How He Killed His Best Friend Chapter Five (CONCLUSION)

CHAPTER FIVE: MONSTERS OF THE NIGHT 2.

Ifeanyi staggered out of the Keke the moment they arrived home. Kennedy, less drunk, paid the fare. When he finished, he went to join Ifeanyi to pee against the wall, wondering why he had been rather quiet since he told him about his parents’ divorce. At first Kennedy had assumed it was drunkenness but then he knew his best friend; Ifeanyi was loudest when drunk. Something was different. His quietness unsettled Kennedy.

                “Are you okay?” Kennedy asked.

                “Yes”, Ifeanyi slurred.

                “You seem too quiet.”

                Ifeanyi looked at him fleetingly. “Maybe na the beer.”

                Kennedy waved it off. They entered the compound. It was deserted except for who else but Obiora smoking his habitual Benson cigarettes. A near finished bottle of Life Beer stood on the ground beside him. Kennedy thought he noticed Ifeanyi’s jaws clench. He held him. His body was tense but they went past Obiora without incident, avoiding him altogether.

                Kennedy pulled the key and opened the door. He failed to notice Ifeanyi cast a long murderous look at Obiora before they entered. There was no light so the compound was cast in semi darkness, the almost full moon hovering above providing the only illumination. They entered.

                Adaora fearfully rose from the bed. A rechargeable lantern provided the lighting in the room. She had been sleeping. Ifeanyi ignored her and sat on the chair. Kennedy smiled coolly and went to the bathroom. He also failed to notice Ifeanyi strangely watching him.

                It was then that Kennedy felt seriously drunk. He sat on the toilet seater, trying to steady himself. His thoughts suddenly strayed to his mother. Her marriage was over, he thought. He felt sadder than he had ever been. They were once happy back when he was younger. He just wished happiness could last forever.

                He felt another urge to pee. He rose slowly, nearly falling. Steadying himself, he unzipped. He thought he heard the faint sounds of arguing but he now felt too drunk to care. All he needed was sleep. He was only too glad that Ifeanyi was calm. By morning, all that had happened would be forgotten.

                He heard the noises again. Two men were arguing somewhere. It was a beautiful night to argue, he thought. The men should just make up and go have drinks. Or go make love to their girlfriends. He laughed at the thought. He wished he was with Sylvia tonight. Maybe he should call her and spend the night with her. How pleasing that would be.

                He heard his name being called. The voice was female but it seemed distant, an echo. But it sounded like she was in distress. He felt too tired to help anyone. After all, he couldn’t help his mother. All he needed was the comfort of a warm body and sleep. But the voice kept calling. Then there was banging on the bathroom door.

                “Kennedy!” Adaora called out frantically then barged in.

                Kennedy was just zipping up. He stared drunkenly at her and wondered why she had a terrified look on her face.

                “Kennedy, come! Ifeanyi and Obiora are fighting!”

                The words shook off half of his drunkenness. He dashed out with Adaora.

Ifeanyi’s anger was bursting by the time Kennedy went to the bathroom. He had quickly slipped out to make war with Obiora. He was drunk and angry, a bad mixture. In his head, all he thought of was killing Obiora.

                Obiora was in his sixth cigarette. He didn’t expect the attack. Blows were rained at him. At first, he felt defenseless but fought back after the initial attack. Ifeanyi was screaming murderous curses. The two held each other in a ferocious fight, man to man.

                Adaora ran out, took one look at the situation and started calling Kennedy. When she got no answer, she ran back to fetch him.

                Obiora had the advantage over Ifeanyi. He was not drunk. Soon he had Ifeanyi pinned on the ground. Ifeanyi struggled desperately as Obiora rained blows on him. He felt like a wounded animal but he was helpless. It was clear that Obiora would kill him.

                Someone pulled Obiora off Ifeanyi. It was Kennedy. He tried to drag Obiora away but Ifeanyi was not done. He rose drunkenly and rushed at them. Pushing Kennedy aside, he pounced on Obiora. The fight continued; the two exchanging scattered blows. Each blow was accompanied by curses and death threats.

                Adaora stood by a corner crying.

                Kennedy rushed again and separated them, this time dragging a bleeding, sweaty Ifeanyi away.

                “Keno, leave me make I kill this guy!”

                “Anyi relax na.”

                But Ifeanyi was not listening. He broke off again and rushed at Obiora. This time Obiora was waiting. He lifted Ifeanyi effortlessly and smashed him on the ground. There was a loud crack and a scream. It was then that everything changed.

