FOR THE LOVE OF MAURICE

Who killed Maurice

That was the question on everyone's lips.

You wouldn't believe the glory sight that layed before her mother -sarah as she stood in front of the thick bush. She had to weave through the crowd to see what everyone was looking at.

It was a girl, all her genitals were cut off and her head was no where to be found.

sarah looked at the girl's lap and noticed a birthmark, a terrifying chill ran down her spine.

It was the same birthmark as her daughter; her only daughter who had been missing for three days. Just then it occurred to her; the person lying naked, beheaded and without genitals was actually her daughter!

"Ahh!" She screamed, crashing into the muddy ground.

"Who has done this to my daughter? My only child!" She wailed, washing herself in the dirt.

"Jesus! Madam na your pikin?" One woman who sells fish asked with concern.

"I said it,I said it ain't that Maurice," it was the voice of one of her husband's friends. He was among those who tore the bush in search of the repugnant smell coming from it.

"damn "That fine girl." One lady added.

Tears raced down her eyes. Indeed Maurice was beautiful, a miracle to Sarah and her husband. If only you knew the length they went just to get a child.

Where didn't they go? Which church didn't they attend in a fruitless search for a miracle. Still, there was no result. Sarah had to accept her fate that she was a barren woman who couldn't bring forth a child for her husband.

Still her mother in law didn't relent in adding salt to her injury. She was hell bent on making sure her son gets married to a new wife.

Sarah was just very lucky. God smiled on her when all hope was lost and gave her a child.

She couldn't believe it when she got pregnant. It was extremely shocking, unexpected, the chances were one in a million. But she finally bore a child.

Sarah had smiled at her husband and said in a mild tone, we will name her "Maurice," because now I truly feel ALIVE.

Maurice was endowed with beauty, she was just seventeen and about turning eighteen in a week time. Even at that age, this girl looked like a goddess. She was light skinned, just like her mother. One would get lost in Maurice's eyes, they were a dazzle with wonder. She always wore a smile that was beyond heavenly.

A natural beauty, that was Maurice. One of the hardest thing to do is to not get lost in staring at such artistic work of the creator. Perhaps, he was showing off when he sculpted such beauty.

Sarah cherished Maurice, her daughter had become her heartthrob. She was closer to her even more than the love of her life; her husband – Dylan.

The couple lavished the little they had on their daughter. Don't get me wrong, they weren't poor. They were the average classed, everyday citizen. They could afford three square meals, pay the bills and afford rent in a conducive apartment.

They gave Maurice love, care and attention. Just like one would treat an egg. Whatever was in their reach they got for her, and even though she was turning into a spoilt brat they didn't mind.

Maurice's birthday was in a week's time. But, just when her highly anticipated eighteenth birthday lurked around the corner, tragedy struck.

Their daughter went missing!

The strongholds were shattered!

Things fell apart!

Sarah could not eat nor drink, the only thing she tasted was the saltiness from her endless tears. Her husband tried consoling her.

"Everything will be fine, we will get our daughter back. I promise."But he knew deep down that everything was far from been fine.

They informed the police about the disappearance of their daughter, and immediately the search began.

It was three days later when a malodorous smell from the bushes began to drag the attention of passers-by. Some children on their way to school were the first to notice it. But they barely knew what could be causing such horrific odour.

By the time it was evening, it had become unbearable. Some men who had said it smelled like a decaying body mustered courage and were completely dumbfounded to see a dead body lying deep in the bushes.

People had gathered around and soon Sarah rushed to see what was going on. She weaved through the crowd and when she finally got to the scene of such gory sight, she let out a cry of agony straight from the depths of her heart.

She was drowning in tears as she stood before the lifeless body. The body was mutilated; headless, all the genitals gone!

But she could tell it was her daughter from a birthmark on the fair thigh of the corpse.

"Why would they do such to my daughter?" She said amidst tears, she rolled all over the ground as people tried to console her.

"Ahhh! My only child... my only child that I searched for, for many years. Why will you do such to me that has only one. Why will they take the one thing that has given my life meaning? It should have been me instead." She cried.

"Chai! Madam sorry, people wicked o!"

"Nemesis will catch up with them," it was the onlookers talking. They were trying to console sarah. Little did they know that nothing could fill the big gap that had been forged in her heart.

The neighbours had phoned her husband. Dylan ran back home when he heard it was about his daughter. He probably taught he would be coming home to see his beautiful daughter again, instead he met her corpse.

His kneels became paralyzed as soon as his eyes met his daughter lying in her own blood. He fell to his knees, and in front of everyone Dylan cried like a baby. If only you can understand what he felt, the pain of losing an only child that was sought for years, in such a manner.

That pain pierced through his heart, and shattered his emotions. The couple was on the ground, tears fell freely from their eyes. This was more than a loss and they couldn't help but shed tears..

The big question was why would someone do such to an innocent and easygoing girl? Who was the devil that had done this?