LIFE IMPRISONMENT 21
WRITTEN BY: GRACE OLAYEMI
“There’s something I will like to tell you,” Abraham said to his wife after they tucked their children in bed and made sure they were asleep. They left the room quietly and went back to the sitting room.
Comfort had noticed the uneasiness in her husband since he returned from work and his unusual silence made her head imagine a lot of things. She had to constantly remind herself that she ought not to think of any evil and to keep her mind plain until he was ready to talk. She knew him like the back of her palm. He was not the type that could be cajoled into talking or divulging things he didn’t want to or were not meant to be said and that was why he was a successful lawyer.
“What is it?” She asked when they settled into the sofa in the living room.
“I want to sincerely appreciate you for being a wonderful support to me since I’ve met you and especially since we got married,” he started and Comfort’s heart began to beat like she just ran a country race.
She knew what would come after what he was saying would be something bad. Abraham was fond of putting something sweet before something sour.
She listened halfheartedly and prayed that it wouldn’t be something too bad.
“I got a call from the headquarters today and I’ve been told to report there immediately to handle an important case.”
“That means you would be gone for a few days or weeks, right?” She cut him short and the mountain on her heart dissolved immediately.
That was not the first time he would be traveling out of where they lived to handle a case or attend a court proceeding so she didn’t see a reason for him to present it as though it was something terrible..
“Yes,” he replied.
“Hmm,” she sighed. “Is that what you wanted to say that you now presented as though it was something unusual or terrible. God will go with you and grant you breakthrough with the case. My lovely award-winning barrister husband,” she laughed.
“You didn’t allow me to get to the main point. The case I was called to handle is that of Danger.”
“Wow! That wicked beast that God has finally put to shame. I watched the video of his arrest. I don’t even know what is special about his identity that would make them blur his face in the video. He ought to be stripped n***d and paraded on Social Media for all to see. Make sure he gets a death sentence. Even a jail sentence is too mild for the level of abominable things he had done in this country. The people in his city must be relieved that their enemy has been brought to book.”
Abraham sighed and allowed her to continue ranting. He wished she would just keep quiet and let him drop the burden on his chest.
“You are not saying anything,” she remarked when she noticed that her husband was not passing any comment on what she was saying.
“You keep cutting me short and you are not even listening to me so what’s the point of talking? I called you here to tell you something important but you seemed to be too cut up in your own world to hear what I have to say.”
“I’m sorry,” she apologized and kept mute.
“I wanted to tell you that I have been asked to defend Danger in court and prove that he is innocent.”
“What!” She screamed. “So, what did you tell them when they gave you such ridiculous offer?”
“I blatantly refused but then I would be paid three million Naira.”
“So, you want to go to hell because of money. You want to bring shame and curse upon us because of money. You want to bring untimely death to us because of money,” she began to cry.
“What are you saying?”
“Don’t you know the case is a national case? This man has been victimizing the nation for many years and after years of searching for him, he was caught and instead of them to kill him immediately, they decided to give him the privilege of fair hearing and you want to defend him in court. Don’t you know that it would be as though you are justifying all the crimes he has committed? Then if you win the case, the whole world will see us as the family of the evil man that defended a criminal in court. Your children would be stigmatized and I won’t even be able to go out again. Then, if you lose the case, the people that are connected to Danger will kill you for not keeping to your promise. There is no way you look at this situation that makes it right for you to defend Danger in court.”
“I didn’t say I want to defend him,” he said after she was a little bit calm.
“So, what are you saying?” She asked amidst tears.
“I’m only telling you what had happened today and that I would be praying about the offer like I always do. And I will do whatever God wants me to do.!”
“God can never want you to defend a criminal. God will want you to be the prosecutor that would indict him and make sure that he dies a painful death as payback for all he has done.”
“You are not God.”
“I didn’t say I was. I was only saying what I know God would want.”
“Can you remember 2 Peter 3:9? God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
“That does not apply in this case.”
“Really? Madam Comfort, don’t you know the bible is applicable to all situation?”
They continued to go back and forth and Abraham smiled intermittently as he always enjoyed it whenever he and his wife did that. That was what he did in court all the time and he knew he was better at it than she was but she would not want to admit it.
Abraham prayed about the offer and the scripture he said to his wife was laid on his heart. He knew he was to go and show the way of salvation to Danger and though he didn’t know how the world will see him or what might become of his career and even his family, he was ready to obey God at all cost. He prayed for the grace he would need and the help of God and he was assured that he was doing the will of God.
His wife refused to believe God could lead him to defend Danger in court and she cried while begging him not to allow the love of money ruin his life. But, he would rather obey God than let his wife’s whinings stop him.
“At least Esther was bold enough to say ‘if I perish, I perish’ then, I also should have some confidence.”
To be continued…
