Chapter 39: A Crossroads
1663words
Eki, with fingers shaking, followed the graceful handwriting. Discovering that Olajumoke's grandmother was the artist Ayana shattered Eki's feeling of family warmth and safety she used to depend on. She felt big shame inside, like a bad taste mixed with fear growing in her belly.
The story about the book, which used to be a symbol of family heritage, started feeling like it was a cursed object. Every sound from turning its pages seemed to echo with a growl of angry spirits seeking revenge after their close encounter.
"There must be something inside," Kunle said with frustration. "Some way to calm the spirit, some loophole in this Lease contract."
Eki flipped through the pages, and her eyes stopped on an old photo – it showed a woman bent over in resistance, gazing upward with sad eyes. Under this picture, there was a big building that looked like an Olumide mansion but seemed to be falling apart into dust.
She was convinced her doubt was justified when she saw a note written in thin, shaky letters – "The Price of Exploitation." Eki felt shivers run down her back. Is this image showing Ayana's revenge, or perhaps it is a frightening hint of what will happen to the mansion?
Olajumoke's mouth made a quick gasp sound, and she pointed her finger at a part cleverly hidden under the book's old leather cover. Inside this secret spot, not touched for many years, there was only one piece of parchment paper.
Eki's heart was beating fast in her chest while Olajumoke slowly took out the document. It looked like some kind of contract, and it seemed much older than the official Moonlight Lease. Ayana had put her signature, together with a man whose name was near their family emblem: Olumide.
But there was one important difference about this contract. There was a condition in bold letters, saying if the Olumide family broke some term that was not mentioned, Ayana can take back all rights to her design immediately.
The eyes of Eki became locked with Olajumoke's, a quiet question hanging in the air. What was the silent word trying to say? These actions may make her so angry that she chooses to put a curse on the whole mansion. This is like revenge and also protects from bad things happening again in future.
"There is another thing," Olajumoke said, her voice now more serious. "Look at the signature on Olumide's side."
Eki makes her eyes small to read the light writing. It does not have the sign from Dapo's grandfather—the one people say he made a deal with Ayana. It was her grandfather, a man recognized for being honest and sympathetic.
Eki began to feel very uncomfortable in his stomach. It was no longer only about the stolen designs; it felt like something much bigger and more serious was going on. She felt like somebody caused her a lot of pain as if a huge secret was revealed and messed up the story of her family.
"My old guy, he never does this kind of thing," Eki said quietly, her voice full of surprise. "He doesn't take advantage of people."
Olajumoke's expression remained unreadable. "Then who did?" she asked, her voice low and dangerous.
A sudden shock came, causing dust to fall from the top beams and a growling noise that seemed closer to the spirit. It reminded us about our situation.
"We no longer can stay here," Kunle said with little fear in his eyes. "The spirit is coming."
Eki stood up, gripping the book firmly. The value of history and the load of truth seemed like an actual weight on her shoulders. But in this mix of fear and confusion, she also had a small but very strong feeling of determination.
"We need to face Dapo," she said, her voice more confident than she expected. "Maybe he understands what this silent word signifies." He might know how to make the spirit cease."
Olajumoke's face turned serious. "Don't be foolish, Eki," she cautioned. "Dapo may be your brother, but he is also very much involved in the family business. He might not be the person you think."
Eki was feeling very hurt like she was betrayed. Could it be that Dapo, her brother, has a bad side hiding behind his nice personality? But then she remembered—when she talked about her bad dreams, he listened carefully and said that there is a bigger secret in our family history than we know.
"I have to try," Eki says with a strong will. "He is my brother, and maybe he knows the answer to all this mystery."
Olajumoke paused for a bit, her eyes showing she was torn. As a journalist, she knew the dangers of trusting someone from inside the family, especially if that person had something important to hide about the family's reputation. But a tiny flicker of empathy made her appear gentler. She observed the desperation in Eki's eyes and recognized how deeply loyal Eki was to her brother. This loyalty, even though they were arguing now, touched Olajumoke very much because she also wished strongly to protect her family's heritage.
"Alright," Olajumoke finally conceded, her voice tight. "We'll confront Dapo. But in my way. We go to him prepared, with all the evidence we can collect. And if he tries to pull anything, we'll expose the family secrets ourselves."
Eki nodded, feeling a bit grateful deep down. Even though they were very different from one another, Olajumoke offered friendship and suggested joining forces against the frightening and unknown difficulties that lay ahead.
Together, they spent long hours looking closely at the Moonlight Lease, the secret contract, and all other pieces of information they could find online or through Olajumoke's group of investigators. The warehouse was full of sounds of typing keyboards and soft conversations as they worked to put together their case.
As night becomes darker, a cold wind blows through broken windows, carrying a smell of rot and a weak but scary scent like sulphur. The ghost is getting closer now, always reminding them how urgent their mission is.
Finally, when the first light of dawn painted the sky with a gentle orange hue, they created a careful plan. They would use a secret contract as their tool for negotiation and get Dapo to reveal the truth about the mysterious condition and how to soothe the furious spirit.
But a nagging doubt gnawed at Eki. What if Dapo didn't know? What if this secret, this darkness, was deeper than even his family's generation could know?
With much sadness, Eki made her final decision. She chose that she would not just talk to Dapo about the Moonlight Lease but also ask him about the night when their parents passed away. The story from officials said it was a very sad car accident, but in the back of her mind, there always stayed a small piece of doubt and a tiny part of old memory from childhood.
Going to Dapo's luxurious penthouse apartment, the atmosphere was very quiet and full of tension. Kunle was behind the wheel, holding the steering so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Olajumoke sat beside him, her face full of strong will. Eki looked out the window; seeing the city filled her with mixed emotions – fear, anger, and a deep hope that this meeting would at last give answers to questions she had for many years.
When they get to the underground parking of the fancy building, a black car similar to the one used by those strange men comes fast and stops near them. Two people step out of that car, their faces covered in shadow.
Eki's heart lurched. The men were back, and they wouldn't be alone this time. She felt a wave of fear. Meeting Dapo might need to be delayed. They had a bigger, more immediate problem on their hands.
"We cannot go to Dapo's place now," Olajumoke said with worry in her voice. "Those men will be there waiting for us."
Eki's and Kunle's eyes met, sharing a silent question. Where could they go? Where can they hide from these never-stopping chasers, from the angry spirit that follows them in darkness? It is difficult to find a place safe enough. Maybe a dense forest or deep cave could give some protection. Or perhaps an old abandoned building where shadows are thick and many places to conceal themselves exist. The only hope is to keep moving, always searching for the next hiding spot before being caught by relentless pursuers in night's blackness.
But before they could think of a plan, the building's security alarm started making a loud noise. The sharp sound echoed all over the underground parking area. The men who wear black clothes feel surprised hearing this sudden noise and begin looking around with confusion.
When those men were not looking for a moment, Kunle quickly pressed his foot strongly on the gas pedal. The car moves forward fast, making a big tyre sound as they rush to the exit. They leave behind those men in black with dust and smoke from the car's exhaust pipe.
While they hurried through the city streets, Eki sensed this was just the beginning. The mysteries of Moonlight Lease had unleashed a storm of problems, and now they were caught in its heart. Their search for answers had become a desperate fight to survive, a challenge that could uncover the most hidden secrets of her family and alter all the history of their city.
