The alarm clock vibrated indicating that it was morning. Aderonke groaned and tried to get up but was pulled back into bed by the strong force of Wale's muscular arm wrapped around her waist.

"Please go back to bed. It's just 6am."Wale muttered groggily, his grip harder than usual.

"Don't try to pretend that you are all caring just because I didn't refuse you sex last night. It still hurts." Aderonke replied as she held on to her husband's chin.

"I already apologized, I am just so tired of everything. Last week, you were sweet, kind and you had your anger management in check. But ever since Bimbo's demise, you completely changed into someone I don't recognize anymore. I want the woman I married eighteen years ago." Wale pleaded as he rubbed his eyes between intervals.

"I can't be the same anymore, her death shattered me. I know my daughter, she's not wayward and she's not the kind to keep secrets either. I don't understand why it's so easy for you to take it lightly?" Aderonke responded as she dragged the bedsheets away from her body.

"My daughter was a gentle soul, she never hid secrets from me. It's hard to believe that she was ripped away from me." Aderonke cried as she buried her head into the sheets.

"Everyone has their own way of dealing with their pain, I know you can't recover from this but stop taking it out on innocent people." Wale pressed on as he banged the bed lightly.

"Innocent people? I don't think you are ready to listen to me, please don't blame me for other people's transgressions." Aderonke retorted, as she got down from the bed.

"You have started again. Can't we just have five minutes of a normal conversation without arguing? You are beginning to get on my nerves." Wale muttered as he dipped his body in the bed.

"Likewise, anyways I am going out." Aderonke replied as she removed a big blue towel from the wardrobe.

"Where are you going to? You know you can't drive with your emotional imbalance. Just stay at home." Wale begged as he scooted closer to the other side of the bed.

"Where I go is none of your business, I need the keys to the your Lexus jeep. My cars aren't as fast as yours." Aderonke muttered as he removed her nightgown.

"I am not giving you my car until you tell me where you are headed at 6am in the morning." Wale deadpanned as he placed a large hand on his robust cheek.

"You don't want to give me your car? I will take mine, so you can gobble up your precious car with wine." Aderonke retorted sarcastically with a chuckle.

"Alright, you can take the car but ensure it doesn't have a single scratch." Wale concluded as he raised his arms in defeat.

"Thank you darling." Aderonke playfully responded as she placed a kiss on his forehead.

"So am I forgiven?" Wale muttered groggily as he placed little kisses on his wife's tender lips.

"Of course not, You expected me to just forget about it because of the little bribe you gave me willingly." Aderonke laughed as she wore her bathroom slippers hurriedly.

"Women will always be women." Wale scoffed as he yawned.

"The key is at the top dresser over there." Wale added as he gesticulated with his hands.

"I love you." Aderonke yelled as she bolted the bathroom door.

*******

Aderonke drove recklessly and angrily, screaming at every okada rider who kept popping in front of her car.

"Are you mad? Do you want to ruin my car? It's not your fault. Your life is already ruined." Aderonke yelled as she rolled down the glass window.

"That's why Nigeria will never move forward, okada riders should be banned." Aderonke muttered as she pressed the accelerator angrily.

Aderonke reached her destination and smiled. The school premises was full and bustling with parents ready to drop their children at school. Aderonke sighed heavily and began to sob. She recalled and imagined Bimbo in the passenger's seat when she was still a toddler. She remembered how gentle and obedient her daughter was, the conception that she had lost a child made her to cry louder.

Aderonke hesitated before opening the car door, she puffed up her chest and licked her dry lips. She scanned the school compound as she walked, she also refused to acknowledge any greetings from the teachers.

Aderonke entered her daughter's classroom and met the teacher leaning on the blackboard giving the students lessons. Her eyes caught her prey and she cleared her throat to get the attention of the teacher.

"Hello Mrs Williams, how may I help you?" The teacher said as she dropped her hand resting on the board.

"I am here to collect my late daughter's friends. I need them urgently." Aderonke stated as she gave off a sly grin.

"I don't think that's possible, you need a pass from the principal and you also need to contact their parents." The teacher replied, nodding her head in disagreement.

"Oakland High School is a organized school and these children are preparing for their final examinations so I can't heed to your request madam." The teacher added as she leaned on a nearby table.

"Then I have no option but to drop the scholarship grants I give this school every year." Aderonke whispered as she advanced towards the teacher. The students felt the tension oozing as they muttered incoherent words.

"I beg your pardon ma?" The teacher replied, perplexed by the current situation.

"Let me remind you, every year I give this school a bus for the student's excursions, I fund the school's programmes. I fund the school's sport team. I also fund the school cafeteria, so before you speak, look at me properly. You are before Aderonke Williams." Aderonke replied as she patted the teacher's right shoulder.

"Sade, Mercy and Bola. Please stand up and follow Mrs Williams. I'll ensure you get the remaining lesson notes from your classmates." The teacher stated as she motioned with her hands, her facial outlook pierced by defeat.

"I am glad we could agree on this simple situation." Aderonke winked as she removed her sunglasses.

