THE CHAT ROOM : PART 21 – 30
PART 27
By Temi Akintade
The thick black smoke and the black rubble from the remains of the shop were enough to give me a heart attack. Hadassah squirmed from my back where I tired her.
She probably wanted to know why thick black smoke rose out of the burnt remains of her mother and Okoro’s shop. I didn’t realize that I was gnashing my teeth and biting my lips until I tasted bIood.
“Aaaaarghh!!!” I cried out! The others who quickly recognized me even though I was in blood-red pajamas, rushed towards me to comfort me. Okoro was uncontrollable.
“What started the fire? Aaarrhh!” The question was directed to no one in particular as the people were busy consoling me.
Finally, a middle-aged man dressed in dull clothing approached me. It was later that I got to know that he was the vigilante for that area.
I grabbed his shirt and squeezed him tight around the neck area. “What were you doing when my shop caught fire? Where were you!!! Or don’t we pay you enough?” I yelled? Some women held me back from wounding the man.
All along, Hadassah’s cries tore into the air, rendering hearts but I cared less this time. I was going to fight this fight to finish until I got to the root of it.
“Madam they tie me oooo I no know abeg! Them say dem go kill me!!!” The man released in a shaky breath. His eyes were almost popping out and the veins on his head were visible.
Okoro began to suggest that we take him to the police station. Some said we should take him to the shrine for him to swear. Some said they should release him for jungle justice but I obeyed Okoro.
If the vigilante dies now, who would be held responsible? Besides we would not be able to get to the root of the matter.
A Hausa man who also does printing business like Okoro drove us to the police station. On getting there, we met two police officers at the counter. A male and female. The female officer was sympathetic towards us and our story while the other officer acted nonchalantly.
“We would like to see this case investigated sir. I have equipment worth 2 million naira and my neighbour has equipment worth 16 million! So we need to catch the culprit.” I said. Hadassah had fallen asleep at my back now.
The male officer released a short dry laugh. “If you need your case investigated, you have to pay for it. There is a price for everything. Even in Freetown, nothing is free!” He laughed with his colleague.
A frown massaged my face when the female officer joined in his stale joke. “I thought you were with us, madam?” I asked her.
She laughed again. “I’m with the Nigerian police force. See if you need a detailed investigation, then you have to encourage us by doing something.”
Okoro scoffed. He slapped his hand on the counter jerking the officers and causing Hadassah to stir in her sleep. “Things like what? We brought a suspect here for you to help with our case and you are still demanding money? Where exactly do you want us to get that from?” He blasted.
The Hausa man who brought us shook his head.
“Look Mr man. If you try this nonsense again, I will lock you up. We have every right to detail you here if you mess up!” The male officer wagged his finger at Okoro.
I seized him up with my eyes, and my gaze landed on his name tag pinned to his faded black uniform. “Officer Wale? Please help us I beg you.”
He adjusted his collar. “Well, if you want us to help you, then you will have to drop twenty-five thousand naira because we will buy fuel and we will buy data to aid this investigation.” He concluded.
“Let’s leave here mama Hadassah these people are not serious.” Okoro made to leave.
“Come who is not serious? Were you the one who employed me or the federal government?” Officer Wale asked.
Just then, two other officers walked in. They asked officer Wale what was going on, he told them. And they bundled Okoro to the cell room. Okoro’s heart-rending cried woke Hadassah.
“I know my right! I am a Nigerian! I have a brother who is a lawyer! I will sue all of you!” He protested until I could no longer hear his voice.
My lips were trembling and my vision blurred with tears. “How much can I pay for you to commence with the investigation?”
“If you have ten thousand naira bring it.” The female officer said. I transferred the money into her account. Then I begged them to let Okoro go. They ignored me and detained the vigilante.
Soon, the Hausa man dropped me at home and gave me five thousand naira to take care of myself. By the time I got home, I dialed Pastor Nat’s line and told him all that has happened.
“In every situation give thanks, Paulina.” He said calmly.
“It’s easier for you to say, pastor. You are not running any business so you can never understand my loss.” I broke into tears.
“How do you know I’m not running any business, Paulina? You only know Pastor Nathaniel do you know Nathaniel the business mogul? You know what, let me keep that aside.
Running a church isn’t easy and just like you, I have experience loss in soul winning, loss in finances for the running of the church, and most recently, loss of my wife!” I stopped crying now. “So stop beating yourself over what is done.
One thing is inevitable in life and that is loss. We only pray that we will not be victims of loss but directly and indirectly we sometimes get involved in this plague called loss.
But the difference between us and the unbelievers is that God has promised to redeem us!” I found myself nodding. He continued.
“He said he will restore the years of the cankerworm and the caterpillar! He will restore all that has been lost! See this loss as a foundation for a new thing to spring forth!” He concluded.
“Thank you- thank you, sir. But it’s difficult to see the goodness of God in all these. It’s not easy.” I wiped the tears falling freely from my eyes.
“I know Paulina calm down. When I lost my wife, I thought that God must have been watching wickedly as my wife d!ed.
And I almost turned away from him but because in a split of a second, I saw that he loved my wife much more than I do, and he had a reason why it happened.
My wife was lovely but it was quite unfortunate that we had to end that way. Always know that God loved that shop more than you.
Sometimes, God allows the enemy to scatter what we have been building, for him to plant a new seed for his glory. Let me teach you a logic God taught me when my wife died.”
I nodded as though he could see me. “Nothing belongs to me. Everything ever given to me on earth; wife, kids, good friends, my money, car, house, church, giftings, talents, fame, etc, are all gifts from God and can be taken at any time.
So detach your desire from them and let your heart lie in the things above okay?”
I sighed in relief and thanked him profusely. He said he would be coming with a sister from church so they could cater to my needs.
I thanked him, and he demanded to speak with Hadassah. I left the phone on the loudspeaker and placed Hadassah on the bed and moved into the bathroom.
I was scooping water on my body when I heard the main door open. I heard Hadassah give a pelting cry and I rushed out of the bathroom rising my towel.
The sight I saw almost made me dizzy as events from my past came rushing at me.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded. My tone was hard, and my fist tightened.
“Hello angel, let’s finish what we started. I have been sending you messages on Facebook but you have not been answering your chats baby.” He grinned like a deranged animal.
That was when I realized that I wasn’t safe…
THE CHAT ROOM : PART 21 – 30
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