabbed a heavy wooden mortar sitting near the kitchen entrance and threw it with all her strength at the second attacker, hitting him square in the back.
The man stumbled forward, giving Emmanuel enough time to break free, leap to his feet, and blow a loud, shrill whistle he used for emergencies at his garage.
Within seconds, shouts echoed down the avenue. Emmanuel's mechanic apprentices and nearby street vendors, hearing the distress whistle, came rushing out holding iron rods, wooden planks, and flashlights.
"Hold them! Thieves!" the crowd roared, charging toward the scene.
Seeing that they were completely outnumbered, the two thugs panicked. "Let's get out of here!" the scarred man yelled, scrambling back toward the black sedan. They jumped into the car, reversed violently, and sped off into the dark night, tires screeching wildly.
The street went quiet, save for the heavy breathing of the crowd. Emmanuel rushed over to Chika, who was trembling violently against the doorframe, her hands covered in cold sweat.
"Are you hurt? Did they touch you?" Emmanuel asked anxiously, taking her shaking hands into his own.
"I... I am fine," Chika sobbed, collapsing against his chest as the terror washed over her. "It's my sister, Emmanuel... she wants me dead. She will never stop until I am gone!"
Aunty Beatrice came rushing out, her face pale after witnessing the chaotic fight. She put a firm, protective arm around Chika's fragile shoulders. "Not in my house," Aunty Beatrice said fiercely, her voice thick with righteous anger. "Tomorrow morning, we are going to Chief Greg. It is time he knows what his evil ex-wife is doing, and we are putting an end to this madness once and for all!"
Will Chief Greg be able to protect Chika and put Nkiru behind bars before she strikes again? Find out in Episode 16!
