*** #CLARA (The State Governor’s Daughter) ***
Episode 38
Vivian’s side of the story continues from the previous episode
I couldn’t sleep that fateful night. I was so preoccupied with varying thoughts on how to tell Clara everything. Of course I had no choice than to speed up my plans. There wasn’t any need waiting. I knew Charles was ready to do anything to stop me and I equally knew I had to be very careful with the way I handled the situation. I thought of Val and how he was faring. We were yet to speak to each other after that unfortunate incident in his house. I heard he survived but perhaps he was waiting for me to be the first to reach out to him which I really wasn’t ready to do at the moment.
Very early the next day, I headed to mum’s room to tell her about my new plans. She was very much surprised to hear that I was booking the next available flight down to south East that fateful day. I told her about my new plans but perfectly hid the reason for my sudden change of heart. I couldn’t really get myself to tell her that Charles confronted me the previous day in front of the house because I didn’t want her to get nervous and worried. My other reason for wanting to head down to Owerri as fast as possible was to take Charles attention away from my family. Because he could be compelled to do something nasty to them in order to force me into submission but unfortunately I was a bit late. At exactly 8:30am I got a shocking phone call from my sweetheart doctor Chinedu.
‘’my dear I’m in a big trouble right now. Some NDLEA officers stopped my car yesterday evening as my brother and I was heading down to Owerri and found drugs in my car. I really can’t explain it. I don’t know anyone here and I don’t know who could be doing this to me. Please pray for me’’ he cried over the phone, shaking me with the information. I instantly suspected Charles.
‘’where are you?’’ I stammered.
‘’I’m being detained with my brother at their office in Shaw road Onilegbale I think?. You know the place?’’ he breathed.
‘’I don’t know I don’t know but I will get a cab or someone to take me there. You don’t have to fear my dear. Thank God they let you make calls with your phone’’ I muttered quietly as sweat drenched my entire body. I needed no one to tell me that Charles was up at it again. It couldn’t simply be a coincident that my Chinedu was found with drugs the same evening Charles confronted me.
I instantly realized that Charles could have been monitoring me all the time I was away in India. Yes he had the money and resources to pull such a thing.
‘’D.amn’’ I breathed with frustration as I quickly dressed up.
——————————–
An hour later, NDLEA office Lagos
Chinedu and his younger brother were looking so frightened and shaken up when I met them at the empty dirty room they were detained in. I just didn’t know what to say to him when our eyes met. I felt so responsible and touched. I knew he was set up. He was a medical doctor for crying out loud.
‘’my love just look at me, Isn’t this corruption at its peak?. That’s why most of us living outside the country hate coming home. I’m not a drug baron. I’m a doctor. I save lives. I don’t know what’s happening here. We were on our way down to Owerri when five guys wearing NDLEA apron blocked our car and subjected us to a rough search. I was busy arguing with one of them when all of a sudden a polythene bag filled with drugs was pulled out from the trunk of my car. I couldn’t believe me eyes. It’s even my first time of seeing such substance’’ he narrated quickly.
‘’We were forced to spend the night here and worst is that they are yet to tell us our fate. We don’t know if we are going to be taken to court or not. I was just given my phone this morning to call a lawyer or a friend. I’m so lost’’ he added solemnly.
‘’don’t be scared. I will see what I can do. I will be back’’ I promised and headed out in search of the officer in charge of his case. But none of the officers in the premises were willing to cooperate or even reason with me. Reluctantly I dialed Charles number to know if he was responsible for the mess.
‘’Charles what are you up to?, why did you set up my friend?’’ I asked as soon as he picked up my call.
‘’I don’t know what you are talking about my dear’’ he quickly answered.
‘’you very much know what I’m talking about and you just hit me where it hurts the most. Just start watching your back’’ I threatened nervously.
‘’my dear I really don’t know what you are talking about but we can reason things out and help each other. I can see you are in trouble. Just tell me where you are and I will show up in few minutes’’ he softly demanded.
‘’I’m at the NDLEA office. I know you know the place. I’m waiting’’ I breathed and hung up while my heart pounded very hard. I really didn’t know what to do. I just wasn’t prepared for such a thing.
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Exactly an hour later, Charles showed up at the NDLEA premises. He however refused getting out of his car and asked me to join him inside the car. I hesitantly joined him.
‘’so what’s your problem?’’ he asked.
‘’you set up my friend with drugs. I don’t know you do drugs as well’’ I breathed seriously.
‘’are you here to insult me or to seek my help. I can help your friend get out of any mess he is in right now but I also need something from you. I need a confessional statement from you which will be recorded on tape. All you have to do is to say on tape that you were having an affair with agent Val prior to the night you got stabbed. You came to his apartment to be with him on that very night. You guys argued and he tried to stab you to death but wasn’t so lucky. You managed to pull the knife from your body and stab him as well. I need the story confession from you before I can help your friend. Yes I know the story is somehow flawed but it’s enough for me. You know how these NDLEA guys work? They always crave for media attention and I promise you by tomorrow if nothing is done to secure your friend’s release, he will be on the front page of every newspaper and TV station with the caption ‘’ A Nigerian born Indian doctor nabbed with drugs in Lagos’’. Wow such a good headline’’ he giggled evilly while I lowered my eyes.
There wasn’t any doubt he was responsible for everything. His words gave him out but then I was just right between a murderer and a raging fire.
To be continued
