AN EYE FOR AN EYE (PART 4)
(A STORY OF UNFORGIVENESS WRITTEN BASED ON PERSONAL EXPERIENCE)
Now that Alhaji had said 3 of us that were suspected of stealing the phone must pay three thousand naira each, I felt some sort of relief. I knew that, somehow, I would pay my own three thousand naira and be free again.
Thank God for Simo (the Ghanian guy), his parents immediately raised 3 thousand naira for him and they gave it to the police. He was freed immediately. He didn’t spend up to 2 hours in the police Station. He didn’t even enter the cell and no one touched him. I was in my cell when he walked into the police station with his parents, and I was still in the cell peeping through the burglary when he walked out. Haa, how I envied him!
I also learnt that Tunde already paid his own 3 thousand naira when the police went to meet him at home. Though I learnt that the police wanted to arrest him on the first day of the incident but he was not around when they got to his house. So when they went back the second day and told him about the new development; to pay three thousand naira each. I was told that he just dipped his hand in his pocket, counted 3k and gave them on the spot. In fact, he was the first to pay, so, there was no point arresting him. He never stepped his foot to the police station.
As for me, I no get 3k ooo, and Auntie Seun said she didn’t have too. The only option that we had was to use my own phone, the Sony J70 that my brother bought with a whopping 15, 500 naira as collateral to borrow the 3000 naira needed for my release. I didn’t have a choice. I reluctantly agreed that the phone be used as collateral to take the loan.
She took it to where she would borrow the money, she later came back in the evening to tell me that they only gave her 3 days to refund the 3k, else, my phone would be gone for life. Well, I wanted my freedom at all costs, so I obliged. If I die in the cell, how would I take revenge?
The following morning (my third day in the police cell), the money lenders gave auntie Seun the 3 thousand naira, after she had given them my phone as collateral. She came back to the police station and paid for me.
I was eager to come out of the cell but it shocked me that even after payment, the police men refused to release me. They claimed that Alhaji had not given them a go ahead and until then, I would not be allowed to step out of the cell…Haba, which kind life be this now? 😭😭😭
Auntie Seun was angry and frustrated, she felt like, Alhaji had taken all I had and had shown me the mighty man in him, wetin him wan collect again now? Auntie Seun left the station angrily.
Well, because of me, she had to swallow her pride and went to meet Hook Up Auntie and begged her to speak to her man friend to let me go. Hook up Auntie reluctantly agreed to put a call through to her “Baby”…..the Alhaji
After a serious persuasion, Alhaji agreed that I should be released and he put a call through to the police.
They later released me towards evening of the 3rd day.
While the policemen were returning my clothes and shoe, that particular one that my write up impressed advised me to go back and prostrate before Hook up Auntie and appreciate her for talking Alhaji into releasing me. He said despite that I had paid the 3 thousand naira demanded, I would have still remained in the cell if she had not intervened, so, she was my saviour and I owed all the gratitude to her. Kai, I suffered! 😭😭😭
When I got back to the house, things were no longer the coolvalstories same, news had spread around the neighbourhood about the thief who stole the missing phone. I didn’t have a face again. People were warning their children not to associate with a thief.
E even get one of the fine girls for downstairs wey like to dey smile at me before the stolen phone saga started, if you see the way she snubbed me after my return from the police station…..Na so everybody dey treat me like say I pour shit for body.
The stigma was another level of emotional torture for me.
The story hasn’t ended oo, my release from the station was the beginning of another drama.
The parents of the Ghanian guy were furious that their son got caught up in such image-damaging incident, they were confident in Simo that he does not steal, and they would not take the shame the whole incident brought upon their family, so they vowed to dig the matter to the root and expose the real thief. That way, their son’s image would be redeemed.
That was how they set out to find out the real thief using means other than the police. After all, the whole “paparazzi” of the Nigerian police did not expose the real culprit. So, they went to consult an Alfa to help them find the thief.
I liked the idea too, I couldn’t wait to know the real thief and have my name cleared. Curiosity almost killed me as I eagerly waited for the report from the Alfa.
When they came back around evening, they said the Alfa told them that….
To be continued….
Feel free to join the dots in the comment section. Airtime for the first correct guess ✌️
😀😁😁
©John Adesogan
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