LIFE IMPRISONMENT 2
WRITTEN BY: GRACE OLAYEMI
Mr Emmanuel sat in his car after he had what he considered a difficult day at work. He looked at the letter in his hands for the umpteenth time and sighed.
How would he break this news to his wife?
With which mouth would he even say such a thing?
His wife would completely black out or adversely object the decision. He lighted the ignition and drove out of the office premises. His mind became preoccupied as he weighed various options that played out as the best methods and strategies he could use to convey the news to his wife without making her panic.
He knew rejecting the offer was not an option that is available and the only thing he needed was his wife’s understanding and support as that would make the decision easier for him.
He got to his mini-duplex, where he lived with his family and honked lightly. His first child came to open the gate and he drove into the compound. His child greeted him and he did a good job putting up a happy countenance that the excited child did not even suspect anything. He finally made it to the sitting room where his wife was expecting him with a broad smile plastered on her face. He smiled back and gave her a light hug before crashing into the settee.
“What is wrong with you? Hope all is well.”
His wife was not fooled by his fake smile. She had lived with him long enough to know when his smile was genuine and when it was plastic.
“It shall be well,” he replied and handed over the letter to her just as his superior at work had handed it over to him.
“Wow! Thank you Jesus!”
“He has done for me
He has done for me
What no man can do
He has done for me”
Mrs Emmanuel danced, laughed and jumped happily to the amazement of her husband.
Mr Emmanuel had been working with the Anti-Corruption Squad of the Nigerian Police Force since his graduation from the university. He had studied law but knew from the onset that he wanted to be at the helm of enforcing the law and not work as an attorney and that was why he went ahead to receive training to become an officer.
He got to work that morning like every other morning and just about some minutes to 10am, he was summoned by the CSP (Chief Superintendent of Police) and the letter of his promotion and immediate transfer was handed over to him.
“Thank you very much, sir.” He grinned from ear to ear when he saw that he had been promoted to the rank of Superintendent of Police(SP). His joy however was short-lived when he read the details of his promotion that came with a transfer.
His countenance dropped and tears threatened to fall when he saw that he had been transferred to the very heart of corruption, robbery, kidnapping, and all sort of notorious act, in the country – where Danger lived.
He went back to the CSP to negotiate for a possible retrieval of the transfer, but, he had to obey the order and since it was from the IG, there was nothing that could be done about it.
“You have been found worthy and capable to handle the situation in that State and we believe that with your knowledge, diligence and pro-activeness, you’ll be able to bring Danger to book before the six months elapse.”
Mr Emmanuel had to look at the letter in his hands again before he fully understood what the CSP was talking about. Another clause that was added to his promotion was the herculean task of arresting the notorious criminal terrorizing that State. He was to achieve that in six months or he will lose his job.
“This is unfair,” he cried.
“Mr Emmanuel, remember you have sworn an oath to serve this nation anywhere, any time and never reject an official order. This is an official order from the headquarters and I will advise you to put yourself together, go home and start packing your things. The earlier you start unraveling this case, the better for you and for the citizens, who are our priorities. Never forget that you have been called to serve.”
He walked out of the CSP’s office with his head down and his heart dragging along.
After many years of serving his country, is this how they will repay him?
He got a lot of good jobs as the best graduating student from his university but he threw them all away and instead of going to the law school, he joined the Police.
His parents, friends and everyone that heard his story then, thought something was wrong with his brain but his determination to serve as a Police Officer was greater than all their persuasions.
Where would he start from?
The odds were against him in all ramifications. If he should take the risk of leaving the peaceful State he was leaving to the troubled zone where Danger was, what was the possibility that he could apprehend Danger in six months. The same criminal that had been at large for over fifteen years.
“Can you remember I told you sometimes ago that we would be leaving this house soon?” His wife’s question brought him back from the land of his thoughts.
He watched his wife and children who had rushed out of their rooms when they heard their mother scream and had happily joined in the singing and dancing when she told them their father had been promoted.
He remembered the day his wife was referring to. He had wanted to buy corn seeds to plant in the vacant land behind the main building. But his wife told him that they would be relocating soon and another tenant would take over the house and there was no need for them to spend money and energy on the land they won’t be present to enjoy the fruits. However, he did not listen to her. He went ahead and bought the seeds and spent hours cultivating the land before he finally planted the seeds. He spent a total of 9 days working on the land and his wife only watched, taunted him at every opportunity she got and never offered assistance despite his incessant asking for it.
“I remember,” he nodded.
“But, Daddy is not happy about the promotion,” his first son noticed and remarked.
“That’s true!” The others said simultaneously.
“That is because the promotion came with a transfer,” their mother replied.
“What!” They screamed.
“No, Daddy cannot accept this promotion.”
“But you don’t know where he has been transferred to yet. It might be a good place that is better than this place.”
“Even if he has been transferred to London, I can’t leave this place.”
“Hehehe!” She laughed at her brother. Is it because of those your unserious friends?”
“Mummy, can you hear her calling my friends unserious?”
“You people should not spoil this joyous moment with your naggings,” Mrs Emmanuel cut them short and they all looked up to her anxiously waiting to hear her disclose where their father had been transferred to.
Mrs Emmanuel mentioned the place and the children sank into their chairs simultaneously. No one in the country was ignorant of what was happening in that city. They were not too young to understand all the news about the crime rate that had led to the total unrest of that city.
“Daddy cannot go,” the first son said and his siblings nodded in agreement.
Mrs Emmanuel tried to convince them that as children of God they were not to be afraid of anything but should be as bold as a lion and her children also supported their agitations with the scripture that says ‘wisdom is profitable to direct’ and ‘Blessed is that servant that walketh wisely’.
They continued to go back and forth and Mr Emmanuel only watched on in confusion as to what he was supposed to do. He was juggled between being a dutiful Police Officer and being a responsible father and husband. He sighed in frustration and walked to his room, leaving his wife who was busy with trying to convince the children that accepting the promotion was not a bad idea.
* * * * * *
Mr Emmanuel sat before the table in his bedroom and his wife slept heartily in bed. He could not bring himself to sleep. He was yet to come to terms with the fact that he had to leave his comfort zone for a war zone. His wife’s acceptance of the situation and obvious joy about the transfer baffled him. He shared his children’s concern and knew that relocating to that location was tantamount to deliberately putting his family in harms way.
He opened his bible gently and kept scrolling through to see if he would receive any word that would support his agitation and then he would happily pray that God should change the heart of his superiors to make them revoke his transfer or better still work it to somewhere else.
He continued to scan through the bible to find a word that will soothe him but everything he found seemed to be working against his personal desire.
He stumbled on the story of Jonah and he immediately closed it up stating that his transfer had nothing to do with Jonah’s assignment to Nineveh.
Moving swiftly away from the book of Jonah, he landed in Acts where Paul had a dream of two men beckoning on him to come over to Macedonia and help them. He didn’t need anyone to tell him that he had an assignment in the city he was transferred to.
“I will go, Lord. I will go anywhere you lead me. Anywhere you send me, I will go.” He continued to say those sentences amidst tears.
To be continued…
