The sharp ringing of a telephone shattered the
silence inside a quiet house.
The sound came from a small wooden table placed beside a bed. The room itself remained still, but the telephone continued ringing without mercy.
Once. Twice.
Again.
Its sound seemed unusually sharp in the silence.
This was not Juson's house.
Far away from the hospital, in another part of the city, a man appeared in the doorway of a bedroom.
A cup rested in his hand.
Tea, perhaps.
A thin trail of steam still escaped from its surface.
The man paused at the doorway for a moment before taking another slow sip.
He was the same person who had met the doctor at the restaurant earlier that day.
The same man who had exchanged a suitcase with him.
The ringing continued.
The man lowered the cup slightly.
Before the call could disconnect, he finally entered the room and walked towards the table.
The cup remained in his hand.
He picked up the receiver.
The volume on the other end was low enough that nobody else in the room could have heard it.
The man listened.
A quiet hum escaped from his throat.
Then another.
His expression barely changed.
The conversation lasted only a short while.
Before ending the call, he spoke only a few words.
"I'll be there in five minutes."
The line disconnected.
For several seconds he remained standing there, holding the receiver beside his ear even though the call had already ended.
Then he slowly placed it back.
A sharp breath escaped his mouth.
Almost like something had happened in his favour.
Whatever he had been waiting for, it seemed to have arrived.
The man glanced down at himself.
There was no need to change clothes.
He was already dressed.
The same clothes he had worn during the meeting at the restaurant.
Without wasting any more time, he turned towards the door.
The cup was left on top of a cupboard standing beside it.
However, the cup was not the only thing resting there.
A framed certificate stood beside it.
The sunlight coming through the nearby window reflected faintly against the glass.
The certificate displayed a scientific achievement.
And beneath it was a name.
Genido Ebama.
The man walked past it without stopping.
His steps were steady.
Confident.
Unlike someone rushing towards an emergency, Genido moved like a man who already knew exactly where he was going.
He crossed the house and eventually arrived at the front door.
His hand moved towards the lock.
But before opening it, he paused.
Only for a couple of seconds.
Then the door slid open.
Bright sunlight immediately poured inside.
The sudden light illuminated the quiet interior behind him.
Genido stepped outside.
The warm air greeted him instantly.
His house stood alongside the main road.
To one side stretched the riverside route where Juson often travelled.
Cars occasionally passed by in the distance.
The afternoon appeared completely ordinary.
Yet Genido's attention remained elsewhere.
A car stood parked directly in front of his house.
He approached it without hesitation.
After locking the door behind him, he entered the driver's seat.
The engine came to life almost immediately.
Before shifting his attention towards the road, his eyes drifted towards the passenger seat.
The suitcase rested there.
The same suitcase he had obtained earlier.
His gaze lingered on it for a moment.
Small droplets of water still clung to its surface.
But this time there were fewer than before.
Far fewer.
The observation lasted only a second.
Then he turned his attention back towards the road.
The vehicle was already facing forward.
Across the road stood another building.
The very same building Juson had entered earlier.
Genido tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
A moment later he pressed the accelerator.
The car pulled away from the roadside and began moving towards the building.
As the distance between them shortened, the expression on Genido's face remained unchanged.
Calm.
Controlled.
Almost unreadable.
Whatever waited ahead, he did not appear worried about it.
If anything, he seemed prepared.
The suitcase remained beside him.
Silent.
Motionless.
And the car continued moving steadily towards its destination.