The Taxi Driver
Episode 2
“I’m not a thief oga. I and my wife are innocent.” Ejike said. He was almost crying.
“Like I said earlier, we just offered that man a lift. You can ask him, he will say the truth if he wants to. I think he is the only one who can say the truth in this case. I don’t know why you don’t want to question him.” Ejike told the investigative police officer handling their case. They have so far spent two thirteen days with the police. Himself and his wife were separated and kept in different places.
“Shut up my friend.” The policeman shouted. His eyes were red like live coal.
“No thief agrees that he is a thief. You want me to believe you? I know you will deny being among the thieves that robbed Chief Kupolalu. But my investigation proves you are among them. Besides, the man you gave a ride is now dead. He died from the gunshot wounds he sustained during the robbery.” The policeman said. Ejike was brought out from the cell for his statement to be taken. It was the first time he was being questioned.
“What? You mean that man is dead? Oh my God!” Ejike exclaimed. He knew that the man was their only chance of getting out of the police net. Now, they are truly in trouble because the police have refused to believe that he and his wife just gave the dead man a ride.
“By the time we take you to court tomorrow, you will tell the judge why you decided to be a thief. You and your wife will explain why you belong to a gang that has been terrorizing Lagos. And for your information, the man you claim you gave a lift said a woman was part of the robbery gang. I’m sure that woman is your wife. You better prepare to go to jail. Rubbish!” The policeman said.
“Sir please, we just got married and we were returning from our honeymoon. We are not thieves.” Ejike pleaded with the police officer, but he was adamant. He bent down and wrote something on Ejike’s case file and closed it. He ordered that he should be taken back to the police cell.
Ajunwa kept coming to the police station to see if he could bail Ejike and his wife, but there was no way. The police refused to grant them bail as they kept saying the man that Ejike and his wife robbed is a big politician who has connections in the government.
Ajunwa decided to hire a lawyer to defend them in court the next day.
Ejike did not like the police cell. It is a horrible place with all sorts of miscreants. He received a dirty slap the first day he was taken into the cell because the man who is the cell leader said he failed to bring them cigarettes as gifts.
He kept receiving punishments upon punishments from the oga. Sometimes, he was the one who was forced to go and throw smelly urine and popoo collected in a bucket. There are no toilets or bathrooms in the police cell. He has not taken his bath for close to two weeks.
Ejike was also suffering emotionally as he hasn’t seen his wife for the past thirteen days. He wonders what she might be going through where she is right now.
“I hope I will be able to see her in court tomorrow. I miss her so much and the police have refused to show me where she is. I’m dying inside.” Ejike said in his heart.
Meanwhile, Uju was not actually locked up in a cell. She only slept in the cell the first night they were arrested by the police. But from the second day, she was taken to the DPO’s house where she had been staying since then. The DPO’s house is a well furnish three bedroom apartments. The DPO is a single young man who has eyes for good things.
It all started when the DPO asked his orderly to bring Uju for him in his office the first day she and Ejike got to the station.
“There is no way you and your husband will come out of this case. The business man that was robbed is very rich and highly connected. You people may be sentenced to death if we take you to court. Or you and your husband will be sentenced to life in prison. But I can help you.” The DPO said.
“Oga please, help us. I don’t want to die or go to jail. I and my husband are innocent. We didn’t do anything. Please help us and talk to the police authorities.” Uju said. She was crying. She looks so dirty because she lay on the bare floor inside the cell the previous night. She could not sleep at all as she kept thinking over the whole thing. What the DPO said terrified her.
“I will help you and your husband if you are will to do as I say.” The DPO said.
“We will do anything you ask. Anything at all. We just got married and we can’t afford to waste our lives in jail or to be sentenced to death.” Uju pleaded.
“You will sleep with me for two weeks, then I will set you and your husband free.” The DPO said. His words sounded like a bombshell on Uju’s ears. When she returned to her the cell, she kept thinking of what to do. She just finished seeing her menstruation four days ago, which means she was not pregnant for Ejike her husband close to the end of their honeymoon back then.
“What if I get pregnant for the DPO? What will I tell Ejike?” She asked herself. But after thinking about it over the night, she decided to do it. She was secretly driven to the DPO’s house the next day. The DPO promised to set her and her husband free after sleeping with her for fourteen days.
It was not an easy thing for her as they DPO has a lot of libido. It was as if he stopped going to work and concentrated on Uju.
On the fourteenth day which was the day they were supposed to be taken to court for the armed robbery trial to commence, she was driven back to the police station and they were set free.
“What happened? Why the sudden change of plans?” Ejike asked the police officer handling his case.
“The police have decided to end the case. Till further notice. You and your wife are lucky.” The policeman said. Even the lawyer who came to defend them was surprised when he saw them walking out of the station.
“You look so fresh my wife. Were you locked up like me at all? Where did they keep you? I hope you are OK?” Ejike asked Uju as she flew into her arms. They hugged very tightly for a long time before letting go of each other.
“I’m fine. I missed you so much.” Uju tells Ejike. Ejike had his doubts, but he has heard in the past that police treat women differently from men, so he assumed his wife was treated with kindness. In fact, inwardly, he felt happy that Uju looked well-fed and neat. Ajunwa was there and he personally drove them home.
A few days later, Uju missed her period.
“I’m pregnant and I’m sure Ejike is not responsible for this pregnancy. I’m dead if he finds out that I slept with the DPO. I hope he will not suspect anything.” Uju said as she brought out the pregnancy test strip to show Ejike who was eating his evening meal in the sitting room. She does not know how he will react.
Watch out for episode 3.
© Israel Usulor
