What Makes a Criminal? - by Trixie Wrights

Desperation had never carried this much anxiety. For the first time since her husband died two years ago, there was hope. Hope that her daughter would live. Iremide was what was left of the love she shared with Bamisile. The memories they made, the life they lived, the home they built, he'd taken with him. As she sat at the edge of her daughter's bed staring at the new bill, one of several, she knew she had to make a decision. “Ire, I'll do anything. Anything to bring you back to me.” In forty-eight hours, the hospital would disconnect Iremide's oxygen if Bamike couldn't pay. Her husband was dead. Her savings were gone. Hope had become a bill she couldn't afford. On her way out of the hospital, she thought about her plan. It was either that or nothing else. Her decision could cost her life or her daughter's. On that day, she put on her best attire, confidence never looked that good.By dawn, her wedding ring was gone, so was the wallet of an American tourist. “Okay ma'am, the surgery will proceed but you still need more money to cover the other bills.” Bamike smiled. Soon her daughter was wheeled out. She had regained consciousness. Seeing her 10-year old’s smile washed away every bit of guilt she felt. As she spent the night feeding her daughter, stroking her hair and kissing her cheeks, she thought about how she'd compromised her values. How she'd done the one thing she'd sworn never to do. The thoughts of her daughter's pain shifted something in her quietly. “After all, I'd be taking from men alone.” Animashaun was her next victim. A man who she knew liked to ‘help’ the town. Everyone knew him, he'd once been arrested but soon released on the grounds of insufficient evidence. Animashaun took what belonged to the people from the government. He'd built wells, boreholes, and was well on his way to making all hospitals free for town members. There was only one problem: a widow grieved somewhere and cursed his name. As soon as Animashaun saw Bamike, he recognised her. She was the woman he'd paid the hospital bills for. He watched her quietly from a distance trying not to draw conclusions. When they met, she posed as an investor looking to partner up with him. He played along. So well, that she almost let her guard down. “So you want to invest in my company?”“Yes I do sir.”“Okay, sign here”As she penned her signature, she fought the urge to grin. The next step to her daughter's survival was easier than she thought. “One more thing ma'am, here's a cheque”“For?”“Your daughter's treatment” She froze. “How did you know?” Neither spoke, both understood. Looking at him, she saw something terrifying—herself. Finally, with tears in her eyes, she got up to leave. She looked at the cheque. For the first time, she wasn't sure which one of them was the criminal.

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