Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 27
My G.C.E result came out and I cleared all my
subjects with A’s and B’s. My first semester
result also was published and I passed all
eight subjects with good grades. Amaka had
gone back to Abuja; she will be around by
Easter break.
School resumed again and I continued to
double between school and my Okada
business. I purchased the Joint admission
and Matriculation board’s form and applied
for admission into the University of Nigeria
U.N.N as first choice and the Enugu state
University of Science and technology E.S.U.T
as second choice, I chose Business
administration and Management as my
choice course to study.
I went to the Golf course on a Saturday
morning in March to see the G.O.C. I went
early enough and waited at a bar for his
arrival. My C.O arrived first, I went to greet
him but he became hysterical the moment
he saw me.
So you are a Criminal indeed! He shouted.
I looked back to see if he was addressing
someone else.
I am talking to you Barger! He said again
pointing his finger at me; you came to meet
me with your girlfriend whom you claimed
was a Lawyer last year! You people came
with a forged document from a Kangaroo
Court to deceive me right? You think we will
not know? You have forgotten that my R.S.M
read law too? That man has a diploma in
Law and can decipher between authentic
legal documents and fake! Look here Mr.
Man! The next time you cross my path in this
world, I will jail you!
I opened my mouth to speak but my tongue
was clipped somehow, I could not utter a
word as much as I tried to.
If I hear kparan! From your mouth, I will
shoot you down here right now!
He charged towards his car and brought out
a Silver plated 16 Cartridge revolver; I will
bore sixteen holes in your chest if you don’t
scram from here right now! He shouted. As I
turned back to run for my life, about five
uniformed Soldiers were upon me with the
butts of their riffles and their boots, I ran
wildly but they chased me wildly too and at
the end I was dumped into a ditch totally
battered. As I struggled to sit upright inside
the ditch, my Bike was rolled and pushed
upon me inside the ditch, something hard
hit my head, I saw flashes of coloured lights
and I passed out.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
I made up my mind to forget going back
into the Army, it was not worth it, and the
forces against me are enormous. I was
beaten blue black and left to die in the ditch.
I woke up later at night with my teeth
gnashing uncontrollably in response to cold
and fever, the Bike was on me and the ditch
smelled of Petrol that had leaked from the
Bike. Thank God a smoker had not walked
by and decided to throw a glowing cigarette
butt into the ditch.
I struggled to get up, painfully pushing the
Bike off from my body, I scampered out of
the ditch, I had to drag my right leg along as
it had gone numb and my ankle was twice
its natural size. My chest was burning inside
and my head was pounding. I coughed and
I tasted blood as I spat out mucus, I pulled
myself till I got to the bar where people
were drinking, the illumination from the bar
made me to see that I was drenched in my
own blood. I fell down tired, I saw people
running towards me as I passed out again.
I woke up two days later in a private
hospital, the owner of the bar had brought
me there to avoid having a Corpse at his Bar,
they saw my I.M.T identity card and they
contacted my School, my Course rep and
some friends I had made in School raised
the money to pay as deposit for my
treatment.
My head was bandaged and my right ankle
was in P.O.P due to a fracture. My body was
bruised and full of sores. I thanked the
Doctor for his effort, and I explained what
transpired between me and the C.O to him, I
described the position of the ditch and I
begged him to help retrieve my Bike. It was
on that bed that I made up my mind to
move on with my life and forget the Army.
I was discharged from the Hospital two
weeks before the date for the J.A.M.B
examination, so I wrote my exam and I was
very optimistic of a good result.
Amaka came around for Easter break; I
narrated my ordeal in the hands of the C.O
to her and she cried bitterly. She saw the
scars on my head and my body, the P.O.P
was still on my ankle. She swore to sue the
Army but I begged her to forget about the
Army. I told her that if she does sue the
Army, her father will be involved and there
would be a scandal if the Father gets to
know that we are lovers.
And who told you he does not know
already? She asked with teary eyes.
I mean your father! I said; does he know
about me?
Yes Ojo! I am just coming from Awka to
discuss with my Father about you and I. I
told him everything I know about you till
date.
No! No! No! Amaka! You did not tell him I
was in Prison! Tell me you did not! I begged.
I do not lie to my Parents Ojo! She explained;
I told him the truth! The true circumstance
that led you to prison and your eventual
exoneration! He is in the system and he had
seen more pathetic situations than yours!
At least you should have waited till I am
something! Till I am worthy of being
presentable as your husband, we need time!
Remember you still want to go back to
Liverpool for your masters! Before you are
through with that, I would have made
something out of life. I explained.
You think you are not presentable? She
asked; and what do you need to become
presentable as my husband when I am
already carrying your baby!
Ba-what? Baby? I screamed and my head
ached violently so I resorted to whispering;
did you say my baby? I whispered
She nodded her head and she whispered;
yes my love, I am eight weeks pregnant, you
are going to be a Father soon Ojo. I had to
go home and explain to my father before
breaking the news to you. My Dad is a liberal
man and does not discriminate, he said we
should go ahead with our lives, he said you
should come around with your family for
introduction before the pregnancy becomes
noticeable. He will handle all traditional
requirement of our people, he owed me that
much. On our own, we can go to the
registry and legalize the union.
I was just staring at her and listening as she
spoke, she had everything sorted out
already and it sounded so easy to me.
Amaka! I called; do you know what you are
doing? You mean you want to settle down
with an Okada man?
She laughed, her laughed was infectious
and I laughed too.
To everyone you may be an Okada man, but
to me, you are my hero! You are everything I
ever wanted in a Man. You are genuine, you
are strong and you are filled with positive
energy. I will love you till I die, she said.
I pulled her closer and hugged her without
out saying a word, my hold on hear was to
reassure her of my faithfulness and I
resolved to stand by her and never to break
her heart for her sacrifice through all my
hard times.
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