The Testimony, Richard Shekari [book club books TXT] 📗

you, Chloe!” Greg said. “She’s got your dimple…and your smile!”
“Well, she doesn’t have any choice!” Chloe added as she passed a bowl of salad to Jerome, “She didn’t want to end up having a face like her sister, so she chose wisely which side of the family to roll with!”
“Whatever!” Tiffany protested as she filled her cup with juice.
They all laughed.
“And now she’ll get away with that?” Said Jerome, “And There you were yesterday accusing me of…”
“Angel, come to mammy so Uncle Grey would eat, okay?” Chloe interposed.
“No!”  Samantha said. “I stay with Uncle Grey. You’re not my friend anymore. Uncle Grey is my friend!”
Greg laughed.
“Are you sure you’re comfortable with her like that?”  Jerome asked.
“It’s alright,” Greg said, “We can eat from the same plate. Right friend?” He tickled Samantha. She giggled as he took a sip of water from the glass cup before him.
“So what’s in the box?” Jacob said, “When are we going to open it?”
“Jacob! Manners!” His mother said.
“It’s for the family, you can open it anytime.” Greg said, “Right after dinner would be best, I guess.”
“I want a bicycle but dad said until I get good grades in school,” Jacob added as he chewed his broccoli, “Did you buy me a…”
“Hush it, young man!” Chloe said. “Where’s your table manners?”
“What this?” Samantha asked as she curiously lifted Greg’s jacket. “Bang? Bang?” She giggled, “Jacob has gun too. Daddy bought water gun for Jacob! Uncle Grey, is this water gun too?”
Jerome and Chloe raised their heads up, they looked at each other, then gazed at Greg.
“Yes, Samantha.” Greg said, “It’s a gun…but not a toy gun.” He sighed as his lively face slowly froze to a more baleful look. He slipped his right hand into his jacket and pulled out a firearm from his shoulder holster. Greg lowered his head as he placed his right hand on the table; the gun was pointed at Jerome.
The Shortner’s stopped eating on noticing the gun. The sight of the pistol sent shivers down their spine. Tension steamed up as fear gripped the kids. The place became silent.
“Jacob, see gun like yours!” Samantha mumbled. “Uncle Grey has gun too!”
Jerome took a small white garment and cleaned his mouth. “Is everything okay, man?” He asked.
Greg nodded. “Yeah!”
“Greg, are you okay?” Chloe asked as fear gripped her. She turned to Jerome.
“Time to play?” Samantha asked.
“Yes, Samantha.” Greg said, “It’s play time!”
“Come on, man!” Jerome added, “We’ve got kids here. You shouldn’t be…”
“Shut up, Jerome!” He interjected. “Tiffany, empty the salad from the bowl, please.”
Tiffany looked at her father. Jerome signalled her to do as told. She was terrified. “Where do you want me to pour it?” She asked.
“Anywhere on the table, please!” Greg said.
She then poured the salad in the middle of the table as she trembled.
“It’s alright, sweetheart.” Jerome said to her as he coerced a smile.
“Keep it on the table, and Sit down!” Greg added.
Tiffany gently laid the bowl on the table and sat down. She was frightened, “dad?” She called.
“It’ll be alright, sweetheart.” Jerome reassured her once more.
“Jacob! Empty the wine from the bottle into the bowl...” Greg instructed, “…Including all the liquid contents in the cups!”
Jacob turned to his father, who gave him a sign to do as told.
“It’s okay, son…go ahead!” He said.
Jacob then stood up, took his cup and emptied the content in the bowl. Then went round the table and did same with the rest of the cups and the bottle. The bowl was half-full.
“Thank you, Jacob!” Greg said, “Please sit down.” He pulled out his phone and gave it to Samantha. “Hey, girl. Go and drop the phone into the bowl!”
“Bowl?” She asked with a smile as the cat climbed up the table.
“Yes, bowl.” He said, “Phone into bowl.”
“But water in bowl!” She said.
“Yeah, I know.” He responded, “Just do it, okay?”
“Okay!” She said.
Greg placed Samantha on top of the table, she walked between the plates and threw his phone into the bowl. She then turned and clapped, “Yeah!”
“Good girl.” Greg said, “Now, come to Uncle Grey!”
 “Sweet muffin,” Chloe said, “Come to mommy.”
 “No, mammy!” Samantha said, she giggled and ran back to Greg. He held her with his left arm then stood to his feet, with his right hand still holding on to the firearm.
“Now, all of you should throw your cell phones into the bowl.”  He ordered.
Chloe turned to Jerome, “No! No!” She cried, “What is happening, Greg?”
“Just do what I say and no one will be hurt, okay?” Greg added politely. “Please!”
“Is this some kind of a joke?” Jerome said.
Greg took his finger off the trigger and pulled back the hammer to full cock.
“Oh my God!” Chloe screamed as she quickly held her mouth tight with her hands.
“Do what Uncle Grey says, mammy!” Samantha said, ignorantly, “You have another gun?”
“No, Sam!” He said, “Just this one!”
“Do what he says kids.” Jerome instructed his children. “Honey?” He turned to his wife. Jerome gently took out his phone from his pocket and threw it into the bowl, and so did Tiffany and Jacob. As Chloe made an attempt to pick her phone which was lying next to her plate, it began to ring. Greg turned the gun towards her, she gently took it from the table and flung it into the bowl. The sound faded as bubbles rose and popped.
“Now, that wasn’t so hard.” Greg said, “Was it?”
“Not hard!” Samantha said as she threw her hands up, “Easy!”
“Yeah, girl!” Greg said, “Easy…Easy!” He then stared at Jerome.
The cat walked on the table towards Greg and began lifting its paws to touch the gun.
“Uncle Grey?” Samantha said, “Kitty wants to be carried too!” She used her leg to push it away, the cat then jumped off the table and went upstairs. “Kitty scared!” She giggled, “Little kitty scared!”
“Yeah, Samantha.” Greg said, “Little kitties are always scared when faced with real danger.”
“Baby,” Chloe said, “Come to mommy!” She sobbed. “Please, don’t take my baby!”
“Look, man!” Jerome pleaded, “She’s just a little girl. She won’t survive out there without her mother. Give her back, please!”
“Oh my God!” Tiffany said as she wept, “Is he taking Sam away? Mommy! Daddy! No!”
“Please, Greg!” Chloe appealed as she wiped her tears.
“No one is taking your daughter anywhere!” He said, “So calm down, okay?”
“No one taking daughter anywhere!” Samantha mumbled, “Mammy, why you crying?”
“Now, let’s go open our gift box,” Greg said. “Shall we?”














