THE MURDER WEAPON

THE MURDER WEAPON EPISODE TWO

As I was lying on that bed but I had alot going on in my mind. What did Faruk have against Dukes that made him kiss his feet to a point of selling me out to him, why couldn't Faruk work with Dukes I mean Dukes knew everything I knew as far as crime, drugs and kill jobs were concerned, why me?

i turned and tossed, got up sat on the bed and lay down again. I was uneasy.

I tried to sleep that night but I couldn't as all I saw was a replay of Dukes falling on his knees and him taking his last breath. his eyes were wide open looking at me like he needed me to help but how, its not like i could blow life into him and Faruk was not going to let me do anything like saving his life because what he wanted most was to put me in a position where I had bo choice but to do just exactly what he wanted me to do.

i completely could not fall asleep so i got up and walked to the kitchen in my boxers and bare chest to get some water just so that i could cool off the heat that my body was generating out of the fear of everything that could go wrong. after all that tossing and turning when i hot back to bed, I eventually fell asleep at then I woke up very early the following morning to go for a run to clear my head. I had to think and think fast before the situation got out of hand with faruk pulling a "game over" card on me.

I got in my tracks and canvas shoes then had my earphones on as I jogged along the road heading to some open field that wasn't so far away from my place. When I got there, I found another guy who seemed to have brought his wife for a morning run and it's like they had a routine because I found them there on the two occasions I had been there.

I stretched a bit then started jogging and while at it, I couldn't help but hear the sound of gunshots in my head, the shots were louder than the music I was listening to, I had most of the murder's I had committed play in my head with the sound of people pleading for their lives and the thought that I pulled the trigger anyway made me stop jogging and break down in tears. I should have protected him,...If only I had done what Faruk wanted then maybe dukes would still be here.

My breakdown must have attracted the attention of the guy and his wife because they came up to me and asked if I was okay but i couldn't even answer them. my world was all over spinning with the voice of Dukes cry as he was falling. he begged Faruk to let him go, he said he would do anything for him as long as he didn't take his life and i thought Faruk would listen until he pulled that trigger that left me believing i killed my friend. if only i had agreed to do what Milan wanted, maybe things would have been different and Dukes would still be here. All my life I had never been this emotional and maybe this came about after being hit by the reality that the one person I was left with, the one person I could talk to about anything, the one person that encouraged and had my back all the time was gunned down the previous night right in front of me as I watched.

The guy and his wife talked to me for a while then I decided to leave them and go back home. Despite everything, I had to go to Duke's home because I had received a text from his mum telling me that Dukes was missing. I pretended not to know what had happened and promised to go help her search for her son. Duke's mum was a single mother and Dukes was her only son so if I wasn't going to tell her what happened to her son, it's because I didn't think she could handle it.

I got home at around 7:00am, I took a shower, had some tea and left at around 8:00am. Dukes' mum lived in a different estate from ours so I had to board a bus and ride for around 15 minutes to her place.

Twenty minutes later I was at her door and when I knocked, someone else opened, ot was Dukes' mum and when she saw me, she started crying stretching her hand to me so I took it and sat next to her trying to calm her down .

Me: what is it ma?

Sabrina: my son is dead, he is dead Rahim. your friend is dead..

Me: what do you mean by he is dead?

I asked looking around and getting up to check in his room if he wasn't really there. Even though Dukes had his house, his mum had always preserved a room for him and whenever we came around, we would crash there.

"Dukes!" I called but there was no response, I walked to the kitchen but there was no one there.

Me: no! no! no! no! noooooooo! This can't be happening. I spoke to him yesterday!

Sabrina: you did?

Me: yes, and he was just fine. What happened to him?

She narrated how her son's body was found with a gun shot wound in his chest and we mourned. Duke's was a man of many guys so the news about his death spread so fast and within a few hours the house was full but having a swimming lessons to teach, I had to excuse myself to attend to other things or maybe I was just running away from reality.

I said goodbye to Duke's mum and the few friends we shared then headed out with one of our friends who decided to walk me to the bus stop to catch a bus. The guy and I talked a bit and when we got to the bus stop we parted ways.

