Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 18
I sat in solitude as I smoked a wrap of
Indian hemp; we called it Kpoli in Abakaliki
Prison. I was outside the Cell at night but
within the confines of the Prison Yard. I
needed to think out the way forward in my
life, I had been doing this for the past six
days.
First of all, I do not have a Father, I do not
have any sibling, and I do not have any
known Cousin, Uncle or Aunt. I grew alone
with my Mother, we hardly received Visitors
except for those that seek to buy domestic
Animals on non-market days that would
come and ask my mother if she knew
anyone that has to sell.
I did not visit anyone socially, even on
boxing days when Children visit relations in
the spirit of Christmas; I never participated
for once in my life. My mother brought me
up the hard way, she was scared of losing
me, and I was always within her sight.
Eventually when I came of age I ventured to
leave the Village to carve out my destiny and
all these calamities are befalling me. Okay!
Let’s say life is not a bed of roses, let’s say
everyone has his or her own issues in life! I
agree. They say the Rose flower also has
thorns, but mine are merely thorns! All the
flowers are withered. They say it is him that
wears the shoe that knows where it
pinches; I decided not to wear just a shoe
but a Boot! But my Boot is full of thorns! It
pinches me all over!
Joining the Army was not an easy feat to
endure but I survived depot without a visit
from any one for the whole nine months.
Instead of staying in the Army and reap the
fruit of my labour, here I am in Prison; borne
out of my negligence! I have wasted almost
four years of my life waiting for an elusive
freedom. I do not know how much longer I
would stay here.
Now, my Mother, my only relation, she was
the reason I left home for Zaria, I wanted to
prove my Village People wrong, I wanted to
change the name of my family for good, I
wanted to redeem our lost glory, I wanted
Mama to be able to walk tall in the Village, I
wanted to help change her life in the City so
that when she returned home, tongues will
wag and people will marvel at the
transformation in her life. I wanted the
constant frown that has left permanent lines
on her forehead to be wiped off! I wanted
her dimple to return to her face by putting a
constant smile on her lips.
I had it all planed out right from the day I
entered the Army. Even though I was not an
Army Officer, my earnings would have been
enough for me and my mother. I had rented
a Shop for her already and I had money set
aside for her to start a business with, my
trip to the village had started the magic of
restoring our family’s dignity, I had plans to
enroll in school and get a degree so as to
apply for commissioning to the Officer
cadre, or better still I resign and get a civil
job, I had it all planned out!
My Mother has gone mad; some silly Soldiers
had lied to her and broken her heart. She
was called “iya oloju kan” in the Village, the
Woman with a lone eye, I was the lone eye
and now the supposed lone eye is plucked
out! How would she see? She has gone
blind! Her world has been plunged into
pitch darkness completely! She now sees
nothingness! Barrister Amaka said my
Mother gazed at her but did not see her, I
know my mother, she is just waiting for
death to take her, if not for the fear of God,
she would have gone to drown herself at
the Osun River. She had always talked of
committing suicide but for the consequence
when she gets to heaven, she would have
killed the two of us whenever things got so
tight and we went without food for days.
Only if I could do something from here! My
God! Why have thou forsaken me? Why is
my own so different? Please God help my
Mother, save her! If she dies, what becomes
of me? What is the essence of all my
aspirations? I will be likened to the lunatic
on the street who has no family to be
identified with. Even his biological relations
point at him from a distance and shake their
heads in shame at his plight.
I needed to see my Mother! If she sees me
she will regain her senses, I was positive
about that. I only need to cuddle her and
keep her close to me and gradually she will
be well, it may not be instantly, but she will
eventually recover if we stay together, I
know what to say to her, I know her
favourite songs, I will sing them for her, I
know she loved to watch me dance, I will
always dance for her, I will sit her down and
plait her hair, I used to plait her hair, I know
the foods she loved, I will prepare them for
her and feed her like my baby. Oh mama mi.
But I am in prison, even if she is brought
here to see me, I can only cuddle her, I
would not be able to keep her close, wont
her condition become worse if she is
brought here and taken away? The moment
she sets her eyes on me, would she let go?
She would go berserk if she comes here to
see me and after ten minutes I am ushered
back to my cell, away from her. Whatever
string that is still holding her between sanity
and total insanity would snap!
The other person that seems to affect me
somehow now is Barrister Amaka. I do not
really understand how or where to place
her. She is supposed to be a paid legal
consultant to me but she has gone beyond
that! The way and manner she is taking my
case called for concern because she had not
even requested that I paid for all the cost
she had incurred so far. She had dug up
much about Mr. Chike, she had gone to my
home town to see my mother, and she had
visited the Army Barracks to collect my
Cheque book. All these moves cost money
yet I have only paid her for the initial
consulting fee. I hope I would be able to pay
up when she eventually gives me her bill. I
have a lot of money saved up now though
lately I have stopped saving after the news
of my mother’s health got to me.