                The next minute went by in a quick flash. Kennedy, still the peace maker, rushed again to separate them. As he hauled Obiora off one more time, he felt Ifeanyi grab him from behind. Ifeanyi was wounded, bleeding, his mind half gone, blinded, crying and clouded by alcohol. In the heat of the moment, he lunged at his best friend. Enraged beyond control, he bashed Kennedy’s head forcefully against the wall. There was a heavy thud and a cracking sound.

                Kennedy felt ringing in his ears. Pain shot through his brain. The world instantly went black. He felt groggy, his mind deserting him for a moment. His entire problems flashed through his brain as pain washed over him. He felt the anger he had long suppressed. He had taken things calmly like an adult. Now it had fallen apart.

                Kennedy heard Adaora screaming but it made no sense to him. He dropped to the ground, groping around, moaning in pain. His hand found the beer bottle. He only felt the need to protect himself as he smashed the end of the bottle. Not thinking, not seeing, he lunged forward. There was a monster in his head, threatening him. He needed to save himself from the monster. He needed to save himself from death.

                He struck out blindly with the bottle. Darkness surrounded him, but he felt the bottle make the intended impact. The monster screamed. It was wounded but not dead. Kennedy struck again, harder this time. He had forgotten his pain. All he wanted was to kill the monster; destroy that beast of the night. The monster groaned this time. It was dying. Kennedy felt elated. He struck again. He thought the monster was trying to escape so he reached out in the darkness and grabbed it. He felt blood run through his hand. The monster’s blood, he thought. He imagined it was green and slimy. A wave of pleasure surged through him as he struck one final time, aiming for the monster’s throat.

                Kennedy let go as the body slid to the ground. He closed his eyes and knelt. His head was banging but he felt happy. The monster was dead. He, Kennedy, had defeated that evil. The world would now return to normal. His parents would be happy together again. Adaora would be an innocent, well behaved virgin. There would be no bad blood between Obiora and Ifeanyi. And his bond with his best friend would last forever.

                The damsel in distress was screaming again. Why? Kennedy thought. Had he not defeated the beast? Everything was now alright. Everyone should be happy. Why? Why? The ringing in his head was too much. Screaming. Ringing. Pain. Something was not right.

                He suddenly felt his wet hands. The screams grew louder. The pain was unbearable.

                He opened his eyes. His vision blurred but he could see. There was a male figure. A female was screaming. He fought the blurriness. Slowly his vision cleared and his nightmare began.

                Adaora was screaming at something at the ground in front of him. Obiora was rooted to his spot, speechlessly staring in horror at the same place. Kennedy couldn’t understand. He slowly followed their gazes, his heart beating fast. Time slowed down as he realized what had happened.

                Ifeanyi lay dead, gruesomely stabbed in many places. His entire body was drenched in blood.    Kennedy looked at his bloodied left hand then shifted his gaze to the bloodied broken bottle still in his right hand. He knew then that he had killed his best friend.

                Kennedy felt sick, vomiting instantly. His thought his life was over as he collapsed and lost consciousness.

EPILOGUE: TEMPORARY INSANITY.

Temporary Insanity. That was what they called it. That moment when the world became a triangle instead of a circle; that moment when his best friend became a monster in his mind. Why couldn’t it be permanent? At least that way, he would never face the reality of what he had done. His best friend had not been the monster, rather it was he. It was a curse he would live with forever.

                It could be blamed on pressure. He had underestimated the psychological problems he faced. He tried to be brave. But in the end, he had cracked. And all it took was a crack against the wall.

                He could no more sleep at night. He saw the monsters in his dream every time. Images of a monster slaying his best friend. And each time he would wake up screaming as he realized the monster had his face. His once beautiful face was now a horror to him.

                His parents had decided to stay together. In his tragedy they had realized that they needed to stick as a family to fight it through. It should have pleased him but it no more made sense. Nothing mattered to him any longer. He ate to be alive only because he was too weak to embrace death. But he no more had the will to live. He wished to die. He wished someone would just kill him.

                Often he suffered nervous breakdowns. Few days after the incident, he was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Sometimes during the day, he was lash out at the monster, screaming and crying. Other times he would sit calmly and stare into space. He talked to no one, made no trouble and worked hard at the prison.

                The trial may take years. Ifeanyi’s parents may decide to withdraw the case. He could be found guilty of murder or not guilty by reason of temporary insanity. Whatever happened, his life as he knew it was over. He would forever be the boy that killed his best friend.

THE END.