Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE — THE TRAGEDY
In the quiet village of Ikore, where mornings began with the crowing of roosters and the distant sounds of farmers heading toward their fields, there lived a family of four.
Pere was the father—a hardworking farmer and fisherman who rarely complained about how difficult life could be.
Judah, his wife, was equally hardworking. She cultivated crops, harvested them, and sold the produce at the market on market days.
Their greatest pride, however, was their twins.
Victor, their son, was energetic and adventurous, while Vivian, his sister, was observant, intelligent, and unusually sharp for her age.
They were poor, but they were happy.
Every morning, Vivian accompanied her mother to the farm, while Victor followed their father toward the river.
On a good day, each parent could make between five and seven thousand naira from their work. Whenever they returned home, the twins would carefully put three thousand naira each into their savings.
They called it “our future money.”
Sometimes Victor would count his savings and grin.
“One day, I’ll have enough money to buy a car.”
Vivian would laugh.
“You don’t even know how to drive.”
“I’ll learn.”
“You’ll probably crash it.”
“Then I’ll buy another one.”
Their parents would laugh whenever they overheard them.
Those ordinary moments meant everything to the family.
None of them knew how quickly they would disappear.
One evening, while Judah was sorting vegetables outside their small home, she suddenly stopped.
Her hand moved to her forehead.
“Judah?” Pere called from inside.
She quickly lowered her hand.
“I’m fine.”
Pere stepped outside.
“You don’t look fine.”
Judah smiled.
“It’s nothing. Just tiredness.”
Pere studied her face for another moment.
Then he nodded.
“Go and rest.”
Judah walked inside.
But before entering, she turned toward the farm.
For several seconds, she simply stared at it.
There was something in her expression that Pere didn’t understand.
Then she looked away.
The next morning, Judah woke before sunrise.
At first, she thought she was simply tired.
Then she tried to sit up.
A wave of weakness passed through her.
She reached for the edge of the bed.
Her hand trembled.
“Pere…”
Her husband, who was preparing for work, turned around.
“What’s wrong?”
Judah tried to answer, but her voice came out weak.
“I don’t feel well.”
Pere walked toward her.
He placed a hand against her forehead.
His expression immediately changed.
“You’re burning.”
Judah closed her eyes.
“I’ll be fine.”
“No. You’re staying home today.”
But Pere had already left for work earlier than usual before the twins fully understood how sick their mother had become.
Vivian was helping with the morning chores when she heard a strange sound from inside the house.
“Mama?”
There was no answer.
She ran inside.
Judah was sitting on the edge of the bed, struggling to stand.
“Mama!”
Vivian rushed toward her.
Judah tried to steady herself.
“I can’t…”
“What?”
“I can’t stand.”
Vivian’s heart dropped.
Victor came running.
“What happened?”
“Mama is sick!”
The twins exchanged frightened looks.
Their mother had always been strong.
She was the person who could work for hours without complaining.
Seeing her unable to stand terrified them.
“Go and get Papa,” Vivian said.
Victor nodded.
They ran.
“Papa! Papa! Papa!”
Pere turned around.
He saw the twins racing toward him, breathless.
“Mama is sick!” Vivian shouted.
Pere immediately dropped what he was carrying.
“What happened?”
Victor struggled to catch his breath.
“She woke up and said she couldn’t stand. Her body is very hot.”
Pere’s face changed.
“Take me home.”
He ran with them.
When Pere reached the house, he found Judah lying on the floor.
“Judah!”
He rushed to her.
She opened her eyes.
“Pere…”
“I’m here.”
He lifted her carefully.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get you help.”
But as Pere carried his wife outside, something caught Vivian’s attention.
For just a moment, she noticed a folded piece of paper beneath her mother’s pillow.
Vivian reached toward it.
Then Judah spoke.
“Vivian…”
She looked up.
“Yes, Mama?”
“Leave it.”
Vivian froze.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Judah closed her eyes.
Vivian stared at the pillow.
She didn’t understand.
But she obeyed.
For now.
Pere carried Judah to the village native doctor.
After examining her, the man became unusually quiet.
Pere noticed.
“What is it?”
The native doctor shook his head.
“I cannot treat this here.”
Pere’s heart sank.
“Then what should I do?”
“Take her to the hospital in the city. Immediately.”
Pere didn’t hesitate.
He hurried home, borrowed a cab from a friend, and carefully placed Judah inside.
Vivian and Victor wanted to go with them.
“No,” Pere said.
“Stay with the neighbours. I’ll bring your mother back.”
Vivian grabbed his hand.
“Papa…”
Pere looked at her.
“She’ll be okay, won’t she?”
For a moment, Pere couldn’t answer.
Then he forced a smile.
“She will.”
The cab disappeared down the road.
Vivian watched until it was out of sight.
She had never felt so afraid.
The journey to the city was long.
Judah lay quietly in the back seat.
Pere kept looking at her.
“Judah?”
No answer.
“Judah?”
He reached toward her.
Then he froze.
The cab driver glanced at him through the mirror.
“Sir?”
Pere’s voice trembled.
“Drive faster.”
They never reached the hospital.
Judah died on the journey.
Pere sat in silence for several moments, unable to understand what had happened.
Then the reality struck him.
His wife was gone.
The woman who had shared his struggles, raised his children, worked beside him, and built a life with him was no longer there.
He returned to Ikore carrying a grief too heavy for words.
The news spread quickly.
By evening, villagers had gathered around Pere’s home.
Women prepared food.
Elders offered prayers.
Neighbours brought gifts and provisions.
Everyone tried to help.
But nothing could fill the space Judah had left behind.
When darkness came, the villagers slowly returned to their homes.
Pere remained seated.
Victor and Vivian sat beside him.
None of them spoke.
Their house, which had once been filled with their mother’s voice, suddenly felt enormous.
And empty.
That night, the three of them cried.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just quietly.
As if none of them had enough strength left to make a sound.
Eventually, exhaustion forced the twins to sleep.
Pere remained awake.
He stared into the darkness.
Then his eyes fell upon Judah’s empty place beside him.
He remembered something she had said the previous evening.
“It’s nothing. Just tiredness.”
Pere frowned.
For some reason, those words suddenly felt different.
He couldn’t explain why, but a strange feeling settled inside him.
Something about Judah’s death didn’t feel like the end of a story.
It felt like the beginning of one.