*********

"I am so sorry for your loss ma, I really miss Bimbo so much." Sade said as the car kicked into locomotion. That was the first statement that was being spoken since the quado entered the car.

"Of course, you are." Aderonke replied sarcastically as she gripped the steering wheel tighter. The sheer knowledge that her daughter's murderers were sitting at the back of her car gave her the willingness to drive faster. She stared at the teenagers through the mirror and their relaxed auora baffled and chilled her spines simultaneously.

Aderonke swerved and took a sharp bend which emitted a raspy sound from the car.

"Unfortunate children." Aderonke muttered as she shuffled pills of mint into her mouth.

"Excuse me ma? Are you referring to us?" Bola asked as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"I wasn't referring to any of you, it was just a statement I said out of reflex. You girls are beautiful and well brought up." Aderonke lied amidst gritting her teeth in agony.

"We need to go back to school, our parents would be angry seeing us with you without their permission." Mercy begged calmly as she glided her hands together in harmony.

"Will you shut that hole you call a mouth? I don't want to hear a single word in this car from anyone." Aderonke retorted as she squeezed her brows in annoyance.

The drive felt slow and thick with tension and the wind was shrill and calm but Aderonke's heart was pounding rapidly and growing with hatred as the seconds went by.

Aderonke began to slow down the pace of the car as she drove into the police station.

"We didn't do anything ma. Why are we in the police station?" Sade cried as her hands vibrated with fear.

"Was I supposed to take you to the mall? Don't act stupid." Aderonke screamed as she shot the young girl a death look.

"Now get out of my car and move." Aderonke added as she opened the door.

Aderonke pushed the girls into the station admist their cry of innocence. She spotted a female officer laughing at the counter who felt familiar on sighting her. The vivid realization of the officer made her to bite her bottom lip.

"Good afternoon ma, what are you doing here and who are these lovely children?" Ada chuckled as she advanced slowly, her hips jiggling with each step taken.

"These are the suspects I told you about, since you couldn't do your job. I guess it's mine as a bereaved parent." Aderonke replied harshly as she twirled her sunglasses between two fingers.

"Why would you bring these children to the police station? This is uncalled for, they should be in school." Ada began as she turned her gaze towards the trembling girls who shook like a tree in the rain.

"No, they should be here. They are the reason why my daughter is dead and I won't allow anyone to cover it up." Aderonke yelled as she pointed her fingers towards the girls who hid behind Ada.

"These girls are innocent, you can't just come in here and try to teach me how to do my job. I understand you are upset and uptight about all this. But you need to channel your venomous anger somewhere else. Go home and punch a wall, scream into your pillow and bite anyone you wish but it won't bring back your daughter."

"And now I request that you withdraw your assistance from this investigation because clearly it's not needed anymore. Your anger management is completely off and I think you are just a ticking bomb waiting to be exploded. You think you are tough? With all due respect madam, I am the toughest woman alive." Ada replied bravely as she stood eye to eye with Aderonke.

"Who are you? Is this how you speak to your elders? I can't believe-" Aderonke started but was startled when a stiff rough hand tapped her left shoulder rudely.

"I didn't know it was you Aderonke, but I was scared when the principal called that my daughter, Sade was in the police station. I think you should inform me before taking such drastic action. I am really sorry about your loss." Imade replied gently as she reached to comfort Aderonke.

"And who are you?" Aderonke hissed as she shifted her body, irritated by the contact.

"Why are you pretending not to know me? I just came here to check up on the situation. There's no need to be angry about that." Imade shrugged as she patted her hands on her black pleated skirt.

"Isn't it the mother of a murderer? I think you also need to investigate her. Your daughter and her friends can't be bailed out of this situation." Aderonke replied brashly as she turned her face towards a shocked Ada.

"My daughter isn't a murderer and same goes for her friends. Why are you vomiting such vugular words from your lips? You were always aware of their friendship from a tender age, why are you castigating it now?" Imade enquired as she took in her surroundings, her face dumbstruck at Aderonke's words.

"I warned your daughter and her friends to stay away from Bimbo but they didn't listen, probably if they had a functional listening ear, maybe my daughter would still be alive and breathing." Aderonke spat as each word spoken shook her body.

"This is not the right place to be exchanging words so I suggest we go to my office and settle this amicably." Ada pleaded as she stepped in between the bloodthirsty women.

The police station was now crowded with people ready to listen to gossip. The officers at the counter also joined as the drama fed their eyes like a full course meal.

"I won't accept you insulting these God fearing children, for goodness's sake we are both christians. You should know better than to accuse people without any proof or solid evidence." Imade yelled as she pushed Ada away to gain access to Aderonke.

"Girls, let's go back to your school. I am sorry you had to see this unnecessary argument." Imade added as she beckoned to the girls to follow her out of the station.

Aderonke's next words that spilled out of her lips caused Ada to once again step in front of Imade to avoid a disastrous fight.

"And who told you christians can't kill?"

~Words once spoken can't be withdrawn~