ESCAPE FROM DESTRUCTION EPISODE 2

ESCAPE FROM DESTRUCTION.
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EPISODE 2.
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She began;
Four months ago I was in my first year in the University of Ibadan reading Pharmacy.
That came as a mild surprise to me (Vincent).
'I am from a very poor family', she went on. 'When I was in the secondary school I had to do some odd jobs to assist my parents in paying my school fees. I did not mind that because my parents showered me with all their love. When I finished my secondary school education, my friend introduced me to a young and very rich Alhaji. The Alhaji, saw the state of my poverty and decided to employ me as his cook and cleaner because I couldn't get no other job. The pay was very generous and I felt I could make some savings to go back to school after working for him for two years or so. After working for the Alhaji for two weeks, I decided to make him desire and fall for me so that I could squeeze money out of him in a greedy way. I guess that was when I began to inch towards my destruction. I am a very intelligent girl and also very beautiful, my beauty is my greatest asset. So I tried to use it as an advantage to seduce the Alhaji but soon found out he was not that type.
'Then one day, when I was cleaning his bedroom I stumbled on his cheque book. I picked it up and stared at it for a long time. I was conversant with the Alhaji's signature and knew it was easy to scrawl. I was about putting the cheque book back when an idea occurred to me. If I could forge the Alhaji's signature I could make a withdrawal, my mind told me. My mind swayed precariously between returning the cheque book and tearing off some to make withdrawals. The devil won. I tore off two of the bank cheques and replaced the bunch where I found it. I did not know what I had done then was like taking a walk in a lake of destruction.'
I found a document which has the Alhaji's signature and spent two days practicing his signature. After two days of practise, I was able to sign the signature perfectly. On the third day I wrote a sum of five thousand naira on one of the cheques and dashed to the bank. I cashed the cheque without a hitch. My heart soared with joy as I saw an end to my financial handicap.
After two weeks, I went back to the bank and cashed the second cheque for ten thousand naira. I gave Alhaji notice that I wanted to quit at the end of the month. He pleaded with me to stay on and promised to increase my salary. I refused, reminding him that I wanted to finish my education. Before I left Alhaji's house I tore off four more cheques and signed them.
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I got admission into the University to read Pharmacy. As I had the insurance of the cheques, I had no fear for money at the University. But I decided I mustn't cash the cheques too closely or too heavily to avoid Alhaji getting suspicious. When I got into the University I cashed two more cheques, one for 25 thousand naira and the other for 15 thousand naira. As I was having a good time with my ill-gotten money I began to regret not tearing off more than for cheques. I decided I would cash heavy sums with the remaining two cheques. But I had to give it time. After cashing the last of the cheques, I decided I would invest in some business to ensure I had no cash shortage in future. Unknown to me, the Alhaji had already smelled a rat and had told his bank that he should be contacted whenever anybody came to cash a cheque from his account. She paused and stared at me (Vincent) but I kept staring at the ground.
I continued with my story after a ghost silence.
The money I have gotten from Alhaji's account is gradually decreasing and I needed to do something fast before it finishes completely. So luckily for me as of that time, a friend approached me to help her write two papers she had enrolled for in the G. C. E examination. Since I was pretty much intelligent, that is not a problem for me. It wasn't going to be free anyway. She was going to pay me five thousand naira. Even now, I still cannot see how she managed to persuade me to agree at the first place to write those papers for her. Whether it was agreed to make money in anyway or friendly affection that got me to do it, I don't know. But I was foolish and greedy enough to risk my future for peanuts. She paused for a moment and bleached softly.
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Then one day I went to the bank to make withdrawal of fifty thousand naira. While I was waiting for the money I saw the Alhaji's Santana car pull up outside the bank. My instincts triggered off the danger signal and I left the bank hurriedly but quietly. I didn't succeed with Alhaji's money and my pocket is gradually drying. The next day I went to help my friend write her G. C. E first paper. She had given me a down payment of three thousand naira and promised to pay me the remaining two thousand naira when I finished the second paper.
Unfortunately, I was caught and sent to jail. The judge was lenient on me and he gave me only three months. That was when my life burst in my face like a soap bubble. I came out of jail a week ago and learnt that Alhaji had wisened up to my game and was bent on slamming a charge on me. I knew I couldn't face another jail term so I went on the run. And I will keep running while I can. She suddenly stopped talking and I looked at her face and saw that she was weeping.
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