My normal routine starts with a jog then I check on my business in town. I own a barber shop and a spar that is doing so well but with the type of life I was living, I had to let someone else manage the place as I did other things. After making sure everything was in place, I left the spar for the pool to teach guys how to swim with most of my clients being children and female but mostly female college students.

I got to the pool at around 12:00pm so I changed and did a few moves as I waited for guys to start checking in and being a weekend I knew the place would be packed. See, after I stopped being a gangster, I had to choose another way of life and I also wanted to be as simple as an ordinary guy my age. I enrolled in a college in town then got myself a life saver/swim coach job in one of the big hotels.

The day was slow with not many people to coach as most of my students were now able to do the basics so mine was just to watch from a distance ensuring that no one drowned. From the edge of the pool where I was, I could see a lady who was just seated alone. The truth is her beauty ignited some spark in me and all over sudden my attention was drawn to her.

I didn't know why I felt the need to talk to her but with me, if I wanted something I got it. That's just how I was created and one thing I thank God for is my good looks that talked for me alot more than my mouth did. I swam towards the babe and when I got to where she was, I pulled myself up and sat beside her.

Me: let me guess, you really love water but you don't know how to swim?.

She looked at me and smiled briefly then looked away without saying a word.

Me: or maybe not. Hey, my name is Rahim.

I said catching up to her and she turned and looked at me but stayed quiet for a while as if she was thinking about something.

Me: it's abit awkward that am talking to myself don't you think?

she smiled again then looked around and announced her name..

"am waridi"

She said trying not to give me so much of her time. she tied her hair back then wore her sandals that she had left by the pool.

Me: waridi, nice name, beautiful just like you are.

Waridi: so what's your angle?

she asked walking towards the pool and I followed her because i was really interested in getting to know her.

Me: my angle?

Waridi: yeah, everyone has an angle, what do you want?

Me: a match with you, let's swim.

Waridi: I am not interested.

Me: then perhaps you could be interested in a hot cup of tea later in the evening?

Waridi: I have work later. Listen, am not the type of person you would like to take for tea or even seat down at a table with.

Me: why,... are you a serial killer?

i asked jokingly and she smiled then shook her head.

Me: if you are not a serial killer then I can handle anything else. So how about we have that tea or coffee then I see you off to work. I will get changed then meet you shortly?

Waridi: you wouldn't take no for an answer would you?

Me: nope. I will call the Uber.

Waridi: don't bother, I have a car.

Me: ooh, okay!

I don't know why waridi having a car came to me as a surprise. She was young maybe in her mid twenties and she already had a car. Why did she say she wasn't the type of a person I would want to hang out with?

Men can be weird at times and I didn't care what it was I was feeling at the moment but all I knew was that I wanted to get to know this girl.

I got done at the changing room then went to the reception to wait for her from there as female had alot of things to do so I assumed she was putting on some make up and stuff but the truth is, she was just beautiful the way she was.

As I was waiting for her, some girls I had coached before came around and started flirting with me pretending to ask me questions about swimming with another saying how sexy and masculine I was and one even touched my arm and the thing is, I was enjoying all that attention untill Waridi showed up and she was like "babe are you coming or not?"

I excused myself from my so called admirers and rushed towards her. She opened the door to the car and got in and so did I.

Me: nice car

Waridi: thanks

Me: babe huh?

Waridi: I needed to call you and I had forgotten your name.

Me: it's Rahim

She smiled and drove off....

We drove for a while trying to find a good place and since I was the one treating her, i let her pick the place of her choice.

We talked for a while inside the car as she drove and even though she didn't tell me much about herself, I knew there was something breath taking about her besides her beauty.

We got to a restaurant and after she parked the car, we got in side by side and took a table by the far end of the room. I pulled her a chair and sat across her. She looked up and met my gaze then she smiled as she took the menu and read through it stealing a glance or two over the menu. Her smile made me feel like she was going to order everything in the kitchen then watch my face turn red for not having enough money, I know girls and how they treat you if they want to say no to you in a polite way. They just embarrass you and you won't have a reason to come back.

