DEATH OF A ROSE

Rose never wanted to fall in love again after her first break up neither did she wanted to see the sun the next day. Warm tears streamed down her face and soaked her neck and chest region as catarrh also flaunted her sorrow.

She locked herself throughout the morning refusing to eat or let anyone in including her parents and kept crying for a long time. Her parents were scared thinking maybe she might commit suicide so they had to break the door at noon and saw something as they looked up.

It was their daughter's body hanging freely on the ceiling fan. The scene shattered her mother's heart who broke down in tears and collapsed on the floor. Her father was disappointed and very sorrowful to miss his 20 years old daughter become food to suicide. He couldn't also control himself even though in the past, he never had time for her.

She was always her mother's pet. But you never know what you've got until you lose it. How will her mother tell her neighbors that her daughter whom she loves dearly killed herself for some reason yet to be known?

How would society see the father as someone irresponsible about his daughter's welfare? The sorrow in her room was thick as her mother's squeal alerted the neighbors who rushed in to know what's wrong.

The worst happened as more people rushed to the scene to know the cause of the alarm. The sad news really gripped everyone's heart that Rose's mother didn't notice the suicide note her daughter dropped on her bed.

The chair that supported her suicide mission was hated and feared vehemently at the moment. Her room was filled up as everyone was trying the console her parents.

Then an observant neighbor saw the suicide note lying helplessly on the bed. She reached for it and realized that it was from Rose. After reading few lines, her heart couldn't bear the sorrowful letter so she alerted everyone that Rose left a note. At that point, a note couldn't pacify the crying mother or the bittered father who was escorted outside with fellow elders consoling him dearly.

"I don't want to read any note. I just want my daughter back to life." She scattered her dress and almost went nude. Her hair was in disarray. She wasn't the beautiful calm woman people knew her for any more. She might be termed a psycho if a roaming stranger met her at that state.

"I breastfed her in my arms. She used to tell me all her secrets but she never told me why she committed suicide..." Ahhhhhh!!!!!!

Her wailings were pregnant with the pains of a mother at loss.

"Take it easy Ma'am. Please. All will be fine." A woman tried to calm her down with her cool voice.

Rose's mother wanted to faint. She tried to escape the scene and run mad but the women around grabbed her and the men shook their heads in sympathy. Her husband knew he wasn't in the right position to console his wife because she would remind him of all his shortcomings as a father.

The thought of it hadn't come into her mind yet because the love she had for her daughter was still the main discussion at the time. The only solution to suppress her pain then was when someone called the doctor on the phone that came on time and cunningly tranquilized her with an injection. Suddenly her eyes were heavy and she dozed off.

When she finally opened her eyes after few hours of sleep, the first thing she asked was Rose's whereabouts but her cute niece who was patiently waiting for her revival used her charms to hug her on the bed and gave her beautiful flowers.

"Don't worry aunt, I'll be with you." It really suppressed her grief as she embraced her niece in return.

Then her husband walked slowly towards her in guilt and apologized with tears soaking up his eyes. "I'm sorry for being a bad dad. I'll really love Rose."

His remorse was sincere as it made its way into his wife's heart to welcome him also for an embrace. Everyone around was happy and clapped in a sorrowful manner.

Then her husband told her, "don't worry, our daughter's body has been taken to the mortuary already..... Soon we can both go there and express our love and grief for our ambitious yet short-lived princess. I want you to know that she's still part of my family and I've mended my ways."

She forgave him because no tears can bring the dead back to life and as tough as it seems, life must move on. She gave her husband a warm embrace and patted his back.

When her head was cool enough, she asked for the suicide note. Her husband reluctantly gave it to her. When she got it, her hands were trembling as she opened it and reading was like hearing her daughter's voice play in her head.

"Dear mother, you'll always be my heartbeat. And I love daddy even if he doesn't give me any attention. I really miss all those moments we shared but Prince was a whole new love to me."

"Who is Prince?" Her mother asked facing her husband.

"That should be the murderer who took my daughter's life in the name of love." Rose's father was red with tears welling up."

"Hmmm, it'll not be well with him." His wife cursed as they continued reading in grief.

"Prince made me feel like a woman. Though scared to disappoint you because I was brought up by a godly mother and a nonchalant father, I had my first kiss and sex with him in his car.

I was deflowered and wanted to tell you about it, but was scared I might hurt you. We were besties and I wanted it to last that way.

After some days, I discovered I was pregnant. I told Prince about it, which he advised me to abort it. I was scared but the fear of facing you with a protruding shame wasn't in my diary.

You were my gold, but somehow I felt I had gone astray with my pretty boy. I kept my relationship with him a secret because it was the poison I enjoyed taking. I was encouraged to have series of abortions in high school until when the doctor told me that I may never be able to conceive a child again if I did the last abortion.

I made up my mind to tell you about it, but Prince discouraged me. He had his way around me as the most sought-after boy in high school. I wanted him badly and did bad things only for him. I told him about the doctor's warning concerning my frequent abortions and he promised we'd stop unprotected sex.

But during his birthday, he damn wanted to fuck me and he never liked using a condom. He was in the heat already and I didn't want to spoil his birthday. He fucked me that night and nut in me with joy. I later discovered I was pregnant. The naive me didn't know he only wanted to use and dump me.

