HE SAID NO
EPISODE 42
He was a young man of 21, boisterous… full of life. Like every other young man in his age group, he had dreams and aspirations. He had a bosom friend around his age, only that she was a year younger, she was a fair damsel and a beauty to behold.
Everyone in Akoka knew them together, they attended the same secondary school and they were working towards attending the same university to study Engineering.
His name was Michael Ogidan and he was staying with his grandma at Akoka village, his teenage mother died at his birth and she left him at the mercy of his aged grandma, mama Ologi.
Labake’s death came as a shock to him as much as it did to everyone else. He had been sleeping like someone who had given up on life since he heard, the news practically paralyzed him.
As if the grief the news cost him was not enough, he was shocked to see Labake’s cousin at his place that morning, with two soldiers.
He was still sleeping In their one-roomed apartment and mama ologi was in their backyard warming the food remains from the previous night when he heard her raising her voice at some unidentified persons and curiosity made him go outside to check out what was happening.
“That’s him.” Labake’s cousin pointed at him as soon as he showed up at their entrance.
“Brother Gbenga!” Michael called, looking stunned.
“Don’t you ever call me your brother, you murderer!”
Before he could say jack, they bundled him away like a piece of furniture amidst his grandma’s numerous pleas and wailings. He was first beaten to stupor before he was locked behind bars.
Labake was pregn@nt, she tried to ab0rt it and she bled to de@th. They met her in a pool of bl00d and a medical autopsy revealed that she was operated on by a quack doctor and the act ruptured her w0mb and made her bleed overnight. They must have thought he was responsible for her pregn@ncy and nothing he said could vindicate him.
Unfortunately for him, Labake’s father was a retired military man and he made sure that he slept behind bars with no option of bail, to further complicate the issue, he was well past 18.
He remembered so well how Labake had recounted to him on numerous occasions that her father was a ‘Lion’ and he could not forget the unquenchable fire that emanated from Colonel Adepoju’s bloodshot eyes when he came face to face with him at the wretched cell. Labake did not describe him well enough.
“You have the guts to impregnate my daughter, you now went ahead to kill her! You will not live to tell the story, I promise you!”
At that point, Michael knew that he was finished. He was transferred to a police station at a neighboring village and he was there in jail, waiting patiently for his death.
Labake never told him that he was pregnant. They were very close and there was barely anything that he didn’t know about her. But he never knew that she was seeing anyone talk more of her pregnant status.
He loved Labake and was even secretly crushing on her but Mama Ologi had warned him severely.
“There is time for everything. “she would say. He looked forward to when they were older so he could profess his love to her and it gladdened his heart.
He had once visited her place and his cousin, bro Gbenga chased him off after warning him never to come to look for her. He left that day and vowed never to go there again. However, Labake still visited him often at his Grandma’s place.
Labake and her grandma were long-time allies and Mama Ologi didn’t hide her love for her.
Now, he was in a mess that only God could save him from.
His grandma called his uncle from the city and he did all he could to save him but nothing changed.
He was there for almost 6 months before he was charged to court. Although there was no evidence, they managed to get him a life-long sentence. He wished it was a death sentence instead, it would have been much better.
Mr. Ken just opened the cell that he shared with some criminals that morning and ushered him to the old rusty room which served as the reception. His grandma and his Uncle were seated waiting for him. As soon as he showed up, his grandma ran towards him while clinging to his neck, not as if she wanted to choke him but out of gratitude. He felt her hot tears on his dusty face emotionless face.
It was a miracle that she was still alive.
He heard the whole news after he got settled in, brother Gbenga impregnated Labake and made her abort it. How her parents got to know was a miracle, Grandma must have been praying ceaselessly coupled with the heartfelt prayers he made every other night.
That was how he found himself in jail and subsequently out of it after almost a year, making it a year and a half behind bars.
His uncle brought him to the city later on and the rest they say is history.
**********************
Jude had lashed him severely over the phone, making sure to remind him of how he had warned him.
“Guy, this is your fault. You should have told her.” Jude rebuked him.
Talk is cheap, it was easy for Jude to say, who knows what he would have done if the narrative was flipped.
It was a title that he didn’t want to reckon with, an ex-convict. It didn’t really matter whether it was for the wrong reasons, the fact remained that he once cruised in jail.
Although he had planned to tell her, he was not ready, maybe much later or even never… She would never know but he was wrong.
The moment he got back from his trip on Saturday morning, he visited his pastor who was also Grace’s pastor. He also said about the same thing.
“Brother Michael, any relationship built on lies cannot stand the test of time. Some significant past issues can pose a threat to your present. It is your duty to identify such and inform your partner before things get serious.
Doing otherwise is setting yourself up for a time bomb. Yes, we are new creatures in Christ Jesus and she knows that but it is still honorable for you to let her know. If she leaves you because of it, then you can be sure that God will send another great woman your way.”
He was as quiet as a lamb, ready to take in all of the rebukes that came with his action and Pastor Tom was ready for that and more.
“I am certain that what made her so disappointed was the fact that you didn’t tell her.” He paused to take a glass of water before he continued. “Thankfully, you know her father. Why not talk to him?”
“Her father is late sir,” Mike answered.
“No, he is not. Her father is your father, talk to him. Let him help you out.”
“Oh…” For the first time since he received that breakup message from Grace, he smiled widely.
“Luckily for you, she listens to him. Why not talk to him.”
He promised to talk to God about them and he was also prayed for by his pastor. He felt much better.
Grace’s number had not been going through, else he would have gone to visit her but he decided to give her some space while he spent some time praying.
Although she had told him that it was over between them, he was not ready to give up on her.
He traveled to Akoka that same evening, it was an impromptu visit but he needed to see his grandma and it seemed like good timing, he had missed Mama Ologi so much.
Mama Ologi who just got to meet Grace would be so devastated to hear that their relationship had hit the rock. So, he decided that he was going to keep it away from her till much later. Hopefully. God would have settled it and if not… it is well!
To be continued…
Written by Sodamade Olamide Tolulope.
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