Dear Anita
Episode Nine
In the morning, the officer in charge of my cell came and opened the cell, and I got up from the floor, ready to hear what he had to say.
“Hey, commot”, he said as he flung the prison door open, “you get visitor”.
He carried me to the waiting room where I saw a man dressed in a suit, with his hair neatly styled.
He was a young man in his early thirties.
“Come and have a seat,” the man said as I tried to step back after spotting him.
“I am Barrister Nathan, the lawyer in charge of your case,” he said, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me.
He looked at me and noticed my fear, seeing me shivering.
He asked the officer to leave and kindly offered to ask me some questions.
“Why did you kiłł them?”, I couldn’t bring myself to talk at that point.
“I’m here for you, Anita. I’ll fight for your freedom until you’re completely free.
Just be honest with me,” he said as he reached out and held my hands.
As I narrated everything that had happened, tears welled up in his eyes.
He could only imagine the pain and suffering I went through in the hands of my mother.
“Who put that idea in your head? Why would you even think about poisōning someone?”
he asked, curious to understand why such thoughts crossed the mind of a young girl like me.
Trisha, my classmate in school, gave me the suggestions.
I met her on the road one day and shared my ordeal with her.
She advised me to poisōn their food, saying it would set me free.
I didn’t know what poisōn looked like, so I told her.
She bought a small bottle with a substance, and I followed her command. I wish I had never done it.
He listened attentively as I shared every detail with him.
I felt relieved that he didn’t judge me like the others did.
“Sir please I want to see my brother, he is all alone in the hotel room, I wonder how he is coping alone”.
I said with tears dripping from my eyes as I could no longer hold it.
I knew what ever I went through was too much for my age.
The lawyer nodded as I spoke, and I had full confidence in him.
He sounded like he knew what he was doing and would surely release me from jail.
“Give me the hotel’s address, I will help find him,” the man said, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen from his pocket.
As he dropped it on the table, I quickly wrote down the hotel’s address.
After everything that had happened, I knew Liam wouldn’t open the door for just anyone.
I prayed that he would this time, just one last time.
After writing down the address, the officer came back with a frown and said, “Your time is up.”
I got up and followed him back to my cell.
He opened the cell, and I went inside, sitting on the bare floor.
It was freezing and there was no coverage for me, and the floor was very cold.
I knew I will fall sick if I stayed there for a little longer.
As I sat there, lost in my thoughts about life, I suddenly dozed off.
The officer’s voice woke me up, announcing that breakfast was ready.
He opened the cell and ushered me out to join the other prisoners for a meal.
The food was the worst thing I had eaten in my life.
They served bread and soured beans, the prisoners were gulping it down their throats like it was the sweetest thing they had eaten.
I sat there watching the food after tasting it and realizing that the food had spoilt.
“Don’t worry, you will get used to it”, one of them whispered as she placed her hand on my shoulder.
I couldn’t say anything to her, there was nothing new to experience.
After all life had been hard right from the time I realized myself in the world.
I realized I wasn’t expecting any food, I had to eat the strong bread, shifting the beans to the other prisoners on the table.
Who ate it wasn’t my business.
After breakfast, the officer came and ushered me back to my cell.
Thessycute Ekene