He told me he would marry me and give me so much happiness. I wanted to introduce him to you as my suitor when the time comes. Prince assured me that he would take me to the best doctor and after abortion; I'd still have my womb.

But my leaf left its branch and my kingdom collapsed when the doctor told me that I might never carry a baby in my womb again. Prince cried along with me only to tell all his friends about my misdeeds. I was the mockery of my class as he openly said in class that he couldn't marry his grandma.

I would've committed suicide in high school or the forest but there's no place like home. And I know Dad would judge me very badly and I didn't want to rent our bond apart. Prince traveled overseas to further his studies and abandoned me with great shame in high school. I became an open wound.

Mother, please forgive me. Dad, please still love me as your daughter. I'm sorry to leave you like this."

Grief forced tears from her parents feeble eyes as they wanted to know more about this Prince. They started raining curses on him wherever he was and wishing the same fate for every woman that came from him.

Rose's parents took the story of her death to the media and it spread like wildfire. It was the top of every headline. There was hardly anyone who would say he/she wasn't aware of her story.

Just as bad news flies faster than good news, Prince's parents got to know about the incident and they felt highly dismayed as a reputable family. Prince also didn't love the situation as he tried to tell everyone that came to confirm the truth from him that they were all propagandas.

The pressure became too much that he started avoiding people and stopped picking up calls from friends and relatives. He never knew it would turn out this way for him. After his parents tried reaching him via phone call but all to no avail, they got worried and informed the police of his disappearance.

Prince lodged in a cheap remote hotel and disguised himself as a woman so nobody could recognize him. He adopted the feminine voice and applied some materials to create fake boobs and ass. He did it for days as he couldn't attend lectures anymore.

He had to just switch off his phone as the frequent calls from his relatives and friends kept disturbing him. The police first interrogated his friends about Prince's disappearance.

"You must know something about his whereabouts. I heard the both of you are besties so don't try to hide anything from me. You should also know about the death of Rose because that's the cause of his disappearance. Speak up and cooperate with the police as a good citizen."

But Henry insisted that he didn't know his whereabouts either as he also dialed his number in their presence. It was still switched off.

"Alright, if you say so. But we'll be keeping an eye on you. Thanks for your cooperation. You can now go. If we need you again, I'll let you know."

One day, the hotel attendant entered Prince's room to give him tea but heard a male's voice singing in the bathroom. He was confused and wondered how a female could sing with a male's voice, but he let it slide since that wasn't his business there.

Soon they were pictures of Prince's disappearance on major media channels and anyone who could find him would be highly rewarded in cash. He discovered it when he was watching TV one evening. He knew his parents would go any length to look for him as the only son.

Another time, he called the receptionist that he wanted some classy food because he was getting tired of their local dishes.

But they told him they didn't have any of those foods he mentioned. He got enraged and spoke angrily in a masculine tone that scared the receptionist and suspected that he was an impersonator.

"Madam Charlotte (Prince), take it easy. This isn't a classy hotel. If you want those kinds of food you requested, then maybe you should try other classy hotels out there."

"You must be mad. Do you know who are you talking to? Is it because I'm patronizing this cave you call a hotel." His manly voice proved he had been faking his feminine tone all the while.

"If you're very wealthy, then kindly leave this hotel and don't create a scene here. Learn to cut your coat according to size. Thank you." Hangs up.

Prince was full of rage that his arrogance got the whole of him. He rushed downstairs to show the receptionist the stuff he was made of. He didn't realize that he was uncovered.

The receptionist and the hotel attendant saw his face and quickly recognized him. The way they looked at him, he realized he has blown his cover. He was only on his pants. He wasn't angry anymore but wanted to escape as he tried to run outside but he was stopped by the security guards.

"That's the guy we saw on TV. Catch him. We are gonna be rich." The receptionist screamed and within seconds everyone's attention was diverted towards Prince's direction.

The whole place was crowded and the receptionist immediately dialed the number she saw on TV concerning Prince's whereabouts.

"Hello, good morning, how may I help you?" A man answered.

"Good morning, I'm Rachel from MIM hotel. I've found Prince. Please trace this call's location and come here as soon as possible. I've done my part as a good citizen. And I can't wait to get my 10 million dollars."

"Oh, sure. Thank you very much. Please stay on the line so I can get your location........ Good, I've got it. My men will be there in a jiffy."

"I'll be expecting you." Rachel smiled.

The police officer gave Prince's parents a phone call about the good news and they decided to get to the scene at all cost. However, Prince was trying hard to get out of the situation.

"I'm not who you think I am. You're making a very big mistake."

"Then why did you try to run when we recognized you?" Someone from the mob asked.

"I wanted to run for my life. I don't want to be in any trouble I didn't know of."

Then a smoker around there gave Prince a hot slap.

"You spoilt brat. Do you think I don't know your story? You impregnated a girl and caused her to lose her womb, yet you abandoned her and try to escape the disaster you created.

Hearing that, the crowd shouted, "ahhhhhhhhhh." Then others were murmuring. "So this is the guy. You're horrible.

You deserve to be imprisoned or stoned to death." Said a woman who wanted to strangle him and tear his pants, but the mob held her and someone advised her to take caution because the police were on their way.

When Prince realized that they knew him, he arrogantly said, "And so? Did I tell her to kill herself? Did I rape her? Our affair was mutual if you don't know. Since you all know me, just try to harm me. My father will lock all of you up."