Chapter Two: Hot Seat.

Greg ordered the Shortner’s to carry their chairs along with them and move to the living room where he instructed Tiffany to unwrap the big gift box. In it were some gadgets; a laptop, a remote control and four other black identical devices that appeared to be about one square-foot each. Greg situated a cushion and sat down opposite the chairs the family brought from the dining. He had them place their seats in a row tightly next to each other. Samantha was still in his arms and appeared drowsy. Greg dragged a small glass table close to the cushion then placed the laptop on it. He ordered Tiffany to place a black device each on all the chairs, which she did.
“You can all take your seat, now!”  He said as he opened the lid of his laptop, “Gently!”
They hesitated at first until he swung his pistol at them without even looking at their direction. They all heard a clicking sound as they sat on the devices placed on their chairs.
“Hold the hand of the person seated next to you!” He said as he raised his pistol. “You’re family, right?”
Jerome who was seated on the left clenched Chloe’s right hand. With her left, she held unto Tiffany’s and then Tiffany to Jacob’s.
Greg then pressed a button on his laptop and a tone beeped on the devices as red lights came on.
“Don’t panic,” he said. “Each and every one of you is sitting on a 2 pound explosive, that’s a total of about eight?!” He pointed his pistol at them. “Am I correct? If any of you make any sudden move or an attempt to get up…you’ll trigger the sensors and, well…Boom! It’ll explode. And if you scream in order to alert the neighbours, I’ll activate it here myself.” He hit the laptop with his pistol, “If you try anything stupid, remember…we-all-die. Get it?”
They all nodded.
“Mom!” Tiffany said as she began to shiver.
“Don’t you pee on my device, young lady,” Greg said. “It cost me a fortune! However, at this moment in time I’ve got nothing to lose.” He held Samantha warmly as she slept. “For me, I’m ready to go. I don’t know about you guys but from the look of things, I’d say y’all got some more church services, parties, graduations to attend and probably some weddings too!”
Chloe wept. “Please, Greg,” she said, “we welcomed you into our home! What have we done to you?”
“How old is Jacob?” Greg asked.
“They’re innocent children.” Jerome said, “Let my family go, man. Let’s settle this between us. Whatever it is, please!”
“How old is Jacob,” he said as he stood up, “Don’t make me ask again.”
“He is uh-he is only fourteen!” Chloe said as she sobbed.
“Hmm!” He responded, “And Tiffany?”
“Seventeen!” Chloe answered again.
“Well,” he remarked, “I do not intend to stay here much longer. So the duration of this…exercise will be determined by you, the parent.”
“What?” Chloe said in tears.
“Yeah!” He nodded.
Samantha yawned in her sleep as she lied on his chest.
“You two did something terribly wrong today that hurt me!” Greg said. “Something real bad…”
“Goodnight, Uncle Grey.” Samantha interjected as she yawned again.
“Goodnight, Samantha,” Greg said, “Sweet dreams!” He paused and tapped her gently. “Something happened today…” he looked up at the rest of the family, “And I witnessed it, and it hurts. It cut through me, real deep. The sooner you say what it is and admit that it was wrong, the better for us all. So, I’m giving you…” He stared at his wristwatch, “…20 minutes to think and say what it was and as soon as you say and admit to it, I’ll leave you all in peace, and walk out the door, and you will never see me again!”
“I don’t understand! “Chloe added, still soaked in tears.
“You will, Mrs Shortner,” he said, “You will.”  He took a step forward, “See, if you fail to say what you did wrong today in the next twenty minutes, you’ll lose a child. And I’ll give you another twenty minutes to try and figure out what you did so you’d be able to save the life of your next child. But…”
“Wait,” Chloe interjected, “What do you mean lose a child?”
“I’ll get to pick which child is next.”  He continued, “Are we clear?”
“Please, Greg,” said Jerome. “What is it? Is it money? Is it…what is it? Just say it, if it’s money we don’t keep much at home! Please, leave my family out of this! Is it some old score you’re trying to settle? Did anybody send you?”
“You have eighteen minutes left!” Greg said.
“Oh my God!” Chloe cried as she held Tiffany’s hand.
“Mommy!” Tiffany sobbed along with her mother. Jacob did not utter a word, he only stared at Greg as he held firm his sister’s hand.
“We are neighbours, Greg!” Jerome added, “what did we do wrong that