To tell myself the truth, I secretly wished this
Barrister was not so high in status! Imagine
the daughter of a senior advocate of the
federal republic of Nigeria! The daughter of
a magistrate Court Judge, handling my case!
How on earth could I have come in contact
with her in normal life? But she is so
unassuming and down to earth. She does
not treat me with disrespect and there is no
iota of pride or arrogance in her. She even
had to shed tears with me the other day
when I was crying and begging her to help
me because of my poor mother; she also
lost the spark in her eyes when she wanted
to tell me about my mother’s present state
of health. She knew it would break my heart
and she was not happy being the harbinger
of such news to me. She has got a good
heart.
I was on the third wrap of kpoli when Oga
Inside came to join me; he sat quietly
starring at me as I dragged on my kpoli, I
was in another realm and my brain cells
were charged and running errands. I looked
at him and offered him the Indian hemp, he
collected it and took two long drags, he
allowed the smoke to run errands in his
system before exhaling thick smoke which
he directed to my face, we were
communicating, I got the message; we
laughed out loud together.
We finished smoking the parcel together in
silence before Oga Inside broke the silence.
Ojo I want to talk to you! He had said.
Oga mi, talk! I dey listen. I said.
This Indian hemp wey you don start to dey
smoke everyday now no good o! I sabi say
you be Soja before you come here and Kpoli
no be new thing for a Soja, but I no sabi say
you dey smoke am well well like this nah!
Oga inside! I interrupted; life don tire me I
beg! I just tire for everything!
Hmm,I understand your situation Ojo, he
said; this na my twenty three years for this
Prisons work and I don serve for eight
different Prisons all over Nigeria so my eyes
don see plenty! Your case no be the worst
o! At all, at all! In fact your case better pass
plenty People own. No be People dey for C.C
cell? Thank your God say you still get hope of
leaving here someday. Thank God say you
get sound health, you dey fit to eat and
drink, you dey even smoke Kpoli! Old boy! I
don see cases wey worse pass your own
well well! You wey dey inside Prison and you
still dey do business, you dey complain!
Oga Inside! I interrupted; wetin be the
importance of the money wey I dey make
when my Mama, the only Person wey I get
for life don kolo? What is the use? I asked.
The use be say, you still fit use that money to
cure her and take care of her! He said; but if
you use your money to smoke Kpoli finish,
how you go take carter for your mama
medical needs? How you go take settle your
Lawyer? Even me wey I dey here with you,
you think say na because I like you? I go run
from you I swear!
You mean am? I asked him.
Before nko? He asked; no be quarrel me and
you dey always quarrel before? Abi you don
forget? The reason I dey close to you na
because you dey settle me o! If not, wetin
go make Warder and Prisoner sidon
together dey share Kpoli smoke? Look! You
better wise up o! Stop this yeye habit wey
you want to start now before you ruin
yourself! Kpoli dey very expensive inside
Prison and at the rate you are going, you go
smoke your money finish then your eyes go
clear! By that time, your case go bad pass
your mama own sef!
And that your Barrister! He said; he be like
say she like you! The way she dey carry your
matter put for head dey make me to wonder
whether no be me connect her to you
again!
Wetin you mean Oga? I asked
Just be careful not to hurt her or disappoint
her by misbehaving or giving up all hope, let
her continue to see the drive and desire to
survive in you. Stop burning your money on
Kpoli! Don’t emulate these Politicians here!
These Guys have chains of businesses
churning out money for them outside the
walls of these Prisons and abroad. The only
source of income you have now is the illegal
trade you are indulged in here, and
remember that no be everybody like you!
Some people dey jealous you already if you
must know! But no be everything I go dey
tell you! The fact that you are doing
business in the Prison does not mean that it
is legal and allowed! It is illegal! But we just
look the other way, and for your
information, the day our Oga or external
inspectors will come here and they happen
to find out, all of us including me will deny
you three times before the rooster crows!
So make your money while you can and stop
squandering it, because nothing lasts
forever!
Before we parted ways that night, we
agreed that he contact my Lawyer and
together they should see that my Mother is
brought to a Psychiatric Hospital in
Abakaliki. From then we shall know the way
forward.
I will forever be grateful to Oga Inside for
our discussion that night.
Oga Inside did not embezzle my money,
although he had used up some of it for
family issues but he promised to pay back.
The balance of eight thousand naira with
him he had deposited into my Bank account,
he brought back the deposit slip to me for
keeps
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