LIFE IMPRISONMENT 20
WRITTEN BY: GRACE OLAYEMI
“So, what do you suggest we do?” Mrs Comfort Abraham asked her brother, Edward on the phone.
Comfort got born again about five years after she ditched Ranti, her brother and since then she had been looking for him so she would apologize for the evil she did. She knew all the sacrifices Ranti made for them and that she wouldn’t have been where she was if not for the effort of her brother to see them through school.
Edward also could not relieve his conscience for cutting Ranti off. Before Comfort started claiming to be born again and insisted they look for Ranti, he had been secretly looking for means to locate his brother.
They had gone to their house where they lived with him and had met new occupants and all efforts to locate his whereabouts proved abortive. They had searched for him on social media but there was no trace of him anywhere. Comfort even went as far as going to the police station to request for help but all they did was to promise to help but she had not seen the result of their help.
“We can just buy some things and take it to the orphanage like we used to do,” Edward replied.
Ever since they had been collectively looking for their brother, they made it a point of duty on his birthday to visit orphanages to give some things to those children. They knew Ranti loved doing that when he was still with them and they hoped that they would bump into him on one of such visits so they could tell him how sorry they were for all they did to him.
“No, I feel strongly in my spirit that we should do something different this year,” she replied and tried to wipe off the drool that had escaped from her baby’s mouth.
She had gotten married to the love of her life few years back and they were blessed with two lovely children. Oluwarantimi, her first daughter was five while Oluwaseunfunmi, her second daughter was nine months old. She remembered how she had cried on her wedding day when Edward walked her down the aisle instead of Ranti. Edward had played the role of father to her and she remembered the look of disappointment on Ranti’s face when he came for her convocation.
“Something like what?” Edward asked.
He had noticed the awesome change in Comfort since she claimed to be born again and he could attest to the fact that whatever happened to her was real as she had become more caring, calm and gentle. She used to be very saucy and annoying but all that changed and she became a charming young lady. He however was not always pleased to put up with her spiritualizing every matter. Just for them to celebrate their brother’s birthday like they used to do, she has started feeling something in her spirit again. He sighed and paid attention to the ridiculous thing she would say.
“I don’t know yet. But just have it at the back of your mind that we would do something different and more special for him this year.”
“Ok, ma’am. Whatever you say. But please decide on time so I can save up.”
“I will do that.”
“How are my beautiful nieces doing?”
“They are doing fine, just that they eat a lot like their uncle.”
Edward laughed. “I should find time to come down to say hi to them soon.”
“That’s what you always say but you rarely come around.”
“You know the nature of my job. Time is just a luxury I can’t afford.”
“Yen, yen, yen. That’s what you say all the time. You are not the only doctor in town. There are others who even have wives and children and they are doing just fine.”
“You won’t understand how difficult it is to get off work every day. And the night duties are just so frustrating that if not for the passion I have for what I do, I would have gone in search of another job.”
“Hmmm,” she sighed. “God will see you through.”
“Amen, thank you. And if you can give me a look-alike nephew today, I’ll just move in with you,” he teased and listened intently for his sister’s reply.
“It’s not only nephew. Do you want a cousin too? Unserious boy, she said and laughed. Don’t worry, I’m sure we already have handsome nephews that we would meet soon,” she added and sighted
“Yea, Big Bro must have given us wonderful nephews that we would meet soon,” he affirmed with so much faith.
They chatted about other things like when Edward would get a wife and stop changing women like wrappers and he had a lot of reasons why he was not ready to settle down.
* * * * * *
“Welcome, Honey,” Comfort greeted Abraham, her husband with a hug and took his bag.
“How was your day? Hope it was not too stressful,” she added and placed the bag on the settee.
She helped her daughter remove her shoes and kept looking at her husband who was not replying her greetings. She didn’t know why he was silent and didn’t want to sound like a nag so she just kept quiet and went about her duties.
Abraham had heard Comfort’s greetings but he wasn’t in the mood to talk and he knew if he should open his mouth he might not be able to keep quiet until he spilled the beans.
How was he going to tell his wife that he had been offered a multi-million Naira deal of representing Danger in court and making sure that he was acquitted?
Danger was a national terror and even a suckling child knew that Danger was a criminal and sending him to court was only for formality sake. He deserved nothing but immediate execution.
The law firm he worked for had been given the case and he was specifically requested by their boss from the head office to handle the case. He had the record of always winning any case he took up and that was why every difficult case was always passed to him. Danger’s case was not a difficult case but an impossible one.
How would he stand in court to defend a criminal?
He was a born again christian and he could not call black white or white black. He had the law of God to obey and even his oath as an attorney did not permit acquitting a criminal. He had immediately declined the offer but then somewhere in his heart he felt he should pray about it first as his practise was.
The money promised to be given to him once he started the case was whooping enough to make his eyes bulge but he could not lose his integrity because of money.
The case was already a public case and the eyes of everyone would be on the lawyer that would stand in court to claim that the notorious Danger that had victimized everyone was not guilty.
“Would you freshen up before you eat or you will eat first?” His wife’s voice brought him back from the world of his thought and he sighed when he saw the look of concern in her eyes.
“I’m sorry for not responding to your greetings earlier. I had a long day.”
“I figured.”
“I’ll eat first,” he said and rose to his feet.
To be continued…
