THE EVIL TEDDY Episode 17 – The Mystery Man
“Lilley you have to go with your aunt and the police men to pick your cousins from the air port , they’re coming to Nigeria for the holiday.” Grandma Rose said to Lilley ,Lilley stood up from the dinning table.
“No grandma ,why do I have to go ? I just want to be at home .” Lilley said Rose glared at her angrily. “Why ? because I said you should , and you would.” She insisted,Lilley left the dinning table with her brother and went up to her room and locked herself .
From her window she could see Rebecca drive into the compound, she had come with her white Range Rover Sport, she had the white and black .
“Lilley aunt Becky is here .” Edward said innocently, Lilley ignored her and remained in bed. “Lilley I want to go and meet aunt Becky .” Edward said .
“Just shut up your mouth and lie down on the bed .” Lilly said angrily. “But Lilley I don’t want to stay here , I want to go and meet Nanny Onyinye.” The boy kept crying , Lilley opened the door . “Now go out of my room.” Lilley ordered her brother , he went outside the room.
“Lilley come with me ?” Edward cried Lilley shut the door and threw herself on her bed . Rebecca came to her door and knocked over ten times , Lilley lay on bed, watching her knock , she didn’t get up to answer her .
“Lilley is something else , I am just tired of that girl , she’s too stubborn .” Lilley could hear her grandmother’s voice from the corridor away ,she hissed and remained in bed , soon a black GMC SUV with a white Hilux truck drove out of the compound , Lilley remained in her bed ,Eddie lay next to her , she wished she could dispose off the beast , but she was already Eddie’s prisoner .
Two hours later the SUV drove into the compound, Lilley looked out through the window , she hated Betty her cousin , she always felt her the world belonged to her , because her father was the first son of the senator and head to his companies around the world ,she felt somebody standing beside her while she gazed at her aunt and cousins downstairs , she turned to see Eddie beside her , Lilley pushed Eddie away .
“Leave me alone Eddie .” Lilley said as she returned to her bed and lay down . “Oh Lilley my friend I cannot leave you alone .” Eddie said , Lilley seemed not to be scared of him .
“I am not your friend Eddie, I hate you , I just wish you would die !” Lilley barked , Eddie chuckled . “I am already dead Lilley , I cannot die , but your mother isn’t dead , she can still die .” Eddie said , Lilley read the threat.
“Leave my mother alone Eddie I hate you!” Lilley cried Eddie laughed until it rolled down down from the bed . “When I helped you deal with your enemies , you loved me .” Lilley was almost bursting up in anger . “Eddie you’re mad , I didn’t ask you to kill anyone for me!” Lilley held her by the neck and lifted her up , he put her hands against the wall .
“You cannot talk to me just anyhow you want , I have the power to blend you into smoothies, when I say you go , that’s just what you do.” Eddie chuckled and lay down on the bed , it became lifeless again.
The Nanny came to Lilley’s door in the evening to invite her for dinner , she went down with a grumpy look on her face ,she went to the dinning table , her extended family was sitted around the table talking and laughing .
“See who is here .” Betty said with a strong American accent . “The crazy girl .” She laughed , Lilley glared at her , she wished she could climbed over the table and drag her around the house .”Better don’t call your cousin that .” Senator Boniface blurted.
“Am sorry grandpa .”Betty said with a feigned sorry look , Lilley could still see the smile curved around her lips .
“Lilley won’t you welcome your cousins ?” Grandma Rose said , Lilley coughed, a grain of rice travelled into her nose . “Why should I?” she asked . “Because you’ve not seen them for five years,and they travelled from America down to Nigeria.” Rose said , Lilley rolled her eyes at them .
“Welcome Derek welcome Betty .” she hissed . “That’s !more like it , even though she couldn’t open her mouth properly.” Betty teased her cousin , Lilley ignored her , she rushed through her food and climbed up into her lair .
The holiday was hell for Lilley , Betty made it so , she would only want to watch the television when she sees Lilley sitting in front of the television.
“Lilley give me the remote I want to watch Nickelodeon, I don’t know what you’re watching in this boring African movies .” Betty barked.
“Why would I give you the remote ? You met me here watching the television, why would I give you the remote .” Lilley asked. “Because I said so , and if you don’t give it to me , I’ll report you to grandma .So the choice is yours to make crazy girl .” Betty replied with a smirk on her face , Lilley would smiled and shook her head , Derek didn’t like how her sister was bullying Lilley .
“Betty why are you being a pain in the arse? she was here before you ,why are you disturbing Lilley.” Derek cautioned his sister . “shut up you sister betrayer , she’s the enemy , I am your sister .” Betty said as she got into the same couch Lilley had just vacated . A few times Betty had reported her to her grandmother, Lilley was yelled at by her grandmother, she was praying each night for her parents to return .
Becky told her mum was getting better , that she would soon wake up and tell the court who attacked her and her dad would be out of prison , Lilley knew Becky was just being nice to her , telling her things thus would calm her mind ,she had been telling her same story for over two months , whenever she visited her mum she ended up crying , Edward would be crying and wanting to climb on Jessica , the tubes covering her nose and mouth were the only way she was surviving.