A few minutes later one of the waitress' came to take our orders and we both ordered food. Now another way for a girl to tell if you are broke is when she orders real food and you are like. "Can I have some water" I was a man interested in this beautiful woman and I had to show her that I was capable of taking care of the situation.

Waridi: thank you for this though I have never gone on a date with someone the first day I met them.

Me: that makes two of us, I guess we have something in common though I felt like you were a bit down and needed someone to cheer you up.

Waridi: you did?

Me: had been watching you for sometime and I knew something was bothering you so I had to find a way.

Waridi: interesting, so you do this to all the girls you think are bothered by something and need to talk about it?

Me: no. Just special ones with attractive smiles that pulls me towards them like a magnet.

I saw that heart warming smile on her face again.

Waridi: nice, I can see you have your way with words but whatever this is, it ends here.

Me: why, am I that ugly?

Waridi: no, you are cute and that is also a problem.

Me: tell me about it.

Waridi: let's forget about that. Tell me about yourself instead.

Me: ask what would you wish to know.

Waridi: are you employed at the pool?

Me: yeah

Waridi: like you work there the whole day?

Me: yes.

Waridi: so what exactly do you do?

Me: I coach wanna be swimmers and am also a life saver. I make sure everyone who enters the pool comes out safe and alive.

Waridi: mmmh, the guys who drown in the pool, is it normally the "I do not know how to swim but I can try" kind of a situation or what normally happens?

Me: not necessarily but that could be one of the reasons though besides that, someone can get muscle pull while in the water and the pain doesn't allow you to pull yourself out while others it's suicide. I have had several cases but my work is to be Keen enough to notice that before the damage is done.

She nodded and almost immediately our foods were brought and set in front of us. Waridi said a short prayer as I watched her then dived in her food like she hadn't eaten for days and that's something that left me staring.

Waridi: I hope you don't mind, I need to be at work in the next hour.

Me: no need for apologies, you did nothing wrong.

Waridi: you seemed surprised but no need to worry, am not a glutton.

I assured her that I wasn't there to judge her so we ate, had some wine, talked some more and laughed. Waridi was fun to be around, I don't know if it's because i hadn't dated for a while or I had forgotten what it felt like to go out but I enjoyed her company.

I asked what she did for a living and she told me she worked in a club then all over sudden her moods changed more like she didn't want to talk about it... I could tell that she wasn't proud of her job but I wasn't going to ask more questions like what she really did at the club for I did not want to ruin the already beautiful evening so I decided to wait till she was comfortable enough to tell me what was going on with her assuming there would be a next time for us.

Me: so why didn't you feel like talking to me at the pool?

Waridi: I though by keeping quiet you would leave me alone. I just needed to be in a different environment so I thought swimming would do.

Me: but you were barely in the water.

Waridi: that's because I don't know how to swim.

she said shamefully covering her face then letting out a beautiful smile.. i loved how she smiled, I thought it was beautiful. don't get me wrong, i had seen girls before but Waridi's beauty got me smitten for a minute.

Me: I knew it!

She looked up at me and shook her head.

Me: I could give you lessons if you want.

Waridi: are you sure you want to deal with me?

Me: yeah, you don't look complicated, are you?

Waridi: no, but tell me, how much would that cost me?

Me: nothing. Just another date.

Waridi: I can't afford that.

Me: huh?

She avoided eye contact and looked at her plate the entire time checking her phone once in a while like she was expecting some important call from someone important..

When we were done eating, the waitress brought the bill and set it before me so i picked it took a look at it and pretended to be so freaked out on the amount we had used.

Me: oh my God!

She looked up from her phone and stared at me for a few seconds.

Waridi: are you okay?

I didn't respond but took a mouthful of water then looked at the bill again scratching my head a bit.

Waridi: what's going on?

Me: it's the bill. Am sorry but I don't have that kind of money on me right now..

Waridi: are you kidding me?

she asked looking shocked but at the same time trying to act like she was okay.

Me: no am not.

She looked around and a few guys already had their attention drawn to us so to avoid the embarrassment she took the bill and looked at it then signalled the waiter.

Waridi: I will take care of it.

Me: are you sure?

Waridi: yeah, I will take care of it...