Derrick was passing outside Lilley’s room when he heard her sniffling cries , he stood outside the door and gently knocked on the door , Lilley was quiet wishing for whoever it was to go away ,but Derrick remained after a while he knocked again , Lilley came to the door and opened the lock , she went back to her bed .
“Hey Lilley I was passing, I heard your cry so I decided to come…” Lilley had wiped the tears from her eyes . “Am fine Derrick you should go before Beatrice sees you here .” Lilley said , her door creaked open and her three years old brother was at the door .
“Lilley I’m hungry .” he said as he climbed the bed . Lilley held him against her chest . “Lilley stop crying you should go out so you won’t be crying all the time , you know crying won’t solve your problems? when my mum died of cancer we cried for so long ,daddy told us not to cry anymore, because if God didn’t want her to come he wouldn’t take her . Your mummy will be fine .” Derrick said , when mentioned mummy Edward began to cry .
“I want mummy , Lilly I want mummy .” he began to cry , Lilley didn’t know how to pacify him , his nanny came into the room and take him away . “I know Derrick I won’t cry anymore, it’s just that it’s so hard living without them , it’s so lonely here .” Lilley said wiping the tears from her eyes .
“Can you swim ?” Derrick asked Lilley trying to change the trajectory of their discussion, Lilley calmly shook her head . “I can teach you how to swim , I thought Betty.” he said , Lilley’s face lighted up with Joy .
“Okay when do we start ?” Lilley asked . “Maybe we start this weekend ,I’ll teach you how to swim ,you should know how to .” Just then Betty walked into the room .
“No you would do no such thing , I dare you , she’s my enemy so she’s your enemy too because you are my twin brother !.”Betty barked at her brother .”Something must be wrong with your coconut head ! I’m not your you , do whatever You’ll do on your own , count me out .” He stepped out of Lilley’s room .
“So you want to steal my brother from me ? crazy weirdo who at the age of twelve still has a teddy on their bed ! give me that stupid bear!” ” Betty barked walking near Lilley’s bed , she grabbed the heavy Teddy bear and snatched it from the bed . “Don’t touch Eddie! stop don’t touch him!” Lilley fought with her cousin , Betty dragged Eddie to the ground , she held him by one of his hands and ran out of the room , Lilley chased after her .
“You don’t know what you’re doing Beatrice return my Teddy!” Betty ignored Lilley she kept dragging Eddie down the stairs , bumping it on the steps Eddie opened his eyes and glazed at the girl . “Stop it! give me my teddy!” Betty kept laughing as she dragged Eddie around the sitting room .
“Betty what do you think you are doing !” Rose screamed at her granddaughter, she was startled and dropped the Teddy on the ground . “That’s wrong of you , don’t do that again , now tell your sister sorry .” Grandma Rose said , Betty stared at Lilley from heads to toes.
“No I won’t tell her sorry ! she should stay away from my brother!” Betty said before running up the stairs ,Lilley grabbed her teddy with both hands and climbed back into her room , she couldn’t wait for Betty to leave .
At the dinning table that evening Betty went to war , she sat next to Lilley , she would be talking to her grandfather who was sitting at the head of the table while she stepped on Lilley who was sitting to her right , Lilley wasn’t comfortable throughout the whole dinner , grandma Rose saw her discomfort.
“Lilley are you okay ? is the food not good ?” She asked Lilley couldn’t say a word , she kept staring the chicken in her white stew rice , without courage to lift it into her mouth .
“Come on Lilley eat some spoons .” Rose said Lilley ignored her , when she had taken enough from Betty who kept kicking her legs under the table , she yelled at her . “Why won’t you leave me alone Betty! I hate you go back to your America!” Lilley barked and pushed her plate of rice off the table it crashed to the tiled ground and broke I’m splinters of a thousand pieces , the seeds of rice dumped up and down like tiny basket balls, she was crying as she climbed the stairs, her grandparents were stunned, the house keeper was called to clean the mess .
“Betty what did you do to her ?” Grandma Rose asked . ” Let her go your granddaughter Lilley is a drama queen .” The senator said .
“Betty what did you do to her ?” Rose ignored her husband and asked her grandchild again . “Grandma Lilley is a weirdo , I don’t know if the harmattan is affecting her head ?” Betty said , she was laughing under her breath , Lilley stomped into her room and began to cry .
That weekend Derrick called Lilley for their swimming class , they dove into the massive pool with sky
blue tiles , Derrick was teaching Lilley her to move around the water when his sister approached them .
“Derrick what did I told you about Lilley ? you’re teaching her ?” She barked , Derrick ignored her . “Lilley move your hand this way like a fish , then slap your legs one at a time on the water .” He focused on his coaching duties . “Derrick am talking to you!” she screamed angrily . “Get out of the water !” She barked .
“Do you think you’re my mother ? you cannot tell me anything!” He barked at her , she went inside the house and got her swimsuit, then dove into the water , she began fighting with Lilley inside the water , Lilley almost drown in the water that evening , Derrick helped her out of the water , Betty felt triumphant , she enjoyed the tranquility alone as Lilley and Derrick went into the house .”
